2022 Conference Speakers and Topics

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD

• Cluster Genealogy: Finding Your Lost Ancestor – Using a case study, this session will introduce the importance of researching ancestors by using the “FAN” club. Learn how to develop techniques and strategies that will help increase the chances of locating that long-lost ancestor that never appears in the U.S. census records in a family unit. Learn how following the extended family, associates, and neighbors, as well as the community brings this family full circle.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

• Critical Thinking in Genealogical Research: Proving Oral History – This lecture will ask you to put on your “CSI” hat and utilize your “detective” skills to solve a series of questions that will bring a family to life. Using only oral history and interviews, learn how to identify and describe the scope of the problem and determine what additional research is needed to answer the questions. We will identify what is known to be fact and the documents that support the facts. We will learn the importance of determining clues that will lead us to alternative resources. The importance of using collateral and cluster genealogy methods will be emphasized.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Skill Building
Level: Intermediate

• Strategies and Techniques: Reconstructing an African American Family from Freedom to Slavery – This presentation is designed to share the methodology used throughout the research process to reconstruct the ancestry and migration of an African American family from freedom to slavery. Emphases will be placed on strategies, organizational skills, and the importance of carefully analyzing various documents and where to find them. You will learn how using collateral and cluster line research as well as understanding the history of the area where your ancestors lived will help to overcome the 1870 brick wall.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Ethnic – African American
Level: Intermediate

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Julia Anderson

• Deep South Research: A Beginner’s Guide and Case Study – Research in the southern United States can be a challenge with courthouse disasters, record loss, boundary changes, migration, slavery, and other unique obstacles. This presentation will discuss success strategies for southern genealogical research and provide a case study highlighting sound research methodology.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

• Maximize Your Research Time – It is easy to lose track of time when you are excited about a research project. This presentation will demonstrate how to write a focused research goal, use the best records to answer your research questions, properly analyze the evidence you find, and record and share your results to maximize your precious research time.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

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Esther Camacho

• Tracing Your Hispanic Ancestors in Mexico – Searching Mexican records does not have to be overwhelming. Let us get you started in tracing your ancestors from the United States into Mexico. Let us examine the various records and resources available to trace your ancestors in Mexico.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – Hispanic
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

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Janine Cloud

• Big Y-700 – Since the introduction of FamilyTreeDNA’s Big Y-700, the number of Big Y presentations being given has increased almost as exponentially as the Y haplotree has. This talk will focus on some of the most commonly asked questions about the test and its uses in genealogical and scientific research.

Availability:  On-Demand
Track: DNA
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

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Debra Dudek

• Mixers and Shakers – Tracing Bartending, Saloon Keeping, and Tavern Keeping Ancestors – Taverns and saloons have been a crucial American institution, and the men behind the bar were the social rock stars of their era. This program will lead you through the pre-prohibition records and resources which will help you add an extra shot of flavor into your research.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

• Unusual Places to Find Births and Naturalizations – Widen your search for birth dates and locations as well as naturalizations from a variety of underutilized resources such as military rosters, consulate applications, voter registrations, cancelled passports, frakturs and much more. This lecture focuses on both digital and physical resources, so bring your research checklist and see if these resources can help you fill in the gaps in your family tree.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

• War of 1812 – Researching “Second Revolution” Ancestors – Discover the stories and service of the military men of America’s “Second Revolution.” Reaching beyond federal pension records, this lecture examines a range of resources spanning military registers, navy accounts, and prisoner of war records.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

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Colleen Robledo Greene, MLS

• Capturing their Stories: Best Practices for Recording Family History Interviews – Oral histories are an invaluable genealogical research source and make engaging thoughtful gifts for family. This lecture walks through strategies for successful planning, recording, and packaging of family interviews. Explore tips and free or inexpensive tools to use with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to capture these memories in-person or from afar via Zoom. Never miss another opportunity to preserve these important stories.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Skill Building
Levels: All Levels

• Taking a Deeper Dive into Mexican Civil Registration Records – The Mexican federal civil registration system dates back to 1859, recording births, marriages, and deaths. However, it yields much more biographical and kinship information than we encounter in U.S. vital records. Learn how to find and analyze these collections. We also discuss situations to watch out for, strategies for building out your family tree, and tools for learning more about your ancestral place names. Even non-Spanish speakers can be successful at working with these records.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Ethnic – Hispanic
Level: All Levels

