PORT ANGELES — The Family History Center volunteers want to help you find out who you are.
Information about researching family trees will be offered during the third annual Family History Jamboree on Saturday.
A variety of speakers will talk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 591 Monroe Road in Port Angeles.
The jamboree is free.
Although pre-registration has closed, participants can register the day of the event.
“We do this to make it available and let people know we are here and care about genealogy,” said Kathy Fotens, director of the center — which is at the church — and a genealogy researcher for more than 30 years.
The jamboree’s keynote speaker, Raymond W. Madsen, will start off the conference with an address about bringing ancestors to life.
“We are who we are because of who they were,” the program says.
Madsen also will speak from 12:50 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. about an improved FamilySearch and other Internet sites.
Madsen recently retired after 33 years with the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the manager for the development of FamilySearch and other research aids.
Surname Wall
From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. before the conference, participants can register and also post requests for information on a Surname Wall.
Cards will be supplied for those who want to list the surnames they are researching, along with such information as where and when the person lived, as well as contact information in case anyone has details to share.
“I did that and found out about 13 cousins I didn’t know anything about,” Fotens said.
In one-hour sessions throughout the day, participants will have the choice of attending one of three presentations.
Presentation schedule
Speaking from 10:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. will be Kathleen Barrett, a genealogy researcher for more than 50 years, who will talk about how to use probate records; Nola Judd, who will talk about a personal ancestral file; and Norman Rees, who will lecture on “Basic Bare Bones Family History Research.”
From 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Linda Rees will discuss the use of U.S. Census records, while Jayne Downie will discuss Swedish records online and Judd will speak again.
From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Jon Kirshbaum will present information on backtracking American emigrant ancestors; Nila Madsen will speak on “Discover, Preserve, Publish”; and both Norman and Linda Rees will speak again.
The Family History Center will be open from 3:10 p.m. to 5 p.m. for hands-on research with expert personnel for those who have signed up, the registration form says.
Boxed lunches will be available for those who preregistered.
The center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays.
None of the volunteers operating the center are paid, Fotens said, “but we do get really excited when someone finds something.”
For more information, phone 360-565-8322 or email pafhcjamboree@gmail.com.
