Lisa EndressBeth Transue and Rob Lesher have known each other for more than 35 years, when they met at Messiah University as students in the early 1990s—both sharing a passion for genealogy. Rob now works for the PA Library Association and is a professional librarian, and Beth is
the Information Literacy Librarian at Messiah University’s Murray Library.
Together, they recently taught a Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning® course about ancestry and genealogy research. Genealogy highlights our connections, and through their own genealogy research, Beth and Rob actually found out that they’re connected beyond
Messiah University—their direct ancestors emigrated on the same boat, the Thistle, in the early 1700s.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Getting started with researching your family ancestry doesn’t have to be complicated. Beth and Rob suggest starting simple and local. Start by talking to your family and writing down their memories, stories, and any details they remember. Talk to family friends, too, that might not be part of your biological family but could have historical insight. However, Rob and Beth have found that some “family lore,” while rooted in truth, may not be entirely accurate, so it’s important to keep an open mind.
RESEARCH & RESOURCES
Once you have a starting point, it’s time to begin researching. Many records aren’t digitized, so you may need a trip to the courthouse or state archives. Look for the first dated record that you can find in primary source documents. Birth certificates, baptism records, family bible records, will and estate records (found by county), are all considered strong primary source documents. Census documents and newspaper archives are also available at the PA State Library. FamilySearch.org is a great online search tool. Don’t forget to use your library card—most county library systems have paid versions of various ancestry programs that are available to patrons for free.
BUILDING A FAMILY TREE
Once you have your data gathered from family and primary source documents, you can use Ancestry.com to build a family tree for free.
Or, if you’re feeling creative, get your art supplies out and create a family tree collage. The greatest inheritance you can leave behind is your attitude and your beliefs.
Here are a few creative ideas from Messiah Village resident Helen King, the matriarch to 120, who led a Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning course on visualizing family connections through a family tree collage.
Photo based:
Cut up photos of your relatives and arrange them in a tree pattern, with the oldest generation at the bottom.
Word based:
Simply write your family members names on the tree branches.
Color coded:
Use different colored dot stickers for each generation and arrange them on your tree.
Your family tree is unique as you are, so make it your own by combining styles. It’s also important to remember that “family” is a broader term that extends beyond our family of origin. Reflect on those that support you, and consider including your chosen family, spiritual family, and others that have an important place in your life in your collage.
Researching your family genealogy can be a rewarding project and paired with a visual collage, it’s a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness. Rob and Beth have both found that genealogy is an addictive mystery—once you have one piece, you will be hooked on finding out more!
