Meet the Latin America Research Team!

Latin American research presents a variety of challenges,
especially if you can’t understand the different languages that the records are
written in. Thankfully, the Family History Library Latin America research team
is here to help!

The purpose of the Latin America research team is to help people
become personally inspired by the lives and stories of their ancestors. To do
that, the team assists visitors at the Family History Library and answers
questions at the online FamilySearch
Community page. They also teach webinars twice a month and help train the
dedicated team of volunteers who work on the International floor of the library.

Meet the Team

The Latin America research team recognizes that not everyone
can make it to the library, so they constantly look for ways to spread their
efforts to other places in the world. Debbie Gurtler is
the fearless manager, and her team of multilingual experts includes the
following:

• Arturo Cuellar
• Brandon Baird
• Lauren Wake
• Noriane Antunes

All members of the team speak Spanish, and Noriane also
speaks Portuguese. They can also read records in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian,
French, and even some Latin!

In order to stay up to date in their area of research, the
Latin America research team frequently attends conferences and networks with
others in the field. They also peruse genealogical journals and visit archives
and repositories so that they have more information and experience to help
others with their own research.

Passion for Latin American Culture

One of the things that the team loves most about their work is the Latin American culture, which often centers on remembering and honoring loved ones who have passed away. For this reason, the team especially enjoys reuniting people with the stories of their family.

Your Latin American ancestors come from a part of the world with a rich and colorful history and stories that are just waiting to be told—and the Latin America team is here to help you tell that story.

For help with your Latin American research, check out the 2019 Latin America Research Seminar on October 29–November 2. You can attend these classes at the Family History Library or watch the classes via an online webinar.

Source: Family Search