2021 Conference Menu
Conference: Home • Registration • Exhibits and Sponsors
Program: Topics & Speakers • TxSGS Live! • Speaker Bios
Conference: Home • Registration • Exhibits and Sponsors
Program: Topics & Speakers • TxSGS Live! • Speaker Bios
Barnette, Mic
Mic Barnette is a graduate of Texas State University, where he obtained a degree in history, political science and education. He has been actively engaged in genealogy since the age of 12 and has written numerous articles that have appeared in many national, state and local magazines, newsletters and quarterlies. From 1994 to 2004, he penned an award-winning historical/genealogical column in Houston’s leading newspaper, the Houston Chronicle. Since the 1980’s Mic has conducted professional genealogical research, taught genealogical classes and lectured on genealogical topics while residing in New Orleans, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston and Dallas, Texas. Mic has been a library associate with the Dallas Public Library since 2006 where he currently works in the Genealogy Department.
Researching a Texas Confederate Unit – Friday, 3:30 p.m.; Military
Brewster, Jim
Jim Brewster holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology with an emphasis in North American prehistory and archaeology from Northern Arizona University. He is the genealogist for his family and has taught classes in both paper trail and genetic genealogy. He has had a lifelong passion for understanding the history of the human family in anthropological, epistemological, and genealogical terms. Shortly after graduating, Jim discovered Family Tree DNA and realized a way to turn his passion for understanding into an exciting career. Starting in customer service, he has been employed with Family Tree DNA for almost three years and now works as Assistant Manager for the Group Projects Team. Jim works with project administrators as well as attending conferences and events where he enjoys sharing his passion with others and educating people about genealogy.
Finding the Right DNA Test for You – Friday, 9:30 a.m.; DNA
The ABC’s of Y-DNA – Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; DNA
Christensen, Evan
Evan Christensen, AG® is a professional genealogist at AncestryProGenealogists specializing in Latin American and Southern European family history research. He is accredited in Mexican genealogy. He has researched for the TV series Long Lost Family, Biography.com, and Ancestry’s “We’re Related” app. Evan graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in physiology and developmental biology. As an undergraduate, he was captivated by the family history classes offered alongside his courses in genetics and molecular biology, and during his senior year, he completed a two-month genealogical research internship in Spain. With the experience gained on that trip, he conducts research trips to Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and all over the rest of Latin America. He is fluent in both written and oral Spanish and can also interpret genealogical documents in Portuguese, Italian, and French. Just as he has found fulfillment in researching his own Mexican family lines, Evan is passionate about helping other Hispanic Americans take pride in their own heritage.
Mexican Civil Registration: Reading Between the Lines –
Friday, 5:00 p.m.; Hispanic
Tracing Mexican Immigrant Ancestors Across the Rio Grande –
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; Hispanic
Dardashti, Schelly Talalay
A native New Yorker and New Mexican by choice, Schelly Talalay Dardashti is a journalist, genealogist and international speaker focusing on Jewish genealogy, DNA and social media. She has tracked her families across Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Spain and Iran for three decades. Her personal research interests include DNA genetic genealogy, and she is co-administrator/co-founder of the IberianAshkenaz and the Persian Jewish projects at FamilyTreeDNA. She is the US Genealogy Advisor for MyHeritage.com and edits and contributes to the MyHeritage English blog. Schelly founded the award winning “Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog” (in 2006), and created “Tracing the Tribe – Jewish Genealogy on Facebook,” with 24,000+ global members (as of August 2018). She has received the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Award of Excellence (2010), International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Award for Outstanding Resource/Project (2016), and several International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) awards. The former Jewish genealogy columnist for the Jerusalem Post (1999-2005, “It’s All Relative”), she has also written for YNet and her articles have appeared in Family Tree Magazine, Avotaynu, The Forward, Hadassah, JTA, NGS Quarterly, and others. She is a board member of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies and of the Casa Sefarad (Albuquerque) culture and education program; steering committee member, the Sandoval County (NM) Genealogical Society and the Jewish Genealogical Society of New Mexico; chair, the annual Jewish Genetics/DNA Conference (Albuquerque).
