Another benefit of membership in the Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI) is the bargain price we pay for research (i.e., $15 per hour). Today I can write personally about my experience and rave about what good value I received. You may have read my late-May postings about genealogical treasures found in a metal box in our basement. One of these items was a baptism record for my husband's paternal grandfather. Born in rural Ramsey County of Irish-born parents, Patrick Hickey had been baptized at the (old) St Paul Cathedral in February 1865. The names of his baptism sponsors were intriguing but, alas, inconclusive in helping me answer questions about the family of his mother, Julia Ryan Hickey.

Patrick had eight brothers and sisters, all born in Minnesota. I realized I'd "left a stone unturned" by not looking at Catholic church baptism records. However, at the time I felt I had too many other priorities to travel to St Paul to spend a day looking at microfilm. Instead I sent a request to the IGSI researcher. Today's mail brought the results: copies of the St Paul Cathedral's baptism register for six of the Hickey children (born between 1857 and 1866).

There are many new sponsors' names and potential relationships for me to research further. And the cost? A very pleasant surprise. One hour of research time ($15) plus printed copies ($2) plus postage ($1). It would have cost me that much for a round-trip to South St Paul in my gas-hog vehicle. And I didn't have to spend my valuable time squinting at a microfilm screen trying to read the priests' almost indecipherable penmanship.

In this case I told the IGSI researcher exactly what records I wanted. Another option is to simply summarize what you know and let the researcher try to fill in the blanks. Either way, paying $15 for an hour of genealogical research is one of the best bargains around.