Genealogy Get-Together Shows How Much You Can Learn About Your Ancestors

With information now available online, some of it free, you can learn a lot about your ancestors once you know what to look for and where to go, as this announcement from genealogy Lifetime Learners classes shows:

Three Genealogy Lifetime Learners classes taught by Janeen Bjork at Norwalk Community College enjoyed guest speakers on Halloween. One of the speakers, family history veteran and writer, Carol Wilder-Tamme of Darien came dressed as Waldo and sporting a large name tag that read, “Where’s My Ancestor”.

Ms. Wilder-Tamme, a member of the The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Daughters of the American Revolution, The Jamestowne Society and the Flagon and Trencher shared some of the strategies she used to solve the mystery of a “family secret”.

The mystery involved the wife/child of her grandfather-in-law. She unraveled the mystery with articles she found online via www.newspapers.com. Her discoveries included a divorce announcement, news of the death and probable suicide of the man’s first wife, as well as a census that held the first indication of the deceased woman’s child.

Wilder-Tamme had been asked by a friend, who was estranged from his family, if she could help trace his genealogy.

“I used free and fee based websites and unearthed 119 people spanning five generations and located photos for 32 of those people,” Carol told the group. “With the photos I found, I made a four generation photographic family tree using a heart-themed family tree template I designed.”

If you have an interest in genealogy, there are two free genealogy workshops soon in Darien:

• On Nov. 12, the Middlesex Genealogical Society will have Marian Wood speak about her newly released book.
• Additionally, a free Genealogy Workshop, is sponsor by Darien’s Good Wife’s River Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution from 2 to 4 p.m., on Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Darien Library’s Conference Room, 1441 Post Road. Former National Society DAR Lineage Research Chairman and current CTDAR Curator, Jolene Mullen will be the guest speaker and will discuss “Looking Beyond Ancestry: Thinking Outside the Box to Break Down Your Brick Walls.”

A sampler of “Genealogy and Computers,” taught by Janeen Bjork, will be offered during the Lifetime Learners’ winter term. “Genealogy & Computers” courses, as well as 40 other one-day, two-hour daytime courses that meet up to eight weeks, will resume in the spring and 40 others.

For information or to receive a free detailed course catalog phone 203-857-3330 or see www.lifetimelearners.org.