The Other Side of Jewish Genealogy: Sephardic Resources –
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Ethnic
Integrating DNA and Family History at MyHeritage.com –
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; DNA
Dudek, Debra
Debra M. Dudek is Head of Adult and Teen Services at the Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook, IL. Ms. Dudek specializes in British genealogy and technology topics. She is the author of World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors and is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Sorting through Sordid Southern Divorce Records –
Friday, 2:00 p.m.; Records and Repositories
I Have My Ancestor’s WWI Record! Now What? –
Saturday, 11:00 a.m.; Military
Escobedo, Mary Esther
Mary Esther Escobedo was born in San Marcos, Texas and began investigating her paternal and maternal family lines at the age of 13 by interviewing her mother Esperanza Hernandez (Torres), her paternal grandmother Feliciana Hernandez (Guevara) and her mother’s cousin Beatriz Torres. The information they provided became the guide for later investigations. She has served as President of Los Bexarenos Genealogical Society and has worked on several of its committees including bylaws, scholarship and conference committees. She is a member of the Rio Grande Valley Genealogical Society and Las Villas del Norte Genealogy Society. Mary Esther has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish from what is now Texas State University, a Master of Arts in History and Anthropology from the University of Texas and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas.
Finding and Placing my Ancestors in History – Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Hispanic
Gillespie, Patti
Patti Todd Gillespie brings energy and humor to her classes. An avid hobby genealogist for 25 years, Patti formed Family Lines & Stories, her own research company, in 2014. She is enjoying her venture into blogging at http://www.familylinesandstories.com/. She enjoys helping clients and speaking in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on a variety of topics. Patti has served on committees for the Association of Professional Genealogists, Lone Star Chapter, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and the Institute of Texas Genealogical Research (TIGR). In 2016 she was selected to assist NARA Fort Worth with indexing slave manifests, and she spoke at the Texas State Genealogical Society state conference. She was awarded the Birdie Monk Holsclaw IGHR award. Before becoming a founding member and second-term president of the Wise county Genealogical Society, she taught a six-week beginner’s genealogy course twice a year for two years in her community. Patti also volunteers in her local Family History Center and serves on the boards for Wise County Historical Society and Wise County Historical Commission.
Forgotten Treasures in the Texas Courthouse: Discovering the Miscellaneous Books – Friday, 5:00 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Brickwall Busting Sources and Strategies – Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; Methodology
Gillins, Sharon Batiste
Sharon Batiste Gillins is a native of Galveston, Texas with paternal ancestral roots in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana and maternal roots in Fort Bend County, Texas. A life-long interest in her family’s history led to an active involvement in genealogical research over the past 26 years. Ms. Gillins earned a Bachelor’s degree at Howard University and Master’s Degree at the University of the District of Columbia. Her career spans 40 years as a college educator and is faculty emerita of Riverside Community College. She frequently calls upon her career background as a college educator to present workshops and deliver courses at regional and national genealogy conferences and institutes, among them the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, International Black Genealogy Summit, Texas State Genealogical Society and the Creole Family History Conference. She has also served as adjunct faculty for the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research since 2006. Ms. Gillins’ research and teaching emphasize strategies that can be used to discover details of 19th century Southern life and ancestry in underutilized sources, including that of planter slave owners, enslaved people and free people of color. Favorite record groups and teaching topics include Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office records, Southern Claims Commission records, conveyance records, and records of incarceration. At present, Ms. Gillins is a Research Associate at the Mary Moody Northen Endowment in Galveston, Texas, a private foundation where she is responsible for the Moody family and business archive that consists of manuscripts and photographs dating to the early 1800s. She also consults with individuals and organizations on the placement of historically significant manuscripts into appropriate library special collections for preservation, conservation and researcher access.
