September Monthly Meeting

The Pagosa Peak Genealogical Society will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, September 6 at 10:00 AM. We will meet at 10 AM at the CSU Extension office on Highway 84. Guests are always welcome.

After a short business meeting, PPGS member Dan Senjem will present lessons learned on his second ancestry trip to Norway and France. His first tour was in 2012; the second was completed last fall.

Senjem first stayed at the old farm home of his paternal second great grandparents near Drammen, Norway. There he received additional information about his family (originally Sonju) from the current (unrelated) owners of the farm. 

He then proceeded to France where he has cousins still living.  His mother was born and raised in Chauny, an hour NE of Paris by train. She and her brothers were active in the French Resistance.  She met his father after France was liberated from the Nazis during WWII.

Senjem took a side trip to the D-Day beaches, his father having landed on Omaha beach in July 1944. He will show photos from the American military cemetery above that beach.

Senjem has been researching his family history for over 40 years, beginning with his paternal great-grandfather who served 4 years in the Civil War in a Minnesota regiment.  A second great-grandfather was a Minnesota State Representative in the early 1870’s. To this day, he has family holding local political offices in Minnesota. 

Senjem has lived in Colorado for over 50 years and in Pagosa Springs since 1997.  He has been a member and sometimes officer of the PPGS for over 20 years. This will be his 4th presentation to the Society. 

The presentation will be followed by a potluck to celebrate long time members AnneMarie and Rex Kemp who will be moving to Wisconsin to be closer to family. 

For more information on the PPGS, please attend a monthly meeting, contact Carolyn Paschal at carolynpaschal@gmail.com.