Topics for Salt Lake City Family History EXPO, 27-28 Aug 2010, South Town EXPO Center, Sandy Utah:
How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records in the Southern US: Do these records exist before 1840? Where are they found? Now you have a genealogy “easy button” to document missing parents’ names. Identify missing maiden names. Fill in the gaps on your genealogy charts with complete dates. Extend your Southern ancestry with best evidence.
American Migration Patterns: “Migration patterns allow you to expand your perspective so you will spot things of significance you might otherwise miss and you will gather more proof from the sources you search. One important observation is that men tend to marry young women on the opposite side of the river from where they reside–recording marriages in counties you would not usually search.” Antique Week, 17 July 1988. What other considerations do you need to know? How do you find the migration patterns for your own ancestors?
Close to Home: Genealogy Resources in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. You can find key genealogy documents, databases, and printed books in libraries and archives close to home–Save time, money, and precious natural resources while tracking your hard-to-find ancestors close to home!
Tennessee and Kentucky: Twin Gateways to the American South. New genealogy research strategies and sources identify Southern families. How to tie your “lost” ancestor into the right family. TN and KY are difficult places to research–because vital records are non-existent or they begin too late. Ancestors often pass-through these states on the way to some place else. Break your losing streak! Come discover what’s new in Southern research.
Topics for California Family History EXPO, 8-9 October 2010
Land and Property Records–Part I: Southern Land Records: State-by-State. Consider: when the courthouse burns, how do you prove father-son relationship? Since 393 Southern courthouses have suffered loss of records from fire, flood, storm, chaos or destruction of war, and official carelessness, how do you prove a pedigree? Property ownership is of sufficient importance to every level of jurisdiction, and always has been that essential, property records make up the most consistent, most reliable, most provable record category of all.
Part II: Little-Known and Under-Used Land and Property Records. If you have been seeking your hard-to-find ancestor for 15-20 years–its time you had an “easy button.” Searching the same records other researchers have checked, hoping for a different answer usually doesn’t work. Learn about property sources and records that others before you have not used. For the first time, solve your research problems.
How to Trace the Common Man Through Congressional Records. The Constitution guarantees all American citizens the right to petition the government for help in time of need. Our ancestors exercised this right frequently; we seldom do. Examination of petitions and their accompanying papers in detail: military pensions, bounty awards, American Indian rights, alien lists, court documents, and many more. Prove Revolutionary service, identify migration patterns, and learn names of re-married women on your pedigree.
Evaluation and Analysis of Genealogical Evidence. Or, how do I prove my records are correct? Collecting, compiling, matching evidence so your records are both documented and proven. Resolve discrepancies, document family traditions, by-pass record-source failure, and use “slips of the tongue” evidence wisely.
And I am one of many speakers who will address how to locate your hardest-to-find ancestors. My time is always free to attendees–to ask whatever questions, about whatever ancestors you need help with. So please come–the vendor’s hall is free and there are also free training classes for Family History Consultants conducted by FamilySearch personnel.
Attend one or both. And don’t forget to bring your pedigree charts and family groups, so we can discuss them together. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS And be sure to tune in, I blog live from each EXPO.
PPS And remember that I am going to do research in Tennessee and Kentucky before the FGS Conference in Knoxville TN. If you have a research problem there, let me take a crack at it while I am onsite.