Speaker Profile-Jill N. Crandell, MA, AG

Jill N. Crandell, MA, AG®

Jill is accredited in Midwest U.S. research and holds an MA in history and a BA in family history. She is an assistant teaching professor at Brigham Young University and the director of the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy. She is also Past President of ICAPGen and the developer of ResearchTies(TM).

For many years, Jill has taught organization and filing classes at genealogy conferences. The need to be methodical and efficient has caused many of us to struggle as we have sought the best method to record and retrieve our documents. Research logs of the past have not met our needs. ResearchTiesTM is an online program that has been designed based on Jill’s experience talking to thousands of people about the need for a quality research planner and log.

Saturday, 9:30 a.m., S414–“ResearchTies: Planning for Effective & Efficient Research”
This class will demonstrate the basic functions of ResearchTies, teaching attendees the features of the program that will help eliminate duplicate data entry. Using ResearchTies to analyze past research, genealogists can more effectively and efficiently plan future work. Learn to record your plan in ResearchTies, generate a “to do” list, and move your research forward.

Speaker Profile-Jill N. Crandell, MA, AG

Exhibitor Profile-The In-Depth Genealogist

Booth #317

We are so excited to be at NGS for our 1st time. To say we are excited to meet new people, talk to our readers, and take some wonderful classes is an understatement. 

If you have never heard about us before, The In-Depth Genealogist (IDG) is an online publishing company which provides educational resources for the genealogical community. Its leadership staff is comprised of Terri O'Connell (Finding Our Ancestors), Shannon Combs-Bennett (T2 Family History), and  Jennifer Alford (Jenealogy), along with 18 writers (and growing), various other contributors, plus amazing supporters. IDG has an active blog, monthly digital magazine titled Going In-Depth, bookstore, a YouTube Channel and a worldwide event calendar. The goal of the IDG is to share our knowledge and experience in a friendly, approachable, and entertaining way.

Make sure to stop by our booth #317, to check out our conference specials and to say hi!

Exhibitor Profile-The In-Depth Genealogist

Exhibitor Profile-Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

Booth #701

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) offers week-long courses at a suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, college campus with top instructors in our field. Begun in 2012 with four courses, GRIP has expanded to six concurrent courses and two separate weeks. Last year 205 students from forty states and three countries attended seven classes in one week.

To honor one of our first instructors who died two weeks after teaching his German research course, GRIP is sponsoring the John T. Humphrey, CG, Memorial Lecture at NGS. Fittingly, session T203, presented by Warren Bittner, CG, will be “Introduction to German Church Books.” Please attend and enjoy this gift from GRIP.

GRIP is a popular educational experience that encourages students to return each year. The collegial feel of learning among friends enhances delving deeper into your chosen topic, whether it is writing family stories, problem solving with church records, land records as an advanced tool, research in New York or Pennsylvania, law school for genealogists, determining kinship with the Genealogical Proof Standard, your genealogy career, intermediate and advanced methods, or practical applications for DNA evidence.

This year’s institute weeks of June 28 to July 3 and July 19-24 each offer different courses except for Practical Genetic Genealogy which is scheduled for both weeks. To see which is offered when, and who is teaching, please visit http://www.gripitt.org/?page_id=9.

Please stop by Booth #701 to visit GRIP co-directors Debbie Lichtner Deal and Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, and learn more about the 2015 courses.

Exhibitor Profile-Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

Last Chance for Pre-Conference Registration

TICK TOCK!

Today is your last chance to pre-register and to purchase tickets for meals and tours.

There is still time to sign up for the Tuesday workshops. The BCG Education Fund workshop, Putting Skills to Work, runs from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and German Studies: Understanding German Records and Methodology runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

To register for the conference, visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info.

There will be on-site registration in St. Charles, but meals and tours cannot be purchased on-site at that time. Ticket sales for meals and tours ends today, 29 April 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Add Items to an Existing Registration
To add meals, tours, and pre-conference events to your current registration, log on at  http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on My Account, select My Events, and then click to Add Sessions. Some events are sold-out, visit http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/ for the list.

Only two weeks until the conference begins. We can't wait to see you in St. Charles!

Last Chance for Pre-Conference Registration

Exhibitor Profile-SAR Operation Ancestor Search

Booth #218

Operation Ancestor Search is a free program of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) that provides genealogy research assistance and training to wounded warriors, their families, and caregivers as they recover from their injuries at military hospitals, medical centers, and transition units across the country.

OAS was developed in 2011 at the former Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, later the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, as a local chapter project of the DC Society.

It was adopted as a national Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) program in 2012, at which time Ancestry.com awarded a major grant to the NSSAR to fund the program from its national headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. 

