Speaker: Heidi Arno

Areas of focus or expertise:

  • In the past I have spoken on finding Lutheran/Evangelical Church records in the US/Canada/Germany/Canton Bern, general Swiss research and also on using maps to find missing parents, and other older family members.

Email contact: heidiarno@gmail.com

Web/social media: Facebook messenger, Google voice 415-663-6035

Home: United States, California, Modesto

Native language: English

Presentation language(s): English

Preferred presentation type: virtual and in-person

Travel preferences: 100 or so miles

Biography

Knitting , orchids, genealogy . . . my three passions. My ancestry is Belgian/Swiss/German. I have been doing genealogy for 25 years after inheriting a great deal of family tree and memorabilia from my mother.

In which societies are you a member? Genealogical Society of Stanislaus; California Genealogy Society; Bay Area (Green Bay, Wisconsin) Genealogy Society; Milwaukee Genealogy Society; Western New York Genealogy Society, Belgian Heritage Center.

Speaking experience/references

My experience is mostly my own Stanislaus County Genealogy Society.

Recording of previous presentation OR an IGGP partner you have presented for: none provided

Payment/expense arrangements

How do you approach payment for making a presentation? I do not charge any speaking fee.

Other expenses you would like to have reimbursed if you travel? Something toward gas/hotel would be nice.

Recordings/additional materials

Are you willing to prepare a handout? Yes

Would you be willing to develop a presentation on another topic? Yes

Do you have any restrictions on recording, re-use of recordings, handouts, etc? No

Are you willing to have the presentation translated or translate it yourself? Yes

Presentation topics

There are two topics on which I have presentations with PowerPoint slides. Both are about 40 minutes, with time for questions and can
be on Zoom or in person.

  • “There are more varieties of Lutherans than there are kinds of Cheese,” which focuses on finding not only Lutheran Church records in the Americas and Europe, but also includes other churches that were once Lutheran or Evangelical and may have sacramental records of interest.
  • “Using Maps and Gazetteers for Genealogy,” an overview of the various changes in governmental boundaries in Europe and North America since the start of written records to today, where to find old records when boundaries have changed, what old maps and gazetteers are available and where to find them and how to use Sanborn Fire maps.

Recent research that may be an interesting topic for a group is “The Arno Brothers service in the US Civil War.” Born in Bornheim, Pfalz, Bavaria in the 1830s, Philip and Martin came to Rochester, New York, with their parents in 1841. Their mother died and father, who was a cooper, moved them to Wisconsin and remarried. Philip was a captain, served from Illinois, Martin served from Wisconsin. Both served the Union in decisive locations and have pension files.