• The HathiTrust Digital Library: An Underutilized Yet Powerful Addition to Your Research Toolbox – This robust digital repository, underutilized by many genealogists, is packed with digitized publications from academic and research institutions that are relevant to your family history. This lecture walks you through navigating and searching this often-confusing digital library, showcases U.S. and international collections that are particularly relevant to genealogists, and explains strategies to help you find those valuable sources.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

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Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD

• Climbing too Fast, Gasping for Air? Take Time with Documents – Has that evidence been thoroughly examined? Sometimes we need to slow down to fully evaluate a given document. Get some ideas here about extracting data from every source, documenting (citing) the evidence, logging the information obtained (and not obtained), and creating charts or spreadsheets to keep track of information about every person and family.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Skill Building
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

• Genealogy Door Locked? The Key May Be in Searching/Browsing Techniques – Often it seems as if the needed information about an ancestor is simply a click away, but the password, combination, or other magic code feels just out of reach. Understanding why and how your own computer reveals different results from those found on computers elsewhere, even when using the same terms, can help in locating those “secret passageways.” Designed for those who are already familiar with basic search engine operations, this lecture gives some hints for using that information to find the elusive ancestors. Some of the common terms from technology will also be defined (with knowledge comes power).

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Skill Building
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

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Daniel Horowitz

• Unearthing Your Ancestor’s Stories in Historical Newspapers – Learn how to discover rich details about the lives of your ancestors by perusing historical newspaper collections. Finding mention of your ancestors in a historical newspaper collection is striking genealogy gold. The articles, obituaries, and advertisements in newspapers can teach you about your relatives’ professions, passions, and connections within the community — fascinating details that you won’t find anywhere else.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

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Kevin Klaus

• Pre-emption Grants: A Bonanza for Early Texas Settlers and Genealogists – Did your ancestor migrate to Texas in search of land and a new beginning? Pre-emption grants, also known as homestead grants, allowed Texas settlers to claim land on the vacant public domain of Texas provided they met established criteria. Many times, the files associated with these types of grants are an overlooked treasure trove full of great genealogical information! You may find when a person settled upon the land, names of the original grantees, and possibly the name of their wife. Unique stories or history may be discovered in these files such as murders, Indian troubles, or even an old marriage certificate. Learn about these early grants, how to search for them, and how to interpret the information in the files to claim your ancestor’s place in Texas history.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

• The Texas Court of Claims: Unlocking Family Connections, Past and Present – Early Texas colonies and the Republic of Texas lured many with the promise of land. However, some who were eligible for land died before receiving their grant or had issues proving their eligibility. How would someone such as the family prove they were due a land grant they hadn’t received? The Texas Court of Claims was established for just this purpose, to ascertain the legality of claims for money and lands against the State. Court of Claims files may include heirship documents, names of family members, and much more, depending on the case. Learn about these files, how to search for them, and what you may find.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

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J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

• A Shot of Whiskey and a Clump of Dirt – Land Claims and New Opportunities – Understanding why our ancestors were often searching for specific land that could support their revenue and examining how they used it may help us tighten their travel routes and hopes for success. Looking at the end result often points to a specific beginning for our genealogical research.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

• Finding the Hidden Manuscripts of Families Moving to Texas – Locating letters, diaries, and personal records of families that moved to Texas, and those individuals and neighbors back home and along the way might require some extra effort, but usually hold hidden treasures for the persistent researcher. Discover the people with whom they worked, prayed, fought, and married

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

• Missing People: Fractured Relationships, Divorce, & Murder – We often accept a person missing from a census enumeration without question. When should we look deeper, examine the clues, and ask more questions? Sometimes a closer look and a new perspective is needed to see the real story.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

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Sherman Macrae

• Let’s Play Connect Forefathers! – This presentation focuses on the recently released FamilyTreeDNA Discover project, which contains enhanced Y-DNA tools that allow participants to discover more in-depth information on their direct paternal lineage solely from their Y-DNA haplogroup. The Discover project features tools where Y-DNA testers, or those who have gotten a Y haplogroup with their autosomal test, can now see their haplogroup ages and view those migrations all the way back to Y-Chromosome Adam. FamilyTreeDNA Discover also includes some other entertaining features, including shared connections with some famous or notable people as well as matches to ancient relatives whose DNA was extracted from archaeological excavations. This presentation includes a demonstration of how Y-DNA testing can be used in conjunction with Discover tools to further genealogical research as well unearth some surprises hidden deep within our lineages.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: DNA
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

