Ever wondered about your ancestors… who they were, how they lived, when they died or where they’re buried?

Maybe it’s an obituary of a friend or family member you’d like to find, a long ago yearbook from one of the Kingfisher County public schools, information about famous former residents, census counts or other historical information?

Librarian Joann Turner of Kingfisher Memorial Library is ready to help.

In charge of archives and genealogy at the library, Turner said there are many resources available for those interested in discovering historical facts about Kingfisher County and Oklahoma as well as the Civil War and other historical events.

In the library’s archive room, Turner said there is a large collection of local newspapers on microfilm dating back to the late 1800’s and census information as far back as Oklahoma’s first territorial census.

Some old newspaper issues preserved on microfilm, and available to review on the library’s microfilm reader, include the Okarche Times, Hennessey Democrat, Cashion Independent, Dover News, Kiel Record, Cherokee Chieftain and Kingfisher New World and others.

Compiled by the Oklahoma Historical Society, each reel is dated, noting any missing issues on the box and current local newspaper issues are continually being added as they’re processed onto microfilm.

“We have a good majority of the issues of many of the old newspapers,” Turner said, “… not every issue, but whatever the Historical Society was able to put on film is available.”

If individuals need assistance searching for specific information, such as obituaries, Turner said she’s glad to assist.

“I do genealogy requests,” she said, “but I’m not a genealogist, so I try to help people as best as I can.”

Sometimes people will call from another state, or someone locally, and as they provide bits of information, Turner said she will glean what she can to try and help.

“If you had a great-grandmother that passed away in 1923 and would like to have that obituary, that gives me a time span so I can pull it up on microfilm if it’s available,” Turner said.

In addition, the archive room holds a variety of high school yearbooks (or digitized copies) from county schools, cemetery maps, books written by Kingfisher native and author Don Blanding as well as hard-tofi nd books about Oklahoma and its people and a large collection of Civil War books.

All materials in the archive and special collections room are available to library patrons, but are for reference only and not available to be checked out because of their rarity.

Another significant resource in aiding with genealogical searches, Ancestry. com (library edition), is now available on all the public access library computers and was funded by the Friends of the Library.

For those wanting to research family history, Turner said the addition of Ancestry.com gives patrons the ability to utilize a broad database at no cost to them.

The library edition is a basic package which doesn’t cover searches worldwide, but throughout the United States.

If someone is interested in utilizing Ancestry.com and isn’t sure exactly how to get started, Turner said she can assist them.

“It’s really quite easy,” she said. “If someone comes in and hasn’t had any experience (with the program), I can show them a few tips on how to navigate it.”

With a love of history and genealogy, it’s interesting to note that Turner has assumed many of the responsibilities her mother, the late Emelia Turner, also worked on to preserve history in the archive section as a longtime librarian at Kingfisher Memorial Library.

Expressing the importance of maintaining historical resources, Turner said, “If we forget the past… forget history, just think of what all we would lose.”

Turner also oversees the cataloging and processing of the library’s large collection of DVDs which feature mainstream movies, shows and other interests.

“During the pandemic, DVDs and movies weren’t coming out, but they are starting to pick back up and we’re building the collection up with newer DVDs now,” she said.

Other resources and activities available at the library include children and teen programs, a monthly adult reading challenge, public computers with internet access, document printing (with a nominal fee) and, of course, a large variety of books in print as well as audio and ebooks through the Oklahoma Virtual Library Libby app as well as many other resources.

On top of all that, the library has recently undergone a complete makeover inside and out with new landscaping, LED lighting, heat and air system, murals and painting, carpet and is in the process of making the bathrooms handicap accessible.

Many of the updates, programs and resources are funded by the Friends of the Library, Kingfisher County and the City of Kingfisher and, with continued community support, provides an important asset benefitting residents of all ages.

Working alongside Turner is library director Mike Tautkus, librarians Audry Sanders (children and youth services), Sharon Little (adult education) and LaRita Sipe (general librarian).