Heritage Watchers Starting Fall Series in September

Instructor Joanne Hess Siegrist, right, looks over the family history book of 2009 class participant, Esther Kraybill. For the final class in May 2009 the group met at Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society where participants enjoyed seeing museum artifacts including the early Landis Log House shown in the background.

For persons wishing to research and preserve personal historical photos and documents, enrollment is now being taken for a nine-session class Heritage Watchers which will begin on September 3 at Landis Homes. Founding class instructor, Joanne Hess Siegrist, is beginning her 14th year of leading this class series which is open to individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Heritage Watchers is a discovery group as well as a support group for history lovers! Its emphasis is finding heirloom photography and artifacts, followed by research towards detailed photo captions. Participants are coached in detective-like searching and guided in promoting a continual interview process. The effects of birthmarks, genograms, and helpful peacemaking efforts are also considered. The nine-session series is designed to lead participants in collecting, organizing, and preserving family heirlooms into attractive, safe, and "user friendly" forms.

In 1996 Joanne's significant and widely respected book, Mennonite Women of Lancaster County: A Story of Photographs From 1855-1935, was published by Good Books, Intercourse, PA. The wider world has enriched her perspective through travels to Central America, Europe, East Africa, and Indonesia. In 2007 Joanne served as the USA Liaison Chair for Swiss Tauferjahr and she visited Switzerland in 1971, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. She now serves as a USA Travel Guide/Coordinator for a variety of Swiss tour groups.

These nine sessions are offered at Landis Homes in the Harvest View room on the first Thursday of each month from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Classes will be held on the first Thursday monthly from September 2009 to May 2010 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Harvest Room of Harvest View at Landis Homes. For more information contact Joanne at 717-656-6429 or by emailing: jhs606@frontiernet.net .

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