Who is the Slave Bacchus? A Life Revealed in Manuscripts –
Friday, 9:30 a.m.; African American
What Shall I Do with Grandma’s Papers? –
Saturday, 11:00 a.m.; Publishing and Preservation
Freedmen in the Southern Claims Commission – Filing, Testifying, Being – Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; African American
Gredler, Sara
Sara Gredler is a new Associate Genealogist with AncestryProGenealogists in Salt Lake City, UT. Sara has a master’s degree in Historic Preservation and previously worked as a historian at an architecture and engineering firm. She began researching her family history more than 20 years ago.
Before working at AncestryProGenealogists, Sara served as President of the Williamson County (Texas) Genealogical Society and was its DNA Special Interest Group’s chair. Previously she served as the Vice-President and as the Quarterly editor for the society. She lectures at the local, state, and national level on a variety of topics, including DNA, organizing your genealogical documents both digitally and on paper, and on how historic context makes a difference in genealogical research.
After the DNA Test: What Next? – Friday, 11:00 a.m.; DNA
The GPS, Document Analysis, and Citations, Oh My! –
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; Methodology
Greene, Colleen
Colleen Greene, MLIS, is a librarian, web developer, and educator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Masters of Library & Information Science. Colleen is the Marketing Librarian & Digital Exhibits Specialist for the Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton (formerly the Web Systems Librarian). She is also an instructor for the San Jose State University School of Information, for whom she teaches an online graduate-level course in genealogy. Colleen is a lifelong Californian with expertise in California and Southwest U.S. history; conducting Mexican, Mexican-American, and Hispanic research; conducting archival research; working with digital archival systems; integrating web services; social media management; and managing social media, marketing, and communications for cultural heritage organizations. She is also an official Evernote Community Leader. Colleen is an active member of and volunteer with many local, state, and national societies and professional associations. Her Hispanic ancestors hail from California, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. She publishes a professional blog, her family history blog, and a free monthly Hispanic research and heritage email newsletter.
An Overview of Researching Hispanic Ancestry – Friday, 2:00 p.m.; Hispanic
Getting the Most Out of Evernote for Genealogy Research –
Saturday, 5:00 p.m.; Technology
Using a Common U.S. Source to Build an Immigrant Story –
Sunday, 2:00 p.m.; Hispanic
Hanson, Tony
Tony Hanson recently retired following a 32-year career with AT&T. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications. He has been involved in Genealogy for 18 years, focusing mainly on his mother’s German branch his father’s Norwegian ancestors. He is also an avid amateur photographer. He has been active in the Dallas Genealogical Society as the leader of their Technology Special Interest Group, Vice President of Education, Webmaster and President. The web site he managed has won several first-place awards in the Texas State Genealogical Society’s ‘Partner Society Website Design’ annual competition. In addition, Tony was recognized as the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ by the Dallas Genealogical Society in 2010 and by the Texas State Genealogical Society in 2015.
Using Your Smartphone to Digitize Documents –
Friday, 3:30 p.m.; Technology
Personal Privacy and Security – Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; Technology
Klaus, Kevin
Kevin Klaus developed a love of history from an early age listening to stories told by his Great Grandparents and Grandparents who grew up in East Texas. Kevin has a background in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Public History from the University of New Mexico and currently is working towards becoming a certified genealogist. For the last 17 years he has served as one of the lead researchers in the Texas General Land Office Archives and Records Program Area. During his time at the Land Office he has searched the early Court of Claims files, German Collection and archival collection to learn more about the history of Texas and discover the amazing collection of personal letters of early soldiers and pioneers who helped settle our great state. Over the last few years he has focused his attention and research on the German Collection and the early German settlers that came to Texas under the Adelsverein in the 1840’s. In the process he has honed his research skills by tracing his own family line that came to America in the late 1800’s.
