Your place on the family tree

Betty Franklin, Family History Center consultant, assists Cami Carney while she and Sandy Graf explore their ancestry. Photo by Joyce Able Schroth

In the popular television series "Who Do You Think You Are?" celebrities Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson and many others have explored their roots. For everyone who is ready to open the door to their own history or add to what has already been discovered, a special event is planned for Saturday, April 26, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Westlake Ohio Family History Center, 25000 Westwood Road.

"Family History from the Past into the Future" features thirteen 50-minute presentations from which to choose at this free event. Each presenter has significant expertise and many years of experience in family history research. For those curious about past generations – where and how they lived – answers may be found at this 11th Annual Family History Conference. Sessions include an introduction to genealogy, Family Tree and FamilySearch, land records and county research, writing your story, Scots in Ohio, researching Great Britain and the Czech Republic and using Google Earth.

Registration may be made by email at ProgramFHC@gmail.com or by calling 440-777-1518. A syllabus can be downloaded from tinyurl.com/WestlakeFamilyHistoryCenter or purchased for $5.

Phil Franklin, event chair and director of the Family History Center, says: “This event will give people excitement for genealogy; give them the tools they need to accomplish their history in different ways.” His wife, Betty, a frequent presenter at various genealogical symposiums and conferences, has been a volunteer at the Family History Center for 16 years. She has traced her personal history to 1600s Germany.

Betty, a retired teacher, suggests family history is important to children. "It is important for their self-worth and confidence when they understand their family’s history, their struggles. That could include pioneer families, first generation Americans who had to learn English, mothers who lost multiple children." Betty adds that whether new or experienced in genealogy there are so many ways to learn new ideas at this conference.

The Family History Center and location of this conference is within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 25000 Westwood Road, Westlake. Unable to attend the conference or need additional help? The Center is open throughout the year, at various times, six days a week. Experts are available to provide the support necessary to make the discovery of one’s personal history.

The Center has access to the largest collection of family records in the world, including more than three billion deceased people. There are 4,600 local family history centers of the Church in 126 countries to assist with research; there is never a charge for this assistance.