In Memory of Joan Miller of Luxegen Genealogy

On Saturday I learned about the death on Friday of fellow Canadian genealogist and blogger Joan Miller  I met Joan in Salt Lake City Utah in 2011 and spent many hours with her and her husband Reg. She was an absolutely lovely and generous lady. I will always remember her huge smile which enveloped all of us with its warmth. Joan's energy, enthusiasm and shining spirit will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with Joan's family at this time.

Joan's family has requested donations in Joan's memory be done through Kiva. Kiva provides loans to help others in impoverished parts of the world. Joan was passionate about Kiva and was a founding member of the Kiva Team Genealogists for Families.

In Joan's memory I just made a loan to a woman named Delia, a pig farmer in the Philippines.
Delia is 33 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 2 children. Delia has a pigpen that sells grown & matured pigs. She has had this business for 5 years. She requested a loan of PHP 15,000 ($375.00) to buy animal feed for her pigs.

I chose to make my loan a commemorative loan which I dedicated to Joan. This means that instead of being repaid my loan, the repayment will go towards another loan. Every time the loan is repaid, it will be turned back to Kiva to lend to another needy individual.

The Kiva website explains "We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world."

If you wish to honour Joan's memory by making a small loan, you may do so at this page