Author and Lecturer Marian Wood Shares Tips for Solving Family History Mysteries

First photo: Lifetime Learners facilitator Janeen Bjork received a copy of the just-released book, “Finding a Future for Your Family’s Past” from Southbury author Marian Wood during a Halloween Genealogy event yesterday at Norwalk Community College. (Photo credit: Bernie Weiss Photography)

Southbury author and lecturer, Marian Wood, shared her secrets for using Facebook to uncover the hidden lives of ancestors, with 25 Genealogy students at a Halloween celebration on Monday. Her audience was made up of students from three levels of Lifetime Learners Genealogy students at Norwalk Community College. The combined classes, who ranged from beginners to advanced, paid homage to their ancestors and their lives by wearing costumes in a classroom decorated with maps, globes, and images of vintage newspapers and advertisements.

While Ms. Wood has delivered her Facebook presentation several times in Western Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, this was the first time that Ms. Wood had given her presentation in the persona of a pioneer ancestor. Donning a T-shirt with the face of a 19th century civic leader from her family’s past, she demonstrated how some of the thousands of Facebook groups can fast-track answers to genealogy questions. Facebook groups are available for people who share a surname, a lineage, who have roots in the same ancestral location or who have common affiliations in their family’s past.

Ms. Wood shared her favorite example of getting help from avid genealogy fans on Facebook. Searching for information about a cousin’s mysterious marriage somewhere in New England, she took the suggestion of a Facebook participant and contacted state archivists. Thanks to this tip, she solved the mystery: the beautiful cousin had slipped across the state line on a snowy winter day to elope with her suitor in Rhode Island.

Ms. Wood was one of several guest speakers who emphasized the importance of putting “boots on the ground” when doing research. Acknowledging that travel is not always an option, she showed the class how they can find others who may have access to historical records or photos of the places where their ancestors lived, worked and worshipped, as well as the schools they attended. She told the class, “Facebook connects genealogy buffs in far-flung areas, offers tricks and techniques from other researchers, and taps the expertise of specialized genealogy groups.”

A marketing expert and college textbook author turned genealogy speaker, Ms. Wood published her latest book to encourage and help people preserve their family's history. "We're the guardians of all those photos, stories, and heirlooms from past generations," she tells her audiences. "It's up to us to be sure these vital treasures from our families’ pasts are passed down to family members who have yet to be born."

In "Planning a Future for Your Family's Past," available from Amazon.com, Ms. Wood presents practical ideas and sample forms for organizing genealogical materials, deciding what to keep and what to give away, preparing a genealogical "will," and keeping family history alive for generations to come.

The Lifetime Learners facilitator for Genealogy, Greenwich, CT resident, Janeen Bjork, praised Ms. Wood for her contributions to the Genealogy community. “By the time many people get around to pursuing their family history, they may not have the time, or the resources, or the ability to explore their ancestral roots. Thanks to the search techniques and suggestions that my students heard from Marian, they’ll be able to recruit others, and help others, who have common goals, no matter how far away they live.”

Ms. Bjork urged her students to see Wood’s November 12th presentation when she will discuss her new book at the Middlesex Genealogical Society meeting at the Darien Library. “The challenges in family history don’t end with the research, they continue with the sharing of that history with others and for posterity.”