German-Texas Research at the GLO – Saturday, 5:00 p.m.; Ethnic
Lee, Devon Noel
Devon Noel Lee specializes in family history preservation. She owns the Family History Fanatics education company noted for the fastest growing genealogy channel on YouTube, in addition to coordinating e-Conferences that benefit local genealogy societies. With over 20 years of genealogy and journalism experience, she has written six how-to books, 60 scrapbooks, a memoir, and two family histories. Devon’s most popular book is A Recipe for Writing Family History that enabled her to write about 120 ancestors in an efficient and fun way. She is currently the vice-president of her local genealogy society focused on programming, web design, and the newsletter.
Synergizing Seven reSources to Solve Family Mysteries –
Friday, 11:00 a.m.; Methodology
5 Steps for Successfully Starting in Genealogy –
Friday, 2:00 p.m.; Methodology
Lovelace, Janice
Janice Lovelace, Ph.D. is a genealogical researcher, educator, author and lecturer, with over thirty years of experience. She completed the Genealogy and Family History certificate at University of Washington in 2012 and the certificate program in genealogy at Boston University in 2013. Dr. Lovelace is a frequent speaker at international, national and regional genealogy conferences and local societies on health and genetics, ethnic minority genealogy, and research methodology. She is an instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute (MAAGI). A retired college faculty member, Dr. Lovelace authored the National Genealogical Society’s online continuing education course African American Roots: A Historical Perspective. A freelance writer and photographer, she has a number of genealogy articles among her publications. A member of the Seattle Genealogical Society for many years, she has served in several board positions. She is also a member of Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Ohio Genealogical Society, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) and the National Genealogical Society (NGS). In her work life, Dr. Lovelace is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been a private practice therapist.
Segregated in Death – Black Cemeteries in the South –
Friday, 11:00 a.m.; African American
Building a Research Plan – Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Methodology
African Americans in the Military – 18th to 20th Century –
Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; African American
Meisner, Bernard N.
Bernard N. Meisner, Ph.D., is a genealogist and lecturer based in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. He began researching his family over 25 years ago and enjoys sharing lessons learned from those experiences, including his mistakes. Bernard is social media chair and past president of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Texas State Genealogical Society. He has attended the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh in each of the last three years, completing courses in German and Irish research. Bernard is retired from the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters where he was the Chief of the Science & Training Branch. He is certified as a consulting meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society, and has taught at the Universities of Texas, Oklahoma and St. Thomas (Houston). Bernard earned a B.S. in physics/German from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Hawaii.
Tracing a Woman Named Smith by Researching a Collateral Line –
Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Methodology
How a Non-German Speaking Texas Can Trace Their German Ancestors – Saturday, 2:00 p.m.; Ethnic
State and Territorial Censuses – Underused Genealogical Tools –
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.; Records and Repositories
Meyers, Kelvin L.
Kelvin L. Meyers, a fifth generation Texan and professional forensic genealogist since 1996, is a frequent speaker to genealogical societies and family associations throughout the United States. After being employed for ten years in the Genealogy Department of the Dallas Public Library, Kelvin now has a solo practice as a forensic genealogist serving clients that include probate attorneys, trust department of banks, the US Immigration Service and energy companies. He also specializes in southern brick-wall problems for clients. Kelvin is a 1989 and 1990 alumnus of the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University and has returned to IGHR as lecturer in the Southern Course and the Professional Course. In 2016 he co-coordinated with J. Mark Lowe, “A Swing Through the South” at SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogical Research). In 2019 Kelvin will be coordinating the “Burned Counties and More: Overcoming Record Loss” for SLIG. He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a past President of the Lone Star Chapter of APG, and a founding member for the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG). Kelvin has recently published Research in Texas for NGS (National Genealogical Society) Research in the states series. Kelvin is also the director of the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) sponsored by the Texas State Genealogical Society.
Land, Lots of Land: Using Land Records to Find an Ancestor –
Friday, 11:00 a.m.; Land
TIGR Preview – Friday, 12:00 p.m.
