FGS 2012 - Day 4

Well, today was the last day of FGS2012.

I picked up some useful tools in Pamela Cooper's "Pathfinders, Guides, Finding Aids, & Catalogs: Strategies for Genealogy Success."  So many libraries and archives aren't part of WorldCat, but there may still be finding aids for their collections.  Pamela told us how to find them.  I'm going to be putting these tools to work in the very near future.

Next I learned the nitty-gritty of using occupational records to place my ancestors in historical and social context in "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker: Using Occupational Records" with Amy Johnson Crow.  This was one of the most interesting sessions I attended all week.

At 11 a.m., I heard John Phillip Coletta present case studies using various sources (original records and published materials) to tell the stories of three immigrant ancestors.  John is an excellent storyteller and it was so easy to follow the logical progression of his research.

After lunch, I got to hear Elizabeth Shown Mills present "Elusive Ancestors? There's No Such Thing as 'Too Poor to Trace'."  Even though our ancestors may have been considered poor simply because they didn't own any land doesn't mean there aren't records.  ESM told us where to find such records.

My last session of the day was with J.H. Fonkert, presenting "Genealogical Fingerprints: Matching and Separating Identities in Family History Research."  Jay gave examples of how to solve a variety of identity problems using analysis of different records.

It's been a long week, but a productive one.  I've gotten a lot of good information and useful tools (and TONS of freebies).  I've made several new friends, and reconnected with some old ones.  I'm a little sad, but I'm also anxious to get home and start putting some of these tools to the test.  I'm looking forward to Fort Wayne in 2013!

Do we share any ancestors?

Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

FGS 2012 - Day 3

I think I'm finally officially suffering from information overload.

My morning started out with the BCG Certification 2-hour seminar.  The main speakers were Dr. Thomas W. Jones, Rev. Dr. David McDonald, and Elissa Scalise Powell.  However, we also heard from several other genealogists who had achieved certification.  I was grateful for their candidness and insight.  The entire application process was discussed in great detail, which provided me with a direction for my educational plan.

I then attended "German Territories and Maps - You Can't Do Research Without Them" with Warren Bittner.  Because of the confusing boundary issues in Germany, I was hoping the session would go a little more in-depth with how to locate German towns and records than it did.  It was an interesting session nonetheless.

I played hookie from my 2:00 and 3:30 sessions and hung out in the Exhibit Hall.  I sat down at the FamilySearch Community Indexing Project booth and indexed two batches of Immigration & Naturalization Records.  Because I indexed some records at the conference, I got to have my picture taken at Ellis Island.  (They really should have a mirror to look at before they snap the photo - just a suggestion for future conferences).

I was fortunate enough to get some face time with a few of the vendors, including Katie Chapman at Pentandra (makers of Geungle) and the folks at ResearchTies.  I also talked to several of the educational vendors in preparation for my last session of the day ...

"The Best Educational Plan for You" with Elissa Scalise Powell was incredibly informative, and Elissa was immensely helpful after the session in clarifying a couple of issues for me so I could make some decisions about where I wanted to go next from an educational standpoint (more on that later).

After the last session, I headed back to the Exhibit Hall for the door prize drawings.  Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), I didn't win anything.  However, FamilySearch celebrated the completion of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Indexing Project and thanked all the volunteers by bringing cupcakes!  I call that a win.

Tomorrow is another day ...

Do we share any ancestors? 

 Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

FGS 2012 - Day 2

So I got a late start this morning and missed the Keynote address with Chris van der Kuyl of brightsolid, but I heard it was great!

The Exhibit Hall opened this morning at about 9:45 with much pomp and circumstance.  The Color Guard marched in and that was the sign for the doors to open.

Overwhelmed doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I walked into the enormous exhibit hall.  There are more than 75 vendors with everything from books to DNA and from to maps to apps.  I think I only managed to visit about 10 before my first session.  One of the vendors I spent a little time with was Saving Memories Forever.  It's an iPhone/iPad app for recording your own memories or memories about your ancestors (don't worry - there's an Android app expected around October).  I'll have a separate blog post about the app later when I've had a chance to play with it a bit more.

At 11 a.m., Dr. Thomas W. Jones presented "Finding 'Unfindable' Ancestors."  What a treat!  ("celebrity" moment: I even got to meet him before he got started).  I originally participated in his Inferential Genealogy course with our SecondLife group, and I've been waiting quite a while to see him speak in person.  Key point from the session: when your ancestor "disappears," broaden your search chronologically and geographically.

I attended the FamilySearch luncheon and Eileen O'Duill presented "Irish Eyes are Smiling." The food was good and the presentation was fun.  I never knew that FamilySearch's automatic alternate-spelling feature made it so easy to find Irish records!

After lunch, it was time for "Copyright Law Surprises for Genealogists" with Benjamin Spratling, III.  Here's a surprise: I'll never fully understand copyright law.  I'd better put an attorney on retainer.  Hopefully I'll get a discount for being in the legal profession already.  What I did get out of the session was this - currently, copyrights only last for the life of the author plus 70 years.  I'm definitely going to have to do some more research on this topic.

