Genealogist Marlene Garrett Bransom will be guest speaker Saturday at a potluck luncheon and talk on researching African American ancestors.
The event will start at noon at the Plum Family History Center with a meal and be followed by a presentation by Ms. Bransom. Those attending are urged to bring a dish to share but need not do so. No reservations are needed for either the dinner or the talk.
The Plum Family History Center is one of 4,500 similar research facilities supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormon Church has the largest collection of genealogy records in the world, and it also hosts FamilySearch.org, a free online database.
The Plum facility is at 710 New Texas Road.
The Mormon Church is not alone in preserving and providing information and support for genealogists and historical researchers. Policies vary by denomination on gaining access to or copies of documents.
The Pittsburgh area has been home to about 600 Presbyterian congregations over the centuries, with 150 still in existence. A first call for those seeking information should be the local church where an ancestor worshipped. If that church no longer operates, the Pittsburgh Presbytery maintains a “family tree” covering congregational mergers and the names of the surviving churches. Lana Dumrauf, senior assistant stated clerk, is the Presbytery’s contact person. She can be reached at 412-323-1400, Ext. 317. The Presbytery website is www.pghpresbytery.org.
Records for churches that have closed are kept by the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia. The phone number is 215-627-1852. The web site is www.history.pcusa.org.
Researchers in local Jewish history have several likely resources.
The Heinz History Center’s Rauh Jewish Archives includes both family stories and records of defunct congregations in the region’s smaller communities. Susan Melnick, the collections archivist, can be reached at 412-454-6406. Family stories are highlighted on the website www.jewishfamilieshistory.org.
Rodef Shalom Temple, on the border of Pittsburgh Oakland and Shadyside neighborhoods, is the region’s oldest Jewish congregation. “Our records are not perfect, but we can usually find something,” archivist Martha L. Berg said. Genealogical requests are common, coming in once or twice each week. The website is rodefshalom.org. The phone number for the archives is 412-621-6566, Ext. 131.
On-line national resources include www.jewishgen.org, a free website affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan.
Closer to home is the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project. The online word-searchable resource is a collaboration of Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, the Rodef Shalom Congregation Archives, the Rauh Jewish Archives and the Jewish Chronicle of Pittsburgh.
It contains material from several local ethnic newspapers published between 1895 and 2010. The website address is digitalcollections.library.cmu.edu/pjn/.
United Methodist Church records stay with local congregations. When churches merge, records would be sent to the new congregation where the majority of members settle, the Rev. John R. Wilson said. He is secretary for the Western Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Mr. Wilson recommended starting any search for information with a call to the local church.
If a church closes, its records are sent to a regional archive at Allegheny College. Contact Rev. Wilson at conference.secretary@wpaumc.org or call 724-776-2300, Ext. 248, for more information.
Some Methodist church and pastoral records are online at the website www.wpaumc.org. Click on the “Resources” tab and then choose “Historical Records.”
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh keeps sacramental records older than 70 years in its archives. The collections includes information on baptisms, holy communions, confirmations and marriages beginning in 1808 for parishes in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties.
A guide to what is available on the diocesan website, diopitt.org. Click on the tab “Genealogy & Archives,” then select “Genealogical Information on Searching for your Catholic Ancestors.” The website includes information on fees.
The diocesan Office for Archives and Records Center had more than 500 requests for archive research last year and 420 requests for information, director Kenneth A. White said.
Len Barcousky: lbarcousky@post-gazette.com or 724-772-0184.
First Published: February 9, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
