Chamber News

Geneology For Beginnners Workshop-Reynolds Homestead-Critz

CRITZ, VA (March 5, 2010)—Mary Kegley, author and compiler of over 55 books on history and genealogy, will lead a “Genealogy for Beginners� at the Reynolds Homestead on Saturday, March 27

GENENOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS WORKSHOP CRITZ, VA (March 5, 2010)—Mary Kegley, author and compiler of over 55 books on history and genealogy, will lead a “Genealogy for Beginners� at the Reynolds Homestead on Saturday, March 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $55, which includes lunch and all workshop materials. Kegley will provide information that anyone interested in genealogy—from beginner to advanced—will find practical and useful. The workshop will begin with a general information session on how to get started in research. Kegley will also address locating records, reading early handwriting and abbreviations, abstracting deeds and wills from courthouse records, gathering census records, and preparing family group sheets and pedigree charts. She will also talk about how to knock down the break walls that even the most experienced genealogy researchers often encounter. “This is a great opportunity to learn from one of the experts in the field of genealogy research,� says Homestead program manager Lisa Martin. “Mary’s expertise is unsurpassed and she is in demand all across the country for her workshops and seminars.� An author and attorney, Kegley has been researching the genealogy of southwest Virginia families for over 45 years. She has a master’s degree in history from Radford University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond. The combination of history and the law has been an asset in understanding the court records which play a great role in authenticating the information used in her publications. She was chosen by the Wythe County Bicentennial Commission to write its bicentennial history. As a professional researcher, she has documented hundreds of families on the Virginia frontier both in text and photographs in her fifty publications, and has researched and written more than 400 family sketches of these early adventurers. Kegley continues to publish actual records from the courthouse, bringing a wealth of material to the attention of the genealogists and historians which otherwise would not be available. Her books are well known all over the United States and have also served as valuable resources for researchers in Northern Ireland, England, Canada, and Australia. To register for the workshop, call the Reynolds Homestead at 276-694-7181 or visit the website www.reynoldshomstead.vt.edu and download a registration form from the calendar of events, or reply to this e-mail. Lisa Martin Senior Program Manager Reynolds Homestead 463 Homestead Lane Critz, VA 24082 (276) 694-7181 ext. 22