Did You Know? - Columbia Maryland Family History Center

Family History research and projects are some of my favorite things to do.  There are many resources available to help people of all interest levels and experience.  Locally, we have a great resource available to us at the Columbia Maryland Family History Center.  It is located in the lower level of the Stake Center.  The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They should be assist you with most family history situations.

Directors: Wanda & Britt Franklin
Assistant Directors: Mary Finnigan and Samantha Boden

Center Hours can be found on their website at:  https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Columbia_Maryland_Family_History_Center

Appointments can be arranged and are especially useful if you would like help with a specialized topic. Request an appointment by sending an email to MD_Columbia@ldsmail.net. Specify if you would like to come during a weekday, evening, or Saturday.

Choose any family history topic and at least one of the Center staff members may be able to help you. Some options are:

1.       Getting started with family history

2.       Online resources such as FamilySearch and Ancestry.com

3.       Creating a family tree at FamilySearch Family Tree

4.       Putting photographs on FamilySearch Family Tree

5.       Copying photographs or slides onto a flash drive

6.       Genealogy software such as Ancestral Quest, Family Tree Maker, and Legacy

7.       Adoption research--finding information about birth relatives

8.      DNA testing

9.       Records at the Library of Congress, Maryland Archives, and National Archives

10.   Countries such as Canada (including French Canadian, Ontario, and Saskatchewan), China (including Chinese character records for Japan), England, Germany (including old German script), Ireland, Italy, Korea, Poland, Romania, Russian language, Scotland, Swiss-Italian (Latin), Switzerland, Ukraine, etc.

11.    Most U.S. states, including specialties such as California Gold Rush, Mennonite, early New England, Pennsylvania Dutch (German Baptist Brethren), Quaker, etc.

If you are on Facebook - check out their new page - Columbia Maryland Family History Center.  Like & Share the page and they would love you to post your family history successes there to help encourage others.

In addition to the regular Center hours, the Center Staff is committed to offering classes and workshops throughout the year to help us increase our understanding, experience and abilities as we involve ourselves in the great work of family history.  These opportunities are publicized through the ward/branch announcements & bulletins and on the Center Facebook page.

Someone recently asked me, "Why is doing family history work so important?"  I explained to her that the answer lies in understanding the Priesthood ordinances and the covenants we make in the Temple.  We have a knowledge that life doesn't end when we die - that families can be families for eternity - that our time on this earth has a purpose.  As I talked to her of the power of the sealing ordinance and of the promise brought by Elijah, the Spirit bore witness to her of the need for her to take her parents and grandparents names to the temple - to offer to them the same opportunity she had to accept the ordinance of baptism and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Our ancestors are waiting and hoping that our hearts will turn to them.  Let's not disappointment them.

-Lorie Pierce