Franklin hosts 42nd Annual NE Family History Conference

Hundreds of Genealogy Enthusiasts Attend 42nd in Franklin 
Joe McCamish, was the end note speaker during April 8th’s 42nd annual New England Family History Conference in Franklin, MA. Here he is with his sister Patricia Donohoe, genealogist and resident of Cape Cod, during the conference.
Issue Date: 
May, 2017
Article Body: 

On Saturday April 8th hundreds of novices and experts attended the 42nd annual New England Family History Conference hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (Mormons) congregation in Franklin. 
This free event had 19 breakout sessions, participants of all levels learned about a variety of genealogical topics. Sessions ranged from using the Bay State online Massachusetts genealogy databases to discussing the legacy of the Orphan Trains that once crossed the United States. Other subjects included indexing, lineage and genealogical societies, census records and region specific research. Numerous individuals were helped one on one with coaching around their personal family history and research needs. 
One example of individuals receiving personalized help was Ruth Perkins and Amanda Perkins, both of Groton, CT. Ruth and Amanda not only share the same last name, but also a genuine interest in genealogy. They attended the conference for the sole purpose of finding out if they were related. Event organizers connected the two women with an expert genealogist who is currently working with them to find the answer to their question. 
The keynote speaker of the conference was FamilySearch’s senior product manager Ryan Koelliker. FamilySearch is one of the most heavily used genealogy sites on the Internet.  Koelliker outlined how genealogy can impact researchers’ living family members.
The conference concluded with endnote speaker Joe McCamish, filmmaker and personal historian. McCamish interviewed the surviving family members of Sgt. Alvin York, one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Franklin Congregation hosts The New England Family History Conference every year. Since 1894, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints globally has dedicated extensive time and resources to collecting and sharing records of genealogical importance.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates over 4,500 Family History Centers worldwide that are free and open to the public. These Centers give the public access to over 20 premium websites such as Ancestry, FindMyPast, Geneanet, Fold3, American Ancestors, etc. The center, located on 91 Jordan Road in Franklin is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9:30am-2:30 p.m.) and on Saturdays (9 a.m. -12:30 p.m.).