Those genealogists who missed this EXPO really missed something fun and informative. Let me describe–
- The 1940 census was debuted in class by Marc Olsen, CEO of MyHeritage, the company who first uploaded the 1940 census online completely. And those persons attending the conference who were actually enumerated on the census got a slice of pie to celebrate.
- Paul Adjei came all the way from Ghana to tell us about his oral history project interviewing tribal headmen and local village leaders to preserve stories and data about the ancestors. He dressed in native dress and told of the customs and expectations of those who are interviewed. Adjei also described the recording of births, marriages, and deaths in Ghana and his struggles to interest the government in preservation of the original records in a country where providing daily food was a bigger priority. Two people attended the conference just to hear these presentations because DNA tests showed their origins were from Ghana.
- Oversize pedigree fan charts decorated the classrooms for attendees to check ancestries. Doug Butts an artist and graphic designer, brought many examples for us all to choose from and enjoy checking out.
And this description includes only three elements in this amazing EXPO. NOW on to Oklahoma City and Albuquerque. You can still register for these events 11 April and 13 and 14 April 2012. Check in at http://familyhistoryexpos.comto register. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle