ISSUED: 27 April 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Women for Shepherd University, sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation, held the workshop “Leaving a Legacy: A Guide to Genealogy” on Sunday, April 19 at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies.
Professional researcher Donald Watts presented to a group of 30 Shepherd alumni and community members on how to get started in genealogy and how to utilize available resources.
“I enjoy sharing what I have learned, and I believe it’s important to encourage interested persons through the mutual exchange of ideas,” said Watts. “Each time I ‘participate,’ I not only learn something about myself, I learn from the questions asked by participants.”
Watts explained that although some genealogists are looking for the dry facts of a family tree like birth, marriage, consequences of marriage, and death, his enjoyment comes from the fleshing out of individuals, thereby bringing them to life for the researcher or reader. Watts shared his resources, some free and some subscription, to aid the audience in achieving the same results.
Women for Shepherd planning committee members Betty Lowe ’52 and Judy Childs ’71 who organized the event are genealogical researchers in their own right.
“Researching your family tree is exciting,” said Lowe. “It can be a source for family history and can bring relatives closer together.”
To learn more about Women for Shepherd University or to help plan future events, contact Meg Peterson at 304-876-5021, mpeterso@shepherd.edu, or visit shepherduniversityfoundation.org/get-involved/women-for-su/.
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