Carl’s journey in genealogy began after his baptism in February 1963, inspired by his patriarchal blessing and his role as the only church member in his family. His passion soon found expression in his first published booklet, The Shepherd Clan (1969). Over the years, Carl has served as a Ward Family History leader in Biloxi, Mississippi; Woodruff, Arizona; Owensboro, Kentucky; and now in Ocala, Florida. His dedication culminated in March 2021 with the publication of The “Lost” Shepherds: From Holderness, Yorkshire, England, to New Holderness, New Hampshire, a detailed record of his family’s history. Continuing his life’s work, Carl is developing a new book on his mother’s Pickering lineage titled From Medieval Knights to English Commoners, tracing 25 generations through the 11th to 14th centuries. His lifelong devotion to family history stands as a remarkable example of preserving heritage for future generations.



My love of Family History is rooted in my Italian heritage. For Italians, family is everything!! I am a second generation American; all of my grandparents came from Italy, so right off the bat, I'm across "the pond". When I first began my genealogical journey, records from Italy were more difficult to acquire and, since I didn't speak Italian, very difficult to translate. Of course, 50 years ago, we did not have computers to help us with our searching; this is true of all genealogical research, not just Italian. In those 50 years, technology has come a long way. Not only do we have access to records from around the world (from many genealogical websites), we have the means to translate these records. Through the generous efforts of thousands of volunteers, these records are being indexed and the computers are, actually, helping us to search out our ancestors; my sincere thanks to any and all who have donated their time and talents to this cause. Even though we have millions of indexed records, we have access to billions of records that have not yet been indexed. In the years since we have had FamilySearch.org, I've used many of these records to find the ancestors sitting on the branches of my family tree. And, each time I find a new ancestor - or other family relation (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc) - it is a cause to celebrate and my heart fills with the joy of finding family. And with this joy comes the realization that I need to help others find this joy. Thus, my time spent in the Family Search Center helping others to learn how to find their families is a joy for me. After all, I'm Italian and family is everything!!

My grandma played a crucial role in cultivating my passion for family history and genealogy from a young age. She taught me the art of researching our ancestors. Thanks to her guidance, I have become the go-to person in our church, serving as a consultant for family history matters ever since this calling began.

I have a strong understanding of where to find information and who to reach out to when encountering something unfamiliar. My dedication led me to volunteer as an indexing service missionary in 2016, spending two years contributing to various projects.

Jim and Lynda worked as volunteers in the Salt Lake City Family Search Library for two years; once in 2005-2006 and again in 2011-2012; the Salt Lake City Family History Library is the largest Family History Library in the world. During this time, they not only helped patrons find records of their ancestors, but taught patrons how to create and maintain a family tree, how to search for records themselves, and how to document their family lines with those records. Further, they trained incoming volunteers to serve in the library, using FamilySearch and other research skills; in fact, they helped write the training manual for those volunteers. Since then they have held numerous classes in FamilySearch and have participated in conferences on Family Search and genealogy. Lynda has been an active Genealogist, extensively researching her own family lines for over 61 years.

 

Rich Plesser is a passionate genealogist whose family roots trace back to Germany, with his ancestors immigrating to the United States between 1855 and 1915. This deep heritage inspired his lifelong fascination with genealogy and his dedication to exploring Immigration, Church, and Town Records. Although he does not speak or read German fluently, Rich has mastered the art of researching German ancestry through persistent study and experience. His skill in uncovering stories from historical documents has made him a valuable resource for others seeking to understand their own family histories. Rich takes great pride in sharing his knowledge, offering practical guidance to those tracing their German lineage. Through his work, he helps others connect with their heritage, preserving the memories and legacies of generations past. Rich’s enthusiasm and expertise make him a trusted guide for anyone exploring the rich tapestry of their ancestral roots. 

Cheryl is married with two children and three grandchildren. After14 years as an elementary classroom teacher and 18 years as an elementary librarian, Cheryl has now retired. She volunteers at the local Family History Center in Jacksonville, Florida and teaches small groups how to research using Family Search. Presently she is serving as the registrar of the Fort San Nicholas chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

 Angela is the owner of Our Ancestories Genealogy. She has been researching her family history for over 25 years, continuing what her mom had started. Her research covers areas including American, Irish, Scottish, English (including the Channel Islands), Welsh, and German records. She has gotten back to the 14th generation on several family lines and has had to work through a few brick walls using DNA research. Angela has also worked with clients to discover their biological families. Her experience with DNA research has given her a real appreciation for how this tool can be used in discovering lost family. Angela's educational background is in science and education with Bachelor Degrees in Biology and Marine Science, and a Master's Degree in Teaching. She is in the process of working on a degree in Genealogy with specialties in Methodology, English and DNA research.

Miles is a scientist by training and has been active in genealogy for over 25 years in a variety of ways. His expertise revolves around new technologies, internet research and FamilySearch. He is the principal researcher for Our Ancestries Genealogy, a Family History Consultant, and current Family History Lead in St. Cloud, Florida. He is also the Director of Education for The Family History Guide (www.thefhguide.com). He has presented at a variety of international genealogy conferences, including RootsTech Salt Lake , RootsTech London, The Genealogy Show), The Society of One Place Studies Conference UK and the One World One Family Conference Toronto . Miles is currently a panel member on Mondays with Myrt which is livestreamed every other week on YouTube. Additionally, Miles has been a beta tester for several genealogy companies and when he has time, he manages several blogs on genealogy related activities.