Ancestral Adventures in Assisted Living – Residents at Quail Ridge Discover Family History at FamilySearch

When a resident at Quail Ridge assisted living community began researching his lineage to write a formal history of his family, Activity Director Angie Drollinger got an idea.

Not far from the community is a place called FamilySearch, an organization established by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that provides free genealogical services to anyone wanting to learn about their family history.

Angie thought FamilySearch would be the perfect resource for not only the researching resident but also any resident curious about where they came from.

"Family is so important,” Angie said. “It is the one thing our residents cling to. This connects them to the ones that have gone on before them.”

She decided to ask other residents if they would be interested in visiting the center and learning about their family records –– and more than a few hands went up!

The benefits of the first couple of trips to FamilySearch were immediate, with many residents uncovering parts of their family histories they never expected, parts they had lost or forgotten, and even parts that were in need of correction.

Resident JoAnn wanted to see what she could find about her father, who was a prominent baker in Pocatello before he passed away at just 47 years old. Though her father blessed many weddings with his magnificent cakes and was a cherished member of her family, he’d managed to avoid cameras for much of his life.

“We have no pictures with my dad,” JoAnn said. But that changed after FamilySearch did what they do best. A search of her dad pulled up a photo of him decorating a wedding cake at his bakery, Bill’s Bakery. “He made beautiful wedding cakes,” JoAnn said, wearing a big grin. “This was a big deal because he wouldn’t ever get his picture taken.”

Resident Bette walked away from the center with a sheet bearing a long list of her ancestors, while another resident learned that her grandmother, who was from Italy, had two brothers instead of one.

One resident received the shock of their life when they searched their own name and found that they were recorded as “deceased!” The resident, being very much alive and very much amused, informed FamilySearch of the error, and they immediately corrected the information.

According to Angie, many of the residents who have visited the center are hooked and want to return as often as possible to see what else they can learn about their bloodlines. Others in the community who have heard about the ancestral adventures are getting in line for their own chance to search and discover.

“I even skipped my eyelash appointment so I could go,” said resident Sandra. “I went back seven generations on my side of the family. The records were showing my ancestors were from Britain, but they are Scottish, so I wanted to get that fixed. I am going to keep going back. Next time I will be working on my husband's side of the family."

With more trips to FamilySearch in the works and more residents signing up, Angie is excited to see what else everyone uncovers about their roots, which she feels gives them a deeper sense of identity and meaning.

"Watching them become so overwhelmed with joy in connecting with their families or seeing pictures they haven't seen before, or finding more about their life history, has been the best part. Learning about the family from our past gives us strength, courage, and a reason to keep on living."