North Hills Genealogists help trace ancestries

Ancestral research could seem like a daunting task to a genealogy novice, but the North Hills Genealogists of Pittsburgh may make the process easier.

It’s important to learn about one’s familial past, according to Elissa Scalise Powell, certified genealogist and member of the nonprofit group.

“There are several reasons to do family history,” she said. “We need to feel rooted in our society that’s so mobile. I think people need to be connected. We need to feel a connection.”

Powell is the charter president from 1990 when the group was founded and now serves on its the board.

“The North Hills Genealogists has a three-prong mission: to educate the beginner and intermediate genealogist in proven methods and techniques, to help preserve the history of the North Hills, and to support Northland Public Library,” Powell said.

Educational meetings are held the third Monday every month, except for Dec. 7, via Zoom or in person and are open to the public. The in-person location varies, but meetings often are at Christ Episcopal Church, 5910 Babcock Blvd., Ross.

The group occasionally meets at the Northland Public Library on Cumberland Road in McCandless. Meeting information and schedules can be found at northhillsgenealogists.org.

The group has published several books, including “Pioneer Cemeteries of Franklin Park Borough and Marshall Township,” “Pioneer Cemeteries of Pine-Richland Townships” and “Pioneer Cemeteries of Hampton Township,” all available at Northland.

Members of the North Hills Genealogists, all volunteers, participate in several special-interest groups focused on specific areas or activities involving family history research. Some current groups include British Isles, Eastern European, German and Pennsylvania.

Other groups focus on research workshops, writing on genealogy, or studying the use of DNA testing results as part of genetic genealogy research, Powell said.

Special-interests groups hold meetings at various times, all noted on the group’s website.

North Hills Genealogists has about 275 members, locally and across the country. The fee to join is $15, which includes a monthly newsletter and discounts on group activities.

While each monthly meeting usually focuses on a specific topic, a roundtable meeting is held periodically at which members can share their stories or history, Powell said.

She said they like to hold 30-minute “parking lot chats” after meetings, when people want to continue discussions, so group leaders make themselves available to answer questions.

They also featured speakers on special topics. Professional genealogist Annette Burke Lyttle will be speaking on “Migration from Farms to Cities, 1870-1920,” at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at Christ Episcopal Church and via Zoom.

Learning about one’s history can be quite eye-opening, Powell said. Sometimes members discover what it was like to live more simply or and without common modern-day conveniences.

“Some (inquiries) are historically minded: Why are they there, trials and tribulations that they had. We all had things in our lives. Well, our ancestors, (with) 10 kids, no water running? You start investigating,” she said.

Or perhaps learning about an old family rift helps explain current family dynamics. And some adoptees may learn about their family roots through DNA testing.

“It gives you that sense of place. We all need to belong. Joining a society is a need to belong,” Powell said.

She is a retired professional genealogist worked on several TV shows, including researching for the Travel Channel’s “The Dead Files.”

Powell said researching online is common but overwhelming, and that only a small percentage of the world’s genealogy can be found on the internet.

For those who North Hills Genealogists members, someone from the group will go with them to the Allegheny County building on Grant Street to assist in researching the register of wills, recorder of deeds, marriage licenses and more.

The NHG is also dedicated to supporting Northland Public Library, donating a memory restoration station to the library in 2023. It can be used by anyone to scan and restore photos and 3-D objects.

There is a recorded program on Northland’s YouTube page regarding how to use the station’s software, according to Nicholas Yon, communications director for the library. The program will narrate a story of the people or event in the photo or artifact.

“The VividPix scanner and software is available on a dedicated computer workstation in our computer center. The station is first-come, first-served and has a two-hour time limit,” Yon said.