The Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society will welcome journalist and personal historian Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell as the featured speaker at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The event will take place in the Knox Room of the Donald W. Reynolds Library, located at 300 Library Hill Lane in Mountain Home.
Fivecoat-Campbell, who spent 30 years as a journalist, will discuss practical ways for families to preserve their histories and personal stories for future generations. Her professional background includes work with the *Kansas City Star* and contributions to publications such as *Forbes*, *Mother Earth News*, and *Kiplinger’s*. She now focuses on helping families create written and digital records of their stories as a personal historian and legacy writer.
Her interest in this work was sparked by her own family’s experiences. She explained that her mother shared vivid stories about life during the Great Depression, but much of that history was lost after her mother’s passing.
"Preserving those stories doesn’t necessarily require hiring a professional," Fivecoat-Campbell said. She encourages families to take simple steps like conducting interviews, using written prompts, or recording relatives on video to ensure that memories and stories are safeguarded.
The Historical Society hopes the presentation will inspire residents to record the histories of their parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Sonny Sharp, a representative of the Historical Society, emphasized the importance of capturing these personal stories before they fade.
In addition to Fivecoat-Campbell’s talk, the meeting will include updates on the Historical Society’s current initiatives. These include restoration work, museum exhibits, and the progress of its “All Aboard at the Casey House” fundraiser.
The event is open to the public and no registration is required. For more information about the Baxter County Historical and Genealogical Society and its efforts to preserve local history, visit baxtercountyhistory.org.