Are Your Ancestors in the Draper Manuscripts? –
Saturday, 5:00 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Territorial Records – Sunday, 2:00 p.m.; Land
Mills, Betsy
Betsy Mills has been a genealogist since the age of 10 when she found a family tree in her baby book that hadn’t been filled out. She started pestering people for information to fill out that tree and hasn’t stopped since! She has been part of the TXGenWeb Project and State Coordinator for ARGenWeb since 1996. She is a member of the Magna Charta Dames, former regent in the NSDAR, and past member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She is currently President of the Lamar County Genealogical Society, Treasurer for the Texas State Genealogical Society, and a member of the Lamar County Historical Commission, heading up the Cemeteries Committee. Betsy maintains the Lamar County Death and Cemetery Records Online Database that currently contains over 130,000 records. The records in this database contain location information, obituaries, and biographies and are linked to headstone pictures and cemetery information. She presents lectures on a variety of subjects.
Old Photographs: Identifying, Preserving and Sharing –
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.; Publishing and Preservation
Neuman, Laurel
Born in Dallas an raised in Arlington, Laurel’s family has deep roots in Texas. Laurel graduated from Texas State University in 2008, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in History. She has worked at the Texas Government Land Office (GLO) since 2008, first in the scanning and duplication department, and later joining the Research Room team in 2010. Her work in the Research Room includes fielding reference questions, assisting both internal and external customers with their research needs, and giving tours that showcase the GLO’s archival collection. Laurel also travels and gives presentations on various aspects of the GLO collection. She is passionate about Texas history and enjoys getting to share the GLO collection with genealogists researching their roots in early Texas.
Mapping Your Ancestors – Using GLO Maps and GIS Viewer for Genealogical Research – Friday, 5:00 p.m.; Land
Passman, David B.
David Passman is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Dallas Genealogical Society, and JewishGen.org. As a DGS member, he is actively involved in the Brown Bag and Jewish Special Interest Groups. As a presenter, he has spoken before the Dallas Genealogical Society, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society, and the Mesquite Genealogical Society. In July 2018, he will present to the Plano Friends of Genealogy. David holds a degree in Art History from Southern Methodist University, where he pursued interdisciplinary studies in Anthropology-Archaeology and Latin American Studies. His research has been recognized by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in a proof argument the organization accepted as a genealogical proof. The paper was subsequently published in The Chisholm Trail, the journal of the Williamson County Texas Genealogical Society. Dr. Tom Jones described the paper as, “well researched, reasoned, and documented… the kind of case we like to publish in NGSQ.” His current research project focuses on the transmigrant experience of his namesake ancestor, David Passman, who immigrated to the United States from Minsk, Russia in 1891.
Using Collateral Genealogy to Find Immigrant Origins in U.S. Records – Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Ethnic
Reed, Lisa
Lisa Reed is an accomplished genealogist who gives presentations to help YOU! She is now working on a Ph.D. at TAMU-Commerce working with public history and oral histories. Lisa has presented genealogy lectures in New England, Arkansas, and Texas. She has won the TxSGS writing award for reference books by a professional along with other writing awards. Lisa’s interest is in helping family genealogists improve their craft.
Bridging the Generations – Friday, 9:30 a.m.; Records and Repositories
Richard, Diane L.
Diane L Richard has M.E. and M.B.A. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina, other Southern States and migration paths to the Mississippi River. She has researched NC roots for the popular TV show Who Do You Think You Are? and appeared on the Bryan Cranston episode. Since 2006 she has authored almost 300 articles on genealogy topics for such publications as Internet Genealogy, Your Genealogy Today (formerly Family Chronicle), the NCGS Journal, and the local Wake County Genealogical society publications. From 2010-2017 she was the editor of Upfront with NGS, the blog of the National Genealogical Society and published over 2000 posts. She is currently editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) journal and Wake Treasures, the journal of the Wake County Genealogical Society. She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG) and as a speaker she does webinars (coast-to-coast), conference presentations (FGS, NGS, TxSGS, FGS, NERGC, SCGS Jamboree, etc.), workshops, and local meeting programs about the availability and richness of records documenting North Carolinians, genealogical research techniques and tips, under-utilized resource collections and much more.
