Sunday, July 22, 2012

Presenting the Genealogy of Middletown’s Mayor


How does this 1885 Italian record relate to the Mayor of Middletown?


Presenting the Genealogy of Middletown’s Mayor

This picture is one of many documents that Mayor Daniel Drew will see when he attends a presentation about his family history on July 25 at the Godfrey Memorial Library.  Anyone interested in learning about the mayor's genealogy is welcome to come!

            Expert volunteer genealogists from the Godfrey Memorial Library spent more than 40 hours researching Mayor Drew’s genealogy.  In charge of researching Italian records was Barbara Prymas, whose search took her through a variety of documents.  Two beautiful handwritten finds were a marriage record for his great-great grandparents’ marriage and his great-great-great grandfather’s death record, both from the 1880s.     

            Much of this research was done using the Godfrey Library’s impressive collection of genealogical resources.  Founded in 1947 by senior Wesleyan librarian A. Fremont Rider, the Godfrey Library has had over sixty years to amass a massive collection of historical and genealogical materials.  The bulk of the works are concerned with the history of New England Families.  Patrons can browse the library’s collection themselves or request a search to be done by an experienced genealogist for a small fee.  Anyone can subscribe to the library’s digital database, the recently revamped Godfrey Scholar+ program, to access valuable genealogical resources through their computer.

            On July 25 staff at the Godfrey Library will be presenting their findings to Mayor Drew.  You can be here too and learn about Mayor Drew’s genealogy!  Members of the public are welcome to attend the presentation, which will take place at 9:00 AM in the Godfrey Library, located at 134 Newfield Street, Middletown.

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