By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Have you ever wondered who your distant relatives were, or where they came from? Perhaps you are just curious about your heritage?
These questions and more can be answered for free at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Gila Valley Arizona Family Search Center located at 515 W. 11th St., across the street from Safford Middle School.
The Family Search Center is holding an Open House on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 5 – 8 p.m. for the public to see what amenities are available for general use.
The building was originally built in 1952 and was used as a seminary building until it was converted into a family history library in the 1980s. Now it serves as a family search center, open to anyone interested in searching for their family roots.
At the Family Search Center, guests can receive personal assistance and have complimentary access to computers, the Internet, and family history websites.
Gila Valley Arizona Family Search Center Director Martin Ekenes encourages anyone interested in searching out their family roots to utilize the center to find those roots and documents on their ancestors to build their family tree. Ekenes stressed that the search center was open to the general public and not just church members. He added that the open house is to help announce the center’s Thursday evening extension to 8 p.m. The center has been open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but starting Thursday, Oct. 17, the center will be open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
“So, that’s why we’re having the open house,” Ekenes said. “And we want to make sure people know that we’re open for business. And like I said, we don’t charge for anything except the use of the printer, and that’s just on a cost basis.”
The Gila Valley Arizona Family Search Center boasts a collection of roughly 5,600 books and publications dedicated to genealogical research, according to Ekenes. The publications include census records, birth and death indexes, histories, and more.
So, if you’re curiosity has been piqued and there is an interest in family history or genealogy, check out the Gila Valley Arizona Family Search Center’s Open House on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 5 – 8 p.m.
What: Gila Valley Arizona Family Search Center Open House
When: Thursday, Oct. 17, from 5 – 8 p.m.
Where: 515 W. 11th St. Safford
Why: To learn about genealogy and family histories
Cost: Free
