Are you Related to a Scoundral or a King?By Susan Braunstien, Programming Librarian | October 11, 2009How do you begin the search to discover your family roots? You can start by attending a workshop for budding genealogists given by the Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research on Oct. 24 from 1-5:30 p.m. at the downtown library. This is a free event with guidance and information provided by members of the society. Members will show you how to find accurate information on-line, discuss the different software programs available and get you started on developing your family tree. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from people who have experience and knowledge and can help you avoid the paths of incorrect information or frustration with the discovery process. The Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research meets each month on the first Friday at the library. Their meeting on Oct. 16 will be geared towards 5th and 6th graders who may be interested in finding out about their family history. It will be held at the downtown library at 7 p.m. The Nov. 20 meeting will feature author Paul Horsted who will talk about the book, “Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition.” If you develop a serious interest in genealogy the group takes a trip to Salt Lake City every March and stays next door to the Latter Day Saints Family History Library. The advantage of using this library is you can access many records that would be in small courthouses or other locations around the country. There is a Family History Library located at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Rapid City. It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. The phone number is 343-8656 if you have questions about what services are available. If you would like to read more about genealogy, the library has a wide variety of books available. One of the more interesting choices, “The Genetic Strand – Exploring Family History Through DNA,” by Edward Ball takes readers on a journey to discover his relatives through the DNA process. Ball moves into his old family home in Charleston, S.C. where he discovers the hair of his ancestors in a hidden drawer. This triggers his quest to seek information through forensics and as he finds answers to the clues it becomes an unusual memoir of his life. Another book you may want to check out is “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Your Family History,” by Lynda Rutledge Stephenson. It offers clear step by step instructions on how to get started on the research of your family. There are also two online resources available through the library related to genealogy. Ancestry Library has over 1.2 billion records in over 3,000 databases. It includes digitized images of the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 forward, Social Security Death Index, military records, passenger and immigration lists, encyclopedias and more. You can download ancestry charts, blank census forms and more to fill out as you do the research. It is also possible to create your own family tree and ask questions of other ancestry users. This resource is available only inside the library. The other online resource, Heritage Quest, includes U.S. Federal Census records from 1790 thru 1930; 25,000+ family and local history books (every word searchable); the Periodical Source Index/PERSI™ (a comprehensive subject index covering more than 6,500 genealogy & local history periodicals); and Revolutionary War Pension & Bounty Land Warrant Application Files which identifies over 80,000 American military enlisted men. There are more than 250 primary-source documents such as tax lists, city directories, and probate records. Another great resource offered is the Freedman’s Bank (1864-1874) which is considered one of the most important resources for African-American genealogical research. Heritage Quest offers full-text, full-image records with excellent and detailed citations. This resource is available at the library or at home with a library card. Those of German decent have another local resource they can check into. In this part of the country, there is a large population of people who have German ancestry who immigrated to this country from Russia. The Black Hills Chapter of the Germans from Russian Society is very active and on their website, http://members.rushmore.com/bhgrhs/index.htm, there is a list of local officers and the board of directors if someone would like more information. The page also includes a suggested website page including the national Germans from Russia Heritage Society, http://www.grhs.org. As we approach the time of year where the days are shorter and activities turn more to the indoors, why not take the time to investigate your own history? You may find that those stories you have heard from your relatives contain some truth and fish tales. |