Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Anybody going to the Missouri State Genealogical Society conference?

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I’m excited about attending the Missouri State Genealogical Society’s conference in Columbia, Missouri, on August 4 and 5, which is suddenly just around the corner! Last month, when I registered, I blogged about why I love genealogy conferences so much. I find there’s always so much to learn, even when they’re in states my ancestors never lived in. This one, though, is pertinent to my research, since my Brown relatives lived in Missouri. (My mother was born in Jefferson City.) The theme of this year’s conference is “Show Me the Way Around the Brick Wall” and it features keynotes by Kathleen Brandt, international professional genealogist and consultant.

One of the many things I love about attending genealogy conferences is meeting readers of this blog. So I always post here before the conference, hoping to find folks to meet up with. So if you’re planning to attend this conference please let me know in the comments. I’ll email you and we can make plans to meet!

Feeding my genealogy conference addiction

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I just love going to genealogy conferences. I try to go to one or more a year. This morning, I signed up for the Missouri State Genealogical Association’s conference August 4 and 5 in Columbia, Missouri. The theme is “Show Me the Way Around the Brick Wall.” Who isn’t interested in that? I have roots in Missouri going back to the mid-19th century, so I’m excited to learn more about Missouri resources.

I’ve never been to this particular conference before and I’m really excited. It’ll be about a two-hour drive for me and I’ll spend Friday night at the conference hotel. I love a genealogy getaway!

Why do I love genealogy conferences so much? For starters:

  • They allow me to set aside time away from home to focus on my genealogy research without distraction.
  • The learning! When the topics align with my research interests, I’m in heaven. And with this conference, they certainly do.
  • I get to meet genealogy enthusiasts like myself.
  • I often get to meet readers of this blog. Sometimes they become friends!
  • Conferences give me lots of ideas of things to blog about.
  • I often learn of new resources in the exhibition hall.

This will be my second conference this year. The first was RootsTech.

Do you go to genealogy conferences? What’s your favorite aspect? If you happen to be planning to attend the MoSGA conference, please let me know in the comments and we can meet up!

Some RootsTech sessions available to watch on demand

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If you weren’t able to attend RootsTech or watch the Live Stream of certain RootsTech sessions, you now have the chance to watch most of those sessions on demand (and a few more). I was disappointed to see that LeVar Burton’s Friday keynote isn’t available. It was a terrific speech that was very moving.

RootsTech has made it easy to click and watch the videos. Here’s the list. (Click on the day name to get access to the videos for that day.) There are a few I wasn’t able to attend that I plan to watch!

Wednesday, February 8

Innovator Summit General Session (Full session or individual speeches)
Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Liz Wiseman

Industry Trends and Outlook panel
Speakers: Ben Bennett; Craig Bott, Grow Utah; Heather Holmes, TapGenes; Nick Jones, JRNL, Inc.; Robert Kehrer, FamilySearch

Innovation—Best Practices and Applications
Speaker: Cydni Tetro

Innovator Showdown Semi-Final
Speakers: Innovator Showdown Semi-Finalists

Metadata—Writing on the Back of Digital Photos
Speaker: Alison Taylor, Pictures and Stories

Thursday, February 9

RootsTech General Session (full session and individual keynotes)
Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Jonathan and Drew Scott, Steve Rockwood & MyHeritage

Getting Started in Genealogy
Speaker: Kelli Bergheimer

DNA: The Glue That Holds Families Together
Speaker: Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide

DNA Matching on MyHeritage
Speaker: Dana Drutman

Jewish Genealogy: Where to Look and What’s Available
Speaker: Lara Diamond

My Ancestors are in My DNA!
Speaker: Angie Bush

Family History Is Anything but Boring
Speakers: Crystal Farish and Rhonna Farrer

Friday, February 10

RootsTech General Session: African Heritage presentations
Speakers: Kenyatta Berry, Sherri Camp, Melvin Collier

Innovator Showdown Finals
Speakers: Jason Hewlett & Innovator Showdown Finalists

Mothers, Daughters, Wives: Tracing Female Lines
Speaker: Judy G. Russell

Censational Census Strategies
Speaker: Mary Kircher Roddy

Next Steps in British Research
Speaker: Amy Harris

Big 4: Comparing Ancestry, findmypast, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage
Speaker: Sunny Morton

You Found It Where? Unusual Records
Speakers: Rorey Cathcart, D. Joshua Taylor, Rich Venezia

Cross the Atlantic with Religious Records
Speaker: Jen Baldwin

How to Preserve Your Family Heirlooms
Speakers: Anna Graff, Jennifer Hadley, Katie Smith, Andrew Thomas, Tyler Thorsted

Saturday, February 11

RootsTech General Session (full session and individual keynotes)
Speakers: Cece Moore, Buddy Valastro

Journaling Principles That Work
Speaker: Steve Reed, JRNL, Inc.

Don’t Just Be a Searcher, Be a Researcher
Speaker: Crista Cowan, Ancestry

Creating Google Alerts for Your Genealogy
Speaker: Katherine R. Willson

RootsTech’s livestream schedule

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RootsTech has announced its schedule of sessions being streamed from next week’s conference. If you can’t make it to Salt Lake City, you can at least watch some of the keynotes and breakout sessions. (Alas, my session on Friday morning, Go Paperless: Digitize & Streamline Your Research, isn’t one of them.)

Here’s the schedule. The sessions will be streamed live on the RootsTech homepage and then afterward recordings will be posted on the website for a limited time.

Visit the Sessions page on the RootsTech website for descriptions of each of these sessions.

Wednesday, February 8

9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | Innovator Summit General Session
Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Liz Wiseman

10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m. | Industry Trends and Outlook
Speakers: Craig Bott and Guest Panel

11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Innovation—Best Practices and Applications
Speaker: Cydni Tetro

Thursday, February 9

8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Jonathan and Drew Scott

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Getting Started in Genealogy
Speaker: Kelli Bergheimer

12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. | DNA: The Glue That Holds Families Together
Speaker: Diahan Southard

1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | DNA Matching on MyHeritage
Speaker: Dana Drutman

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Jewish Genealogy: Where to Look and What’s Available
Speaker: Lara Diamond

4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Family History Is Anything but Boring
Speakers: Crystal Farish and Rhonna Farrer

Friday, February 10

8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
Speakers: Levar Burton, Special Guest Panel

10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. | RootsTech Innovator Showdown Finals

12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. | Mothers, Daughters, Wives: tracing Female Lines
Speaker: Judy Russell

1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Censational Census Strategies
Speaker: Mary Kircher Roddy

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Big 4: Comparing Ancestry, findmypast, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage
Speaker: Sunny Morton

4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Cross the Atlantic with Religious Records
Speaker: Jen Baldwin

Saturday, February 11

8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
Speakers: Cece Moore, Buddy Valastro

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Journaling Principles That Work
Speaker: Steve Reed

1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Don’t Just Be a Searcher, Be a Researcher
Speaker: Crista Cowan

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Creating Google Alerts for Your Genealogy
Speaker: Katherine R. Wilson

That’s a lot of free information! I hope you can take advantage of it.

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When you first join the list, I’ll send you a few emails to help you organize your family history. After that you’ll hear from me at the end of every month when I send an email with links to that month’s posts. And every now and then, I’ll let you know when I have something special to promote.