OAS is based on the premise that the inherent genealogical expertise within the SAR is a tremendous resource that the organization can use to help give back to the wounded warriors who were injured in their service to our nation. 

The program is operated by NSSAR state societies through their local chapters across the country and, in some cases, in cooperation with other local genealogy and lineage organizations. 

In addition to its major grant to fund the OAS program, Ancestry.com provides free access to its databases for the participants, including Fold3.com and Newspapers.com, as well as various support materials. 

If you are interested in helping with the OAS program at a facility near you, please come by Booth #218, or contact Program Director Rick Kincaid (rkincaid@sar.org; 502-588-6147.)

                       A program of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. 

                                                    
                                                         Sponsored by Ancestry.com.

Exhibitor Profile-SAR Operation Ancestor Search

Exhibitor Profile-Tennessee Genealogical Society

Booth #702

Organized in 1947, the Tennessee Genealogical Society (TNGS) received its charter from the State of Tennessee in 1952. The Society collects, preserves, and publishes materials relevant to Tennessee genealogy and history. It is housed in the Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center at 7779 Poplar Pike, in historic Germantown, Tennessee, near Memphis. This Center has more than 16,000 genealogical books, including almost 2,000 one-of-a-kind family histories, and the collected papers of hundreds of past members. 

TNGS publishes the Tennessee Genealogical Magazine, Ansearchin’ News, a quarterly magazine available to all members, and offers a variety of Tennessee-related publications at its online Bookstore, http://www.tngs.org. Visit us at booth #702 for information on membership benefits, Tennessee publications, and SHOW SPECIALS.

Contact us at PO Box 381824, Germantown TN 38183, at 901-754-4300 or via email at TNGenSociety@yahoo.com with any questions.  Visit our website at TNGS.org for more information and to visit our online Bookstore. Join us on Facebook and Twitter (@TnGenSoc) as we share genealogical discoveries and discuss new research techniques.

We look forward to renewing old acquaintances and meeting new friends at the NGS 2015 Conference in St. Charles.

Exhibitor Profile-Tennessee Genealogical Society

Speaker Profile-Peggy Baldwin

Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., W144–“Oregon Trail: A 2,000 Mile Walk Talked About as Long as They Lived”

The Oregon Trail was the longest migratory trail in history, covering over 2000 miles of interminable plains, dangerous river crossing, mountains taller than most pioneers had ever seen. Outfitting a wagon was expensive and the trip would take five long months of walking alongside their wagons, following a trail littered with cast off household items too heavy for the realisms of the Oregon Trail and peppered with the graves of people who had not survived the rigors of the Trail.

Referring to the first mass Oregon Trail migration of 1843, Horace Greeley, a young reporter in New York City would say, "This migration of more than one thousand persons in one body to Oregon wears an aspect of insanity." Insanity or not, by the time Oregon Trail migration would end, more than 300,000 people would have made the trip, including even pregnant women and children.

Unique records related to the Oregon Trail, Oregon Territory, and the early Oregon state tell the story of early Oregon Trail travelers. These records include Oregon Provisional Land Claims, Oregon Donation Land Claims, Indian Pension Files, Provisional and Territorial Papers, newspapers, and diaries, among other resources. Learn about these records–the information they contain, where to locate them, as well as online sources that point to these records. A great deal has been preserved, in these important beginnings of Oregon’s inclusion in the Union.

Peggy is a Professional Genealogist specializing in Oregon Trail research.

Speaker Profile-Peggy Baldwin

Melissa Etheridge discovers her Missouri roots on Who Do You Think You Are?

Courtesy of TLC

Last night, Melissa Etheridge discovered her Missouri ancestors on Who Do You Think You Are?
If you have Missouri ancestors like Melissa, numerous sessions at the conference might be of interest to you:

Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W125, “Missouri Digital Heritage: Accessing Our Digital Past,” presented by State Archivist, John Dougan, will help researchers with ancestors anywhere in Missouri.

Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., W145, “Gateway to the West: Missouri Land Grant Records,” presented by Christina Miller, Senior Archivist, Missouri State Archives, will help those with ancestors statewide.

Wednesday, 4:00 p.m., W155, “St. Louis 250+,” by Ann Carter Fleming, provides information on St. Louis records starting in the 1700s to the current day.

Thursday, 2:30 p.m., T248, “Opening the Ozarks: The Legacy of Marsha Hoffman Rising,”by Patti Hobbs. Marsha researched the first 1000 landowners from the Springfield land office. Very unique project.

Friday, 8:00 a.m., F307, “7 Tips to Researching Slaves and Slaveholders in Little Dixie Missouri,” by Kathleen Brandt, shares resources dating from the migration period to the post Civil War era.

