Debra Blacklock-Sloan
I Found My Family’s Slaveholder, and the Clues Were Right There! – Alex Haley’s 1976 book Roots and the 1977 miniseries propelled many African Americans to research their family history. His statement rings true for those whose ancestors were enslaved: “In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage-to know who we are and where we have come from.” Though some of us may not experience an “Alex Haley moment” of tracing our ancestors back to Africa, identifying their slaveholders prior to emancipation is the next best thing! Using courthouse records, genealogy library resources, and online websites, attendees will learn methods to identify their ancestors’ slaveholder.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – African-American Level: All levels
Jim Brewster
Boost Your Genealogy with Haplogroup Insights from FTDNA’s Time Tree – FTDNA’s Time Tree provides a chart of your haplogroup stretching from ancient times to modern day, including related branches that descend from a common ancestral haplogroup. Learn how the Time Tree was developed and discover how you can use Time Tree to boost your genealogy.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: DNA Level: Intermediate
Henrietta Martinez Christmas
Problem-Solving Strategies for US/Mexico Borderland Genealogy – Borderland research is fluid and tricky. Discover techniques for analyzing and solving the next step on your pedigree chart. Learn basic strategies for your border family with record groups, maps, and analysis. This program will help you define your problem and create an action plan for finding your borderland ancestor.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Ethnic – Hispanic Level: All Levels
Barbara Coakley
Search vs. Research – Searching is just one step in the process of researching your family history. A case study based on a family story from Chicago in the 1920s demonstrates the research process from beginning to end – develop a research goal, plan the research, document results, and preserve your findings.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Debra Dudek
Spies Among Us: Tracing WWI Era Ancestors through FBI and American Protective League Records – Learn how a mass collective of middle-class private citizens helped the FBI compile information on non-U.S. citizens during the Great War and how you can track down the files these investigations left behind.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Records Level: All levels
- More than Money and Land: The Evolution of Bounty Land, Military Pensions and Alternative Records – Explore your family’s connection to smaller military campaigns and conflicts dating from 1820-1916. Learn how laws concerning bounty land applications and military pensions compensation changed over time, what records are available online, and how to request alternative and rare records.
Category: On-Demand Track: Records Level: All levels
Jason Felihkatubbe
Native American Research – This presentation will discuss Native American genealogy: how to get started, where to go, and how to find the answers you’re looking for. Information will be provided about resources and records that are available to Natives beyond enrollment records. The session will conclude with a brief discussion of the benefits and limitations of DNA testing of Native Americans.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – Native American Level: All levels
Alec Ferretti
DNA Clustering: Automating Shared Matching – This talk will demystify DNA clustering and explain how this is simply a new – and fantastic – tool to group your DNA matches into useful categories.
Category: On-Demand Track: DNA Level: All levels
- Leveraging Freedom of Information Laws to Procure Novel Records – This lecture will explain Freedom of Information Laws and what genealogists can do with them. A variety of jurisdictions and case studies will be discussed.
Category: On-Demand Track: Records & Resources Level: All levels
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS
Using Google Earth Web to Tell Your Family History Migration Stories – Multimedia storytelling and digital mapping platforms allow us to present and share our family history narratives in a more visual, interactive, and engaging manner than written works. Learn how to use the free Google Earth web platform to follow the footsteps of your ancestors and tell their stories. The cloud-based version of Google Earth has a lower technological learning curve than the desktop application and requires no software installation. This presentation uses the live interface to design a multimedia ancestral migration story, demonstrates how to share it online, and explains how to record it as a video.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Technology Level: All levels
- Putting Them in Their Place: Understanding Localities for Your Mexican & Colonial Spanish Ancestors – Familiarity with church and civil jurisdictions helps us make better sense of records we find for our Mexican ancestors, helps us know where to look for records that pertain to a particular place and time, and helps us trace evolving jurisdictional borders through time. Knowing where and how to find historical and background information about different Mexican localities helps you dig deeper into the lives of your ancestors. Learn about essential reference tools and strategies that will help you identify and learn more about the localities in which your ancestors lived and worked.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – Hispanic Level: All levels
- After the Fire: Reconstructing a U.S. WWI or WWII Burned Service Record – Many individuals who research U.S. World War I and II Army or Air Force ancestors encounter a significant roadblock, due to record loss from the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. So how does one hurdle this research obstacle? This lecture uses two case studies to demonstrate strategies and alternative record collections that can help rebuild a World War I or II veteran’s military service history despite a destroyed personnel file.
