Idaho Falls Idaho FamilySearch Center

We are located in a remodeled meeting house (originally constructed in 1950) three blocks north of the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple and Temple Visitors Center. We serve all of Bonneville, Butte, Jefferson, Lemhi, and parts of Bingham and Madison Counties. Last year we had 95 volunteers serving 9880 patrons seeking after their ancestors. We invite you to join us, either as a volunteer or a patron.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location &amp; Map: Address: 750 West Elva St., Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402


 * There is ample parking on the street around the Center plus a small parking lot northeast of the building.
 * The Center's entrance is on the south side of the building, facing Elva Street.
 * Location on Map

Phone: 208-524-5291

E-mail: [mailto:id_idahofalls@ldsmail.net id_idahofalls@ldsmail.net]

Hours we are open: Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tue-Thu: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fri - Sat: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Holiday Schedule 2011: September 5  Closed for Labor Day October 1   Closed for General Conference October 31   Closed at 1 p.m. for Halloween November 23 – 27   Closed for Thanksgiving December 24 – 31   Closed for Christmas

Holiday Schedule 2012: January 1-2   Closed for New Years April 7   Closed for General Conference May 28   Closed for Memorial Day

Here is a wonderful, most heart-warming Christmas story of a widow who no longer celebrated Christmas:

= * A Great Christmas Story* =

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn’t been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn’t hate Christmas, he just couldn’t find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up.

“Thank you, but I don’t mean to intrude,” said the stranger. “I see you’re busy, I’ll just go.”

“Not without something hot in your belly.” George said. He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger.

“It's not much, but it’s hot and tasty, “Stew … made it myself. When you’re done, there’s coffee and it’s fresh.”

As he started to go back to the garage, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, “Please help me.”

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Marines as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. “Pressure to stop the bleeding,” he thought as he used some clean shop towels and duct tape to bind the wound.

{more, to this story}

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= Calendars of Class Schedules  =

Where else can I go to learn to do family history?

 * Basic and advanced research classes are available. Here are found classes from introduction to doing research to performing in depth research such as how to research German records.
 * For information on using new.familysearch.org try this. This is a series of excellent videos and slide presentations on using The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints genealogy program. Be sure to print the handout at the end of each lesson.
 * Many of the genealogy software companies have online tutorials and webinars. While their primary purpose is to sell software, there is surprisingly little selling. But the information they put forth is excellent. Ohana Software has some very good ideas to share.
 * Legacy Family Tree has free online WEBINARS. Each video remains free for about a month and then becomes available through the purchase of a CD so you can build a library if you wish.

What software do I need and where can I get it?

 * The Idaho Falls Family History center does not recommend any particular program. In fact, many different programs are used by the staff.
 * Here is a link from a Google search on Genealogy Software programs that lists the Top Ten.
 * We have linked a Genealogy Software Comparison Chart to perhaps help in your choice.
 * Comparative Informationon several programs are shown on this page. These are all free but do have a more enhanced version you can purchase. After the description there is a link to the vendor's website. You might notice that the only product you can download directly from this site is "Personal Ancestral File". There might be a hint in there. If you do choose to download it, be sure to get the "Companion" also. Here is a very good free tutorial to use with PAF.
 * If you are LDS and use PAF you may also want to purchase Ohana Software's Family Insight program. This will be needed to communicate with new.familysearch. There are a few programs with this capability programmed in as part of the package, Ancestral Quest, Roots Magic and Legacy Family Tree are three that do. By the way, if you want to switch to one of these from PAF, all three will accept your files directly.
 * Ancestral Quest, Legacy Family Tree, Roots Magic and Family Insight are on all of the computers in the FHC for you to use while doing research.

Center Resources

 * 24 networked computer workstations with a data/video projector in the main classroom.
 * 27 networked computer workstations on the main floor with printing capabilities.
 * 6 LAN cables for internet access at worktables
 * 5 networked computers in the Bell room for special classes/purposes
 * large teaching/meeting room with 1 computer, 1 overhead projector, 1 data/video projector, white boards, piano and seating for approximately 60.
 * 5 microfilm readers
 * 4 microfiche readers
 * 1 flatbed scanner
 * 2 microfilm/microfiche scanners with printing capabilities.
 * 2 copy machines
 * a lunch room for patrons (because we love you).
 * We have the capability of binding/repairing (but not restoring) donated books.

Collections and Film/Fiche ordering

 * All microfilm and microfiche must now be ordered online!
 * Haven't ordered online before? Follow this link for instructions on how to order.
 * We have over 14,000 rolls of microfilm and over 16,000 sets of microfiche.
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Eastern Idaho Obituary Collection;


 * 1) We maintain the Eastern Idaho Death Records Index  which is hosted by BYU Idaho. This is an index of deaths in eastern Idaho and surrounding area from the early 1900s to the present.
 * 2) We have the obituaries published in the local news papers for most of the individuals found in the Eastern Idaho Death Records Index. These obituaries are not online and can only be viewed at the Center.

Staff Research Specialists
By Appointment Only We have many dedicated and knowledgeable missionaries and volunteers to assist in helping you to find your people. The FHC also teaches classes on doing research in many of these areas.

Danish * 'Dutch * 'English * French * German * German from Russia * Italian * Latin *  Native American *  Norwegian * Russian * Scandinavian * Spanish * Swedish * Medieval

Links to useful and fun sites.
Discover technologies that will improve your family history research and knowledge. This is a very, VERY, VERY cool place.Try TechTips

Here is a little magnifier that sits on your computer desktop to enable your poor ol' tired eyes to see things on your screen better.....it does not replace sleep. Virtual Magnifying Glass is a free, open source, screen magnification tool for Windows and Linux. It is simple, customizable, and easy-to-use. The program shows a magnifying glass lens that follows the mouse movement. You can move the lens around the screen to view magnification of any screen area. To close the lens, click the left mouse button. Virtual Magnifying Glass also adds it's own taskbar icon. Left-click on the icon offers a shortcut for launching the lens again.

Irfanview is an image viewer that we use a lot at the FHC. It will even make panoramas from several .jpgs.

Faststone Capture will very quickly and easily capture all of your screen or just a few words. This is version 5.3 which is free. There is a new version, 6.7 which will actually edit video but it is not free.

Use Drop Box to replace my Flash Drive????????

Volunteer at the Center

 * Do you want to learn more about doing family history? We will teach you how to help yourself while we teach you to help others. We encourage you to do your own research when not assisting patrons.
 * Would you like to serve a full or part time mission but need to stay close to home? Come join us at the FHC where you can meet many new people and help them find their ancestors.
 * Do you have special computer, language or research skills? We have a place for you to keep those skills honed and practiced. Use 'em or lose 'em.
 * You can serve as few as two days a week, Monday through Saturday.

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