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Bernard Meisner

• Beyond the Big Four – (Mostly) Free Resources for Genealogical Research – The Genealogical Proof Standard calls for “a reasonably exhaustive search” for information regarding your family. After searching some or all of the Big Four websites — FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage and FindMyPast — what should you do? In this presentation I will demonstrate that there are numerous (mostly free) national, regional, state and local resources that might provide the answers to your genealogical research questions.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

• Early German Settlements in Texas, 1831-1860 – The Republic’s desire to populate the new country resulted in a concerted effort to bring German settlers to Texas. By 1850 German immigrants were a significant ethnic group, the result of group and chain migration. Many lived in ethnic enclaves, while others were drawn to the towns in a band stretching from the coastal plain to the Hill Country. Records of these Germans can be found in many books and county, state and national websites.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – Other
Level: All Levels

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Gail Jackson Miller

• Finding Identity Through Tax Lists – Tax lists can be a primary tool for solving difficult research problems. Learn how to access original records, to best organize them for study, and to interpret their meaning. The lecture will use case studies to show their use in tracking individuals across time, estimating birth dates and death dates, separating individuals of the same name, determining the identity of other family members, and using them as substitutes for deeds, court records, and estate records in burned counties. Tax lists are invaluable in researching Texans and many of the states from which Texas families migrated.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• Finding the Truth in the Undocumented Story – Good stories connect us to a specific time and place. Learn how to analyze the story’s details, storyteller, and people and events compared to the culture and time period. Learn to pinpoint what could be true and what is definitely false. Learn how to reasonably correct the story based upon historical events, location, and culture. Learn how both the true and false information can advance your research. Real life stories will be presented to show how analysis and correlation can enhance the story and lead to additional research.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

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Joy Oria

• Deconstructing Spanish-language Catholic Church Records – Lengthy records in an unfamiliar language may look intimidating but can be broken down into manageable pieces. Spanish-speaking areas are rich with Catholic Church records that are a boon to genealogy research. Learn to identify the components of baptism, marriage, and burial records.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – Hispanic
Level: All Levels

• Online Tools for Hispanic Genealogy – Increase your understanding of records and their context in Hispanic genealogical research with these helpful online tools, whether it’s expanding your knowledge of indigenous peoples, utilizing translation aids and maps, or adding reference sources to your toolbox.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – Hispanic
Level: All Levels

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Diane L. Richard, MEng, MBA

• “Colored News”: Community-Focused Sources for African American Research – For decades most “news” about African Americans was not published in African American newspapers and in so-called “white” newspapers either as short sensational news articles, runaway slave advertisements, finding lost family notices, or in dedicated regular columns. The community-focused columns are full of names, entities, events/activities, and FAN context. Not just southern newspapers published these columns. Though, only a small percentage of newspapers included such a column, and it is sometimes challenging to identify the existence of these columns, once found, priceless information is discovered.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – African American
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• Death Records by a Different Name – Let’s explore almost 30 different places where we might find documentation of death. We are not talking obituaries, cemetery records, probate records, death certificates, Bibles, and the records most of us regularly pursue. We are talking of some of the many other records which possibly were created to document your ancestors’ deaths – ledgers (physician, general store, and library – really? Yep!), fraternal societies, poor records, funeral homes, many different records related to burying someone, and much more. I’ll bet most of you haven’t researched all the ones to be discussed.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Methodology
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• Politics, Religion, Interests – Post Office Record Gems! – Most researchers don’t realize how post office records are a rich source of information about our ancestors. Whether the location of a post office gives us context on where they lived or we learn about their politics, religion, business interests, hobbies, and more via their journal/newspaper subscription lists, these are incredible records. Post office locations enumerate locales no longer named on maps. Postmaster ledgers give you an intimate perspective on the publications our ancestors or those in the community subscribed to. We can learn so much from these lists about “who” our ancestors were and the community in which they lived.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

