WWII veteran, 93, leads others how to research a family tree on internet

Harold Debenham, 93, entered the brave new world of computers in his 60s and never looked back – even though looking back is primarily what he uses computers for.

He spends four hours a week helping others find their roots in his role as a family history consultant at the Spokane Washington East Family History Center.

“I’m a Mormon so my interest in genealogy started when I was a kid,” he said.

But it would be many years before he had time to actively pursue his passion.

Debenham enlisted in the military at 18.

“I wanted to fly airplanes,” he said.

He was assigned to a B-29 crew and scheduled to leave for the South Pacific when the war ended.

“A short time later they said, ‘Who wants out?’ and I raised my hand,” he recalled.

But times were tough financially, so he decided to return to the Air Force, and eventually retired as a major, after serving 23 years.

He’d been stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base and knew he wanted to retire here, so he did, and then enrolled at Eastern Washington University.

After earning his education degree, he taught industrial arts at East Valley High School for 18 years. He also taught driver’s ed and that’s how he honed his computer skills.

“I really started in computers because I wanted to make tests,” Debenham said, grinning.

When he retired from teaching, that computer knowledge allowed him to delve deep into his family history. How deep?

“I’ve traced my family back to 1520,” he said.

He spent countless hours entering boxes and boxes filled with documents pertaining to his family into his computer.

His roots are in England, and Debenham has been to England seven times, visiting cemeteries and poring through historic documents. He even visited Debenhams Department Store in London, but said they didn’t give him a family discount.

Genealogy is vital to Debenham’s faith.

“In the Mormon church families are important. We want to be together for eternity,” he explained.

But he said everyone is welcome at the Family History Center, whether or not they are members of the church.

He teaches people how to use the computers and access the data regardless of their age or education. Sites like ancestry.com are free to use at the Family History Center.

Debenham said there’s a distinct difference between younger computer users and older users.

“The older people, they want you to do it for them,” he said. “You have to be really patient.”

When asked if you’re ever too old to learn to use the Internet, he paused, “Well, yes and no,” he said. “The biggest problem is they say they can’t remember their password. We find it for them and then I tell them, ‘Write it down in the front of your Bible!’”

If you think at 93, he’s done being a history detective in his own family’s story, you’d be wrong. He continues to attend webinars to further his knowledge, sometimes spending 8 to 10 hours a day at the computer is his “man cave.”

“It’s still fascinating,” said Debenham. “You can always know more.”