Friday, 11:00 a.m., F327, “Delving into Missouri Territorial Records 1770-1821,” by Amy Moorman, Archivist, Missouri State Archives, reveals records important to the earliest days of St. Louis and Missouri.

Friday, 2:30 p.m., F347, “Grandpa "Stole Chickens in the Nighttime:" What Penitentiary Records Can Tell About Your Family,” by Mary Stansfield, Archivist, Missouri State Archives, introduces this new record set from the Missouri State Penitentiary, 1837-1987.

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., S443, “Finding Your Civilian Ancestors in Unique Civil War Records,” presented by Ruth Ann Hager. The Provost Marshals ruled Missouri during the Civil War. Any civilian could be mentioned in these records.

And if you have French ancestors from Quebec, you won’t want to miss George Findlen’s “Crossing the Border: How to Backtrack an Ancestor into Quebec from the US” on Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W128.

Melissa Etheridge discovers her Missouri roots on Who Do You Think You Are?

Wi-Fi during the conference

NGS wants you to stay connected!

Thanks to generous donors, the NGS 2015 Family History Conference will offer free wi-fi accessibility in all St. Charles Convention Center lecture rooms, gathering spots, exhibit hall, and dining areas.

The adjacent Embassy Hotel offers their own free wi-fi network for guests and for lectures in the Windsor Room. All of the other NGS Conference hotels also offer free wi-fi to NGS guests.

Attendees will receive the password to the convention center wi-fi in the registration packets that may be picked up Tuesday thru Saturday.

Wi-Fi during the conference

Speaker Profile-Lisa Louise Cooke

Lisa Louise Cooke

It’s no exaggeration to say that I come across new and exciting technology tools almost every day. Whenever I explore a new app, online tool or website, I ask myself, “How could I use this for family history?” This is where things get creative, fun, and ultimately very genealogically rewarding! Here are some examples, which I’ll be talking about at NGS 2015:

Friday, 9:30a.m., F325–“Tech Tools That Catapult the Newspaper Research Process into the 21st Century” 
Newspapers can give us the inside scoop on ancestors’ everyday lives, big events and deaths. Learn to use online tools to find old newspapers (online or offline) and search them efficiently.

Saturday, 9:30a.m., S417–“iPad & iPhone Power User Techniques for Genealogy”
Move beyond apps and into power usage! Learn browser customization and discover little-known features, get organized, harness accessibility features, and perform Evernote genealogical tricks!

Free Outside the Box Mini Sessions
When I’m not speaking at one of my scheduled sessions, you’ll find me in the exhibit hall at booth #620 where I’ll be teaching loads of free “outside the box” mini sessions to further jump start your research. Topics like using Evernote and Google Search, as well as an exciting Google Earth for Genealogy Game Show (complete with prizes!) I’ll also be signing copies of my newest book The Genealogists’s Google Toolbox Second Edition.

Go to http://www.lisalouisecooke.com/ngs for all the details.

Speaker Profile-Lisa Louise Cooke

Exhibitor Profile-Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective

Booth #519

Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, is an internationally recognized expert on historic photograph identification, photo preservation, and family history research.

Sought out by clients all over the world from as far away as New Zealand, her pioneering work in historic photo research is unprecedented, evidenced by her success in solving photo mysteries. The author of several books, scholarly articles, and online columns, she appeared on The View and The Today Show for completing Meredith Viera’s family tree. She has been featured in numerous publications including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, and was dubbed “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal.

Maureen has spoken on photo history, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., and in London and Canada.

Her focus is on helping people rediscover their family history one picture at a time, and she is passionate about getting folks to dig deep into their family history to tell the story of their ancestors.

Maureen is offering private photo consultations in Booth #519.  Got a mystery photo? Sign up for a slot at http://www.maureentaylor.com/events.

Stop by the booth to sign up for a free e-book,  attend a series of her free Outside the Box lectures, and enter a drawing for a grand prize package. 

Exhibitor Profile-Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective

Speaker Profile-Ted Steele

Ted Steele

Ted Steele began researching his family history in 1977. His book, A Steele Family History, was named the “Best Family History of 2001” by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. He is also the author of Ebbets: The History and Genealogy of a New York Family. In addition to his conference lectures, he was the national chair of the GENTECH 2004 Conference in St. Louis and was the keynote speaker for the Maine Genealogical Society’s annual conference in 2012. Ted is a past president of the St. Louis Genealogical Society.

