Did you ever wonder about the man in the faded photograph that hung on your parents’ wall? What about the old diary you found in a trunk in the attic – are you related to this writer named Ellen Smith? Western Mountains Senior College’s newest course, Genealogy, can help you answer these questions.
A small but enthusiastic group of students, led by instructor Jeanie Waite, explored the various ways we can research our ancestors. Jeanie spoke about the wealth of information that can be discovered by accessing old birth records, ship’s passenger lists, census reports, and many other online references. She stressed that there are many free web sites that offer clues to our past, as well as paid sites such as Ancestry.com. Jeanie, who is an historian, showed us the value of maps in pinpointing the area in which our ancestors may have lived. This is especially valuable when searching in other parts of the world where borders may have changed through the years.
Once you start digging into the past, it’s very hard to stop! Each new discovery makes you want to look even further because you never know who will show up in your family tree!
For more information about Western Mountains Senior College visit our website at http://sad44.maineadulted.org/western_mountains_senior_college
