Sonora FamilySearch Center

08/31/2026

Discover helpful resources designed to make your family history journey easier. Whether you're just getting started or looking for answers along the way, you'll find guides, tips, and support to help you every step of the way.

Read more: 🔗 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helper/?cid=SO-00063838

08/30/2026

FamilySearch's impact continues to grow thanks to volunteers worldwide like Lynne and Mark Hamp.

The Hamp's have been in New York digitizing select books from the New York State Library. Lynne said, “I have always felt a connection with American History, so being in New York is a delight. I love working with these old, historic books and have developed an appreciation for strangers who recorded their family histories because they understood the importance of preserving this information for future generations. Mark and I are truly blessed to do this work.”

These rare and deeply rooted New York genealogy collections are more accessible than ever before. They include records like

—Published family histories
—Local and county histories
—Genealogy periodicals
—Colonial deeds and wills
—Land grants to Revolutionary War veterans
—Records related to British loyalists

These primary sources can unlock detailed information about ancestors, and many are available online for the first time. Click the link to learn more about these collections. https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/familysearch-and-the-office-of-cultural-education-collaborate-to-expand-access-to-genealogy-records?cid=SO-00064068

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

🔗 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/2451051?cid=SO-00063442

08/25/2026

08/12/2026

"My mom was from India, and she died when I was about six or seven years old.

“I had no contact with her family. We didn't know them. She had left India, and my family lived in the United States. Years later, in my 40s, my wife put a message on FamilySearch saying that we thought my mom had a brother, but we weren't sure. We didn't know where he was. We didn't know his name. Did anybody know anything?

“A short time later, we got a message from a woman in Australia. She said, 'I knew your mom, and her brother is my dad, and I'm your cousin, and I live in Australia, and he lives in England. We would love to be in contact.'

“And so then we started emailing back and forth every night. In a month, I was [in England] with my uncle. And then shortly after that, my cousin came over and visited us from Australia.

"Because of that experience, I can continue adding what I learn about my family to FamilySearch and stay connected to relatives I never knew I had."—Mark Warden

When you Add What You Know to FamilySearch, you can help people like Mark discover the family they’ve been trying to find. Comment ADD to start adding names and uncovering your story. https://www.familysearch.org/en/church/add-what-you-know?cid=SO-00063325

08/11/2026

Did you know that many catalogue entries include notes with valuable research details? Film and digital notes can provide important information about record availability, coverage, image access, and other details that help you better understand a collection before you begin searching.

Learning how to read these notes can save time and help you make the most of the FamilySearch Catalogue.

Learn how to use catalogue notes. 🔗 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-notes-or-film-digital-notes-in-the-catalog?cid=SO-00063122