Saturday, 8:00 a.m., S408–“Family Stories: Analyzing the Evidence to Learn What Really Happened”

Every family has them. This lecture will explore several family stories that I either heard as a child or discovered as I was researching my family history. After all, it’s the stories that bring our ancestors to life. So, as a family historian, you must have the stories. But you also want your stories to be accurate. As we will see, many of these stories are not true in every detail. And some are a long way from reality.

I will introduce each narrative as I heard it. We will then explore the research processes used to learn the truth. And then we will re-examine the original stories in light of what really happened and gain insight into how these stories come about. Finally, we will apply the BCG Guidelines for Evaluating Genealogical Resources and discuss those genealogical “dos and don’ts” as you deal with the stories in your family.

Speaker Profile-Ted Steele

Exhibitor Profile-Ancestral Systems LLC

Booth #709

Ancestral Systems LLC was formed in January, 2012, when we received the rights to develop Clooz Version 3 and beyond from Ancestor Detective LLC.  We are genealogists and Clooz users ourselves, dedicated to continuous improvement of our document-based genealogy research and development program. We are proud to have received a GenSoftReviews Users Choice Award for each of the 3 years that we have been in business.

We are a pioneer in 'Document Based' genealogy research. Our approach dictates that each source document or image is the basic building block of any serious family tree generation. We differ from most genealogy products in that each document/image is examined in detail, with specific details linked to each individual mentioned using a template for each document and detail sheets for each individual. A unique capability results from this approach in what we call the 'Composite View'. This view of the data allows the user to immediately find, identify and view every document associated with a specific individual. Through our specialized hierarchical structure, relationships between the individuals appearing in those documents become visible. The tree structure then allows delving deeper through the 5 levels of the Composite View tree. Use Clooz as a repository for the information you collect prior to inserting people into your family tree.

Please visit us at Booth #709, or see our website at http://www.clooz.com for more information.

Our latest version, Clooz 3.3 will be offered to conference attendees at a 25% discount.

Exhibitor Profile-Ancestral Systems LLC

Speaker Profile-Dorris Keeven-Franke

Dorris Keeven-Franke

Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W123–“Gottfried Duden”

Friday, 4:00 p.m., F357–“The Giessen Emigration Society”

Dorris’ lifelong passion for history was sparked when her great-grandfather shared research of the family tree when she was only nine. She has written countless articles on local history; consulted with film and television producers; traced heirs for law firms; and been an archivist for the St. Charles County Historical Society. Dorris travels giving talks on local history and German emigration. She teaches genealogy for the local Adult Education classes. Besides blogging, writing, and collaborating on five books, she is director for the Missouri Germans Consortium, and editor of their quarterly e-journal Der Anzeiger.

     
Since 2009, Dorris has worked on the international project Utopia–Revisiting a German State in America, as a team member of the Traveling Summer Republic and their U.S. contact. The bilingual project shares the story of one of the largest most organized emigration societies to come to the United States. In 1834, Friedrich Muench and Paul Follenius followed Gottfried Duden’s advice laid out in his “A Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America” and founded the Giessen Emigration Society.

With this group of archivists, writers, film makers, photographers, and artists in Germany intrigued with this nearly forgotten piece of history, they have produced a huge traveling exhibit, book, and documentary film. The exhibit was funded in Germany and traveled from Giessen, after opening on 1 November 2013, to the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis. Dorris is looking forward to sharing her passion at the National Genealogical Society Conference.

Utopia exhibit - opening night - St Louis - November 21, 2014 - photo Peter Roloff-3665

Speaker Profile-Dorris Keeven-Franke

Exhibitor Profile-Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy

Booth #717

The Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) is a professional association dedicated to advancing public awareness and understanding of the Forensic Genealogy profession.

Established in 2011, CAFG is dedicated to the advancement of forensic genealogy, which is genealogical research, analysis, and reporting in cases with legal implications. CAFG promotes high standards of professional and ethical conduct, provides education and training opportunities, and assists in professional development through mentorship, membership levels, credentialing, and awarding of fellowships.

CAFG’s Volunteer Initiative Program (VIP) offers members the opportunity to work on real-world cases gaining valuable experience while also giving back to local communities. Participants of past VIP projects have located living descendants of former land owners in order to clear title on an abandoned property, found the next-of-kin of deceased military veterans to return lost or missing Purple Heart medals, and identified over thirty living relatives of a child aging out of the foster care system. Throughout these projects, mentors guide each volunteer and provide thoughtful and constructive feedback on their work product.

Each year, the educational arm of CAFG also holds the Forensic Genealogy Institute (FGI) in Dallas, Texas, offering students the opportunity to learn from leading experts in forensic genealogy. In March 2015, CAFG featured two brand-new courses – the Forensic Genealogy Master Practicum and Advanced Genetic Genealogy and Unknown-Parentage Cases. Details for 2016 FGI will be released later this year. Learn more at http://www.forensicgenealogists.org.

