Westlake Ohio FamilySearch Center

Center Contacts and Hours

 * Location &amp; Map:


 * Address: 25000 Westwood Road, Westlake, Ohio. (This is not a mailing address.)


 * Location on Map


 * Mailing Address: PO Box 45331, Westlake, OH 44145
 * The Church is on the North side of Westwood Road, between Walter and Columbia Roads. The Center is in the southeast corner of the building. Look for the sign.


 * Phone: 440-777-1518 (Call during Family History Hours)


 * E-mail: [mailto:clevelandfhc@earthlink.net clevelandfhc@earthlink.net]


 * Open Hours:


 * Tues -Thu: 10 am to 2 pm, 6 pm to 9 pm


 * Mon, Fri and Sat: 10 am to 2 pm 

Holiday Schedule:

Closed Memorial Day, Labor Day, November 22-24 and December 23 thru January 1, 2013.

Upcoming Events:
==== '''April 13, 2012 -- PLAN ON ATTENDING THE LIVE PROGRAM ON ROOTSMAGIC GENEALOGY SOFTWARE PRESENTED BY BRUCE BUZBEE AT 8 PM ON APRIL 13, 2012 AT THE CLEVELAND OHIO STAKE CENTER, 25000 WESTWOOD ROAD, WESTLAKE OHIO Bruce Buzbee is the founder and president of RootsMagic Inc, and the author of RootsMagic Genealogy Software. Bruce has been writing genealogy software for over 20 years, having originally written the popular Family Origins genealogy software. He is also the webmaster of Family-Reunion.com, the world's most popular family reunion planning site, as well as the author of Family Reunion Organizer software.''' ====

1. Breaking Down the Barriers (Brick Walls) presented by Casandra Brown
==== '''2 Research in the "Boot"--Italian Genealogy presented by Tom Cirincione We will review and attempt to decipher different types of Italian records such as parish, Napoleonic, and Civil Vital Records. In addition we will discuss the origin of Italian names and focus on useful websites for your research endeavors.''' ====

==== '''3. German Research is Like Strudel: Enfolds one Layer at a Time presented by Betty Franklin Using a Variety of resources to find information about your ancestors in a step by step pattern. How sweet it is!''' ====

5. Genealogy Unplugged presented by Cindy &amp; Sherry Minn Finding your ancestors by traveling the Interstate after surfing the Internet
==== '''6. Organizing Your Research presented by Jann Pfleiger It's never too late to get organized. This class will give you ideas to get organized, stay organized or at least organize your materials better. We'll cover several different ways to keep your information within easy reach while not having to carry it all with you on research outings.''' ====

9. Internet Tips and Tricks:More Than Random Surfing presented by Gary Smith Using the Internet resourcefully to maximize your research efforts.
==== '''10. Easy Techie Toys -- er, Tools -- for Genealogists. Not Your Mama's Family Research Anymore presented by Gary Smith. Online and electronic tools to make your genealogy more productive and fun.''' ====

Class Schedule
Monthly Classes begin Jan. 21

'''We will begin our monthly classes on January 21st at 9:00 AM. Betty Franklin will be presenting "How to use the Family Search websites."'''

Classes will continue monthly except April, July, August and December

Upcoming classes include:

Feb 18 -- "Google for Genealogy" taught by Sandra Gray

'''March 17 -- "Indexing Our Ancestors" taught by Dorothy Titera. '''

Collections

 * Our Book Collection can be accessed at: www.librarything.com/catalog/fhlwestlake


 * Family History Library Catalog: Films can be ordered online www.familysearch.org/films You can place orders from any computer connected to the internet, using a credit or debit card, or by PayPal.``You will need a FamilySearch ID and password, and an email address.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal: This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.

Hardware and Equipment

 * (Include the resources you have to help individuals do their research - computers, microfilm readers, printers, etc. )

Resources in the Local Area
Cuyahoga County Deed Search; 1810-2012 http://recorder.cuyahogacounty.us/searchs/generalsearchs.aspx

Cuyahoga County Property Research; http://fiscalofficer.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/REPI.aspx

Cleveland District Roundtable, includes;   Cuyahoga County Birth Affidavits--1860-1908

Cleveland Cemetery Index

Cuyahoga County Porbate Index--1926-1904

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/

Links
http://www.cleveland.com/westlake/index.ssf/2011/09/westlake_family_history_center.html

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Ever wonder where you come from?

Maybe you've heard your great-grandfather traveled by ship from his native Ireland to New York during the Great Potato Famine.

Or perhaps there's a family rumor you have royal blood.

Wouldn't you like to know the truth? What if you could even find photos of your ancestors that you've never seen before?

Genealogy-- searching one's family roots-- is now the fastest growing hobby in the U.S.

Websites such as Ancestry.com have wonderful tools and can get you started on your journey. But there is a fee to access many record databases and it can be overwhelming and frustrating to research family roots on your own.

Westlake has a great resource right in its midst that can help you uncover your family's past. It's called The Westlake Family History Center.

It's a service offered through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, many people know it as the Mormon Church, and they say they have the largest genealogical library in the world. It collects the information because, it states:

"Our commitment to helping people connect with their ancestors is rooted in our beliefs. We believe that families are meant to be central to our lives and that family relationships are intended to continue beyond this life. We therefore believe that all family members—those living, those past, and those future—share an enduring bond that reaches across the generations."

You don't have to be a member of the Church to use The Westlake Family History Center. It's free and open to all.

The center has been in Westlake for 40 years and is manned by genealogy experts who can help you start, or delve further into, your family history.

"We help an average 25 to 30 people each week," says center Director Phil Franklin. "It's nice if they can bring in a pedigree chart to get their search started."

A pedigree chart is basically a list of the names, birth dates and death dates of your parents, grandparents and other family members. It can be used as a road map to guide your search.

"Once they bring that in, we try to get on a computer because people really enjoy seeing the historical records pop up," Franklin said.

The center has several useful tools for tracking your ancestry:

•The ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the Family History Library Catalog. •Access to the Family History Center Portal page. That means the center offers free access to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions, including ancestry.com and the Access Newspaper Archive. The Westlake Family History Center is located at 25000 Westwood Road in Westlake. Its number is 440-777-1518.

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday, Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed Sunday.

Volunteer at the Center

The Westlake Family History Center has many opportunities for you to serve as a Volunteer, Please call: 440-777-1518.