Local Groton Residents Attend 42nd Annual New England Family History Conference to See if they are Related

Groton Residents Attend 42nd Annual New England Family History Conference to See if they are Related

Hundreds of genealogy enthusiasts of all skill levels attend the 42nd Annual New England Family History Conference in Franklin. Local Groton residents attended to see if they were related.

Groton, CT (April 10, 2017) –On Saturday April 8th hundreds of novices and experts attended the 42nd annual New England Family History Conference hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (Mormons) congregation in Franklin, MA.

This free event had 19 breakout sessions, participants of all levels learned about a variety of genealogical topics. Sessions ranged from using the Bay State online Massachusetts genealogy databases to discussing the legacy of the Orphan Trains that once crossed the United States. Other subjects included indexing, Hope Chest software, lineage and genealogical societies, census records and region specific research. Numerous individuals were helped one on one with coaching around their personal family history and research needs.

One example of individuals receiving personalized help was Ruth Perkins and Amanda Perkins, both of Groton, CT. Ruth and Amanda not only share the same last name, but also a genuine interest in genealogy. They attended the conference for the sole purpose of finding out if they were related. Event organizers connected the two women with an expert genealogist who is currently working with them to find the answer to their question.

The keynote speaker of the conference was FamilySearch’s senior product manager Ryan Koelliker. FamilySearch is one of the most heavily used genealogy sites on the Internet. Koelliker outlined how genealogy can impact researchers’ living family members “Knowing your family history not only empowers your children but connects them to their ancestors, which in turn builds confidence and self-esteem.”

The conference concluded with endnote speaker Joe McCamish, filmmaker and personal historian. McCamish interviewed the surviving family members of Sgt. Alvin York, one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Franklin Congregation hosts The New England Family History Conference every year. Since 1894, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints globally has dedicated extensive time and resources to collecting and sharing records of genealogical importance. With cooperation from government archives, churches, and libraries, The Church has created the largest collection of family records in the world, with information on more than 3 billion deceased people. While Mormons view genealogy as a religious endeavor the majority of the conference attendees (close to 80%) were not of the LDS faith. The uniting factor of all participants was simply a shared interest and enthusiasm for genealogy.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates over 4,500 Family History Centers worldwide that are free and open to the public. These Centers give the public access to over 20 premium websites such as Ancestry, FindMyPast, Geneanet, Fold3, American Ancestors, etc. The Center located on 91 Jordan Road in Franklin is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9:30am-2:30pm) and on Saturdays (9:00am -12:30pm).

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Ruth Perkins and Amanda Perkins, both of Groton, CT, attended the 42nd annual New England Family History Conference hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ in Franklin, MA on April 8th. Ruth and Amanda attended the conference for the sole purpose of finding out if they were related.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Massachusetts

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ first building in the Bay State was dedicated as recently as 1962. Over the past six decades, The Church has grown rapidly in Massachusetts, with over 27,000 members in 57 congregations. Globally Church membership exceeds 15 million. The Church’s local meetinghouse is located at 91 Jordan Road in Franklin.

For more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visit www.mormon.org or call 1-888-537-6600.