Bringing Your Ancestors to Life: Going Beyond the Facts

This month, Pinellas County Genealogy Society's Karen Forting joins us for Bringing Your Ancestors to Life: Going Beyond the Facts. Using a case study approach, this presentation will explore how you can use traditional resources such as vital records, census records, land records, and newspapers to uncover more about the lives, experiences, and even personalities of your ancestors.

Karen Fortin received a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in library and information science from the University of South Florida. She worked at the Barbara S. Ponce Public Library in Pinellas Park, FL, for 30 years before deciding to focus on genealogical research. She began volunteering with the Pinellas Genealogical Society in Largo, FL in 2012, and was the society's president from 2014-2017. Karen began providing genealogy and history presentations in 2016 and has lectured at various genealogical societies and public libraries and other interested organizations. One of her goals is to help people explore historical periods, places, and events so that they can better understand their ancestors and the world in which they lived.