A Little More NGS!

I noticed that there are two tracks worthy of your attention at the NGS Conference in Las Vegas.  One is a skill building track by the Board for Certification of Genealogists and the other is devoted to technology. They both run at the same time so you are going to have to pick and choose what is important to you. If it were up to me I would take the skill building over the tech. You must know by now that I value basic genealogy skills over modern technology. Once you have your skills mastered, you can go to the individual websites and learn about all the apps that are available to enhance those skills.

The BCG track features lectures on Congressional records, research reports, accidental and intentional errors in vital records, 17^th century English/American documents, organization, digitized records, emigrant guides, and proof arguments. There is also a 2 hour seminar on Thursday morning where certified genealogists will share their experiences and offer tips for successful certification.The tech track covers Evernote, Scrivener, Web 2.0, clouds,  OCR’d and computer indexed, genealogy software, Mac, Google Earth, online catalogs,  genealogy apps, Microsoft Excel and Power Point, online publishing, photo restoration, and Pinterest.

As you can see there is an enormous amount of information in just these two tracks which run Wednesday thru Saturday. What you need to do is consult your syllabus if you have 2 sessions that are being held at the same time, skip the session that has the best notes in the syllabus. And remember you can always order a CD of either session.

Las Vegas sounds like a great place for a conference, but a little too tempting dollar wise for me.  I am opting for the OGS Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio and hopefully the FGS Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. During the past 2 weeks I have had cataract surgery. It was an amazingly simple procedure with the added benefit of not having to wear glasses any more. However, it left me with a few added expenses that I wasn’t counting on this year. As usual I will have to do some creative financing and hopefully I will be at the FGS Conference in August. But I will definitely be in downtown Cincinnati in a few short weeks.

Go West Young Genealogist!

What a combination -- genealogy and Las Vegas! Certainly it isn't that difficult to associate "families" with Las Vegas and that will be covered in one of the conference sessions - Which Family Do You Mean? Las Vegas Families and Organized Crime Families! On Wednesday, May 8, at 4pm this could be one of those sessions that will be held in the extra large lecture hall at the NGS Conference in May.

This extra large conference hall is just one of the new features at this conference. Conferences have changed dramatically in the last few years. These events were getting very boring: the same speakers and the same topics. Sometimes I would just go for the Exhibit Hall, local research facilities, socializing with other genealogists or just to keep in touch. Gradually things began to change. Technology, African American research, Jewish genealogy, Who Do You Think You Are, and creating a "picture" of your ancestors' lives began to add new energy to the agenda. This year an extra large lecture room has been added to accommodate 700 people for those topics that are in high demand. What a difference a few years make.

Three breakfast buffets are offered this year on Thursday morning from 7:00am - 7:40am. Menu: scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, fruit, yogurt, pastries, tea or coffee. $24. The buffet groups are NGS First Timers, Pro Gen study groups, and Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy . The price of $24 sounds a little pricey to me, however, if it is important for you to connect with these groups, it could be worth cutting out another expense to enjoy this onel

The third new thing this year is the Internet Cafe. This will be a room where you can relax, network, socialize, keep up with any changes in the program, and interact with the bloggers at the conference. 300 people is the limit for this room

You still have time to get your early bird registration in by March 19. Cost $195 for members: $230 for non-members. You can register on line at ngsgenealogy.org

A printed syllabus is only available with the Early Bird registration and the cost is $25. Here I would take the syllabus over the breakfast, but that is because I am a book person and it is not humanly possible for me to eat $24 worth of eggs, potatoes  and sausage. 

This is a conference with an enormous amount of activities. I can't possibly cover it all in one post. More to follow. 
 

Calling All Snowbirds!

Have you been in Florida for two months and are just so tired of laying on the beach all day? Can't stand one more sunset cocktail party by the pool? Been to all the Flea Markets? All the Outlet Malls?

