St. George Utah FamilySearch Center/Classes

The St George FamilySearch Center Offers a Variety of Classes Every Day
No reservations are required. All classes are free to the public. Handouts will not be provided in class, please print the handout for the class from the links provided below.

February Class Schedule (updated 1/16/18)
Sometimes our schedules change so please check this site for updates regularly and before you come.

Ancestry.com
This class describes how to obtain a free LDS membership. Main topics include: How to link people in FS to Ancestry, how to up-load 4 generations from FS to Ancestry and how to transfer sources between FS and Ancestry. It also covers navigation of the Ancestry.com website. Ancestry Course Handout

Breaking Brick Walls
(explanation) Breaking Brick Walls

British Isles Research
Learn the history of record keeping in Great Britain, where the records are today, great websites for British research, Scotland records and Ireland records. British Isles Research Handout (Orman)

Censuses: Getting to Know about your Family in the Federal Census
Discover how to find information in census records about you relatives. Learn how to locate, compare and find facts about names, marriages, home addresses, moves, children, occupations, siblings and parents, education level, grandchildren, birth dates, maiden names, property ownership and assets, new spouses, relatives next door, farms and more.

Crossing the Pond
Discussion of how to link your USA ancestors to their European roots. Discussion of major immigration periods, what you might find and where to find records. Crossing the Pond Handout (Orman)

Danish Research
The following topics are discussed: Patronymic naming -- Danish Counties and Parishes -- How to read Danish Parish Records -- How to find names using Danish URL sites. Denmark Class Handout --  Danish Research Log

Descendancy Research
Add new family members to your tree using the Descendancy View in FamilySearch. Learn where to start searching for spouses and children. Learn how to find, evaluate, and attach sources to find these new relatives. Using Descendancy in FamilySearch Handout

England & Wales - Census Records (1841-1911) & Civil Registration (1837-Present)
(Beginner/Intermediate) The first effective census for researchers occurred in 1841 with the most recently released being 1911. Finding ancestors in households, with siblings and parents creates a snapshot in time, and opens up other avenues of family history research to family members. In recognizing the need for more accurate record keeping, the government began Civil Registration on July 1, 1837. The records of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales are available to everyone and a valuable resource for that time period. England & Wales – Census & Civil Registration Records (McKinstry)

England & Wales – Records of the Church & Their Poor Pre-1837
(Beginner/Intermediate) The Church of England & Wales, as the governing body for centuries, not only recorded parishioners’ life events but managed their affairs. They maintained the roads, paid the bell ringer and supplied spiritual guidance. One of their most enduring works was to serve the poor. Apprenticeship records, bastardy bonds and settlement/removal papers aid in identifying family lines accurately. Records of the Church & Their Poor Pre-1837 (McKinstry)

Family History Guide
Spanish version Family History Guide-Spanish (Ellsworth)

Family History on Your Tablet
(explain) Family History on Your Tablet

FamilySearch
Learn how to add or edit information, navigate the system, and view your relatives and relationships. Find research suggestions, identify missing relatives, print family group and pedigree charts and more.

FamilySearch: Matching and Merging Duplicates
(explain) Matching and Merging Duplicates Handout

FamilySearch: Memories
Learn how to upload and tag pictures, stories, documents and audio files using the FamilySearch Memories feature. FamilySearch Memories Handout

FamilySearch: Memories App
Many individuals equate genealogy with names, dates, and dusty old records. That can be part of it, but the worth of memories (pictures, stories, audio and video) is much greater. The free FamilySearch Memories app helps users capture family memories, photos and even conversations. FamilySearch Memories App Handout

FamilySearch: Family Tree
The following topics are discussed: Personal settings: Account, Contact, Notifications, Preferences Home page: Recent Ancestors, To-Do Lists, Quick Links to Partner Sites, Messages, Get Help, Indexing, Temple. Family Tree: Pedigree Views, Summary Card, Person Details, Memories, Find, Lists, What’s New, Record Hints, Research Suggestions, data Problems, Lightbulb tips. Memories: Gallery of Photos, Documents, Stories, Audio Search: Historical Record Collections, Genealogies, Catalog, Books, Wiki

FamilySearch: Fixing Relationships
(explanation tba) Fixing Relationships in FamilySearch - Handout

FamilySearch: Record Hints and Sourcing
If you’ve poked around on your family tree on FamilySearch.org, you may have seen little blue boxes to the right of some of the names of people on your tree or in a Research Help box on the top right side of the individual screen. These blue boxes indicate there are record hints, which are shortcuts designed to help you find information about your family as painlessly as possible. FamilySearch is constantly scouring their digitized, indexed records to identify records that may match your family and these blue boxes signal to you that they might have succeeded. Linked to actual records that may include your family, these little hints can make a big difference on your family tree. Record Hints and Sourcing Handout Record Hints and Sources #2 (Sewell)

