ASHLAND – Yolonda Van Dyne, an independent contractor representing Family Search, will deliver a presentation entitled “Family Search and The Probate Court Documents of Ashland County” on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the monthly meeting of the Ashland County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society.
The meeting will be held in the Stockwell Room of the Ashland Public Library, 224 S. Claremont Ave., Ashland.
A native of New Mexico, Van Dyne has been digitizing probate court documents, marriage books and wills since mid-2016 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Mahoning and Lake County, Ohio. She began her work on Ashland County’s Probate Court documents last August.
There are more than 90 years of documents starting with the formation of Ashland County in 1846 continuing through 1935. Records after 1935 remain private in accordance with an online privacy policy established by Family Search.
Van Dyne’s presentation will offer clues for genealogists and other family history researchers who are looking for missing ancestors, a record for whom may only be found in obscure courthouse documents that haven’t been seen for over a century.
The digitizing of such records is part of a national effort sponsored by Family Search and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Ashland OGS has provided volunteers to help unfold administration packets of court documents and flatten each record in preparation for their scanning. In addition to the prep work, chapter volunteers have also been refolding the packets for their return to archive storage.
The LDS Church has been digitizing these documents for later use on courthouse computers around the country and through www.familysearch.org.
Admission to this presentation is free, but seats are limited, so guests should plan to arrive early. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Brian Hartzell at 567-215-3236.
