The concept of seeking out ancestry is gaining tremendous popularity, Tom Rice, professional genealogist, said.  Rice is instructing a class through the College of Continuing Education called, Principles of Genealogy.

Rice said as people get older they typically think about their ancestors more.  He mentioned television shows like “Who do you think you are?” which delves into the ancestry of celebrities.  He said this show and others like it have been peeking peoples’ interest in the topic and now the search is easier than ever with the information that can be found online.

He stresses that people find it fun to learn about their ancestors, their lives, and the time and place where they came from.  “It is important to look at the geography and history of your ancestors to understand the time period from which they came,” he said.