Where did my red hair come from? What was great grandfather Clark’s middle name?
All of us have wondered about our ancestors at one time or another. These and other questions on family history can be answered through a beginning genealogy course now being offered at the Statesboro Regional Library.
The Library’s genealogy class entitled “Starting your Family Tree” will be offered three times over in the next few months. The first class will be held on Thursday, Sept. 6 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the genealogy department. It will include a tour of basic library resources and their uses. There will be an introduction to print materials, family charts, family histories, microfilm and internet resources. “It’s an introduction to Genealogy 101,” says Assistant Library Director Cora Fay. “If you are not sure whether or not genealogy is for you, come see what it is all about. We are very fortunate to have one of the premier genealogy departments in the state.”.
“This is just the type of workshop I have wanted to do here for a long time,” says genealogy librarian Janice Strickland. “Many people come to our genealogy department for the first time and have no idea where to begin their research. This class is for those interested in genealogy but who are hesitant to start the search.”
Researching your roots can be a lifelong project. With so many records and resources, it is not easy to find a starting point. Many people have a family Bible with records of births, deaths and marriages in their family. Photographs, scrapbooks, diaries and letters are a treasure of personal information. A talk with older family members may provide clues and family stories.
“Genealogy is like a putting together a puzzle” says Strickland. “The researcher has to supply the pieces of the puzzle by organizing what they know and then using those pieces as building blocks to find additional information. The search can get really interesting -- sometimes it uses conventional sources such as books or newspapers or it may take you on a visit to a cemetery or the land records office.”
Beginners will want to organize their research by photocopying documents and citing sources to ensure accuracy. The Library has books especially for those just getting started in genealogy and can provide the family tree forms to fill in as you learn more about your family line.
Additional sessions of the same class have been scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4 and Thursday, Nov. 1. The class is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To sign up for the “Starting your family Tree” class, call Janice Strickland at 764-1340.