Shirley Wooten: Volunteer coordinator

Gina Vasselli / The Item

Shirley Wooten, 71, has been volunteering at the Sumter County Genealogical Society since she came to Sumter in 1996.

Wooten grew up in Beaufort, S.C. and came to Sumter with her husband when he retired from the Air Force.

She is now retired from her job with a local construction company and is the Volunteer Coordinator for the genealogical society.

And the society needs volunteers to help give people a starting point for their research.

But "it's just hard to get people now," she said.

HOW DID YOU START VOLUNTEERING AT THE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY?
I was looking for my great-grandfather. It just happened because I wanted to find him. That's what got me.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING THERE?
It's interesting to look into family information and meet new people. It's interesting to read about the different families and all the strange information that comes out.

IS IT HARD TO FIND CERTAIN INFORMATION ON FAMILIES?
It can be. You go and look for one person and you can't find anything so you give up and move on to another person and there it is.

WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS THERE DO?
Help the people find what kind of information they need on their family. Help them find out where to start looking.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OTHER THAN GENEALOGY?
I read a lot. Mystery, romance, whatever. I work in my yard and I come do this.

DO YOU LIKE HELPING PEOPLE FIND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR?
Oh yeah. Once you get into it you get hooked.

They come in looking for their grandfather and see their aunt and then their uncle. They get caught up in it and keep going and going and going.



— Gina Vasselli