Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

LeVar Burton’s RootsTech 2017 talk now available for viewing

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I attended RootsTech in February and one of my favorite keynotes was the one given by LeVar Burton, the original Kunta Kinte in Roots, the 1977 landmark mini-series. Roots aired on eight consecutive nights when I was in junior high and it made a huge impression on me.

I was really excited to hear him speak and I was not disappointed. The keynote was funny and moving and profound. I am not a crier and he brought tears to my eyes. I planned to share a link to my blog readers so you all could enjoy it and was disappointed that a speech wasn’t available for later viewing.

So I was delighted today to get an email saying that speech has been made available for viewing!

You can watch it here on the RootsTech website. In the 25-minute talk,  “LeVar Burton shares powerful thoughts on equality, race, history, and self-perception.” During the talk he himself cried. It was really moving. I urge you to watch.

Join me at the St. Louis Genealogy Conference!

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I attended last year’s St. Louis Genealogy Conference, a free conference sponsored by the LDS church, and it was terrific. So I was delighted to be invited to present at this year’s conference! The theme is Remembering Families.

The registration for the conference, which will be held Saturday, October 14, just opened. If you’re interested, you can register here. I will be presenting twice on the same topic, Going Paperless in Your Genealogy Research. If you’re a regular reader here, you know that’s a passion of mine.

The lineup looks great, with presentations on social media, maps, Missouri Digital Archives, researching Civil War ancestors, and German research, among other topics. If you plan to attend, please let me know in the comments or via email!

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!