Learn how heirlooms tell family stories during the annual the E.O. Jr. and Betty Templeton History and Genealogy Fair, hosted by the Mississippi State University Libraries.
Scheduled for Friday, June 2, the event is open to anyone interested in learning more about genealogy. The free event will feature a keynote speaker and interactive and participatory workshops.
“The E.O. Templeton Jr. History and Genealogy Fair is for everyone who is interested in genealogy,” said Jennifer McGillan, Coordinator of Manuscripts for Mississippi State University Libraries. “There will truly be something for everyone to learn – whether you have been doing genealogy for 20 years or you are not even sure where to begin.”
McGillan said the interesting lineup of speakers and topics make the event attractive to a wide variety of researchers.
“Anyone interested in improving their skills in genealogy research, or learning how heirlooms speak to us from the past should said attend this year’s event,” she added.
Sharon Leslie Morgan of the Noxubee County Historical Society will be this year’s keynote speaker. Morgan will kick the event off with a talk on “Precious Things: Telling Family Stories with Heirlooms.”
McGillan said attendees are encouraged to bring an heirloom to talk about.
“Precious heirlooms speak to us from the past. They are physical evidence of our family stories. This session will help you appreciate their significance,” Morgan said. “To participate, bring a special object that you use to tell a family story to share with the group.”
Following the opinion session will be two workshops – “Genealogy 101: Getting Started and Tips and Tricks for Mississippi,” and “FamilySearch 101.”
Led by DeeDee Baldwin, Assistant Professor and History Research Librarian for the Mississippi State University Libraries, “FamilySearch 101” will teach attendees how to use the free resources at FamilySearch.org to create and manage your tree and to effectively search their records - including Mississippi records not found on Ancestry.
“We believe this year’s GenFair is going to be a great day with a lot of good information,” McGillan said. “We are looking forward to a large crowd.”
Registration for the genealogy fair is free. For more information or to register for the event, please visit https://www.library.msstate.edu/genfair.