The Genealogical Gems Found in Manuscript and Archival Collection Holdings – Saturday, 2:00 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Slaves + Insurance = Rich Records – Sunday, 11:00 a.m.; African American
Geography, Politics, Religion & More as Found in Post Office Records – Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Roddy, Mary Kircher
Mary Kircher Roddy, a Certified Public Accountant, received a Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas. She has been a genealogist since 2000, becoming interested in the subject in anticipation of an extended trip to Ireland. Mary earned a certificate from the Genealogy and Family History program at the University of Washington in 2005. She is currently enrolled in ProGen 31 and will graduate in November 2017. She has written several articles for Internet Genealogy and Family Chronicle magazines. She also is a regular book-reviewer for FGS Forum and writes profiles for the Genealogical Speakers Guild quarterly Speak! Mary is a frequent presenter for Legacy Family Tree Webinars as well as other society webinars. She is currently working on a novel set in the San Francisco area in 1900 and 1901, based on stories of several of her ancestors and their associates which she discovered in her genealogical research.
I Remember Mama – But Not Her Maiden Name –
Friday, 3:30 p.m.; Methodology
Workshop: Spreadsheets 101 Workshop – An Excel-lent Hands-on Tutorial – Saturday, 4:00 p.m.
A Nose for News: Sniffing Out Stories in Newspapers –
Sunday, 2:00 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Salinas, Lisa Toth
Lisa Toth Salinas is a freelance writer and genealogist with a focus on Catholic research and the immigrant origins of her Hungarian, Croatian & Irish ancestors and their roots in the Northeast (New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts). She is author of three Legacy Family Tree QuickGuides™: Catholic Genealogy, Hungarian Genealogy, and Croatian Genealogy. In addition to her other writing projects, Lisa is a contributing author for The Catholic Gene blog. She is active on Twitter as @smallestleaf and @catholicgene. Visit her website at http://smallestleaf.com.
Baptism to Burial: In Search of Catholic Ancestors –
Friday, 3:30 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Smith, Carl
Carl Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Family History – Genealogy from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University. He’s been interested in family history since his youth, growing up listening to family stories from his parents and grandparents and looking through old family photos. He has been extensively involved in genealogical research since 2008, specializing in the areas of Scandinavian, 19th and 20th century United States, and Latin American research. He has worked previously in the private sector doing genealogy research, as well as in the public library sector in various positions since 2012. Carl is currently the Genealogy Librarian for the Montgomery County Memorial Library System and head of the Genealogy and Local History Department. For the past 3 years Carl has taught dozens of workshops on family history to hundreds of residents and researchers, covering such topics as beginning genealogical research, using family history websites and databases, researching ancestors from Scandinavia and other geographic regions in Europe, and research fundamentals to name a few.
Kin Killers: Epidemics & Diseases in Your Family Tree –
Friday, 5:00 p.m; Methodology
Workshop: Anything I Can Do, You Can Do Meta: Metadata & Digital
Archiving of Your Family History – Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Strauss, Kathy
Kathy Strauss, M.A., MLIS, has always been dedicated to assisting researchers in genealogy. She worked at the Denton Public Library beginning in 1995, and became the Senior Librarian for Genealogy and Special Collections in 2005. Kathy retired as a librarian in 2015. She received her MLIS degree from the University of Hawaii, and holds a Bachelor’s in Education and a Master of Arts from The Ohio State University. Kathy was instrumental in establishing the Genealogy Round Table of the Texas Library Association, and she has served on many genealogy committees in the American Library Association, The Texas State Genealogical Society, and the Denton County Genealogical Society. Kathy is a member of Benjamin Lyon Chapter DAR, DFW Colony of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, and Star of Destiny Chapter of the Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century. Her roots include German, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry. Kathy has presented classes and lectures for the Texas Library Association, the Denton Public Library, Denton Family History Fair, Denton Office of History and Culture, and various other local and community groups.
