Sometimes the best community groups begin with a simple question.
In this case, it was: Is anyone around here actually doing genealogy?
After searching libraries, asking around, and posting in local Facebook groups, a handful of people finally connected and decided to see what might happen if they gathered in one room. The Greenbrier County Public Library offered a free meeting space. Laptops appeared. Stories followed. A local genealogy group was born.
I recently had the opportunity to attend one of these meetings and spent an afternoon in lively conversation with three women who capture the spirit of the group: founder Debby Fowler, along with Karen Bordonaro and Joanna Kiddle.
The group meets monthly, but its structure is intentionally loose. There is no formal agenda, no dues, and no expectation that anyone arrive as an expert. The focus shifts depending on who shows up and what questions they bring. One meeting may revolve around DNA matches and online tools. Another might center on county history books or a mystery photograph no one in the family can identify.
The search is not limited to Greenbrier County or even West Virginia. Some members have followed their family history across state lines and oceans, tracing stories that stretch far beyond the room where they now sit together.
“It’s pretty fluid,” Debby explained. “If somebody’s having a problem with a certain locality and someone else has researched there, we can give them ideas of where to look.”
That collaborative spirit defines the group. Attendees share tips on tools like GEDmatch and WikiTree, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of online family trees, and trade notes on lesser known resources such as local archives, Facebook genealogy societies, and nineteenth century county histories written by the people who lived them.
Just as often, the conversations turn personal. Stories of adoption. Family secrets revealed through DNA testing. Old photographs tucked into envelopes, waiting decades for someone to ask the right question.
While describing a search that led her to Calhoun County and eventually to a third great grandmother, Debby reflected on what keeps her digging. “It just depends on who hooks you with their life,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be that they were somebody important. It’s how their story hooks you.”
When asked what they most want readers to know, the answer came quickly and collectively.
“We’d just love to have people stop by and share their experiences,” Karen said. “More brains. That’s what we want. More sharing. We can help them find more information about themselves, and they can help us do the same.”
Debby agreed. “Whether they want to learn or they want to teach, we’re looking for people who want to talk about what they’re searching for or what they’ve found.”
The group is open to everyone. Longtime researchers. First time beginners. People who only have a single name scribbled on a scrap of paper and a sense that there is more to the story. There is no expectation of commitment, just an open chair and a willingness to ask questions.
As Joanna put it simply, “We want people to stop by and converse about what they’re looking for or share what they’ve learned. This is just people helping people.”
For anyone who has ever wondered who is staring back from an old photograph, where a great grandparent came from, or whether anyone else is piecing together the same family puzzle, there is now a place to start the conversation.
The genealogy group meets once a month at the Greenbrier County Public Library in Lewisburg. Dates and times vary. February’s meeting will be held on February 25 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, contact Debby Fowler at debby@wildspiritranch.com or 304-645-7910.
