Additional Research Documents created by Helen can be found below.
Helen has been interested in Family history since the early 1960’s. Having been raised by an aunt and uncle in Tacoma (University Place), childhood curiosity has always been there. [After an extensive search, she finally found her biological mother in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which opened a few more doors for her research.]
In the late 1960s, she became custodian of her great grandfather’s genealogical research on his Williams family and his wife’s Wooddell family which totaled about 6” of history when placed in a binder. This was a blessing (and hindrance?) at the same time because she was relying on someone else’s research and didn’t know how to do original research. She did not learn good research techniques until she joined the Fiske Library in the early 80’s and gained a mentor, Betty Kay Anderson. After she started going to Salt Lake City with the group, a whole new way of researching opened up to her.
Adding to her Williams and Wooddell treasure trove, she has added her own work on her Swenholt/Lysne family, and her mother’s Arenz family. She became custodian and added to Steve’s Barton/Stelle family and has done original work on Henry Barton, Steve’s 4th great grandfather.
Today she will discuss how to get started, resources, on-line tools, and most importantly documentation.