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Mary Kircher Roddy, CG®

• Latin 101 – Deciphering Catholic Parish Records – What is in Catholic baptism and marriage records? How do Latin grammar rules define the parties? Was your ancestor’s name changed? When you understand the basic format of Latin Catholic sacramental records, you’ll be able to understand them – be they from Ireland, Poland, Germany, Mexico or the USA.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• Translating German Newspapers – As Easy as Ein, Zwei, Drei – Many 19th- and early 20th-century German language newspapers were printed in a Fraktur font. And not only that, they were written in a foreign language! This combination of an archaic font and a foreign language creates two significant hurdles for the 21st century genealogist, perhaps with limited foreign language skills, to overcome. But don’t despair. Modern technology has provided solutions. Learn how to “crack the code” and discover where your favorite newspaper sites have hidden the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) text. Translation tools will quickly make those foreign words readable for even the most die-hard English-only speaker.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – Other
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• You DNA Tested at Ancestry – Now What Do You Do? – Have you taken a DNA test at Ancestry? After you’ve decided whether to wear a kilt or lederhosen, what are your next steps? Learn all about shared matches and how to organize them to find the answers to your genealogy mysteries. And if you have matches with tiny (or no) trees, Mary has strategies to discover how they might connect to you. Finally, get some ideas of when and how to reach out to matches.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: DNA
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

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Renate Yarborough Sanders

• Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau – There’s Something for Everyone! – The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, aka “The Freedmen’s Bureau,” was established after the Civil War to assist in the reconstruction of Southern states, with the goal of providing food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners, including – but not limited to – newly freed African Americans. The agency created many records related to the formerly enslaved; however, the span of these documents is much wider than often realized. Records related to enslavers and their families, business and governmental entities, schools, churches, and even employees of the Bureau will be shared in this eye-opening presentation.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – African American
Level: All Levels

• We Were Supposed to be NEALS: Reuniting Family with DNA – After 25 years of researching an enslaved ancestor of unknown parentage, DNA breaks the case and helps to put a splintered family back together. In this case study, learn how the presenter was able to identify and work with a particular set of DNA matches, and then apply traditional genealogy research techniques and methodology, to find her ancestor’s parents and siblings and to connect with living descendants.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: DNA
Level: All Levels

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Franklin Carter Smith

• Southern African American Cemeteries: An Underutilized Resource – Early Southern African American cemeteries reflect the local historical makeup of their surrounding communities. Learn tips and strategies on how to use information found in this underutilized resource to determine possible enslavement era and post-Civil War community relationships, family connections, and suggestions for possible slaveholder candidates.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Ethnic – African American
Level: All Levels

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Patti Huff Smith

• ThruLines: Maximize Your Ancestry DNA Results – ThruLines® is a powerful tool provided by Ancestry.com to help researchers use DNA matches to find common ancestors, explore matches in their family tree, and confirm the relationship path to common ancestors. Understanding how to effectively use ThruLines can help individuals avoid common pitfalls such as the temptation of gathering unverified relatives to grow their family tree, contaminating the Ancestry database with unnecessary and incorrect data, and trusting the accuracy of the family tree of DNA matches. Learn how to effectively use ThruLines to make ancestral connections with your DNA matches.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: DNA
Level: All Levels

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Lori Thornton

• Mississippi Roots: Finding Your Magnolia State Ancestors – After a brief look at the early history and settlement of Mississippi, an overview of Mississippi genealogical records, resources, and repositories will be made. It includes physical and digital resources. Relevant laws pertaining to records and their creation will be examined.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Records & Repositories
Level: All Levels

• Righting Your Wrongs through Writing – Writing ancestral narratives offers an opportunity to review older research and correct errors made when less experienced. Writing helps identify gaps in research, that, when researched, give a fuller picture of one’s ancestors and their world, and helps genealogists meet standards. The lecture includes a close look at a Tennessean who moved to Texas.

Availability: TxSGS Live!
Track: Skill Building
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

• Tennessee Research from the Comfort of Home – While every genealogist dreams of visiting repositories in person to use records pertaining to their ancestors, circumstances do not always provide that opportunity. The recent pandemic closed many facilities. Rising travel costs mean others will need to put the research trip on hold a little longer. While everything is not available with the click of a mouse, the records one can access from home continues to grow. Learn techniques, strategies, and online repositories for finding the best resources to research Tennessee ancestors from the comfort of home.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: Methodology
Level: All Levels

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Randy Whited

• Probabilities and Possibilities: Using the Shared CentiMorgan and WATO Tools at DNA Painter – How does that person who shares DNA with you fit in your family tree? Is your common ancestor four, five, or six generations back? DNA Painter’s tools, Shared cM and What Are the Odds, are exceptionally helpful in analyzing hypothetical relationships within a family based on shared DNA. Learn how to use these tools to evaluate hypotheses for family relationships and focus your search for the most recent common ancestors of your DNA matches.

Availability: On-Demand
Track: DNA
Level: Intermediate, Advanced