Tucson Arizona West FamilySearch Center

'''The Center is OPEN! Please bring your flash drive!'''

The Tucson Arizona West Family History Center is located at the Tucson West Stake Center. It serves northwestern Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, and Picture Rocks. It includes a collection of about 5000 books useful for genealogy research in the United States and Europe, as well as a variety of journals from genealogical societies. Note that there is no charge for using any of the available resources or center services.

Individual Consulting

 * Center staff are available for personal consulting with no appointment needed


 * Have a church organization and community organization that would like to reserve off-hour time? Please sign-up here: Patrons Scheduling Tucson Arizona Family History Center

Staff Research Specialties
US Industrial and Agricultural Census Schedules, available on Wednesday and Saturdays

Links
Online Genealogy Records by Location
 * Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location & Map:


 * 3530 W Magee, Tucson, AZ 85741 USA
 * From Ina Road go north on Thornydale about one mile to Magee Road. Turn east on Magee, continue one quarter mile to the church building on the left.
 * Take the second entrance on the east side of the building.
 * The Family Search Center is entered through the small door just to the left of the main east entrance of the building.
 * Location Map

Contact Us: E-mail: [mailto:az_tucsonwest@familyhistorymail.org az_tucsonwest@familyhistorymail.org]

Center Hours:


 * Tuesday: 9AM to 8PM
 * Wednesday: 9AM to 8PM
 * Friday 9AM to 1PM


 * Saturday: 9AM to 1PM (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

Holiday and Summer Break Schedule:


 * Closed for Summer Break in June 27th - July 9th 2022
 * Closed for Thanksgiving, Monday, 21 November 2022 - Saturday, 26 November 2022
 * Closed for Christmas, from Saturday, 24 December 2022 - Tuesday, 3 January 2023


 * Closed for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints General Conference - April 2 and October 2 (Saturdays)

Calendar and Events
Want to find all the genealogy events in the Arizona area? Check out Conference Keeper.

Upcoming Events

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR RootsTech Conference 2023 YET?? (V) AZ - "Death Records" and "Using Evidence Analysis in a Timeline to Separate Individuals of the Same Name" - PCGS Monthly Meeting (Hybrid Event)

Sat Nov 19th

Truly Nolen Leadership Training Center, 436 S. Williams Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85711 map

Presented by Pima County Genealogical Society

(Free)

Hybrid event: Both In-person & Virtual

1:00 PM Pacific / 2:00 PM Mountain / 3:00 PM Central / 4:00 PM Eastern / 21.00 PM BST

Skill Building Class: Sherri Hessick will present "Death Records". Death certificates contain a wealth of information to further your research. We will analyze a death certificate to extract all information from it. We will also get tips on how to locate death records.

Main Program: Diana Elder will present "Using Evidence Analysis in a Timeline to Separate Individuals of the Same Name". Merged identities are a common problem in genealogy – especially in online trees. Arranging records in a timeline and careful evidence analysis of each record can separate identities and lead to new research opportunities. Learn about sources, information, and evidence, and the power careful analysis has to find errors in research conclusions.

The Meeting Emcee is Kathleen or Lisa. (Thank you)

NOTE: Meeting will be a hybrid meeting, both physical and virtual via Zoom.

Registration for the Zoom meeting

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. (V) AZ - Irish Civil Registrations: Post Famine Research using Civil Records

Sat Nov 19th

Online Via Zoom

Presented by Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library

($)

11:00 AM Pacific & Arizona / 12:00 AM Mountain / 1:00 AM Central / 2:00 AM Eastern / 7:00 AM BST

This workshop will provide participants with an in-depth look at the Irish Civil Registration process and resulting records that can be used to identify individuals’ vital information after the 1845/1864 Irish civil registration process was initiated.

The workshop will demonstrate how to find birth, marriage, and death records utilizing online sources containing both indexes and images of original records.

The focus of the workshop will be on the understanding of and use of non-Catholic marriage records beginning in 1845 and all birth, marriage, and death records beginning in 1864. A case study using only civil registration materials will illustrate how to locate and interpret these records and use them to determine multi- generational family relationships.