Hello! There are a lot of genealogical societies in Florida. Think about it. Where else can you find a bunch of people from all over the United States with time on their hands. The greatest thing about these societies is that although they have people who are researching the local history, they also attract people from other parts of the country and all over the world who have information to share. It is like one huge genealogy melting pot.

I have found that most people who set off on their winter vacation down I-75 don't think sun, sand, sunset, and family research. We usually figure that the summer months are the time to plan a research trip to Virginia or Indiana. That's true, but did you every think that a lot of your long lost family members might be vacationing in Florida in the condo a couple of blocks away.

This is a small sample of what is available in a state where most visitors don't "think" genealogy:

The Villages (near Ocala, Florida) vgsfl.org - They have monthly meetings plus special interest groups. You can attend these activities as a guest. 

Florida State Genealogical Society flsgs.org- Their website will give you a list of Florida genealogical societies by county.


Lee Count Genealogical Society  leecountygenealogy.org- The Fort Myers area draws a lot of mid-western retirees. If you are from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, or Michigan you have a good chance of running into people you knew in high school. Their meetings are open to snowbirds. Be sure to check out this website if you will be hitting the beaches of southwest Florida.

Also, Florida history is quite interesting and there are a lot of books at the local libraries about "old Florida",crackers, Micanopy, the Keys and the Everglades. Many of the libraries have temporary cards for snowbirds. The Sunshine State is much more than high rise condos and t-shirt shops.

By the way the weather up north is still cold so stay another week or so, go pick up a book on old Florida, stretch out by the pool and discover the "other Florida"
     


     

DNA and me,

DNA testing has become very popular with genealogists in the last few years. I seriously doubt that you can attend a genealogy conference this year that won't offer  a track of sessions on this topic. I personally don't know that much about about DNA testing as it relates to genealogy, but I plan to attend the OGS Conference session on Thursday, Your DNA Fingerprint: The Imprint of Your Ancestors. It looks like a good introduction to DNA testing for genealogy purposes.

My son recently called my attention to 23and Me, a genetic testing company located in Mountain View, California. He had his DNA tested by this group and the results were fantastic. The website 23andme.com guides you through your DNA test results using interactive tools and online tutorials 

I checked out the website to see how user friendly it really is and I was very impressed. It explains genetics in an easy to understand way with loads of information. I suppose you could call it Genetics 101. You could spend at least an hour there learning the basics.  But, what impressed me the most was the cost - $99. You can sign up for a demo account which is free and take a tour of the website to see what it has to offer. 

It has never occurred to me to be afraid of what I might find out from genetic testing. If you have been doing family research long enough you will know there are going to be unexpected surprises. And everyone deals with them in his own way. There are mistakes and, very often lies, in every family tree. DNA results are not immune from this situation. Hopefully you won't let this possibility keep you from exploring you DNA. You just might have to be careful when sharing information with some family members. 

Health issues are a concern and you can either hide your head in the sand or work with your health care professional. If you already have death certificates dating back several generations, any serious health problems within the family are not going to be a total surprise anyway.

There is so much on this website; I definitely recommend that you check it out for yourself. Are Jimmy Buffet and Warren Buffet related? Maybe. Check out the connection between 23andMe and Finding Your Roots on PBS!

Definitely worth the time! Good luck!

Please note: This website offers gift certificates.

Not bad, considering. . . . .

Well, I got that email. You all know the one I'm talking about. The one that pops up after you have turned in all your flawless research that no one is ever going to dispute. 

And it turned out that my ancestors were born.

And it turned out that my ancestors successfully passed away.

And everyone was married.

Except for my parents!

They looked married. We all lived in the same house. I called them Mom and Dad. Hello, we opened presents together on Christmas morning. 

I guess when you are doing family research it is easy to take things for granted. This is one of the things that really hit home with me when I was filling out my lineage papers. One thing they always tell you is to not enter any information on your application that isn't actually on the document you are working from. This is the gospel, there are no exceptions.

