Our Own Ralph Seversen
Submitted by
Valorie on Sat, 02/13/2010 at 4:14pm.
And no the spelling of Severson is not a typo--that is the way it was spelled in the Feb 2010 Ensign featuring our own Ralph. Good job, Ralph.
“Where Worlds Meet: The Oakland, California, Family History Center,” Ensign, Feb 2010, 40–45
Patrons here often become experts in their areas of research and help one another find ancestors from all over the world.
The Oakland California Temple sits on a prominent hill overlooking the San Francisco Bay Area, a shining beacon to all the world. The large regional family history center just across the parking lot looks out on that world too, offering facilities to help unite the human family.
Leading the way is Ralph Seversen, head of the center. “As a regional family history center, we are the hub for surrounding family history centers,” he says. “Our goal is to strengthen our relationship with these centers and share resources. In addition, we have joined with the California Genealogical Society to offer research classes here. This, and our invitation to non-LDS genealogy societies to meet in our facility, is all part of our community outreach.”
If Ralph Seversen is the head of the family history center, then Marge Bell is certainly the heart of it. A friendly and knowledgeable woman, Marge has been with the family history center for more than 25 years.
“I have nothing but praise for the patrons who attend the center,” she says. “They are the lifeblood of our work here. As they become expert in their areas of research, many spend time helping others. Also as a regional family history center, we have online access to a few sites that are available only to centers like ours. Patrons are able to use these sites, which greatly enhances their research efforts.”Brother Seversen adds, “I have a testimony that, when we need it, we can have unexpected help from beyond the veil. Once while I was searching through books, two records with the information I needed fell out. Another time someone stole my briefcase filled with irreplaceable Portuguese research. To my amazement, the thief returned the research to my mailbox. Powerful experiences like these often accompany family history work.”
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