Find a Grave
The following topics are discussed: Brief History of Find A Grave How to do the searches How to contribute information How to create a memorial page

Finding An Ancestor to Take to the Temple
Learn to use at least one of these search programs -- Find-A-Record, Puzilla, Hope Chest, Wooden Village, BYU Virtual Pedigree, and FamilySearch Descendancy -- to find ancestors who are prepared to go to the Temple. [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-9tJZm8lrlGXlTRMmLZaVOLB5ghhkeG6  (Orman)

findmypast.com
Learn how the features of this family history program. Findmypast has the largest collection of UK and Irish Parish records. They have the largest British and Irish newspaper collection and most comprehensive British military service record collection. Findmypast is a FamilySearch partner. [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_peydhuCWC2KJNrkp57rhA9Ft5GxX7Mt FindMyPast Presentation (Orman)

Find, Take, Teach for Ward and Stake Family History Consultants and Missionaries
Learn how to help others using the Consultant Planner. Learn ways to search their tree to find missing family members and how to make a lesson plan to lead others to find the missing family members. Find, Take and Teach Handout Find, Take and Teach Handout #2 (Sewell)

Finding your Irish Ancestors in the 19th & 20th Centuries
(Beginner/Intermediate) It is not true that all the records of Ireland were destroyed. Civil Registration (1845-present), Census records (1901 & 1911) and Church records (pre-1845) can aid in your Ireland research. Understanding jurisdictions, immigration patterns and land records will enable you to locate your family and be proud of your Irish heritage. Finding Irish Ancestors – 19th & 20th Centuries (McKinstry)

Fixing Relationship Problems in FamilySearch
This class demonstrates the editing features for correcting errors in family relationships. Specifically: 1) Addition and deletion of spouses, 2) Changing parents of children, and 3) Adding an unconnected person.

Games and Activities
This class teaches simple family history games and activities available online. What a fun way to make a boring subject fun and exciting. Most of the games require a FamilySearch account and at least 30 ancestors in your family tree. No Time to Prepare Games and Activities Handout

Getting Started
Learn how to gather information from home, interview parents and relatives to get information about your ancestors and enter it into FamilySearch.

Google & Internet Research
The Internet is a source rich with Family History content, and much of that content is not on FamilySearch or Ancestry. This class will help you harness that power by showing you how to use the Internet safely and effectively. You will be shown other search engines, but most features will be shown using Google Tools for Genealogy, which are powerful and free. Google and Internet Searches (Hammon) -- Google & Internet Searches 2018 Google Quick Sheet 2018 (Hammon) -- Google Quick Sheet 2018 Advanced Google Search Strategies Presentation (Schaefermeyer) -- Advanced Google Search Strategies Google Earth (Hammons) -- Google Earth

Hints & Sources
The following topics are discussed: The value of searching for and attaching sources to your Tree. Types of sources and information they provide. Find spouses and children from the sources to add to your Tree.

Hope Chest App
Hope Chest is an App that helps you find individuals on your family tree who are ready for temple ordinances. Hope Chest Handout

Matching & Merging Duplicates
Learn how to search for possible duplicate entries for your family members and how to combine them properly in the FamilySearch database.

Military Records
Military records can often provide valuable information on the veteran, as well as on all members of the family. This class provides you with many websites to help you successfully search military records. Military Records Handout (Stingel)

My Heritage
(explanation) My Heritage Handout (Orman)

Puzzilla
Discover a free versatile and powerful tool that helps you find the holes in your family tree so you can focus your research on finding those missing ancestors. The premium version helps you extend your search parameters, keeps a log of ancestors who need ordinance work, and researches sources and ancestors with possible duplicates.

Research Strategies
The following topics are discussed: Attaching sources using “Record Hints”. Searching with the FamilySearch search engine. Finding records including the “Browse Only” records. Using records in Ancestry.com.

Scotland’s People - The Ultimate Research Web Site
(Beginner/Intermediate) A safe and very reasonably priced pay-as-you-go web site, “ScotlandsPeople” is one of the largest online sources of original, digitized records. From census records to civil registration, old parochial & Catholic registers, wills, valuation rolls and military records, it is a treasure trove of affordable discoveries for anyone researching in Scotland either in the past or in the present. Scotland’s People – The Ultimate Research Web Site Syllabus (McKinstry)

Take A Name
Learn how to use a smart phone to find, reserve, and print family names. Discussion includes the proper use of this app, how to download the app, and how to utilize its features.

Using Online Libraries
(explain) Using Online Libraries Presentation (Schaefermeyer) --  Using Free Online Archives and Libraries for Family History Handout

Wooden Village
Wooden Village is the newest website tool that can help you find names of relatives in need of ordinances. It contains several apps that assist in finding sources, possible duplicates, data problems, and ancestors with missing spouses or children. Wooden Village Handout

Maintained by: Theron and Shanna Schaefermeyer 

Last modified: February 14, 2018