Anyone interested in learning more about the intricacies of researching a family history need look no further than the Vernon & District Family History Society.
The group is holding an open house on Saturday, and everyone is welcome to come out and learn more.
Group member Ted Hoyte has learned much about his own family history, including that of his maternal great-grandmother, Effie Costerton.
Born in London, England in 1874, Effie immigrated to Canada in the mid-1880s. After a few years in Ontario, the family came to Enderby, where her father Samuel Gibbs was manager of a flour mill in the early 1890s.
She married Clement F. Costerton in May 1894 and they had four children, all born in Vernon; first son Charles died at age two and is buried at Pioneer Cemetery (off of Alexis Park Drive ). The other three children — two boys and the girl who became Hoyte’s grandmother — grew up and married, with two living in Vernon and one in Revelstoke.
“All three are buried at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Vernon,” said Hoyte. “Effie and Clement’s marriage broke up in 1911 and she lived with another man, Dr. Gerald Williams, in Vernon.
“According to her obituary, she was visiting her parents, who at that time were living in Lillooet, when she died at age 47 July 20, 1922. She is buried there alongside her parents who died after her in the late 1920s.”
Hoyte and all members of the society are happy to share their knowledge to help others research their own family genealogy.
The open house takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vernon & District Family History Society’s research centre, lower level of Peace Lutheran Church, 1204-30th Ave.
Volunteers will be available to help others research their own family history more effectively, from how to use the family tree software to the best method of storing antique photos.
