A couple of months ago, Family Roots Publishing made a special purchase of several hundred copies of the 4th Edition of the Directory of Family Associations. The book was written by Elizabeth Petty Bentley and Deborah Ann Carl in 2001, and is the latest family association directory available. No further editions are planned at this time. Most genealogical research within the United States and much of Europe can easily be done for the last 200 years, if not much more. Figuring an average generation as 25 years, that’s eight generations of ancestors – or 510 different and unique surnames in the family tree! If you are working on that many surnames or even a small portion of that (as many of us are), information on family associations is invaluable to our research.
NOW, you may purchase the Directory of Family Associations, 4th Edition for 50% off, making it just $17.48 (plus $5.50 p&h), but ONLY for a few days!
There are many uses for a directory of family associations, but undoubtedly the best use for it is for genealogical research – for making contact with family members, sharing information about family history, developing common ground between people of the same surname, arranging reunions, discovering who’s out there and where you connect on the family tree, and finding out where you can go with your own research. And there are a host of other uses – kin searching and heir searching, for example, determining family migration patterns, even marketing your own genealogical research. The possibilities are endless.
Based largely on data received in response to questionnaires sent to family associations, reunion committees, and one-name societies, the 4th edition of the Directory of Family Associations gives you access to a range of possibilities, offering information on approximately 6,000 family associations across the United States.
The book starts with a section on Multi-family Resources, then launches into the bulk of the book listing the 6000 associations. It literally runs from Aaldericnk through Zyrkle.
This book is an immensely useful A-Z directory of family associations giving addresses, phone numbers, contact persons, and publications (if any). The book is 12 years old, so undoubtedly some of the contact info will be bad. However, having the data that tells of an association that did exist can also be useful. So whether you’re just starting your genealogical research or already waist deep in your investigations, planning a family reunion or hoping to attend one, or simply curious about your family or your surname, the course you choose from now on may be partially governed by this indispensable directory.
Note that the reviews on the various editions of this book have been outstanding. Library Journal listed the 1991 edition as a “Best Reference Book of 1991.”
Get your copy of the Directory of Family Associations, 4th Edition for 50% off from Family Roots Publishing