Upcoming holiday family gatherings bring an all-too-rare chance for capturing memories with multiple generations of relatives. Plan ahead to make the most of these opportunities. 

1) The first piece of advice comes from FamilySearch.org:  Ask the Right Questions

Getting family members to share stories is easy if you ask the right questions. Simple, open-ended questions that evoke memories can work wonders to loosen the memory. Start with easier questions, and work toward the deeper end of the pool. You could begin by asking about a favorite family tradition, their first memory of Christmas, or maybe even their favorite Thanksgiving dish.

2) Another tip: Start the conversation with an intriguing story or fact

That's a great idea, but what if you don't have one? This Saturday, November 9, is Irish Saturday at the Minnesota Genealogy Center -- a good time to get help finding a newspaper story or a photo of the ship that brought your ancestors to America, or finally tracking down that illusive person in your family tree. Who knows what you might discover?

• Volunteers will be available to help you with your family history research from 10AM - 4 PM. 
• Three patron workstations in the Hoffman Research Library are now configured with free access to John Grenham’s Irish Ancestors website. 
• You can also access FindMyPast, Ancestry.com, Fold 3 and Newspapers.com within the library using the library's subscription. All four resources are available from either library workstations or your own device.
• IGSI will be selling Discovery Maps of Ireland (Republic of Ireland) for $5.00. Nothing better than a show-and-tell map!

Weather report looks good for Saturday. Make the trip to Mendota Heights before the snow flies!