Exhibitor Profile-Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy

Speaker Profile-Melinda Daffin Henningfield, MS, CG

Melinda Daffin Henningfield, MS, CG*

Thursday, 11:00 a.m., T226–"From Missouri to Oregon by Way of the Applegate Trail"
Beginning in 1843, most pioneers traveling west to Oregon left from their jumping off place in Missouri or Iowa and traveled on the Oregon Trail. A southern route to the Willamette Valley of Oregon seemed preferrable to the dangerous northern route down the Columbia River. In 1846, Jesse Applegate and others convinced about one hundred wagons to use the new southern route, now called the Applegate Trail. In this lecture, learn of the hardships and dangers that the pioneers faced. Many types of original documents will be illustrated to show how they can be used to flesh out a pioneer family.

Ezra Meeker, "Line of Original Emigration to the Pacific Northwest Commonly Known as the Old Oregon Trail," map, The Ox Team or the Old Oregon Trail 1852–1906, 4th ed., (New York: Ezra Meeker, 1907): 250–51; Wikimedia Commons (http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oregontrail_1907.jpg : accessed 31 January 2015).

Saturday, 8:00 a.m., S401–"Investigate the Neighborhood to Advance Your Research"
Have you reached a brick wall in your research? In this lecture, learn how expanding your research to include the relatives, friends, neighbors, and associates of your ancestor can help you break through your brick wall. Case studies will illustrate some step-by-step methods you can use in your own research.

 *CG or Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-Melinda Daffin Henningfield, MS, CG

Exhibitor Profile-Missouri State Archives

Booth #311

Located at 600 W. Main St. in Jefferson City, the Missouri State Archives is the main repository for state records of permanent historical value. Our holdings date from 1770 and include records from all branches of state government. Of greatest interest to the genealogical community are our birth, marriage, death, land, military, court, naturalization, and penitentiary records.

Genealogists researching state records online are likely aware that many of these are available through our Online Research Room and the Missouri Digital Heritage website. These records, however, are only a small portion of the more than 336 million pages of paper records; 770,000 photographs; 9,000 maps; 63,000 reels of microfilm; and 560 cubic feet of published state documents in the collection of the Missouri State Archives.

Our reference staff is happy to accept research requests both by email (archref@sos.mo.gov) and postal mail (PO Box 1747, Jefferson City, MO 65102), while in-person access is available through our research room (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday).

Come by Booth #311 and share your research with Missouri State Archives’ staff. They may be able to help you add a missing limb to your family tree!

Exhibitor Profile-Missouri State Archives

Speaker Profile-Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS

Barbara Vines Little, CG,* FNGS, FVGS

Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W121–“But I’ve Looked Everywhere,” BCG Skillbuilding Track
A hound dog looking for a trail, runs in ever-widening circles until he finally finds the scent. In the process of finding that scent, he collects and analyzes a tremendous amount of data. If asked, he could tell you that two rabbits ate clover near the path yesterday, a squirrel climbed the oak tree this morning, and what the crow that just flew overhead ate yesterday. As family researchers, we need to learn to do the same. Collecting data is important, but learning to look at that data for clues to even more data, and eventually the answer to our question, is the key. Looking everywhere, may mean re-examining a document—not for answers to questions, but for clues to other sources, changing the area or time frame of a search, broadening the search to different types of records or looking for different types of information to provide the answer. Establishing an approximate birth or death date, when no vital statistics were kept, no bible record can be found, the religion did not practice infant baptism and no tombstone, obituary, or probate can be located is difficult, but we can usually create a date range through the use of multiple other sources or even sometimes, find the actual date. We’ll explore how to find those sources, whether we’re researching in Colonial Virginia, the Deep South, the Mid-or far West, or even the currently (February) frozen North.


 *CG or Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS

Speaker Profile-Cheryl Lang, M.L.S.

Cheryl Lang, M.L.S.

Thursday, 8:00 a.m.,T208–"Researching at the Midwest Genealogy Center "

An introduction to the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri, and its resources including microforms, periodicals, databases, and books.

As a patron of the Mid-Continent Public Library genealogy section, beginning her own family history search in 1980, Cheryl Lang was bitten by the genealogy bug. Now, 35 years later and as manager of the Midwest Genealogy Center, she is still just as excited to use and share the family history resources at this library.

Cheryl obtained her master’s degree in library science from Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, and a bachelor degrees in both management and computers from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. Adding genealogy to her library interests, working at the Midwest Genealogy Center has become her dream job. 

