As the new Assistant Director of the FamilySearch Library, Debbie Gurtler’s office is cheerfully reminiscent of family history—but not in the way some would expect. Instead of being dusty with records, Debbie's decorations are themed towards the Day of the Dead, including colorful calaveras (skulls, traditionally decorated for this holiday), black-and-white framed photos of her ancestral family, and other mementos of family history. They come from her former position as manager of the International Floor at the library.
These types of cultural traditions mean a lot to Debbie. Her birthday is the day before Halloween, one day before the Day of the Dead, and one of her specialties is Hispanic research.
It Started in Arizona
Debbie's life has followed a varied path that has well-prepared her for her new role in the FamilySearch Library. Her genealogical interest began in her hometown in Arizona. That interest was piqued in a high school seminary class of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Six months after high school graduation, Debbie married and began raising her family in Arizona. In 1987, the family moved to New Mexico, where she began researching her own family’s history at the local family history center and working there as a volunteer.
In 1995, her husband’s job took the family to Chile, where he worked for a mining company. During her almost 5 years in Chile, Debbie was asked to teach a regular family history class, to share her knowledge of research with others. A novice at the Spanish language, she wrote all her lessons out in English, translated them to Spanish, had them proofread, then read them to the classes. Debbie also volunteered to assist in the family history center in Chile during those years, further sharpening her language and genealogical skills.
The family returned to New Mexico in 1999. In 2003, her husband’s job took him to Peru. Debbie was proficient in Spanish and had only one child remaining at home.It was decided that she would purchase a house in Utah, United States, to be near her oldest daughter who was attending college, and further the education of their youngest. Their middle child, a son, was serving a mission in the Phillipines during this time.In the plan, Debbie would periodically travel back and forth between South America and Utah County to check on everyone.
"I Can Do This"
While she was in Utah on the house hunt, Debbie’s husband decided to divorce. Debbie returned to Peru to gather her belongings and went back to Utah. With very little education beyond high school, Debbie was unsure of what to do to earn a living as a single mother, particularly in a place where she had never lived before. Debbie purchased a home in Orem, Utah, where she lived among a lot of women who were also rebuilding their lives. They offered one another much-needed support.
“I can do this,” she thought at the time. Debbie had done some bookkeeping and considered pursuing that as a career. After much thought and prayer, she felt strongly impressed to study family history, a degree available only at Brigham Young University in nearby Provo, Utah. Debbie earned the degree and graduated in 2009.
The Road to the Family History Library
Debbie has completed multiple internships, including one in Spain and one in the prestigious New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, and she has also worked at some research firms.
The first time she applied for a Latin America research consultant position at the Family History Library was in 2010. Debbie didn’t get the job and worried that it was because she didn’t look very Hispanic, even though she had the experience and the language skills.
In 2011, when another opening for the same position became available, Debbie was working for Price Genealogy. Afraid of having a similar rejection to her previous application, Debbie didn’t apply until encouraged to do so by 2 of her professors from BYU. She was hired, and has worked in various positions up to the present, including roles as a Latin American team manager, international team manager, and Latin America/Southern Europe—German/Slavic team manager.
After many years of working hard in the genealogy field, in 2019 Debbie earned the Young Family Historian Award from Brigham Young University for her contributions to genealogy.
Well-Qualified to Work
Debbie has diverse expertise that will be very helpful for her new position at the library. Beyond earning a diploma in family history, a milestone in itself, she has taken her skills a step further—5 steps, actually. Debbie holds 5 AG® (Accredited Genealogist) credentials. One is for the United States Mid-South region, where her mother’s family came from; she has done extensive research in North Carolina and Virginia. Another is for Spain, where she has done research in various parts of the country. The third is for Mexico. The fourth is for Portugal, as she also speaks Portuguese. The fifth is for Chile.
Beyond time spent in South America, Debbie has taken trips to Spain and Europe to visit archives and other historical repositories. On a trip to Spain, she put 4,000 kilometers on her vehicle visiting various churches, archives, cemeteries, libraries, and the like.
She went to Europe a week before attending RootsTech London in 2019, where she spent time in Portugal visiting archives and learning about records. One visit was to the Portuguese national archives in Lisbon, where she became acquainted with Anabela Borges Teles Ribeiro, director of the National Archives of Portugal.
Blessed in the Best Way
Debbie Gurtler loves her job. “I feel really blessed," she says. "Sometimes I think, ‘And they really pay me to do this?’” With her fair skin and blond hair, Debbie is clearly not Hispanic, and some have questioned her interest. The answer is simple: she has a developed a love for Hispanic cultures and their associated family history.
Debbie loves working with the staff of the FamilySearch Library as well, which is composed of paid staff, missionaries, and volunteers.
Now as Assistant Director, Debbie also enjoys managing the wide range of duties for day-to-day operations of the library. "One of the best parts," she says, "is the opportunity to work with expert, well-trained staff members to help people throughout the world find joy as they make family connections."
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