October 29, 2003

BYU-Idaho to host family history conference

 

 

REXBURG, Idaho–BYU-Idaho will host its semi-annual family history conference Saturday, Nov. 8, at several locations on the BYU-Idaho campus.

            Sponsored by the Division of Continuing Education, the BYU-Idaho Family History Center and the Snake River Connection to the Utah Genealogical Association, the conference is open to anyone who has an interest in family history work.

            Workshops include classes at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels, and are taught by members of the BYU-Idaho faculty and area family history center experts. The conference, which the school has hosted for 11 years, traditionally draws 400-500 people from Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

            Classes begin at 8 a.m. and go until 5:20 p.m. and feature a wide range of topics including tips on research and help with finding information using the Internet.

            The keynote address will be given in the Manwaring Center West Ballroom at 11:35 a.m. by Kevin Owen, family history advisor to the Idaho Area Presidency of the LDS Church and software engineer for Hewlett Packard in Boise.

            While some workshops focus on using technology in genealogy, other lecture-format classes will focus on different types of research methods and tips, said Priscilla Hendricks, Continuing Education Department secretary.

            “This conference is a unique opportunity for people to begin from wherever they are and to learn and to expand on what they already know about family history,” she said. “They take away the knowledge of how to find their ancestors, what to do with them once they find them and they are inspired with new ideas by just being around others who are involved with this great work.”

            The conference will also feature workshops focusing on researching German and English ancestry.          

            “People go away with new skills and knowledge of how to do things. We try to not just give them information, but hands on instruction so they can go away with some practical experience,” said Neil Southwick, a religion faculty member at BYU-Idaho and genealogist in English research.          

            Registration will be $17 per person and must be completed in advance by Nov. 5. For more information, including class schedule and registration information, visit www.byui.edu/CE/community/family history/default.htm or call the BYU-Idaho Continuing Education Office at 496-1040.

 

 

  


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