Keeping Ancestors Close By Sharing Memories

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The annual Moapa Valley Family History Fair was held on Saturday, Feb. 25 with more than 200 people attending the free event. Sponsored by the Logandale Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the event offered about two dozen different classes given by ten experts in the field of family history research.

“Our goal is to just light the fire in people for learning about their ancestors,” said Family History Fair Chairman Marvin Leavitt of Overton. “If we can just give them a spark and get them started, we have accomplished our goal here. And I feel like this year was successful in that.”

The morning’s activities started with a brief keynote address given by accredited genealogist Loretta Evans who came from Idaho Falls, Idaho to speak and teach classes at the fair.

Evans said that no matter how much or how little expertise in genealogy a person has, the one thing that everyone has is memories. She talked about the importance of capturing and preserving those memories to keep them alive for future generations.

Evans referenced the recent Disney film Coco and talked about thoughts she had taken away from the film. She summarized that the movie dealt with the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This is a holiday where people remember their ancestors and try to reconnect to those memories.
“It is seen as a time for your ancestors to come and be close to you,” Evans said.

She cited one instance in the film when someone from the world of the dead no longer had any descendants in the living world who had any memory of them. That character disappeared and ceased to be.
“That is a powerful image,” Evans said. “It is an interesting thought.”

She then talked about certain members of her own ancestry who had had no children of their own and, who might be lost to future generations if living relatives didn’t record their memories in some way.
“It is those memories that will keep them alive for the next group of descendants,” Evans said.

The speech was followed by a series of classes and workshops. Attendees had their choice of which classes to attend. Subjects ranged across many topics in family history.

Local residents Cyndi Nelson and Kim Delgadillo offered a delightful class on how to stay organized and focused in family history work.

“Doing family history research is like a 3-ring circus,” Nelson said. “There are all kinds of things that can divert your attention from one thing to another. It is best to stay focused on just finding one person at a time rather than allow yourself to squirrel around from one line to another.”

In another class, Sandy Jackson of Las Vegas, demonstrated how to post memories, photos, historical documents and even audio recordings onto the Family Search app. This would keep alive those memories about oneself and other loved ones for future generations, she said. After the classes, participants enjoyed a delicious free luncheon provided by a catering service.

In an interview with The Progress, Logandale Stake Presidency member Darren Leavitt expressed appreciation to Marvin Leavitt, his wife Patricia, and the other volunteers who had organized the fair.
“The presenters that they gather in from all over the place to do this are really top-notch,” President Leavitt said. “We have been doing this for several years now and it always draws a crowd. That tells me that it is staying current and people are enjoying it.”

President Leavitt added that the stake is pleased to host, not only church members, but the entire community in this event.
“This is completely non-denominational,” he said. “Everyone is encouraged to attend. We are just happy to assist those that may have a yearning to learn more about their ancestors and provide a little instruction.”

The Logandale Family History Library is open weekly on Wednesdays from 9 am to 5 pm and on Thursdays from 9 am to 8 pm. Local consultants are available there to help area residents get started in family history work. The center is located on the west side of the Logandale Stake Center at 2555 N. St. Joseph Street. All are welcome.