Explore your roots with BA Genealogical Society

People interested in researching their family history often start their search online, but what residents may not know is that local, in-person help is available at the Broken Arrow Genealogical Society, located within the Museum Broken Arrow, at 400 S. Main St.

The Genealogical Society's services are free to the public and are not limited to Broken Arrow-related research.

Jae Jaeger, president of the Broken Arrow Genealogical Society, volunteers her time at the Genealogical Society on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and no appointment is necessary.

"People come to the museum, they come to the gift shop, and then it's like, 'Ah-Ha, we're here too,'" Jaeger said. "And we explain that we do family history, and if they do have a question about their family or something that they know that they'd like to study some more about, we can help them with that."

As a trained librarian, Jaeger has developed an extensive collection of reference books and materials to assist with genealogical research.

"We don't loan books, and because we're a volunteer library, most of our collection has developed over the years because of the community," Jaeger said. "People do a lot of their own family history and then give their books to us…but we encourage people to come back. We will use our sources to develop their history or to show them how they can find their own books."

The Geological Society library has what Jaeger calls a "profound collection of maps, stories, and biographies" from the Civil War.

Many visitors come to the Geological Society seeking answers to their Native American history as well, and that aligns with Jaeger's area of expertise.

"We have such a rich history, and many people come for the purpose of saying, 'I think I have some Native Americans in my family.' But for us, because we're in the middle of Muskogee Creek land and Native American history, that's taken precedence for my own studies."

Founded nearly 50 years ago, the Broken Arrow Genealogical Society's goal is to encourage the preservation of local history and to publish genealogical and historical information for the use of present and future generations.

Jaeger's own genealogical interest began more than 20 years ago when she discovered that she is the descendant of an American Revolutionary patriot. She has since worked with the Tulsa City-County Library and its Genealogical Department, where she learned how to assist others in discovering their family histories. She developed skills in listening to what people are looking for, finding the information, and guiding them in discovering methods they can use on their own.

"The Museum displays a lot to do with the generational history and the development of the town and the people," Jaeger said. "And we add to that, or we supplement it by focusing on the people. Genealogy is a study of individual families, individual people, and where they come from and why they move from place to place in the lifetime of family generations."

Researching family history at the Genealogy Society begins by simply filling out a questionnaire. Online queries are also available.

"You start with the individual, their father, their mother, and their grandparents. And you can use this form at infinitum, you know, because you go up several generations," Jaeger said. "Then we go to the computer as quickly as we can because there are so many more documents now on the computer and they are in different databases."

Jaeger says the best part of her work at the Genealogical Society is helping people find their link to the past.

"When you begin to pull up documents that show the family names and the children that were grownups that they knew, when you show them as children of the generations going back, that is exciting and a wonderful discovery," Jaeger said. "We're like, yes, mission accomplished."

Jaeger is hopeful that the upcoming 2026 General Obligation Bond will provide the Genealogical Society with modest improvements that will ultimately enhance studies of family history for Broken Arrow citizens. And she encourages everyone to get out and vote in the election that is tentatively scheduled on April 7, 2026.

"Connect the vote with the present community and your own history, and that's what voting today does," Jaeger said. "It keeps something very comfortable and very profitable for the community and keeps it alive."

Visit Broken Arrow Genealogical Society for more information about the organization's programming or click here for more information about the 2026 General Obligation Bond.