A while back, I delivered a keynote address on The Family History Guide at the Pikes Peak Family History Fair in Colorado. It was well-received, and there were numerous FamilySearch volunteers there to help everything run smoothly.

Two experiences I had there are still fresh in my mind, having made a lasting impression on me – both having to do with senior citizens, who could be termed “late bloomers” in genealogy.

The first experience was a woman who watched a demo of The Family History Guide website and then remarked, “Well that would be wonderful – if I had a computer!” Her response caught me off-guard for a moment, and then I realized there night be a good teaching moment there. I asked if she would rather not carry around a stack of papers everywhere, but instead record her family history online for everyone to see. She liked that.

Then we had the conversation about how she could be trained in computer skills. She was naturally apprehensive about getting started, but of course we were standing right there in the Pikes Peak Library, so getting volunteer help wouldn’t be a problem. Also the myriads of FamilySearch Family History Centers specialize in helping individuals with computer skills, and The Family History Guide has a great section on Computer Basics, loaded with fun and helpful tutorials for PC, Mac, and applications.

The second experience happened in the keynote address I gave. As I was discussing the DNA Project in The Family History Guide, I asked if anyone in the room had had an interesting experience with DNA testing. Several people related stories about finding new ancestors and even new cousins. Then an elderly woman raised her hand and remarked, “Yes – I found my birth father.” You could hear a pin drop, as the rest of the group pondered that news. She had been willing to step into uncharted technology territory, with most of her life behind her, and she found the ultimate reward – connection to the birth father she never knew.

Those are two stories of late bloomers, with one common theme: it’s never too late to take the plunge and discover the joy of family history. And for those of us who have started but never really “bloomed” with family history … your garden is waiting! The Family History Guide could be an ideal tool to help you progress, step by step, in your genealogy journey.