TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – It’s often said that in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from. The Topeka Genealogical Society is helping people do just that.
Inside a tiny white building in southeast Topeka lie thousands of documents that hold the answers to questions of the past.
“Every one of us has a story,” said Topeka Genealogical Society President, Marty Flanagan. “Our ancestors really want us to tell it.”
That’s where the Topeka Genealogical Society comes in.
They offer the resources, classes, and guidance to help people dig deeper into their family history.
“We have a very in-depth genealogical library,” said Flanagan. “We have over 12,000 books. We have approximately 2,500 periodicals all about genealogy, all about family history from all over the United States.”
To get started, first, you fill out a family tree. Next, you enter names, dates, and locations into the search engine and then the answers slowly start to reveal themselves.
The organization said people come seeking answers for a variety of reasons.
“It’s always nice to have some ancestors to brag on and then some people like to have the black sheep of the family identified,” said publicity chair Rich McReynolds.
The answers can come in handy.
“I think it’s interesting to find out what traits you may have inherited from ancestors,” said McReynolds. “From hair color to eye color to in some cases, diseases can be helpful to you to know.”
While discovering family history can provide answers, it also keeps memories alive.
For more information about the classes and resources the Topeka Genealogical Society offers, click here.