Category: On-Demand Track: Military Level: All levels
Diane Henriks
Who Is That Mystery DNA Match? Solving a Genetic Genealogy Brick Wall – Have you gotten any DNA mystery matches and want to try to figure out who they are? Join me as I show how I solved my temporary genetic brick wall when a new DNA mystery match showed up – but I thought already I knew all the descendants in that line!
Category: On-Demand Track: DNA Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD
Are you a Genealogy Spelunker or Caver? Exploring the Deep Recesses of the Family Tree – We talk a great deal about the leaves and roots of our family tree, but how many of us venture into the tree, digging out lesser-known stories and hidden (or hiding) facts? In recent vernacular (ca 1960), “spelunkers” were the folks who ventured into caves for casual exploration but were not serious about getting in deeper (figuratively or literally). “Cavers,” on the other hand, were serious explorers who entered the cave well-prepared and were not prone to giving up at the slightest stalactite. Which are you?
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Methodology Levels: Intermediate
Michael D. Lacopo, CG®
Germans to Texas: Their Unique History and Tips for Research – By 1850, more than five percent of Texas’s population was German born. Beginning in the 1830s, a combination of charismatic leaders, land grants, colonization schemes, and successful chain migration brought more than 20,000 Germans to Texas before the Civil War. Twice as many arrived after the war through the end of the nineteenth century. The Germans to Texas have a unique history, and a wealth of information is available to help you research this immigrant group.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – German Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- What Am I Looking For? Genealogical Research from Hypothesis to Research Plan – If you really want to topple your brick walls, you must focus on your problem and develop a plan that will solve it. Begin with a research hypothesis or goal and start your journey. Prepare yourself for the challenge. The road to success relies on your knowledge of records online and onsite, as well as being aware of all the tools at your disposal to smash that wall!
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: All levels
J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
Patching the Holes, and Bridging the Gaps – We often move through our collection of research so quickly that we may leave out valuable information. It is essential that we understand what is missing and determine the best way to resolve those issues. Finding the holes in your research will allow you to discover where you need to focus and how to fill those gaps as you move toward.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Methodology Level: All levels
- Home Guards, Southern Soldiers, Deserters and Slackers: Finding the Whole Civil War Story – There are many Civil War stories told that are incomplete or inaccurate. Soldiers maintained family ties whether Gray or Blue. The local situation became dangerous when local attitudes changed or politics intervened. Some soldiers and their families were forced to cross lines, change allegiance, change uniforms, or leave the country. Look deeper to find the answer and the complete story.
Category: On-Demand Track: Military Level: All levels
- Creating Land Plats Using Only Two (2) Dimensions and a Bird’s-Eye View – By locating the land of an ancestor, we might gain an understanding of their lives, their activities, and the neighbors in their community. But by creating a tract map you may identify more specific items and identities within the community, including people, ferries, mills, cemeteries, historic houses, and many other landmarks. With the today’s tools, we can almost fly into a neighborhood, look at the property lines, and even see the type of soil in your garden.
Category: On-Demand Track: Records Level: All levels
Annette Burke Lyttle
Stay Organized by Logging Research: Four Methods to Choose From – Keeping our research results organized is a challenge every researcher faces. Good organization can make the difference between a successful research project and an unsuccessful one. Learn four different methods of logging your research to analyze and correlate results, and find the method that works best for you.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: All levels
- What is Social History and Why Should a Genealogist Care? – Social history is the history of ordinary people and how they lived their daily lives. It helps us fill in the rich details of the past. Learn how to find social history resources, how they can both improve your research skills and help you better understand and tell the stories of your ancestors’ lives.
Category: On-Demand Track: Storytelling Level: All levels
Bernard Meisner, PhD
An Introduction to Compgen.de, German Genealogy’s Free Mega Website – The Compgen website is managed by the German Association for Computer Genealogy. Although German is the primary language, much of the content is also available in English; your web browser’s translation tools can help with the rest. The site includes links to a German genealogy wiki, millions of names in public family trees, a village gazetteer of most of central Europe, thousands of city directories, searchable village genealogies, and much more. Learn about the various features of the site and see how they can help you with your research.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic-German Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- The Luck of the Irish: How to Overcome the Record Losses and Find Your Ancestors – With so many records now freely-available online, this might be considered the Golden Age of Irish research. Learn about four websites with tutorials and ten major Irish record repositories in which you can find the existing census records and census substitutes, civil registrations, church registers, and land records to trace your Irish ancestors. An exciting new resource is the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, a digital reconstruction from copies, transcripts, and other sources of many of the records lost when the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed during the 1922 Civil War.
