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LARGER VERSION

Linda Godard

 GENEALOGY

or

FAMILY HISTORY

Old and new.  Huh?  Well today we did a meeting at the Marriott Herron Bay as ET was closed.  Was it a preview of things to come?  We shall see.  So that is the new.

The old - certainly not our speaker, but rather the subject.  Linda Godard our speaker (gee, Godard, don't we have a member by that name?  :-) ) spoke about Family History, the new name for what used to be the old and dry sounding Genealogy.  But dry it is not - many families today are trying to find out where they came from, and where the skeletons are in the family closet.

Linda runs the Coral Springs Family History Center at 10148 Northwest 31st Street, Coral Springs.  This facility, run by the LDS Church (Mormons) has a wealth of information available to the public, and tons more available through internet access or from the church's facilities in Salt Lake City.  The Mormons are recognized as having the world's largest collection of family history and access to this material is, for the most part, free to the general public.  If someone would like microfilm of particular records sent to Coral Springs, for example, the cost is $5 for the first week; if it is needed further it would be $5 for the second week.  If still needed the cost is $5 but the tape would then remain in Coral Springs.  The only other cost would be for copying and printing.

Linda explained that this material is gathered by volunteers who happen to be traveling around the world.  These experienced individuals go to various information repositories and ask to copy public records relating to births, deaths and marriages.  These films are then sent to Salt Lake City where the originals are copied and kept in secure vaults.

Linda provided a very comprehensive list of resource sites.  Click HERE for a copy.  Very interesting presentation - even Randy liked it!