Genealogy Workshops

 The Olewine Family Genealogy Workshops

 A family history is more than just names, dates and places. It is about people-what they did, the why and the how. Your family is part of history. The events and experiences of your everyday life are part of history. They are part of your personal history, part of your family history, part of Harrisburg’s history and part of American history.

A family history is a portrait of the lives of members of an extended family. It includes the stories and how your parents or grandparents met; how they arrived in this country; what kinds of jobs they had; what they did for fun. It also includes tales about relatives who were real characters and memories of foods prepared for special occasions.

The Harrisburg Susquecentennial Commission will provide opportunities for residents of Harrisburg to attend a series of FREEworkshops, organized by the Institute for Cultural Partnerships, to provide them with information and tools to begin to collect the family. Gathering your family history will give you a deeper appreciation of your families’ place in the community and in the history of Harrisburg. It will also preserve their stories for future generations.

Workshop Participants will learn how to:

• Begin conversations with their family and relatives about their immediate, extended family members and ancestors.
• Use sources in your home to document family history such as: bibles, funeral programs, birth and marriage certificates, wedding announcements, newspaper obituaries and keepsake scrapbooks.
• Search records for information about your ancestors.
• Develop a pedigree chart or portrait of your family from both sides to further document your family tree.