Genealogy seminar planned locally

WASILLA -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sponsoring a family history seminar, where people of all denominations can come and learn how to trace their family roots.

The seminar is $5, and is being held at the Family History Center at the church, which is located next to Wasilla High School. It takes place on Oct. 19, with registration at 9:30 a.m. Classes run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bruce Perham, archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration of the Pacific Alaska Region, will be the guest presenter.

The seminar will provide instruction on genealogy for amateurs and professionals. Each class is about an hour long, and attendees may choose four classes from a variety of classes, including: beginning genealogy; organization and preservation; census research; Native American research; urban, German, French-Canadian; Temple ready; using the Internet; death records; Salt Lake City research; family search; crossing the "Big Pond"; and researching using photographs.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most valuable resources when it comes to genealogy. Millions of archives are available through the family centers, which are networked with the national center in Salt Lake City.

"The best piece of advice I can give someone who is serious about it is to go the Mormon church and spend an afternoon researching," said Ed Rasmussen of Wasilla, who has traced his family back to the mid-1600s.

For more information about the seminar, interested people can contact Connie Smith at 376-2824. The seminar is open to all members of the public who are interested in learning more about genealogy.