Cheryl currently serves as 1st vice president of the Missouri State Genealogical Association and belongs to several local genealogy societies. She is a member of the History Section and the Genealogy Committee of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association.

Having shared her genealogy and oral history expertise at genealogy conferences and many smaller society meetings, Cheryl is very excited to be speaking at NGS for the first time!

Cheryl Lang, M.L.S.
clang@mymcpl.org

Speaker Profile-Cheryl Lang, M.L.S.

Registration closes in one week

Pre-registration for the NGS 2015 Family History Conference ends Wednesday, 29 April 2015, one week from today. Registration numbers are great, but there is still plenty of room for you.

The cost is $230 (member) or $265 (non-member) for full registration, or $115 for a single day registration. The conference includes four exciting days of more than150 lecture sessions, meals, and more than 75 different exhibitors.

You don't want to miss this conference, so register today at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration.

Wednesday, 29 April, will also be the last day to buy tickets for meal events. Tickets will not be sold onsite at the conference. To add meal events, log on at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on My Account, select My Events, and then click to Add Sessions.

To learn more, visit the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info.

Registration closes in one week

Speaker Profile-Rev. David McDonald, CG

Rev. David McDonald, CG*

Thursday, 8:00 a.m., T201–“Transcription, Abstraction & the Records,” BCG Skillbuilding Track

In an era of “online this” and “digital that,” documents can be had in multiple formats and full copies by hitting “save” on a computer keyboard. A researcher might be tempted to simply grab-and-run with the scan and file away the digital image.

STOP! Don’t file it away until you’ve done your homework!

Transcription and abstraction are two analysis tools that any genealogist can, and frankly must, master. We’ll take a thoughtful look at material and engage in a collective effort to read, manually copy, evaluate and analyze the contents. In so doing, we’ll pull important clues about how to proceed with research after the abstraction is complete, thereby developing strategies to continue the information quest. Attendees should bring along their writing implement of choice—be it pen, pencil, marker, crayon, stylus and slate, Etch-a-Sketch or favorite digital device—and be ready to work through an 18th century handwritten document. Magnifiers, reading glasses and the like may also prove useful!

Rev. David McDonald, CG, a native Midwesterner, has been engaged in genealogical research for nearly 40 years. He lectures throughout the country on methods and approaches to research, as well as religions and their records in genealogical endeavors.

David will also be presenting twice on Wednesday: 11:00 a.m.,W124–“The Draper Manuscripts,” and 4:00 p.m.,W154–“Territorial Papers of the US: Inward Ho!”

 
*CG or Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-Rev. David McDonald, CG

Exhibitor Profile-Boston University Online Genealogical Courses

Booth #122

Boston University's Online Certificate Program in Genealogical Research was developed by some of the premier genealogists in the country. Our Certificate Program is taught by an exceptional faculty who are world renowned for their expertise and contributions to the field.

Check the inside front cover of your NGS Conference Program for our Faculty Speaker Schedule to see exciting sessions such as:

• Overcoming Surprising Research Barriers: A Case Study with Thomas W. Jones, PhD

• Certification: Measuring Yourself Against Standards with Elissa Powell, CG

• Smiths and Jones: How to Cope with Families of Common Names with Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG

• and many more

Don’t forget to stop by the Boston University Booth #122, for our tuition raffle.

Our Program Offerings
Increase your accuracy and efficiency by learning to follow the Genealogical Proof Standard. Whether you are new to genealogy or an expert, these courses will help you improve your research methods and get results faster.

BU offers a 4-week course in Genealogical Essentials for genealogy enthusiasts who seek to improve their research skills, and a 15-week rigorous Certificate in Genealogical Research. Both are offered fully online by BU’s Center for Professional Education.

For more information, visit http://genealogyonline.bu.edu or call our enrollment advisors at 877-290-9005.

Exhibitor Profile-Boston University Online Genealogical Courses

Exhibitor Profile-National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Booth #601

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/ provides Internet based education for genealogists and family historians to broaden their research skills.

A Leader in Genealogical Education
Providing online education for over 15 years, the National Institute offers more than 200 courses. Whether you are interested in United States military records, Canadian maps, developing a genealogical library collection, exploring the records of the poor in the United Kingdom, DNA, Australian convict records, or social media, we have a course for you. Students may pursue a certificate program in one of  ten concentrations: the records of Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, the United States, General Methodology, Professional Development, and a Librarianship Certificate.

Louise St Denis, Managing Director, says of the variety of courses available, “The National Institute for Genealogical Studies was established to assist all genealogists, from family historians to practicing professionals, by providing studies in a variety of genealogical topics. Education provides an important role in raising levels of personal and professional growth.”


