Palmer Mayor DeVries finds her roots — you can too

Palmer Mayor Edna DeVries received an exciting gift this Christmas: four generations of her family tree; census, birth and marriage records and several family photos on a flash drive. While she has limited time for pursuing family history, she plans to attend a free genealogy workshop Saturday March 3 at the Mat-Su Get Connected Expo at Mat Su Community College.

Daurel Bell and DeVries’ son became acquainted. DeVries’ son said, “My mother is a Bell. Where are you from?” That inquiry led to some unexpected connections and the discovery of their distant kin. Durell Bell contacted Edna DeVries and offered to do some research and compile it for her. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bell has access to the LDS church’s vast genealogical records and FamilySearch software program. He emphasized that her privacy and information would be secure and that she would have no obligations. “I thought it would be neat to put a family history together for her,” he said. DeVries agreed and provided the names and vital statistics of her father and grandfather.

Bell enlisted the help of Angela Semonin, a friend and genealogy enthusiast, to help search for DeVries’ ancestors. Semonin used FamilySearch, Ancestry, and FindAGrave for the bulk of her research. She compiled the sources she found on a flash drive. She found that Bell and DeVries are distant cousins with a common ancestor in the 1500’s. Although the kinship is not particularly close, that hardly mattered in the end.

When DeVries arrived at the Bell’s home, Bell thought, “Wow. She looks like she could be my aunt!” They reviewed the information together. DeVries was familiar with some of the family stories, including a mystery that Semonin couldn’t solve regarding the whereabouts of her grandmother who disappeared from the census but had no death records. “I had some cousins interested in figuring this out, but they hadn’t been able to find anything,” DeVries said. She was particularly moved by a photo of her uncle Marvin that she hadn’t seen before. He had lived with her parents for a time and DeVries knew his story and background. Bell said he “felt a connection [with Devries]. We may be very distant cousins,” he said, “but I felt like this was an [inspired and important] connection.”

Seimonen learned to use online resources when researching her own family line. She said she has had amazing experiences. She believes there is a real sense of timing to her work. “Sometimes I don’t get the answers when I am asking or looking for them” but later clues or records will fall into place.

The recent surge in interest and availability of genealogical records and stories is evident. TV programs like Finding Your Roots show the journeys of famous people as they follow their family trees. DNA tests from Ancestry.com and 23andMe offer glimpses of personal origins and wider familial connections. Genealogy websites have proliferated allowing anyone with internet access to build virtual trees and research their ancestors.

Getting rolling with your own family history can be a challenge. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting a genealogy workshop for the public as part of the Mat Su Get Connected Expo on March 3, 2018 every hour starting at 10, 11, 12 and 1. For more information, please contact mandy.r.collins@gmail.com.

The public is also welcome to get help from the local Family History Library housed in the Palmer LDS church. The library contains extensive family history records filmed and documented from around the world. More importantly, family history consultants can help you get started with online apps and resources. The Family History Library is open Tuesdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Wednesdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Thursdays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., phone 745-8774, located at 560 W Bogard Road, just down the road from Palmer High School.