BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — With the mission of connecting and remembering connections to the past, the Kern County Genealogical Society helps people in Kern discover their roots.
- How far back in your ancestry can you trace back?
- If there’s some missing branches on your family tree, the Kern County Genealogical Society shares resources to help fill in the blanks.
- On April 15, 2025, the Kern County Genealogical Society will host “Tracing the past to see the future,” giving the community an update on the First Families of Kern County Project. This will be held at the Beale Memorial Library auditorium starting at 1pm.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Genealogy, the study of family history, can be fairly straightforward… or more of a puzzle.
For some, it creates a sense of belonging.
“We all descend from the people who’ve gone before us. And we have their traits, we have their personalities, we come from them. And so when we find out who they were and the struggles that they had, the things that they overcame, it helps us in the struggles that we have,” said Bevis Pruett, a certified Genealogist.
She says these connections created a sense of identity for her, which she hopes to instill in others.
“Kern County has an interesting history… this year, we’ve done a lot of highlights on families who settled here, the reason why some of the streets are named the things that they are. And it’s a rich heritage,” said Pruett.
On Tuesday, the Kern County Genealogical Society located in the Beale Memorial Library hosted a presentation to the public, “Using DNA to solve family mysteries.”
From DNA testing to preserved records, volunteers like Pruett help others in Kern explore their roots.
“We have people that come into the room that don’t know anything about their family, and we help them find things,” said Mari Carroll, the vice president of the Kern County Genealogical Society.
She says they help people trace their family trees by collecting and preserving records from around the globe, or encouraging DNA testing.
“If you came into the room, we could sit there with you and we could find your grandparents, your great grandparents, and probably three or four generations back,” said Carroll.
The organization also wants to highlight some of the first families to settle in Kern County through their “First Families of Kern County Project.”
But whether you’re looking to find a sense of identity or just curious about your heritage, Carroll says, “I would just encourage everybody to search their family tree… when the younger generation doesn’t care, all the families are gonna go into the past and stay there.”
On April 15, 2025, the Kern County Genealogical Society will host “Tracing the past to see the future,” giving the community an update on the First Families of Kern County Project.
This will be held at the Beale Memorial Library auditorium starting at 1pm.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