Next, was the other speaker I've been waiting to hear in person.  Elizabeth Shown Mills presented "Finding Origins and Birth Families: Methods That Work!"  ESM told us about the 10 most common traps for researchers, which lead to self-created brick walls.  There was a lot of focus on strong documentation and strong analysis.  I see spreadsheets in my future.

I decided I needed a break, so I skipped the last session and went back to my room for a bit of a rest.  Then I went down to one of the restaurants in the hotel and ate dinner and "rehydrated" with fellow Geneabloggers Thomas MacEntee, Kathy Chastain, Tonia Kendrick, Amy Coffin, Diane Boumenot, and Linda McCauley.

At 7:30, findmypast hosted a launch party for FGS attendees.  I don't know who said genealogists are boring, but they've obviously never been to one of these events.  Food, drink, door prizes, and karaoke.  It just doesn't get better than that!  I was one of several Geneabloggers (see above) who performed "YMCA".  If anyone has video of that performance, there may or may not be a reward for your original film.

Overall, I'd call this a successful day - especially since I checked two great speakers off my "must see" list.  Tomorrow promises to be just as interesting ... I can't wait!

Do we share any ancestors?

Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

FGS 2012 - Day 1

Today was Society Day at FGS 2012.  My schedule was packed full since 7 a.m.

It started with the findmypast Society Leadership Breakfast.  First of all ... there was bacon (yum!)  Then we got to hear Elaine Collins of findmypast briefly discuss the benefits of societies collaborating with findmypast to make a Society's digitized holdings part of their searchable global collection.

Then at 8 a.m., it was time to hear Josh Taylor, Business Development Manager for brightsolid, speak about Transforming Your Society into a Dynamic 21st Century Destination.  I always enjoy listening to Josh speak, but this might have been the best one yet.  It's not every day that someone can be so moved by a bag of dirt.  One of the frequent messages was that societies need to be proactive, and that the link between a society and the community is a two-way street.

Then we were off to our sessions.  The first session I chose was "Defining Mission and Standards for a Society Journal or Newsletter" by J.H. Fonkert.  He asked a couple of tough questions: Does your publication fit the needs of your members? How does it contribute to your mission?  We discussed some ideas on how to answer these questions positively, and I plan to present these ideas to my society when I get home.

Next I attended a case study on the Evolution of the Wake County Genealogical Society with Diane L. Richard.  When I read the syllabus for this session, it was like I was reading about my own society.  She presented a lot of different ways to handle various challenges within the society.  I plan to present these ideas to my society as well.

Quick break for lunch and we were off again!

I listened to Roberta "Bobbi" King explain the "Grand Design for Your Publications: Stand-out Ideas for Look and Appeal" as it relates to Society Newsletters and Journals.  Another very helpful session I plan to implement.

Then it was the session I had been waiting for all day: "Publicize it and Publicize it" by Paula Stuart-Warren.  This was a two-hour hands-on workshop that walked us through the best ways to publicize society events, from monthly meetings to annual conferences.  I got a lot out of this workshop and plan to utilize 99.99% of it.

The evening social was sponsored by the Alabama Genealogical Society.  We went to the historic Alabama Theater, an elegant piece of architecture which was built in 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The interior of the theater was amazing.  It was in service until 1981 when the owners declared bankruptcy.  In 1987 the theater was restored to its original glory and it has been in business ever since.

"Big Bertha" the theater's original Wurlitzer organ

The ceiling in the lobby

We were honored with a private concert by Bobby Horton, a Birmingham native.  He regaled us with songs from the Civil War era.  Not only did he sing, he also played the banjo, guitar, fiddle, and a mandolin (not all at the same time).  Every song has a story, and Mr. Horton is a fantastic story teller, interweaving the stories and songs into a stunning performance.

This is an "action" shot ... he's playing really fast!

It was a productive, enlightening, entertaining, and exhausting day.  I expect tomorrow will be roughly the same, so I'd better hit the hay!

Do we share any ancestors?

Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

FGS 2012 - Day -1

Yes, this is day -1 because the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2012 Conference doesn't actually start until tomorrow.  But tonight, I was invited to the pre-conference Blogger Dinner sponsored by FamilySearch (I felt so special!)

I found Thomas MacEntee and got my Blogger Beads (sponsored by DearMYRTLE - so thanks, Myrt!)  Dinner was great ... lasagna and steamed veggies with cheesecake for dessert.  I don't know if I enjoyed dinner or the company at my table more ... Thomas, Lisa Alzo, Amy Coffin, Kathy Chastain, speaker George Morgan, and Paul Nauta.  

Paul Nauta of FamilySearch gave a very nice presentation about some of the new things happening at FamilySearch, including Skype groups, Facebook groups, and online chat.  You can learn more about these new features here.

There was also talk about RootsTech 2013.  The conference will be 40% larger than past years.  There will be more classes with more speakers, including a new "Getting Started" track.

