Hidden Genealogy Sources: Uncover Church, Company and Club Records
Genealogy sources that first come to mind are often the typical birth, marriage and death records. After doing genealogy for two plus decades I find those sources boring. Yes, boring. I want to know how my relatives lived, not just when they lived. Church, Club and Company records are the gateway to uncovering the everyday lives of ancestors.
I want to discover more about the everyday lives of relatives, their hobbies and activities, as well as their involvement in the community, and work environments. If you look hard enough you can discover genealogy sources to give you a more rounded picture of your ancestors. Let’s look at some hidden genealogy sources for your research.
Church Events
Churches have ongoing events and programs that often provide a wealth of information on their parishioners. Most churches have weekly or monthly bulletins for parish events and activities. Churches also tend to celebrate anniversaries for the parish itself. These celebrations often come with a program with parish history, committee members, and special donor lists. The program below was found in a scrapbook belonging to a great uncle. The names of relatives that donated and served on the committee are listed within the program.
Look to church publications for more information on activities your family may have been involved in.
Club Events and Rosters
Did your relatives participate in social clubs or organizations? Look in the community where your relatives lived for local clubs. Organizations may be related to religion, military service, or personal interests. In my local hometown many Catholic males in the early-mid 20th century belonged to the St. Joseph Young Men’s Society. The society fostered fellowship and celebrated the Polish Catholic tradition as well as community service.
In an anniversary gala booklet, the society lists past presidents and current members. This provided information that my great uncles, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather all had a heavy hand in the club. Reading through the history of the society gave me insight into my relatives interests and values.
This Polish Catholic Society program also showed pictures of their activities like golf pros and volunteers for a party. This program provided an excellent view of the lives of my relatives as well as the groups of people that surrounded them on a regular basis.
Work Rosters and History
The occupation title is not the only information you can gather about your family members. Often, businesses had histories printed up, party programs, rosters, and group photos. Digging into companies can also aid in your research and provide some ideas on how your relatives spent their work days.
The above photo includes my great uncle, Norman Piechnik, as part of the convention committee for his company in the mid-1900’s. Not only was I able to see where he worked, I was able to read about the history of the company and the people he worked with. Activities the employees participated in are included in the booklet. Often family members worked with each other. Look to the the rosters to see if other family members may also be listed.
Finding the Hidden Sources
But where do I find these hidden genealogy sources? The major genealogy websites like Ancestry and Family Search may not directly help you in this situation but don’t be quick to dismiss them. Do a search of your relatives but focus on the photos category so see if others may have posted pictures of this particular source. Photos shared by others may include work, church, and club photos.
Ask relatives if they have any old scrapbooks. Most of my information in this area as come from scrapbooks given to me by great aunts and uncles. Scrapbooks can provide more information than Ancestry or Family Search ever could.
Go straight to the church of your relatives for past church bulletins and event programs. For businesses, often a local library can assist you in finding the history of specific companies. If the company is still in business, reach out and ask if they have old photos, written history or employee rosters.
The Library of Congress also has a great resource guide for using businesses in genealogy research. Click here for more information.
With a little bit of luck and ingenuity you can uncover the interests, values, and hobbies of your relatives for a better understanding of who they were as people. Remember that genealogy is not just dates but rather a comprehensive understanding of the way our ancestors lived.