Chippewa Valley Times

Andy Gaertner, a dedicated genealogy researcher and Montessori teacher, will be presenting “Who am I? Researching Ancestry” at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – Barron County on May 2. Gaertner believes that genealogy is more than just building a family tree. He states, “Genealogy is about more than just building a family tree. It is a way to hold a mirror up to ourselves and distinguish between who we are and who we think we are.”

During his presentation, Gaertner will share the importance of learning the stories of our ancestors to understand their lives and how our family narratives intersect with historical events. Drawing from his 19 years of experience in family research, Gaertner will provide insights into effective tips and techniques, particularly focusing on working with DNA matches. He expressed, “By learning the stories of our ancestors, we can get a picture of what their lives were like. We also can see how our family stories intersect with the major events of history.”

Aside from his genealogy pursuits, Gaertner is actively involved in various community efforts. He manages a four-acre organic farm for Lake Country School and leads educational trips to Honduras annually. The Thursdays at the U lecture series hosting Gaertner's presentation is open to the public and will take place at the Blue Hills Lecture Hall in Ritzinger Hall, with a livestream available at ricelaketv.com.

The Thursdays at the U series, made possible by the UW-Eau Claire – Barron County Foundation, offers diverse topics to the community. The upcoming lectures include Dr. Lauren Wentz discussing waste incineration and Gail Francis sharing her experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. For more information about the series, interested individuals can contact the campus at 715-788-6244 or email Dr. Linda Tollefsrud, the series organizer, at tollefla@uwec.edu.