Iowans who are searching for their roots will learn how to find them at a two-day workshop starting today (Friday), sponsored in part by the Iowa Genealogical Society.

Jeff Morgan, spokesman for the State Historical Society of Iowa, says people who want to trace their family histories will be taught a wealth of information about how to do historical research and how to preserve what they assemble.

Morgan says they’ll be discussing research resources in area libraries and other facilities, how to preserve old family photographs and other bits of history, as well as identifying where grants and funding might originate.

Morgan says important clues into tracking ones ancestry can come from a variety of sources, like old family Bibles, tax records and even cemeteries. Morgan says they’ll be looking at all sorts of available resources including birth records and newspaper clippings.

The conference called “Finding All Your Ancestors in Iowa’s Capital City” will open with a reception at the Iowa Genealogical Society Library at 5 o’clock tonight (Friday), followed by “Gems in the Archives” at 7 o’clock, focusing on the archival resources in the State Archives and Special Collections at the State Historical Building.

He says about 60 people will be attending the event tonight, then the workshops start tomorrow (Saturday) morning, beginning with military history and records information. For more information, surf to “www.iowagenealogy.org”.

Related web sites:
Iowa Genealogy Society