Virtual Meetings
The National Institute’s Virtual Meetings provide the opportunity to  learn more about genealogical research. Meetings are led by instructors and are free and open to the public. For a schedule of Virtual Meetings, please see our website http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/chats.asp.


Start Your Genealogical Education Today
Starting your genealogy education with The National Institute is easy. Peruse the course calendar listed under the Courses tab on our website http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/course-calendar.asp. Courses are inexpensive and special package pricing is available.

Stop by our Booth #601 and learn more about the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

Exhibitor Profile-National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Still time to sign up for Live Streaming

There is still time to sign up for the Live Streaming from the NGS2015 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri. If you can't make it to the conference, this is a great way to still participate.

Two tracks, ten hours of education  for the low price of $115 for NGS members, $145 for non-member. Or order just one track (either Track One or Track Two) for $65 NGS members, $80 non-member.

To register go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/live-streaming/.


Registration for live streaming will close at midnight 29 April 2015. All registrants will receive an electronic version of the NGS 2015 Family History Conference Syllabus.

Track One: Thursday, 14 May 2015
The Immigration & Naturalization Process

8:00 a.m. T205—"The Journey to America: Federal Passenger Ship Records," Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG

9:30 a.m. T215—"Becoming an American: Naturalization Records," Julie Miller, CG

11:00 a.m. T225—"Discovering the REAL Stories of Your Immigrant Ancestors," John P. Colletta, PhD, FUGA

2:30 p.m. T245—"Bads, Bergs, Burgs, and Bachs: Finding Locations in Germany," Warren Bittner, CG

4:00 p.m. T255—"A Methodology for Irish Emigration to North America," David Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA

Track Two: Friday, 15 May 2015
Methodology Techniques

8:00 a.m. F302–"The Time of Cholera: A Case Study about Historical Context," Alison Hare, CG

9:30 a.m. F311—"The Problem-Solver’s Great Trifecta: GPS+FAN+DNA," Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

11:00 a.m. F321—"When Does Newfound Evidence Overturn a Proved Conclusion?," Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

2:30 p.m. F342—"Forensic Genealogy Meets the Genealogical Proof Standard," Michael Ramage, JD, CG

4:00 p.m. F352—"Using DNA as a Genealogical Record," Angie Bush

Conference attendees may also benefit from purchasing the NGS live streaming package by registering for either track or the bundled package, which they will be able to view after they return home. By selecting different presentations while attending the conference, they can expand their overall conference experience.

NGS will stream these lectures live and you will continue to have access for 90 days from the end of the conference (16 August 2015).

Additional details can be found on the NGS Conference website at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/live-streaming/. 

NGS has selected PlayBackNow to broadcast the live sessions and to provide the recorded sessions for later viewing. Instructions for viewing the live streaming will be sent to registrants before 13 May 2015.

Still time to sign up for Live Streaming

Speaker Profile-Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Judy Russell, JD, CG,* CGL*

It’s a basic theme of The Legal Genealogist: to understand the records, we have to understand the law. And not just the law in general, but the law of the time and the place where the records were created. It sounds like it should be easy, until we come face to face with the reality that every family’s records are chock full of legal lingo that can appear utterly baffling to even an experienced genealogist.

Daniel Boone, in D.M. Kelsey, 
Our Pioneer Heroes and Daring Deeds...
(Philadelphia: Scammell & Co., 1888), 194.

So what’s a researcher to do? How does a genealogist figure out what’s meant by a trespass vis et armis? Or what the difference is between debt and detinue, or between assumpsit and covenant? Or what’s meant when the document is a writ of mandamus, or certiorari, or habeas corpus?

That what session T251–"Living With Legal Lingo through the Records of Missouri’s Boone Family," is all about. Come join me Thursday, 4 p.m. and we’ll try to come up with ways to overcome the language barrier we have with legal records. We’re going to use some really fun records – the records of Daniel Boone and Missouri’s Boone family–to explore the ins and outs of the weird lingo of the law, and the resources that can help us all understand the terms and get the most out of the records.


“To the victor go the spoils,” so the saying goes. And the grateful Union rewarded its soldiers and their families with pensions after the Civil War. Some of them, that is, if they could prove they were eligible for a pension.

Ambrotype, Unidentified young soldier in Union 
uniform with bayoneted musket, knapsack, and 
knife, 1861-1865, Library of Congress Prints & 
Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.

Who was eligible, what proof had to be submitted, even how much money was involved changed with time, and it all stemmed from a series of laws passed by the United States Congress starting in 1862. In session S403–"The Law in Yankee Blue: Federal Military Pensions after the Civil War," at 8 a.m. Saturday, we’ll look at the law governing pensions for Union soldiers, their widows, children, and even parents and brothers and sisters. Coupled with Julie Miller’s review of Civil War pension files in session W141, "Anatomy of a Military Pension" at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, you’ll have everything you need to find and use the records of a Union pension.

