Program: Uncovering Family Stories in Archival Sources

In this illustrated program, MHC archivist Forrest Moyer will share tips on how and where to look for family stories in papers and records that can be found online and at historical society archives like the MHC. Increasingly, documents and newspapers can be viewed online from the comfort of your home; but there are gems of family history that can only be discovered by accessing an archival repository directly. Examples will be drawn mostly from Forrest’s research on the Mennonite Gross family of Bucks County.

A portion of the program will be presented by MHC volunteer Jean Godsall-Myers, who has spent many hours transcribing and translating letters between Gross family members and their friends and relatives in the late 19th century, which are preserved at the MHC. Jean, who taught German at Widener University, will highlight the kind of stories that can be discovered in a family letter collection, and some of the challenges to be aware of when working with documents in another language, specifically German.

Open to the public. Admission by donation.