Category: On-Demand Track: Irish Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Tracking Urban Ancestors – At one time or another nearly every genealogist will hunt for an urban ancestor. With their large populations, cities present a unique set of research problems. While the faint of heart may be tempted to focus on their country cousins, there are advantages to urban research. City vital records tend to be more numerous and often predate those for the state. Urban governments, archives, libraries, and genealogical/historical organizations often have had more resources available to preserve and protect those records. Learn how to find your urban ancestors in these records.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Kelvin L. Meyers
- From Probate to Equity and Back
When we allow the records to “talk” to us, we learn many things about our ancestors. We learn about family relationships, the social status of the family, and prove marriages without marriage records.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Jill Morelli, CG®, CGLSM
Write As You Research! A Methodology for Writing Efficient Research Reports – Do you have a genealogical brick wall? Would you like to be more confident in your genealogical work? Perhaps you have solved some sticky problems and want to illustrate their solutions to others. If so, consider “Write as You Research!” Recording all the work associated with a single problem in a single document leaves a record of your solutions for yourself and others. We will define the foundational “Evidence Block,” illustrate multiple examples, and describe an efficient research report structure.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Methodology Level: Intermediate
- Just Do It! Self-Publishing Your Work – You want to write The Book about your ancestors and give it to your descendants – who doesn’t? Yet, we seem frozen in place, waiting for the right moment. We will explore the many ways to publish your work focusing on the advantages and myths of publishing while using an online, self-publishing platform like Lulu. In 1985, I published my first “book,” and I have been self-publishing ever since. It is easier than you think. Knowing the process makes you better prepared to produce professional output.
Category: On-Demand Track: Storytelling Levels: All levels
Joy Oria
Censuses under Spanish Rule – Many censuses were taken for areas once under Spanish rule, including parts of the United States and Mexico. These colonial-era records vary in content, yet can provide a snapshot of our ancestors and their communities. Learn strategies to find these sometimes-elusive records and how to interpret their content
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – Hispanic Levels: All levels
Diane L. Richard
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Diane L. Richard Financing Wars – 18th & 19th Century Federal Tax Records DO Exist! – When researching pre-twentieth-century ancestors, it’s easy to focus on locally-created tax records – city/town, county, state, or others – which typically focused on land and/or males and enslaved. Your ancestors may have had federal tax obligations. Have you checked? We’ll discuss various federal taxes levied in the late 1700s to early 1900s, most of which were to finance wars. Since income was just one item being taxed, you may learn about your family’s luxury goods and more.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Records Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Freedman’s Savings Bank — Though Short-Lived, Rich Records Survive! – Like the Freedmen’s Bureau, the 1867 Voter Registration, and “Lost Friends” and “Last Seen” newspaper notices, the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company documented those who were previously enslaved and then free. As always, not just the enslaved are documented. These are critical documents for placing ancestors geographically immediately after the Civil War. Publicly available records go beyond what is accessible via Ancestry or FamilySearch. We can learn fascinating details about our ancestors through these records.
Category: On-Demand Track: Ethnic – African American Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Call to Arms — Civil War Research – We often focus on the military service and pension records created due to the Civil War. We’ll take a quick peek at these and then dive into the most unexplored records. Look further and find gems like old soldier homes lists, voter registrations, Freedmen’s Bureau and Freedman’s Bank records, artificial limb records, detailed maps, compensation claims, legislative petitions, relief applications for indigent spouses, newspapers, and more. The Civil War affected every citizen, and there are many records to mine as we pursue our ancestors.
Category: On-Demand Track: Military Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Emily Coffman Richardson
Lineage Societies: Choices, Applications and Requirements – Choosing to join a lineage society is one way to honor your ancestor. The variety of societies has increased in recent years to include those with military, fraternal, religious, heritage, hereditary, ethnic, and patriotic foci, to name just a few. But which one should you join? Are the applications the same for each? What are the requirements? What types of records are they looking for? Get answers to these questions, and examine samples of several society applications.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: All levels
Mary Risseeuw
Unraveling the Mysteries of Your Female Ancestor – Most records were written about and for men. Learn techniques to uncover your elusive female ancestors.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Levels: All levels
- Nellie was a Rebel: Using Unusual Sources to Find Her Child’s Father – Serendipity can happen to anyone! See how to utilize unusual and little-used sources to unlock the stories of your ancestors in this case study.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Levels: All levels
Jennifer Roodzant
Untangling the Knot: Separating Men with the Same Name – Genealogists face challenges with same-named individuals in the same area. This session will demonstrate techniques like analysis, correlation, and signature comparison to correctly identify persons of interest.