Questions? Please email [Mailto:genealogy@azirishlibrary.org genealogy@azirishlibrary.org]

Members: $15

Non-Members: $20

Details and registration (V) AZ - East Valley DNA Special Interest Group

Thu Dec 1st

Virtual option and limited in-person at Mesa Family History Center, at the Mesa Temple Visitors' Center, 455 E Main St., Mesa, AZ 85203 map

7:00 pm MST/AZ

The Phoenix East Valley DNA Special Interest Group meets at 7 pm (MST/AZ time) each 1st Thursday, and we are meeting in person. We meet upstairs in the classrooms of the new Mesa Family History Center, which is housed in the Mesa Temple Visitors' Center, located at 455 E Main St., Mesa, AZ 85203. No charge and all are welcome. We also will continue to offer a virtual option for now. See Class Calendar for further details.

There is limited seating so please RSVP if you want to attend in person and send inquiries about the Zoom link to Mckell Keeney at [Mailto:mckell11@gmail.com mckell11@gmail.com].

Limited parking is available on LeSueur, with more parking at the Park and Ride lot on the North side of Main St by Pioneer Park. Enjoy learning and socializing with other people who are interested in using DNA in their genealogical research! (V) AZ - The Salem Witchcraft Hysteria presented by John Putman Mon Dec 12th

Visit Family History Society of Arizona, in the box on the left side of the page, click on "virtual meeting on Zoom"

Presented by Tempe Chapter of the Family History Society of Arizona

(Free)

5:55 PM Pacific / 6:55 PM Mountain / 7:55 PM Central / 8:55 PM Eastern / 1:55 AM UK

John Putnam's program chronicles the causes, events, and aftermath of the Salem Witch incident in which his ancestors played a part on both sides of the polarized villagers. (V) AZ - When Dates Disagree: 8 Ways to Resolve Conflicting Details with Josh Taylor - SAGS Monthly Meeting (Hybrid Event)

Thu Dec 15th

Online via Zoom and in-person at Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino Del Sol, Green Valley, AZ

Presented by Southern Arizona Genealogy Society

(Free)

Hybrid event: Both In-person & Virtual

1:00 PM Pacific / 2:00 PM Mountain / 3:00 PM Central / 4:00 PM Eastern / 9:00 PM UK

When Dates Disagree: 8 Ways to Resolve Conflicting Details

Every genealogist comes across conflicting names or dates in their research. With the right methodologies at your side, you can resolve conflicts and move forward in your research.

Presenter: Josh Taylor

SHORT PROGRAM & SPEAKER:

Chris Arundell will present a program on World War II Civilian POWs in the Philippines.

In-Person Meeting Info:

• Speakers: Josh Taylor will be presenting "live" via Zoom which will simultaneously be available to our in-person meeting and to those unable to attend in-person. .

• Meeting Location: Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino Del Sol, Green Valley, AZ

Zoom meeting link will be found under the event listing at Southern Arizona Genealogy Society Events Calendar. (V) AZ - Research Like A Pro Workshop and Seminar (Hybrid Event)

Fri Feb 10th 2023

Physical address for live presentation is: Green Valley Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental Rd., Green Valley, AZ Zoom link will be emailed to virtual participants about a week before the event.

Presented by Southern Arizona Genealogy Society.

($)

Hybrid event: Both In-person & Virtual

8:00 AM Pacific / 9:00 AM Mountain / 10:00 AM Central / 11:00 AM Eastern / 4:00 PM UK

Please join the Southern Arizona Genealogy Society (SAGS) on Friday, 10 February 2023 for a half-day “Records We Should Be Using” workshop and on Saturday, 11 February 2023 for the “Research Like A Pro” full-day seminar. The workshop and seminar will simultaneously be held in-person in Green Valley, AZ and virtually via Zoom. Early bird rates are available through 15 December 2022. More information is available at the SAGS website at: azsags.org

Presenters are Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket.com. The mother-daughter team are professional genealogists and co-authors of Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and hosts of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast. AZ - WVGS Seminar "Golden Genealogy Nuggets" with Dr. Michael D. Lacopo

Sat Feb 18th 2023

Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church 13658 W. Meeker Boulevard, Fellowship Hall Sun City West, Arizona

Presented by West Valley Genealogical Society

Seminar: 9am - 3:00 pm

Topics:

> Researching The Invisible Ancestors

> German Genealogy On the Internet: Beyond the Basics

> Deconstructing Your Family Tree: Re-Evaluating The "Evidence"

> Medical Genealogy: A Primer of Diseases that Killed Our Ancestors and the Epidemics They Lived Through

Early Registration Discount ends December 31, 2022

Registration opens November 10. Details and more at West Valley Genealogical Society

Center Resources
We have 7 computers, 2 scanners, and 2 microfilm and microfiche readers.