To Have and To Hold: Marriage Records as a Link to Your Ancestors – Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Records and Repositories
Strauss, Michael
Michael L. Strauss, AG is an Accredited Genealogist and forensic investigator. He is a native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Utah and has a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. Strauss is a qualified expert witness in Surrogate Court and Circuit Court in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia and an approved genealogist with the United States Department of Defense to locate DNA qualified persons MIA from Korea, Vietnam, and World War II. He is a national genealogical lecturer and instructor for military courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), and Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research (VIGR) and was the film historian for the 2015 Academy Award nominated movie “Finding Vivian Maier” in addition to doing Civil War reenacting for more than 25 years.
The Great War: Researching Your World War I Ancestors –
Friday, 9:30 a.m.; Military
Workshop: Researching Your World War II Ancestors – Friday, 4:00 p.m.
Researching Your Urban Ancestors – Saturday, 11:00 a.m.; Methodology
Roosevelt’s Tree Army: Your Ancestors in the CCC –
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.; Methodology
Vestal, Pam
Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker from West Linn, Oregon, and the owner of Generations Genealogy, LLC. After 20 years as a professional writer, Pam turned her full attention to her longtime love of genealogy. Her articles have appeared in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly and her lectures have taken her all over the country. When she isn’t giving presentations or researching on behalf of her clients, she offers private training to those seeking to improve their research skills.
Finding What You Need and Using What You Find –
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.; Methodology
Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors –
Sunday, 2:00 p.m.; Methodology
Wayne, Debbie Parker
Debbie Parker Wayne, CGSM, CGLSM, is a board-certified genealogist and genealogical lecturer experienced in using DNA analysis and traditional techniques for genealogical research. Debbie is the co-author with Blaine T. Bettinger of the award-winning DNA workbook, Genetic Genealogy in Practice, published by the National Genealogical Society (NGS). She is the author of the online, self-paced course Continuing Genealogical Studies: Autosomal DNA, offered by NGS. She is the DNA Project Chair for the Texas State Genealogical Society (TxSGS) and the Early Texans DNA Project. The Early Texans DNA Project is studying the DNA passed down from those who settled in Texas by 1900. Her publications include a column on using DNA analysis for genealogical research in NGS Magazine and in TxSGS Stirpes journal. Debbie was the course coordinator for the first beginner and intermediate DNA courses offered at major U.S. genealogy institutes: Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), and Forensic Genealogy Institute (FGI). See http://debbiewayne.com/ for more information and for archived versions of many of her articles on genealogy and DNA.
Workshop: atDNA Analysis Workshop – Friday, 1:30 p.m.
Organized Genetic Genealogy – Saturday, 11:00 a.m.; DNA
Write, Cite, Spotlight, Excite: Documenting DNA Analysis –
Saturday, 2:00 p.m.; DNA
Wells, Eric
Eric Wells has been active in genealogical research since 2008, previously having been a residential contractor for two decades working on projects across the United States His latest endeavor, Legacy Left Right, focuses on assisting clients in genealogical research, DNA genealogy, and also organizing and presenting the research in a coherent and publishable format. As well as being active in his local genealogical society, he is also the Education Coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network and hosts the live-streamed interview format show on YouTube called Faces of NextGen Live.
Digital Preservation – Saturday, 5:00 p.m.; Publishing and Preservation
Wilkins, Ari
Ari Wilkins is a genealogist and library associate at Dallas Public Library, where she provides genealogy programming and education. She worked with the esteemed genealogist, Dr. James Rose on his project, “Generations: The WPA Ex-Slave Narrative Database.” She has spoken nationally at the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, RootsTech, Texas State Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, American Library Association, and a multitude of local societies. Ari has concentrated her interests in North Carolina and Louisiana research and specializes in African American genealogy and research.
Mysterious Relatives – Friday, 2:00 p.m., Methodology
Looking for My Babies: Freedman Searching for Family –
Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; African American
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