Interested in going?  FamilySearch is offering a limited-time early registration discount for RootsTech 2013.  Use promo code blog119 to receive $100 off the regular registration fee of $219.  Hurry!  This offer expires September 1, 2012.   After that, you'll have to wait until later in September to register (and you won't get the awesome discount).

What else is going on at FamilySearch?  Well ... there are two major projects in the works right now - U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Project and Italian Ancestors.  Both projects have exponentially more records than the 1940 U.S. Census and are in dire need of indexing volunteers.  Are you an indexer?  Do you have immigrant ancestors?  Then they need YOU!  (I'm not sure if there is a language requirement for the Italian records, but I'll bet someone at FamilySearch can answer that question)

After a well-deserved adult beverage with some Blogger friends (even a new one, Diane Boumenot!), I retired to my room and finished picking the sessions I would attend Wednesday (which is never going to happen if I don't get to bed pretty soon).  More tomorrow from Birmingham!

Do we share any ancestors?

Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

E is for ... EXCITEMENT!

Special thanks to Alona at Gould Genealogy for coming up with the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge!

E is for EXCITEMENT!


It's official.  Hotel is booked.  Registration is paid.  Luncheons, workshops, and other outings are booked and paid.  My schedule of classes is (almost) done.  Yep.  I'm going to the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 2012 Conference in Birmingham, Alabama!


I've been to a couple of genealogy conferences in the past, and they were great.  But this ... this is like one of the BIG ones.


I am fortunate that I live close enough to Birmingham to be able to drive, so the money I'm saving on airfare I'll be able to spend on goodies at the conference!


I'm a little sad that I don't have any "official" research to do while I'm in Birmingham (I don't have any direct ancestors from Alabama at all - at least none that I've found yet) ... although, I feel pretty sure that I can find a library or archives of some sort to wreak havoc spend some time in.


In preparation for my trip, I even bought one of those little badge holders with all the pockets in it. I can't wait to bling it out! I think I'm going to have to take the seam out of one of the pen holders on the back so my phone will fit in the little pocket back there.

P.S. Thanks, WhollyGenes- only $5 and super fast shipping

I'm going to take print my state "badges" from my 1940 Census indexing and do something super fancy and attach them to my little holder.  I also have a couple of geeky pins I'll attach.  


I've already started packing.  Laptop, check.  Camera, check.  iPad, check.  Contact cards, check.  Flip-Pal, maybe.  Batteries, check.  Oh, I guess I'd better add some sort of clothing to the list.  Jammies too.  Maybe a toothbrush.  Hmm ... tiara?


So if you happen to be at FGS and see me (I'll be the one wandering aimlessly around the conference looking completely lost), stop and say hi!

Do we share any ancestors?
Please email me at lostancestors [at] gmail [dot] com

Using Earth Point to Find Your Ancestor's Land

As I was catching up on my vicarious attendance at FGS2012 blog reading this morning, Shelley at A Sense of Family mentioned attending an FGS session given by Jane Halderman (“From Land Records to Google Earth: Mapping Your Family’s Place”).  During this session,  Earth Point was demonstrated using the township and range from land records or deeds to "fly" to the land identified with Google Earth.


It sounded pretty neat, so I thought I'd give it a go.


I had low expectations -- not because I have doubts about the website or its creators, but because my ancestor's land is in South Dakota and historically it's one of the last states to be included in anything -- but I was pleasantly surprised when I plugged in my numbers.


First, I located the section used to convert township and range to longitude and latitude.  I plugged in the requested information, which I obtained from the land records of my 2nd great grandfather, Joseph Zenophile Lanctot (my blog review can be found here):

After you input the information, you have two options: you can view the conversion data, which looks like this:

or you can "fly" to the location on Google Earth.  The image you receive will show a pin with the section number on it, indicating the area of the land.  

From the records, I knew Zeno's land was in the northwest quarter of section 13.  I'm sure it has changed somewhat since 1885, but I feel pretty confident that the placement of the house and farm is the same.


Some things that should be mentioned about the website are: (1) some states have limited BLM coverage.  Whether this means that Google Earth won't fly there, or if Earth Point can't convert to long/lat, I don't know.  Check the list of states on the website and see if it applies to you.  (2) Earth Point is a subscription site, but only the enhanced features are restricted.  The conversion tools work without a subscription (I do not have one).  However, without a subscription, you will receive a popup message every 10 minutes of use when you are viewing in Google Earth.  I did not encounter the popup message because I was not using the image for longer than 10 minutes, so I cannot attest to how annoying it may be.  


The subscriptions appear to be around $50 per year, but discounts are offered for multiple users (might be beneficial for a society to check into this as a perk of membership).  There is also another option for more infrequent users, which is to deposit funds into a pre-paid account and the costs are deducted as you use the service.


I only played with it for a few minutes, but it seems like it would be a neat tool to keep in your toolbox!


The FGS sessions are being recorded and will be available on CD and MP3 sometime after the conference at Fleetwood Onsite.  I'm definitely putting this one on my list.