Membership in SAGE or any other Maine Senior College Network is required.  If you aren't a member, click on Annual SAGE Membership for 2024 - 2025 and join today.

(Correction to the brochure) The Symposium will be held on the fourth Friday of every month. We are now meeting at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle so we will be meeting every fourth Friday until June.  

Unlock the secrets of your family’s past in our immersive “Tracing Roots” symposium.  Join fellow enthusiasts once a month, each spanning about three hours on a “drop-in or stay for the entire class” basis. Our expert Ancestry.Com users will guide you through archival records, DNA analysis, and historical context using the latest version of Ancestry.com provided by the university library.  Individually, dive deep into your family tree, unearthing stories, connections, and hidden branches.  Whether you are a beginner or seasoned researcher, this symposium promises to enrich your understanding of heritage and identity. 

Instsructors: Dennis Prue and Spike Savage

SAGE membership is not required to join this class.  If you see anything to the contrary, please ignore it.

Also, Sandy is running into scheduling issues.  We are changing the dates of this class on more time to accommodate her schedule.  Sorry about that.

What history has never revealed is the story of thousands of Germans trapped inside the Third Reich who defied Hitler every way they could: they sent intel to the Allies, hid the hunted, joined the French resistance, encouraged deserters, and stopped roundups. The moral repugnance of fascism motivated them to risk their lives to save strangers, their civilized, cultured Germany, and the rest of the world. Their daring in the face of certain death, their willingness to honor their conscience and risk their lives for a more humane and peaceful world is a model for those of us now confronted by the onslaught of fascism everywhere. A book and film list for those who want to know more will be provided.   Instructor Sandy Garson was a recognized Maine journalist from 1973 to 1983 when she discovered the hidden history of Germans who fought Hitler inside his Reich and began working on this material. She went to Germany, met resistance survivors, and found those who had emigrated from Germany to the United States. The book she was assembling was never published as few people in 1986 wanted to hear about Good Germans. People were reluctant to admit there were any. But in our troubled time, their courage and defiance resonate loudly, so she is sharing the untold story of “the Other Germany.” During her journalistic career, Sandy was also cooking on the side and by request opened a catering take-out business in 1985. When an orthopedic collapse forced her to quit, she studied Food History at Radcliffe College and has been a published food historian with two cookbooks and many articles since. For the 2024 Camden Conference on India, she was invited to give talks on The Indian Kitchen: Crossroads of Cultures. 

The Nathan Perry Steamboat, an early 19th-century vessel, was a pioneering effort to connect Presque Isle, Maine, with surrounding areas via the Aroostook River. Commissioned by entrepreneur Nathan Perry, the steamboat transported goods, particularly lumber and agricultural products, and served as a vital link for trade and communication in the region. Despite challenges like shallow waters and harsh weather, the vessel highlighted the transformative potential of steam-powered transportation in a remote, developing area. Steamboat symbolized innovation, boosting the local economy and setting the stage for future advancements in northern Maine’s infrastructure and commerce.

Instructor: Kim Smith, local historian, and treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society.