Blog Entries

Thursday, November 10, 2022, the Family History Hunters met in the Benham Room.  The topic of conversation centered around the subject of Genealogical brick walls.  The program started with a fifteen-minute podcast presented by Katie Corwin of Ancestry.com.  She gave several suggestions regarding a researcher’s brick wall and how it can be broken through.  I myself found the podcast very interesting and discovered two suggestions that I believe can assist me with my own brick wall problem. 

Researching Common Surnames:

May 2022

My last name is Smith.  I have been told that our ancestors changed our surname before immigrating to the United States from Poland.  I have hesitated to attempt any research because I feel like I truly have a generic name.  Would it even be possible to learn anything about this family?

-A Researcher

April’s Family History Hunters meeting will feature a special presentation on organizing your family history research. Our presenter for this meeting, Tina Claflin, is the owner of Halcyon Reflections, a certified photo manager, and offers independent consulting and organizing services for veterans, families, and non-profits to help others get organized to preserve their stories.

By Joan Wood, Archives Assistant & Genealogy Specialist, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives

WELCOME, to the new Family History Corner! 

Joan Wood has worked as an Archives Assistant at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives for ten years. She has a passion for genealogy, and as our resident genealogy specialist she has helped countless researchers uncover ancestors who once lived in the Winchester-Frederick County area. Joan also leads a genealogy discussion group known as Family History Hunters open to anyone interested in learning more about their family history, regardless of research experience.