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Levels: Intermediate
Katy Rowe-Schurwanz
Genealogy’s Secret Weapon: How mtDNA Can Solve Family Mysteries – Mitochondrial DNA has historically been deemed unhelpful for genealogy, but this test can help break brick walls and solve family mysteries where traditional records can’t. Learn how to maximize your results and get a look at soon-to-be-released mtDNA features and tools that will help you discover even more, including the new Mitotree update.
Category: On-Demand Track: DNA Levels: Beginner, Intermediate
Renate Yarborough Sanders
In Their Own Words: Genealogy in the Slave Narratives – Uncovering the genealogy of the enslaved can be challenging. Sometimes, the information is found in first-hand accounts, commonly known as “Slave Narratives.” From books to projects about life during slavery, researchers can find an abundance of genealogical and other information about enslaved families, their owners, and their communities – straight from the mouths of the Ancestors.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Ethnic – African American Level: All levels
Craig R. Scott, CG®
Finding Females: Still Haven’t Found that Maiden Name? – Identifying your female ancestor’s maiden name may seem nearly impossible, but the job isn’t complete until you discover that name. Learn tips and techniques for overcoming this brick wall in your research. Maybe then, you will be able to find her parents and the path to a new branch in your family tree.
Category: TxSGS Live! Track: Methodology Level: All levels
- Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestor – Explore the War of 1812 through the experiences of a Tennessee militiaman. See how records are used to document his travels to Horseshoe Bend to fight and his return home. Further research discovers him being wounded at La Ronde south of New Orleans twice in the arm and then wounded in the head at New Orleans on January 8. In spite of his extensive injuries, this invalid pensioner does not die until 1851.
Category: On-Demand Track: Military Level: Level: All levels
- Researching Your Mexican War Ancestor – Follow along while we use records to trace an Illinois soldier from the beginning of the war to his death as he travels to Mexico, fights, suffers heat stroke, and returns home. Compared to the rest of the U.S. military organizations participating in the Mexican War, the Texas groups were unique. Explore these Texas organizations and learn how these differences impacted your Mexican War soldier.
Category: On-Demand Track: Military Level: Level: All levels
Tara Shymanski
How to Use Social Media for Genealogy – Social media can be intimidating, but it’s a valuable tool for genealogists. This session will look at the many platforms available to show how genealogists can use social media to connect with relatives, learn what is happening in the genealogy world, and research family members. Privacy issues will also be discussed.
Category: On-Demand Track: Technology Level: All levels
Gay Solomon
Gone To Texas! Enrich your Family History Stories with 19th Century Travelogues and Letters – Learn how to find published and unpublished resources and discover details that could apply to your ancestors as they migrated to Texas!
Category: On-Demand Track: Methodology Level: All levels
Lori Thornton
Researching Your Ancestor’s Church – Church affiliation influenced your ancestor’s network of friends and associates. While a published church history is not always available, there are many records researchers should explore to find more about their ancestor’s religious life. Record quality and availability varies from one denomination to another and from one record keeper to another. Learn about these records and the repositories that may house them.
Category: On-Demand Track: Records & Repositories Level: All levels
Roslyn Torella
How to Use Steve Morse’s Genealogy Tools – This presentation on Steve Morse’s 300 plus “One-Step Tools” will highlight their functionality and usefulness. Explore the Immigration Research tools, which assist in tracing ancestors’ arrival, even with limited information. Delve into the specialized databases for Germans, Italians, and Russians immigrating to America. Learn how the “NY Ship Lists” tool aids in locating specific steamships and passenger records. Uncover Census tools to enhance your research. Learn about the “Foreign Alphabets” tool and “Elapsed Time” tool, which assist in deciphering foreign languages and calculating dates. Learn how Social Security Numbers were once assigned, and much more.
Category: On-Demand Track: Technology Level: All levels
Pam Vestal
Voting Records: Genealogy’s Best-Kept Secret – Looking for a birth or death date? When and where did your ancestor become a citizen? Where did he disappear to or where did he come from? Voting records may have the answer. These often-overlooked gems can be packed with genealogical information – you won’t believe what they can tell us about our ancestors!
Category: On-Demand Track: Records & Repositories Level: All levels
- How to Write Ancestral Stories Your Relatives Will Want to Read! – Part of the thrill of genealogy is sharing our discoveries with those we love, but sadly, they often have no interest in the subject. With good research, thoughtful planning, and a dash of ingenuity, we can create engaging stories to entice even the most reluctant readers. Breathe life into dry genealogical facts, choose a compelling story structure, and present what you’ve written in an appealing way. Creating a captivating story from our ancestors’ names, dates, and places is like turning fish eggs into caviar: the facts don’t change, but the way we describe them makes all the difference.
Category: On-Demand Track: Storytelling Level: All levels
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