The Penny Pinchers Guide to Genealogy Part 2
by Janet Tabares

Penny Pinchers Guide to Genealogy - Part 2

The LDS Family History Center and Family Search On-line searchable database

One of the cheapest ways to find information is to go visit the Mormons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. To make things easier in this article, I'm going to put some terms into abbreviations. Family History Center FHC: this is a local center where a researcher can go and do research. The big research facility is called the Family History Library FHL. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints LDS. You may have heard them referred to as Mormons. From this point on, I'll use the abbreviations.

I've found that a lot of folks are afraid to go for a visit. They seem to think that they will be assaulted with Mormon Philosophy and that there will be an attempt to convert them. NOT SO!!! I have found that these good folks are some of the most helpful people in the genealogy world, and I have NEVER been preached to or asked to join their church

What you will find when you visit a LDS Family History Center is this: a room located within a LDS Church, loaded with computers, microfilm and microfiche readers, and cabinets loaded with microfilm and microfiche, and one to three volunteers, (or perhaps more that's how many are at the one I utilize). Be aware, though, the volunteers are not volunteering to do your genealogy research for you, and they are not necessarily professionals. If you have been doing research for a while, you may be more experienced than the volunteers. Don't give them a hard time though, they are not being paid. They are there because they want to help. A FHC couldn't exist without them. Be nice to the volunteers, and you'll soon make many new friends.

If you are new to the hobby, there are many resources at a FHC. Microfilmed Census Records, Cemetery Records, County Histories, Surname specific genealogies, Tax Records, Wills, Deeds, Orphans Court Records are just some of the resources available on microfilm from the LDS Church. If the cabinets do not hold a particular film or fiche that you need, in most cases, it can be ordered for you very inexpensively (about the cost of shipping). The last film I ordered cost about $3 or so. You cannot remove the microfilm from the premises, but you can make copies of any pages that you need for a nominal charge. The LDS Church is the leader in the reproduction of original records. They have devoted a massive amount of money to make sure that the records are not lost due to aging.

About the computers, there may be anywhere from one to ten computers (or more). There will be a sign in sheet to use the computer. This is for their statistical use only. They want to know what resources are being utilized so that they know where to expand when they have the money to do so. I personally was asked about CD-ROMs that they were thinking about purchasing on one visit. They really do want to help you with your research and are always looking for ways to expand their resources in ways to help the FHC users. You may be limited to one or two hours on a computer at a time. This is to make sure that everyone has equal access to the information. If you are lucky, then you may have several hours on a computer. You can stay on as long as you want if there are enough to go around and no one is waiting.

Not sure where to start, how about running a search on a surname that you're interested in the Family History Library Catalog. This is set up to find films that are indexed with surnames and locations as keywords. This is the starting point when requesting a film. Each film has its own number that is used for ordering. The catalog gives a description of the film, along with the author, title, places and associated surnames. This is especially helpful when trying to narrow the list that might have YOUR ancestors on it.

Another place to take a look is the SSDI-Social Security Death Index. You can find this on CD-Rom and can be viewed on the computer. I found that this was a very valuable resource. I found my husband's natural father using the SSDI, unfortunately, he was already dead by the time I found him. I wrote to all of the funeral homes in the city where he died, and the one that handled his funeral sent me a copy of what they use for their records called a worksheet. On it, was information that led me to the city of his birth, and ultimately the side of the family he never knew.

Another computerized resource is the Ancestral file. This database is a compilation of family trees submitted by members of the LDS church and others. The usefulness varies depending on the tree. Many families are very well documented, others, not at all. This is a starting point, but not something that could be construed as absolute fact. The best way to use the information in this database is to contact the submitters and correspond with them. If you have found a family connection, they might be willing to send you copies of the documents, and data they have researched. You might find some cousins that you never knew existed.

The other major resource that you can use at a FHC is the IGI. That stands for International Genealogical Index. This database spans a number of countries, and is a computerized version of birth, marriage and death records copied from vital records. Each record contains one type of record i.e. a birth record, a death record, or a marriage record. Christening records are included as well.

The Pedigree Resource File is a lineage linked database of records. You can search this, the Ancestral File, and the IGI on-line. Go to Family Search.com

You can download a FREE copy of Personal Ancestral File genealogy software on this site as well. This program used to cost $35.00. My Aunt Cheryl gave me this program for my birthday many years ago when it still cost money. She was the one that started my genealogy fever. This is a great program-usable to both the beginner and the advanced genealogist.

Well, I hope this gives you a better view of the available resources at a FHC. If you are able, visit the FHL in Salt Lake City, Utah. I hear that it's absolutely fantastic!