Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Generations Cafe: A new podcast from Amy Johnson Crow

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New podcast from Amy Johnson CrowI’m an unabashed fan of genealogist, writer, and lecturer Amy Johnson Crow. I always jump at the chance to hear her speak at a conference. And I was thrilled when she interviewed me at RootsTech a few years ago. Most recently, I was able hear her speak for two days at the Missouri State Genealogical Society conference in August. In her talks, Amy always delivers solid, well-presented information.

At that conference, she confided in me that she was going to start a podcast. I was happy to hear that because I’m a big fan of podcasts and I know she has so much to share.

That new podcast, Generations Cafe, launched on September 20. Amy has published three episodes so far and they’re excellent. Her podcasts are short and focused. (The first three are between 10 and 15 minutes each.)

Since my own podcast is about getting over perfectionism, I was delighted that the first episode of her podcast was called Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Genealogy? (And I was tickled pink to hear her mention my name in that episode!)

If you don’t love podcasts (or haven’t tried them and are unsure), definitely check out the Generations Cafe posts on Amy’s website because for each episode she has written an accompanying blog post that provides, in written form, the information that is shared in the podcast.

I’m very excited to see what Amy will be exploring and her podcast will definitely be on my list of must-listens!

 

 

Join me on October 13 at the St. Louis Genealogy Conference

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St. Louis Genealogy ConferenceThe St. Louis Genealogy Conference, a free conference sponsored by the St. Louis Missouri Stake of the LDS church, is less than a month away! Registration is still open. If you’re in the St. Louis area, I encourage you to attend.

The conference will be held Saturday, October 13, from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 15081 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO 63107. This will be my third year attending. The organizers do a great job of putting together a professional conference, with a rich and varied schedule of classes. I’m honored to be presenting for the second year in a row.

I’ll be speaking about staying focused in your research, something I know many of us struggle with. Other topics to be covered include courthouse research, early American research, newspaper research, DNA, and sessions on specific repositories. There’s a beginner’s track, as well as a track on German research. All at no cost to the participants.

If you plan to attend, please let me know in the comments or via email. I’d love to meet you!

Sign up for What the Pros Know: Genealogy Organizing Tips workshop

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Family Tree University is once again offering the online workshop I hosted, called What the Pros Know: Genealogy Organization Tips. The workshop is on sale now and will start August 27. In this one-hour workshop,  I interview four prominent genealogy experts. Each interview will focus on a particular aspect of genealogy organization. It’s designed to provide some great practical tips that will help you make your genealogy more organized and streamlined.

The interviews were recorded in January, and I created a Powerpoint presentation, with the salient points spelled out, that runs on your screen while the audio is played.

The experts are:

  • Drew Smith, on organizing the research process
  • Thomas MacEntee on using research logs
  • Joshua Taylor, on time management and staying focused and
  • Denise Levenick, on organizing family archives

Also included in the workshop is the opportunity to ask questions and have discussions in the workshop’s online forum the week of August 27. I will be on hand the evening of August 30 to answer any questions directed my way.

In the months since I conducted those interviews, many of the things I learned have popped to mind as I research and organize my research. These experts are so knowledgeable and I feel privileged to have had the chance to interview them.

Click here to learn more and sign up!

Registration open for the (free) St. Louis Genealogy Conference

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Registration is now open for the St. Louis Genealogy Conference, sponsored by the St. Louis Stake of the LDS church, to be held Saturday, October 13, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 15081 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO 63107.

I will be one of the speakers. My topic is “Staying Focused in Your Genealogy Research.” (Many thanks to those of you who weighed in on this post and helped me decide on a topic.)

I’m excited for the conference–it looks like a terrific line up of speakers and topics. Topics include courthouse research, early American research, newspaper research, DNA, and sessions on specific repositories. This will be my third year attending (and second year speaking). It’s a well-organized, professional conference. And it’s free! If you’re in St. Louis, I encourage you to register. And please introduce yourself to me when you’re there!