Premium Family History Websites

 * 19th Century British Library Newspapers
 * This fully searchable database of the British Library's newspaper holdings provides a complete run of 48 national and regional Victorian British newspapers for the 19th century from 1800 to 1900. These support the study of colonial history, genealogical research, politics, urban studies, and media courses.


 * Alexander Street
 * Social and Cultural History
 * Personal accounts of well-known historical figures.
 * The American Civil War—Research Database
 * Contains indexed, searchable information on over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with 15,000 photographs.
 * The American Civil War—Letters and Diaries
 * Contains approximately 100,000 indexed pages of diaries, letters, and memoirs, including 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts, such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor.
 * The American Civil War—Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera
 * Provides a vivid history of the American Civil War with over 1,400 images.
 * Women and Social Movements in the United States
 * Organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between A.D. 1600 and 2000.


 * American Ancestors
 * Advance your family history research today with AmericanAncestors.org! Created by the expert staff at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), America's founding genealogical organization, AmericanAncestors.org is the portal to the nation's leading resource for the highest-quality, comprehensive family history services. Consult with our expert staff, some of the most respected genealogists in the profession. Read the most significant original scholarship and important publications in genealogy. Access millions of exclusive and sought-after records online. Learn with in-depth online courses and webinars from expert staff. Explore the largest collection of original family history research materials in America.


 * Ancestry Institution
 * Ancestry gives you access to thousands of collections of records from around the world, including immigration, census, voter, vital, and military records; newspapers and periodicals; family trees; photos and images; directories, maps, court records, land records, wills and financial records, stories, memories, and histories; and detailed records about births, marriages, deaths, land ownership, and much more. Ancestry is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world. 
 * Visit this partner's localized sites: U.S. Australia Canada Germany Sweden United Kingdom


 * ArkivDigital
 * ArkivDigital is the largest private provider of Swedish Church Records and other historical records online! All images are newly photographed color images of the original documents. Click the link from the Premium Family History Websites page to use ArkivDigital Online.


 * FamNet
 * The online family history network for those who have New Zealand roots.


 * Findmypast
 * Findmypast makes it easy to research your United Kingdom ancestry and create your family tree. Search census records, and trace births, marriages, and deaths to bring your family history to life. Please note that not all of the content from Findmypast is available in family history centers.


 * Fold3
 * Search or browse millions of historical documents and photos. Fold3 has refocused their efforts on gathering the best online collection of military records and stories. The Fold3 name reflects military history and honor, since traditionally, the third fold in a flag-folding ceremony honors and remembers veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.


 * Geneanet
 * ''With 3 billion referenced individuals and 600,000 trees online, Geneanet is the first site dedicated to genealogy in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany. The Geneanet community has 2 million members who exchange genealogical information.


 * MyHeritage Library Edition
 * Used by millions of people worldwide to help research family history, build a family tree, and add photos, historical records, and more.


 * NewspaperArchive.com
 * The largest online newspaper archive contains 12,100 newspapers from the 1700s to the 2000s, and millions of additional pages are added every month.


 * Puzzilla
 * Find new research opportunities on descendant lines in Family Tree.




 * FamilySearch Catalog. Access to the microfilm holdings of the Family History Library in Salt Lake Internet access is available at the library.
 * We have extensive hardbound collections for North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia as well as a few New England collections.

Hardware and Equipment

 * Nine computers with internet access, each with dual monitors
 * One microfilm scanner - bring a USB flash drive to store your digitized documents
 * Two microfilm readers
 * Two scanners for digitizing photographs, slides, negatives, and documents - bring an USB flash drive to store your digitized documents
 * Wireless access available upon request.