Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society has one of Pennsylvania's best genealogical libraries. Because many people—both Mennonite and non-Mennonite— have Pennsylvania connections, the library and archives are used by researchers across the U.S and Canada.

Trace your family history through 3,000 published genealogies, 2,500 cemetery transcriptions, Lancaster County court and tax records, access to Ancestry.com, a one-of-a-kind card file with data on hundreds of thousands of families and unique online databases containing more than 190,000 additional names.

More and more people are turning to genealogical DNA testing to uncover their family's ancient past. Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society provides personal interpretation of the complex numerical results of laboratory DNA tests. For information about ordering a DNA test or interpreting the results, please contact Peggy Erb at (717) 393-9745 or .

Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online family history collection. Access is restricted to persons at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. 

• Census & Voter Lists
• Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates
• Military Records
• Immigration & Travel Documents
• Family Trees 
• Newspapers & Publications 
• Schools, Directories & Church Histories 
• Stories, Memoirs & Personal Histories 
• Tax, Criminal and Land Records and Wills
• Reference Books, Dictionaries & Almanacs 
• Pictures 
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

An online forum has been set up for the discussion of DNA research as it relates to Mennonite family history. Our hope is that this discussion forum will become a place to discuss many topics of interest to the Historical Society and our constituents but for the present the discussions will be limited to the subject of DNA research. (When you first visit the discussion board, you likely will see a message warning that there is a problem with the website's security certificate. Please be assured that you can safely continue to the website.)

The Society has added two large family history databases to its online resources for members.

•  The Varden Leasa Genealogical Database contains more than 100,000 names compiled by Kenneth Varden Leasa, a former Society researcher and Pennsylvania German dialect instructor. Includes many Lancaster County Mennonite families.

•  The LMHS Genealogical Database contains an additional 93,000 names culled from obituaries in Lancaster newspapers and genealogical articles in the Society’s Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage magazine.

If you are a member and would like access to online resources, please send an email to Peggy Erb: . Become a member here.

All of the Society's obituary scrapbooks are now accessible online. Thanks to our diligent volunteers, scrapbooks from 1902 to 2005 are open to LMHS members.

The index now includes more than 15,000 letters written by children and youth from 1921 to 1943. Check it out!

As a follow-up to WGAL's "Heritage" series in 2010, anchor Kim Lemon and her family spent some time with LMHS volunteer Darvin Martin to learn what her father's DNA reveals about their Lemon/Leaman/Leman ancestry. Watch the video on WGAL's website. For information about receiving a genealogical DNA test, contact Peggy Erb at (717) 393-9745 or .

Lancaster scientist and genealogist Darvin L. Martin brought the keynote address, "Deep Roots: Using DNA to Unlock Your Family's Ancient Past" to this year's Lancaster Family History Conference. The conference had the highest attendance in its 33-year history. Watch part of his presentation on YouTube.

Saturday, July 14, 2012, 9:00 AM at Cross Roads Mennonite Church, Richfield, Pa. "History of Cross Roads Mennonite Church" (Leann Lauver), "Life of Bishop W.W. Graybill" (grandson Clayton Graybill), "1870’s Proposed Selinsgrove and North Branch Railroad in Juniata County" (Daniel Charlton), "Learning From the Past" (Paul Hess). Afternoon tour of local sites. Contact or (717) 694-3211.

39 Horning Road near Alleghenyville, PA on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 6:30 PM. The Ron and Bev Mummau Family will provide special music. C. Kenneth Martin, East Earl, PA will speak on "One Generation Shall Praise the Lord to Another". Please bring a Church and Sunday School Hymnal and lawn chair. For more information, call (610) 777-3003 or (717) 336-0009.

Saturday, July 21 at Ranck’s United Methodist Church, 700 Ranck Road, New Holland, Pa. Details at www.ranck.org. Reservations required for meal. Call Martha Buckwalter: (717) 354-5692.

Sunday, August 5, 2012, 11:00 AM, Church of the Apostles, Rohrerstown, Pa. Anyone with Brubaker in their family line is welcome. Speaker: heirloom furniture maker Jay Brubaker. Boxed lunch by reservation only. Email Jane Brubaker Barge at or call 717-393-4639. Check our new www.Brubakerfamilies.org web site.

The biennial Schürch (Sherk, Shirk, etc.) family reunion and genealogical gathering will be held at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus of Niagara College, Ontario, August 9-12, 2012. For details and registration package see www.schurch.ca, www.schurchfamilyassociation.net, e-mail or call Merideth at (519) 753-0554.

August 17-19 in New Holland and Jonestown, Pa. Friday: historical meeting at Big Spring Farm, New Holland. Saturday: tour of Christian Wenger sites, reunion meeting at Blue Ball church of the Brethren, Blue Ball, then dinner at Yoder's Restaurant, New Holland. Sunday: worship and lunch at Wenger Meetinghouse, Jonestown. Contact Jay V. Wenger—(717) 859-2396—after 6:00 PM.

September 16, 2:00 PM. One mile west of Richfield, Pa., along Rt 35. Singing from the 1902 Church and Sunday School Hymnal, including some German. Contact Betty Ann Landis, Juniata Menonite Historical Center director: (717) 694-3211 or (717) 444-3466.

October 2–16, 2012. Opportunity to travel with a local group of Anabaptists lead by experienced guides. Includes music, worship, fellowship, history and culture; six UN World Heritage Sites, Granada gardens, Morocco, farm visits and meeting with church planters in Barcelona and Madrid. For questions and reservations contact John or Nancy Leaman: (717) 656 6612, .

Remember Valentine Metzler's arrival in the New World in 1738. June 14 & 15, 2013, Metzler Mennonite Church and Jacob Metzler homestead, Lancaster, Pa. Send genealogical information to . For additional information or to assist with this event, contact .

• Historic Religious Communities
Saturday, June 30, 7:45 AM–4:00 PM
• 300th Anniversary of the Ferree-LeFevre Huguenot Settlement
Saturday, July 14, 8:00 AM–noon

Over 1,100 people sang hymns with members of Old Order Amish, Old Order River Brethren and Groffdale, Lancaster and Weaverland Mennonite Conferences at a standing-room-only service at Martindale Mennonite Fellowship Center, Ephrata on May 7. A PDF of the evening's songbook is available below. Read an article about the event in the Lancaster news.

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About Lancaster Roots 2012

Lancaster Roots is the combined programming of Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society and the 1719 Hans Herr House & Museum. For a complete list of events, go to www.LancasterRoots.org

Gold Sponsor
Good Books

Silver Sponsors
Four Seasons Produce, Inc.
Landis Homes
The Good Cooking Store
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