Photographic copy of ambrotype, Portrait of a 
Confederate soldier?, 1860-1865 [re-photographed 
1961], Library of Congress Prints & Photographs 
Division, Washington, D.C.

But the Confederacy’s loss didn't mean that the soldiers, widows and orphans of the South were left uncared for. Every single former Confederate state — plus the border states of Missouri and Oklahoma — offered some pension or other benefit to former Confederate soldiers or their families, creating a host of records for today’s genealogists to use. We’ll go on in session S413–"The Law in Confederate Grey: State Military Pensions after the War of Northern Aggression," at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, to learn about state laws and pensions for our ancestors on the southern side of the Mason-Dixon line.





 *CG or Certified Genealogist and CGL or Certified Genealogical Lecturer is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified genealogists after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Speaker Profile-Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Exhibitor Profile-Genealogy Gems

Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems (http://www.genealogygems.com) has been delivering top-rated genealogy radio “online, all the time” since 2007. Listeners around the world have downloaded her show over 1.5 million times! Each episode features Lisa’s fun and engaging approach to discovering and sharing family history, along with great tips, resources, and stories.

The Genealogy Gems world includes:

• The flagship free Genealogy Gems podcast, which regularly hosts some of the best-and-brightest names (ex. Lisa Kudrow, Henry Louis Gates) in genealogy news, how-tos and entertainment;
• The Genealogy Gems Premium podcast, with expanded content and in-depth interviews, available by subscription;
• The popular Genealogy Gems Book Club, offering great reads for family history lovers, along with exclusive author interviews;
• A blog packed with the best news, tips, industry-insider commentary, great stories and more;
• Full-length, how-to videos covering Lisa’s most popular topics, including genealogy uses for Google search, Google Earth, Evernote and iPad/tablets; hard drive organization and more, available by subscription;
• Books, e-books, and “cheat sheets” including the brand new second edition of the best seller The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Evernote for Genealogists (Windows and Mac editions), and Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse.

FREE SESSIONS at Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems Booth #620
Visit http://www.genealogygems.com/NGS

Stop by early to see Lisa at Booth #620 and pick up a schedule of free sessions she will hold at her booth throughout the conference and enter the Grand Prize drawing!
 Conference Special: “The Everything Bundle” with all her books and a year’s Premium subscription.

Exhibitor Profile-Genealogy Gems

Exhibitor Profile-The Chicago Genealogical Society

                                                            Booth #418

       •  RESEARCH  •  EVENTS  •  NETWORKING  •  SOCIAL NETWORKING  •  PUBLICATIONS  •

       •  PROJECTS  •  CONTINUING ED  •  “PAYING YOUR GENEALOGY FORWARD”  •

                              Come visit our Windy City Booth #418!

So your ancestors lived in Chicago. Let us help you learn more about them! Free Chicago online resources:

• CGS Website’s Online Resources & Links http://www.ChicagoGenealogy.org/links.html
• CGS Pinterest Research Recommendations Board http://www.pinterest.com/ChicagoGenSoc/
• CGS Blog’s Research, Q&As and Resource Review Posts http://ChicagoGenealogicalSociety.blogspot.com/

Membership to the Chicago Genealogical Society begins at $25 annually (individual) and includes . . .

• Programs of genealogical & historic interest, paid “Chicago Fire Bus Tour,” paid annual Fall seminar and more
• Four issues of the CGS Quarterly, The Chicago Genealogist, containing historical articles on the Chicago area, record abstracts, queries, book reviews, and more
• Eleven monthly newsletters containing upcoming programs, new publications, publications on sale, research hints, and helpful websites
• 10% discount on CGS publications • Free queries in the CGS Quarterly • Free lookups in our publications

           Email: info@ChicagoGenealogy.org
           Blog: http://ChicagoGenealogicalSociety.blogspot.com/
           Eastman's Calendar: http://www.eogn.com/calendar
           Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoGenealogicalSociety
           FamilySearch Wiki: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Chicago_Genealogical_Society
           Mail:  P. O. Box 1160, Chicago, IL, 60690-1160
           Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ChicagoGenSoc
           Twitter: @ChicagoGenSoc   Twitter Hashtag #ChicagoGenSoc
           YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChicagoGenSoc
           Website: http://www.ChicagoGenealogy.org

               Follow Us  •  Like Us  •  Learn From Us  •  Join Us  •  Stay in Contact with Us

Exhibitor Profile-The Chicago Genealogical Society