Last Full Day in Salt Lake City, and the Most Productive Day Yet

Our last morning coffee and rolls with POINT group gathering this morning on the lobby level of the Plaza Hotel....and a very productive day, ending with a delightful dinner and closing talk by Ruth Lapioli Merriman.  To describe the day in one word....AWESOME

Thumbing through the volumes of foreign language heritage books, I discovered that I actually can, well almost, read the many pages of history, heritage and genealogy records.  Hungarian is supposed to be the most difficult language to master.  How can that be?  My grandparents spoke it.  It can't be that hard, can it?  Maybe.  I had much better luck with the Italian texts since I have many years of hard work and study on that language.  There are so many things to read about when it comes to foreign names and their meanings, the locality of popular surnames, etc.

In the late morning, Ruth Merriman presented a program showcase of Internet websites for Italian research.  Apparently there has been an explosion of new websites for Italian research.  I have nine pages of those listed from her class today.  Some of my favorite include:

http://indexmundi.com/zp/it  Index Mundi, a list of all population centers with geographical information and links to satellite photos.

http://ricerchefamiliari.lombardinelmondo.org  Provincial Archives of Mantova, Milano, Cremona, Como, Pavia and passenger arrival records  (Buenos Aires)

http://www.archivi.beniculturali.it  Italian Archives website, a fantastic site to direct you to many, many records in Italy

There are way too many websites to mention here, but I'll be sure to blog about those others in my coming posts.

In the midday, I was able to do some of my magic and translate some records of 1870 Atti di Morte of Neirone, Genova from the Tribunale di Chiavani.  I  thought that I might find records for one of my clients.  I found family names, but -not the same family.  One town over, and voila!  I searched the records of Moconesi, Morte di 1866-1873.  This batch held the long-awaited records that I had been searching for.  It contains references to a smaller town called Gattorna....just what I had been searching for.  Fantastic.  So now I can look at these on-line, and translate to my heart's delight.  Just swell.

I am sad to be leaving tomorrow afternoon.  However, I must admit, one full week of this research and being away from home is about all I can take.  I want to sleep in my own bed, hug my pups and kiss my husband, who I've left to the dogs (so to speak).  I wonder if anyone fed the fish in the pond?  Did we get any rain at home, or do all of my potted plants need to be rescued?  Time will tell.  Back home again tomorrow evening, and a sip of my favorite wine before I get back to the regular grind.

If you ever get the chance to visit Salt Lake City, and you have an urge to find out all about you, I highly suggest that visit the Family History Center Library and Museum.  Don't forget to stroll the Temple Square and view the marvelous gardens.  Take a walk along the new City Creek Center shopping mall with beautiful fountains.  This is such a clean city.  Bravo to the local community leaders.  You are doing a great job.  I will be back.  Next February for Rootstech.