The Webelos wobbled down memory lane before climbing their family trees.

It was a short road for the short kids, with only a few years to travel. The 9- and 10-year-olds of Webelos Pack 119 met Saturday morning in their den upstairs at First United Methodist Church to learn about genealogy from an area expert, Tammie Brewer with the Lincoln County Historical and Genealogical Society.

She taught them how to scour an obituary for information valuable for research and where to find important records, like property deeds.

“You can find those at the courthouse and it can tell you where they live,” said John Kelly Perkins, who turned 10 today.

Perkins seemed fascinated by the idea of researching his ancestors.

“I really need to visit the county records,” he said.

“Me too,” 10-year-old Asher Newman said. “I want to learn about my family.”

“I can track my family because the Summerses have been here a long time,” Perkins said.

Brewer told him that she had some Summerses in her family, too, and they might be related.

“That might be interesting to find out,” he said.

Brewer loaded the boys up with a genealogical workbook of handouts to help them with their quest to trace their family trees, including a graphic of a tree with lots of branches for them to each complete before they meet again at the LCH&GS Museum for a tour and the second part of their workshop.

She asked them to take the time at Thanksgiving to contact the oldest person in their families — either in person or by phone — and interview them to learn where they come from. Brewer explained to them how the United States was once described as a melting pot of people of different countries, races and religions coming together to create a nation of diversity.

“There’s a lot of places people come from,” she told them.

“I’m pure American,” Asher said.

The Webelos are part of Boy Scouts of America. Their name comes from the acronym “We’ll Be Loyal Scouts.” It’s a two-year program for fourth- and fifth-graders that comes between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. The Cub Master for the Lincoln County Scouts is Dustin Bairfield. Pack leader for the Webelo 119 is Kelly Perkins.

To request a tour of the LCH&G Museum or to host a historical speaker for an event, call 601-850-1733.