Lima Ohio FamilySearch Center

The Lima Ohio Family History Center serves northwest Ohio. We are a short distance from Interstate Highway 75

Turning Your Heart to Your Ancestors: Family History Seminar
Free Classes and Displays

Class Descriptions
Ask the Experts Take advantage of our speakers’ experiences and knowledge to ask your own questions specific to your family history research journey. We will have the speakers who are not presenting during this time to be of assistance to you. Bring your questions, documents, etc. so we can help you.

FamilySearch Indexing Help make records free and searchable online by learning how to Index. View digital images and type what you see. See the website, https://familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing for more information. Register ahead of time so you will have more time to Index when you are at the Family History Seminar or register at the Seminar. Susan Smith and Jane Wilkerson

Locating Your Ancestor’s Hometown in Germany You have discovered your family history goes back to Germany, but where in Germany? This class will help you find ways to discover that elusive town your family came from. Sam Schmidt

Migration Trails to the Ohio This class will focus on different groups that migrated to the newly-formed Ohio country and how the land was divided up as people began to settle. We will study these trails, as well as circumstances that brought people here. “Ohio fever” brought people to this western frontier state in droves. The division of the land became a pattern for most of the other land areas in the United States. Peggy Lauritzen, AG

Now I Have It - How Do I Organize It You found some information about your family tree. How do you access it? Learn how to organize photos, documents, and other records in notebooks and on the computer so that you can enjoy the results of your research and share your information with others. Joey Bowen and Jerry and Cheryl Jones

Obtaining Genealogical Records from Germany through Correspondence You have found that you have German ancestry. You may even have the exact town. Now how do you find the records in Germany? This class will show you how to overcome the language hurtle and write correspondence that will help you with your family history. Sam Schmidt

Rocks of Ages-Tombstone Art and Cemetery Research Their tombstone inscription may be the last message left by your ancestors. Discover what they were trying to convey with the artwork and carvings on their gravestones, how to locate their place of burial and how to research in a cemetery. Karen Bennett, CG

So You Want to Find Your Ancestors-Where to Start Just starting out with your family history search? This class will show you how to begin - where to start, find out what information is available, how to gather information from family, how to search, and what to do with the information that you find. Annette Pimentel

Tech Tools for Genealogists Learn about new tech gadgets and ideas to help research your family history and record your findings. Items discussed include portable scanners, digital cameras, tablets, data storage and mobility, and more. Karen Bennett, CG

Tips and Tricks for FamlySearch Websites Learn how to use the FamilySearch websites more efficiently. Includes advanced search tips for FamilySearch.org, ordering microfilm online, online research courses, tech tips, wiki, forums, getting help, and premium websites available only at FamilySearch Centers. Karen Jones

'''Up In Smoke!! What To Do When the Courthouse Burns '''All is not lost when we learn that the county courthouse has burned. This lecture will look at alternatives for research in these “burned counties”. War and natural disasters have taken their toll on many of our nation’s county courthouses. Let’s look at some helpful sources that may still exist. Peggy Lauritzen, AG   

Center Contacts and Hours
Location &amp; Map:


 * Address: 1195 Brower Road, Lima, Ohio
 * Go to the East door and ring the bell. Please be patient while we walk to the door as it is a distance from the Family History Center.
 * Location on Map

Phone: 419-227-2537 Please note that there is only someone there to answer the phones during the hours listed below.

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

Open Hours: Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Time.


 * Mondays 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
 * Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
 * Other hours by appointment. Call for appointment during the hours listed above.

Holiday Schedule and Closings:


 * Closed major holidays and holiday weekends.
 * Closed for snow and ice during the winter.

Collections

 * Family History Library Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the Family History Library Catalog.


 * Some Allen County Ohio records on microfilm


 * Some microfilms from neighboring counties


 * Ohio Death Index on microfilm


 * Myers Ort on microfiche for German research


 * Over 850 microfilms including many from different sections Germany


 * Printed Family Histories and other Records


 * - Benjamin Chamberlain Critchlow Family and Related Families by David M. Stuart. Includes family group records and photos.


 * - The Kite Family History by Merle Kite Dorius. Includes photos.


 * - Decendants of George Henry and Louisa Mahala Welker Thornock 1881 - 1988, compiled by David M. Stuart, Ph.D., 1988. Includes descendancy charts and family group records.


 * - William Vermillian Family. Includes photos, documents, and index.


 * - North Prairie - An Historical Wisconsin Village 1834-1950 by Donald J. Kabitzke. Includes a listing of people, photos, and history of the village.


 * - Johann Heirich Alspach and Descendants, 1995. Computer print outs of pedigree chart and 53 page descendancy chart


 * - Pioneer Missionary: True Life Story of David M. Stuart by descendant David M. Stuart. Includes photos and index.


 * - Baber Family, complied by James L. Baber. Includes pedigree charts, abnentafel chart, and family group records.


 * - Records of Epworth Methodist Church, 801 Bellfountaine Ave., Lima, Ohio 1895-1930. Indexed by Hilda Evans 1990. Also on Microfilm.

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 including the library version of Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest.

Hardware and Equipment

 * Computers connected to the Internet with printers
 * Microfilm readers
 * Microfiche readers
 * Reader-printer for microfilm and microfiche prints

Cost for copies is 25 cents per page for the reader-printer and 10 cents for computer printouts.

You are also welcome to bring in your own digital camera or camera phone to take a picture of the images according to the copyright laws. There would be no cost for those images.

Center Services
We are happy to assist you in starting or continuing your family history search. We show you how to do it yourself.

Staff Research Specialties
We are an area that was settled by German immigrants. We have several patrons who are able to read the old German script.

Resources in the Local Area

 * Allen County Ohio http://www.co.allen.oh.us/
 * Lima Ohio http://www.cityhall.lima.oh.us/
 * Allen County Museum http://www.allencountymuseum.org/ACM2/Welcome.html  Includes the Elizabeth M. MacDonell Memorial Library which has genealogical information
 * Lima Public Library http://www.limalibrary.com/  Includes Obituraries from The Lima News and other local newspapers
 * The Allen County Genealogical Society http://allencogenealogysociety.homestead.com/main.html
 * The Welsch Society of Northwest Ohio http://www.welsh-society.org/
 * The Welsch Society of Northwest Ohio Museum, Gomer, Ohio http://www.welsh-society.org/museum.html

Links

 * Allen County Ohio Wiki page Allen County, Ohio
 * Allen County Ohio Cemeteries at FindaGrave.com http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=csr&amp;CScn=&amp;CScntry=4&amp;CSst=37&amp;CScnty=2041
 * Ohio Wiki page Ohio

Volunteer Opportunities

 * We are always looking for people to help staff our Family History Center. If you have time and have interest in helping others along their family history quest, please call 1-419-228-6120 for more information.
 * Help us with Indexing our digitized records so they can be searched easily. See FamilySearch Indexing at https://indexing.familysearch.org/.