2019 Conference Program – Saturday

Thomas Jefferson summed up his feelings about the press when he wrote, “Where the Press is Free and Every man able to Read, all is Safe.” Historically published daily, weekly, and monthly, newspapers contain information about our ancestors that might not be found elsewhere. From obituaries, legal notices, and business information, these records are the fabric of our national identity.
Beginner, Intermediate, Ballroom V

This class will focus on the basic research techniques and resources needed to find your Hispanic ancestors in Northeastern Mexico and South Texas. Learn how to use various resources including genealogical websites, both free and fee-based; libraries; archives; interviews with family members; as well as census, church, civil, and other record types.
Beginner, Intermediate, Pawlusky

Looking for books about your family history? You may be able to find them without leaving the comfort of your home! Millions of books have already been digitized and are free to use as well as download to your personal library. Learn where to find the best digital book collections, how to strategically search them, and how to save your finds to your computer or cloud storage for later reference.
Beginner, Intermediate, Ballroom VII

Civil War? Oklahoma? Not only did the Five Tribes enter the conflict, they suffered immensely with repercussions still affecting life today. Most were aligned with the Confederacy, but the tribes were split between the two sides. Troops serving in I.T. also included Texans and African Americans. Those coming to the Twin Territories much later had served in other states. Learn about service records as well as Confederate and Union pensions and homes.
Beginner, Intermediate, Lakeview

In this hands-on workshop, you will take the records you have currently and start building the story of your ancestors. Using a simple step-by-step approach, you can pull details from records and visualize how someone’s story is put together. You can see how easy it is to turn your research into stories others will want to read.
Intermediate, Woodbine

Sometimes the best way to learn about an ancestor’s life is to dig into the mountain of paperwork created by his death. We’ll explore the surprisingly abundant information that is collected when a death occurs and glimpse just how much these records can reveal, not only about our ancestors’ deaths, but also about their lives.
All Levels, Ballroom V

Wills, probate, land, and property records are inextricably linked. When a planter landowner dies, important assets such as land and enslaved people held as personal property must be identified and their disposition decided, usually passing to family members as heirs and legally recorded in the county. These records may lead to discovery of the last slave holder and close associates, an important step in researching beyond emancipation.
Intermediate, Pawlusky

Many people who do not identify as Jewish are discovering the surprise of Middle Eastern and Jewish roots. Learn about history, migration patterns, and DNA.
Beginner, Intermediate, Ballroom VII

Y chromosomal DNA passes only from father to son, but while the path of inheritance is simple, choosing which Y test to take can be confusing, and using the results once you have them can be even more confusing. Group projects can help alleviate some of that confusion as well as help focus research through comparison with other testers beyond simple one-to-one matching.
This lecture is sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA.
Beginner, Intermediate, Lakeview

Indexes for county records can be the key to finding deeds, probates, vital records, naturalizations, and more. Whether you’re researching in county archives or in unindexed records on FamilySearch, it’s crucial to be familiar with the different indexing systems and how to use them. This presentation will give you the skills to decipher these important tools and strategies to tackle unfamiliar indexes.
Intermediate, Advanced, Ballroom V

Since 1860, Mexican Law has required that every birth, death, and marriage event be recorded by Mexico’s Civil Registration Office. In this presentation, you will learn more about the Civil Registration and what genealogical information each of these records contain as well as where to find these records online and offline.
All Levels, Pawlusky

Starting with a death announcement, we will look at the methodology of creating a series of questions that need answers in order to bring our subject to life. Using the clues found in the death announcement, we will identify what records are needed to help solve the unknown. The importance of carefully analyzing documents and understanding how one record leads to another will be emphasized.
All Levels, Ballroom VII

This class will allow you to delve into your Y-DNA details and know how it affects your genealogy. Y-DNA STR and SNP testing is the process of getting your Y-Chromosome results for comparison with other testers. Tests such as the BigY700 and others provide advanced ways of analyzing your Y-DNA.
Intermediate, Advanced, Lakeview

When matches don’t respond, sometimes we have enough information to construct their family tree and determine how we might be related just using their DNA. This workshop teaches you the principles and takes you through examples of how you can build someone else’s family tree when they haven’t answered your emails.
Intermediate, Advanced, Woodbine

What happened when an ancestor died and his heirs could not legally manage their inheritance? A guardian was appointed. But, don’t be confused or led astray by the terms used in these records such as orphan, infant, and minor! Learn more about guardianship records, the legal terms used, and the genealogy nuggets that can be found in this unique group of records.
Intermediate, Advanced, Ballroom V

Learn the basics of researching Oklahoma’s Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes. The introduction will demonstrate how to explore the Dawes Roll and the resulting documents including census cards, packets, applications for allotment, and allotment maps, followed by a look at many other resources for researching members of these tribes. Most examples will be from Cherokee records.
All Levels, Pawlusky

William Eckler came to Texas to fight in the Indian Wars after the Civil War. Charles Arthur met and married his wife, started a family, and held his own as a free-born African American man in Decatur, Texas. Not until Charles Arthur applied for his federal military pension did the truth come out. Follow the facts, the documents, and the family truths of William Eckler and Charles Arthur in this presentation.
Intermediate, Ballroom VII

Learn how to identify old photographs by analyzing the type of photograph, the people in the photograph, the styles in the photograph, and other often-missed clues. Preserve those photographs by scanning and sharing them! Several fun ideas are presented that will get the listener excited. This interactive presentation engages the audience and inspires them to go home and work on their own unidentified photographs.
All Levels, Lakeview

Depicted in popular cultural mediums, the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 heralded the opening of the Unassigned Lands for settlement. There were a total of four additional runs held, each dissecting a different piece of the Unassigned Lands and creating records that provide helpful information. Learn about the land runs, each land event, and the records available.
Beginner, Intermediate, Ballroom V

Locating the last slave owner is essential in African American research. Explore records that will help transition your research from 1870 into the Antebellum Era.
All Levels, Pawlusky

Obscure and hidden records are “out there” that can solve tough problems. How do you find them? Hear tips and methods for performing better searches and using copy services. Time will be spent on identifying appropriate repositories such as manuscript collections and archives. Finding these records will enhance your research and give color to your ancestors’ stories. Let’s learn how to be more successful!
Intermediate, Ballroom VII

Have you thought about starting your own genealogy blog, but weren’t quite sure how to do it? More than 3,300 genealogists are already blogging their family history, and it has never been easier for you to get started! Blogging not only lets you share your research with other family members, but it also helps potential cousins to find you – and who knows what information they may have to share!
All Levels, Lakeview