The Center at 116 W. Main Street in Mountain View will host a series of free genealogy classes offered by the FamilySearch Center and co-sponsored by the Stone County Historical Society. Attendees are encouraged to bring their smartphone, laptop, other digital device, or just a listening ear. The Center has wireless internet. Please register for the classes by calling The Center at 870-269-3222. The presentation-style classes will be hosted on Wednesday afternoons at 1pm and are expected to last for one hour including question and answer time.On May 22, FamilySearch consultants Peggy Estrada and Renee Carr will share stories of bringing together biological siblings and family for the first time. Estrada will share her personal experience and Carr will share stories of helping others identify and locate their biological family. They will share tips on using DNA matches and family trees from FamilySearch and Ancestry to solve match mysteries. They will discuss ways to handle situations that require some tact and diplomacy in connecting biological families in cases where parties are unaware a family relationship exists.
On May 29, Renee Carr will teach attendees how to use the free Family Tree app and the FamilySearch website. FamilySearch has the largest worldwide tree with 1.58 billion people in the tree and 13.16 billion searchable names in historical records, all available for free. Carr will share stories that illustrate the benefit of collaboration with relatives, both close and distant, in building a family tree and adding interesting details about those in the family tree.
On June 5, FamilySearch consultant Joel Dunlap will present a class on finding records such as deeds and wills in the FamilySearch catalog that aren’t found through typical search methods. These records can add color and context to the lives of one’s ancestors as well as supplying the names of missing family members in some cases.
On June 12, Renee and Philip Carr will present a class about old photographs, including using clues to identify the people and time period. Attendees will learn how to find and add photos in FamilySearch. A scanner will be available for participants to bring old photos to be scanned and digitized. Renee will share stories of reuniting old photos with family from her hobby of buying old photos at flea markets and antique stores. After doing genealogical work to identify the people in the photo, then more detective work is done to find descendants to whom the photos are gifted.
On July 3, Family Search consultant Brenda Dunlap will present a class on researching ancestors in the British Isles. She will introduce attendees to FindMyPast and show how she uses the search website in conjunction with Ancestry to find records. The FamilySearch Center in Mountain View has paid subscriptions to both of these platforms that are available for patrons to use at no charge.
On July 17, Stone County Veterans Service Officer Malcolm Sumrall and Renee Carr will present a class on applying for a tombstone for qualifying U.S. veterans from the Civil War to present. Attendees will learn who qualifies and the best way to apply as well as pitfalls to avoid. The tombstones typically include the veteran’s name, dates of birth and death, as well as the branch of military service.
On August 21, Stone County Assessor Heather Stevens will co-present a class with Philip and Renee Carr on the importance of “place.” Stevens will share tips on how to decipher legal descriptions and use a plat map. She will also provide online resources for locating land parcels. The Carrs will share their personal experiences of visiting the places of their ancestors. Attendees will learn how to find U.S. land records of ancestors and convert legal descriptions to GPS mapping.
Appointments for genealogy research assistance at the FamilySearch Center may be made by calling Renee Carr at 870-615-2195. Regular hours are Wednesday afternoons from 1-5pm at 612 S. Peabody, Mountain View.
The Stone County Historical Society has genealogical records in addition to local books and publications that can be accessed during the Museum’s regular hours Thursday-Saturday from 1-4pm at 206 School Avenue. A list of publications is available at stonecountyhistory.org/