Video: Genealogy Part 2

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — Learning where you come from. It’s a mission to some and a hobby for others. But now, more than ever, people are learning about their family heritage.

Archivist Mona Vance – Ali of the Columbus Lowndes Public Library says advances in technology and available databases make the process easier
“I’ve seen the numbers grow as far as people coming in and just saying that they’re interested in Genealogy”.

“It’s just most interesting historically.”

Fran Fuqua serves as the Historic Chairman of First Baptist Church in Columbus, and uses the free services to learn about previous pastors.

“Looking at Reverend Tisdale and the weeping angel at Friendship cemetery is his grave site.”

Mona says researching your family’s history is similar to a treasure hunt.

“I love when I help somebody who has maybe been trying to search for a piece of information or for relatives for a year or two years and they couldn’t find anything and then suddenly I’m helping them they stumble upon something.”

It was a recent article in the newspaper that led Debbie Lawrence to find a picture to match a family name

“One of our ancestors had adopted a small boy after the civil war and gave him the Shackleford name. It was unusual I think for a white family to adopt a black child then but we never got to see a picture and so someone said I think there is a picture so I had to come up and look and sure enough. Great pictures. ”

It may take years of research before you find that missing branch, but being patient has its rewards.