You would be surprised how easy it is to throw in a place where your ancestor was born, married, or died. I know that my dad was born in Mt. Carmel, Ohio but his birth certificate doesn't say that. I have been there; I have seen the house where he was born. Nope! The BC says Union Township and no matter how much I want to enter Mt. Carmel, it won't work. 

So basically I did very well with everything except the marriage of my parents.

What happened was I had a document in my possession that said Certificate of Marriage and it was signed by the minister and witnesses. Looked good to me!! Apparently "Certificate of" does not mean "certified copy". I understand that now and I really feel stupid since all my other documentation came from a court house and my parent's marriage certificate came from a box in my closet.

No problem. A phone call and a quick trip to the Courthouse in Bowling Green, Ohio plus $2.00 took care of the problem. So there I was in the Wood County Courthouse holding a certified copy of my parents' marriage record. Standing in the same spot where my parents applied for a marriage license 80+ years ago. What a great feeling that was.I guess I have to thank the person who would not approve my application until I experienced that moment.

Oh, and by the way, that certified document I picked up in BG says my dad was born in Mt. Carmel, Ohio. So there!!

 

Tech = $ + All the things you didn't know you needed.

There are two things in this life that I dearly love: Old time hockey and old time genealogy! This usually comes as a complete surprise to most people since there are so many tech toys available to genealogists now days.  I suppose the soft spot in my heart for old time genealogy stems from an appreciation for my relatives who spent many hours pecking away at manual typewriters corresponding with county clerks and archivists. I have always thought that Genealogy 101 (no technology) should be a prerequisite for all brand new family detectives, if for no other reason than learning that genealogy existed before the Internet! Nothing compares to walking the ground your ancestors walked and touching the record books where their life events were recorded.

So I am going to assume that all of you have completed Gen101 and are now ready to cross that bridge to the 21st century. The theme of this year's OGS conference-- Expanding Your Ancestry Through Technology -- says it all. 

This year there are several lectures that offer advice on self-publishing, cell phone aps, using social media for genealogy purposes, and organizing all of this stuff. There is also a session on how your iPad fits into all of this.
  
On Thursday, Lisa Louise Cooke has 2 Google sessions - one on surnames search, the other on Google Earth. The latter is fascinating. I caught this lecture a couple of years ago and I was very impressed with what happens when you combine Google Earth and genealogy. You will need a basic understanding of Google for this lecture to make any sense!

Sponsored lectures. These are sessions that showcase the features of specific products that you will normally find in the Exhibit Hall. Most of the time you will be able to purchase these at a conference discount. This is a great opportunity to see if the product will actually work for you -- cause that doesn't always happen, as we all know!! This is what is featured this year:

 Flip-Pal is a mobile scanner. They have two sessions on Friday both devoted to preserving and sharing your family memories and keepsakes.

Roots Magic is a popular genealogy software program that has been around for a long time. One session on Friday will cover some features of this program.

GenDetective (Rumble Soft Inc.) is a product that works with your genealogy software to find the gaps in your family research and create research plans to save you time. This I am definitely going to look into.

The Ohio Historical Society lecture features their newspaper collection available online. 

 The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors is sort of self-explanatory with information about how and where to share your research.

FamilySearch,org. Information about a new project to collect and publish information about German immigrants in the 19th century. This of course ties into the other numerous German sessions that are featured in this conference. If you are looking for the German experience both at the conference and in the area, this is the place to be in April.

Also:  


Fold3 Online military records. Partnered with the National Archives and Allen County Public Library.

For those of you who have UK roots there will be two sessions. FindMyPast.uk is a well-known source for records from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Australia. The National Archives (UK) has records dating back centuries. Just for fun I searched for Waterfield and found a knight! Of course, I don't know if we are related, but I would like to think so. Perhaps he was a Knight of the Round Table. And perhaps, not!

