by AGS member Michael Blackledge
From Page 108 of the local history book on the New Arrival table at the Genealogy Center: The First Fifty Years:
Within the Genealogy Club of Albuquerque, user groups and special interest groups (SIGs) soon developed for Apple computers, TRS-80 computers, Legacy and Family Tree Maker software, as well as the more obvious groups for specific ancestral geographical areas and lineage-based research. An unofficial “SIG,” the OAFs (for Online Ancestor Finders), founded by Don Pierce and Howard Henry, would meet for lunch once a month, originally at a pizza place, later at the Shark Reef Café at the Albuquerque BioPark, and finally at the Copper Canyon Café until Covid shut down this AGS tradition. I predict the OAFs will rise again!
Well, that anointed time has come upon us! The Phoenix is rising and the OAFs will be meeting again, and again at the Copper Canyon Café, 5455 Gibson Blvd SE, across from the old Lovelace Hospital on Gibson.
The first luncheon is scheduled for 12 noon on Wednesday, May 4th. In honor of John Farris (who is arriving at 11:30 am so he can depart at 12:30 pm for an appointment), some of us will be arriving at 11:30 am to hold down our table for 12 in the ‘back room’ at Copper Canyon. The following have indicated attendance: Ginny-Kay Massara, Rex Hopson, Don Pierce, Stu Murray, Michael Wilson, Mike Blackledge, John Farris. Plenty of room, and a full menu for all!
Unable to make it for lunch on May 4th? No worries! OAFs will meet for lunch at noon on the first Wednesday of every month. All are welcome!
If you already have purchased a 50th Anniversary book (or a coffee mug) for the AGS Golden Anniversary and have not yet received it, let Mike Blackledge know and he will bring it to you at the luncheon. You can email Mike at mike@blackledge.com or call him at 505-228-6623.
Hope to see you there!
Photo attribution: Martyn Gorman / Phoenix tombstone, Fyvie Kirkyard | licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license
