Meet new CCGS member Bill O'Brien

"I've got RootsMagic and a subscription to Ancestry.com, and now I'm ready to get serious," said new CCGS member Bill O'Brien while taking notes on his laptop in the CCGS Library recently.

Bill comes from New Britain, CT with his wife, the former Arlene Draizen. He became interested in his family history back in 1989, taking notes in a cemetery in Stoughton, MA. It's only been recently, however, when Bill and Arlene, also a CCGS member, bought their second home in Dennis, MA, that they feel they now have the time and the local resources to take up family  research once again.

So far Bill has been able to get the name of the ancestor who immigrated from Ireland, his great-grandfather Michael O'Brien from County Cork. He knows he was in Providence, RI, where Bill's grandfather, William O'Brien, was born in 1863, but he'd really like to find out when and where he arrived in America.

"I got Pat Concannon's name from the Web site, and she suggested I come to one of the meetings." Bill came to his first meeting in September, 2009 and decided to join the Society in November. Now a member of the Irish Special Interest Group, Bill is sure to "get serious" tracing his great-great grandfather back to Ireland.

If you have any Michael O'Briens in Providence, let Bill know by adding a comment below.