Heritage Quest is a website that is available through most public libraries. There are no individual memberships. This session on Friday afternoon will take you  through the many collections and the best research methods to make this program work for you.
 
The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is a "must" for anyone with New England ancestors. Here is your chance to get a good look at the information available on this great website. Check in the Exhibit Hall to see if they will have any conference membership specials.

I hope I didn't miss anything. I will keep you updated as we get closer to the conference. If you have any questions about Cincinnati and what to do or where to stay, please feel free to ask me. I will try to answer any questions you may have.

Day Three at the OGS Conference

Saturday's highlights at the OGS Conference center around the OGS Luncheon and the First Families Banquet. The luncheon, which begins at 11:30am, is a good way to catch up on all the latest news from OGS. Individual members, as well as local chapters, will receive their yearly awards and recognition for outstanding service. Also, this year the winner of the Endowment Fund Raffle will be announced. Chicken salad and cheesecake are on the menu for this event.

The First Families Banquet is the ultimate event for those who have proved their ancestors before 1820 in Ohio. George C. Morgan will speak about visualizing your ancestor's lives through postcards and photos. It is important to "see" your ancestors in their surroundings in order to understand their lives. Roast sirloin, vegetables and chocolate cake will be served. Even if you are not being inducted into a lineage society, try to attend at least one of the induction ceremonies. Besides the benefit of meeting other family researchers, you will know what to expect when your hard work is accepted and it is your turn to receive the recognition you deserve.

As on Friday, the day begins at 8:00am with only 2 morning sessions. Lunch break begins at 10:30am and lasts til 1:30pm. If you are not attending the OGS Luncheon, this would be a good time to visit one of the many restaurants at The Banks. (I am sure there will be an information booth at the conference with many brochures on downtown Cinci.) Also, please note that this year the Exhibit Hall will close noon on Saturday, so make sure you don't miss those last minute purchases. 

Got Irish roots? If so, this is your day. Five sessions running from 8:00am to 5:30 pm covering everything Irish with one lecture devoted to Find My Past - a great source for Irish research. Also, a variety of international sessions on Scotland, Dutch, Frisian, Eastern Europe, German surnames, and Palantines will be offered. I admit I had to look up Frisian. It is a group of islands in the southeastern North Sea. 

Two "must see" sessions on Saturday. Forensic Genealogy. If you are a fan of CSI, you may want to find out how you can go from a basic genealogist to a forensic genealogist. Learn how to find the who, what, where, and when in your ancestors' lives.
House Genealogy.  I had the opportunity to explore a little "house genealogy" when I became interested in an unusual house in Swanton, Ohio. Turned out it had a very intriguing and mysterious past with a few ghosts. You might want to research your own home or perhaps an old Victorian mansion in your community. If so, you will not want to miss this session.

Note: Since there are many tech sessions at the conference, I will discuss them in another post.   

If you are planning on arriving at the conference on Thursday morning, remember to give yourself plenty of time. Plan ahead -- unless you thrive on stress. The opening session begins at 11:00am. There will be rush hour traffic jams on the expressways. You can expect to wait in line both outside and inside the hotel as people unload their cars and check in. Elevators will be tied up. You may have to wait in line to pick up your registration packet and then you will need to become familiar with the layout of the conference area. All this and still be in your seat at 11:am for the opening session. Whew!

For those of you who plan to arrive on Wednesday, the registration booth at the conference will be open from 5-7:00pm. 

The OGS Conference booklet can be found at http://ogs.org/conference2013/2013OGS_Conference_Bookletrev2.pdf

A Wow Moment! The 2014 OGS Conference will be held at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio. This will be a 5 day event from April 30 - May 4. Sounds like a great opportunity to expose the rest of the family to genealogy. Remember, it is never too early to start dropping hints for birthday and holiday presents. For those of you who don't know, Kalahari is a waterpark in northern Ohio about halfway between Toledo and Cleveland. Now is the time to start working this event into your budget!