Once a month at the Bud Werner Library, the conference room is packed with enthusiastic people who are there to learn about one thing: where they come from.
This type of research comes in and out of fashion, but with recent developments in DNA testing, it’s been seeing a resurgence of interest. At its best, genealogy can help you to connect to your past, to feel grounded and rooted and give you a sense of meaning in your life.
As part of Legacy Month, here is a list of available resources for people interested in genealogy in the Yampa Valley:
1. Subscription databases: “Anyone with a BWML library card and an internet connection may access these resources from anywhere in the world,” the library says. They include the databases Ancestry and MyHeritage, which are accessible through the “Research” tab on the library’s website. The exception is Ancestry Library Edition, which must be accessed from within the library.
Visit https://www.steamboatlibrary.org/research/genealogy to get started.
These resources will help you to find more information about your family’s heritage, to help you locate lost relatives or simply to learn more about the lives of the people who came before you.
2. Local History and collections: If you have ancestry in Routt County, you can use the library’s local collections to find more information. Use this link to search the library’s collection.
To search more broadly in Colorado, you can use the Genealogy Database for the Western Slope, which will include vital records, military service, obituaries, and burial information for diseased Routt County residents.
You can also visit the Reference Desk on the second floor of Bud Werner Memorial Library to learn more.
3. DNA testing: This service is not provided locally; it is a paid service provided by companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe, or Nat Geo.
There is some skepticism about how accurately they work, but according to genealogy experts, the more people use them, the better and more accurate they become.
They can also help individuals who are adopted or who have been searching in the wrong places for their ancestry to get back on the right track.
It’s also a great way to share digestible genealogical research with members of one’s family who are generally disinclined to hear long accounts of research and distant relatives.
When you’re reaching into the dark depths of history and trying to pull forth your ancestors’ stories, you’re going to wish they had better documented their lives–especially the intangibles: birth and death dates are fine, but what were their values? What were their lives really like?
You can preserve all of this for future generations, to make their research richer and more interesting. Our dynamic Legacy Plans will help preserve your own legacy for generations to come. Give us a call at 970-879-1572 or email jamie@swanlawoffice.com to request your packet.
Have you used genealogy to help you feel more connected to your past? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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