Learn About Your Roots at Genealogy Discovery Day

You don't have to be related to Abraham Lincoln to enjoy genealogy.

On Saturday, residents can learn more about their family history at the first Genealogy Discovery Day, hosted by the town's Genealogy Club.

Free 20-minute consultations will be offered with genealogy experts to help you find documents and information related to your family.

Genealogy Club President Judy Sylvia said she reconnected with her grandmother's caretakers - and even got her grandmother's ashes - through genealogy.

"My mother was estranged from her mother, but I decided to research her anyway. I found her death certificate and it said she was cremated," said Sylvia.

So Sylvia contacted more people to find out where her ashes went, and tracked down the lawyer who settled her grandmother's estate.

"I looked at the Social Security death index found her, then I contacted New York state and got print out of the probate for the will," said Sylvia.

She eventually found her grandmother left about $100 to a caretaker's daughter, and found a name and address.

"I got her on the phone and she passed me on to her mother, and this family had taken care of (my grandmother)," she said. "In her will she wrote she had no relatives so they still had her ashes. They sent them to me."

Sylvia said it can take years to track down family members, but it's worth it in the end.

"We thought there might be people who are interested in genealogy but don’t want to come to a meeting, so we’re hoping to get some new people, some new club members and introduce genealogy to some new people," she said.

The club will also have a surname database set up in which residents can enter their information if any family members are trying to find them.

"We'll also have a map of what's in the library for genealogy and where different things are downstairs, like books for reference and the microfilm machine," she said.

Sylvia said people interested in researching their family should "bring what they know."

"And we'll do the rest," she said.

Genealogy Discovery Day will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the