Upcoming Genealogical Conferences

 

The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to rearrange our lives for the foreseeable future. Some of these disruptions are annoying and others give us a chance to "make lemonade" with our continuing genetic genealogy education. 

During a normal winter and spring, I look forward to the following opportunities to meet with colleagues and share learning opportunities about the latest developments in genealogy--particularly genetic genealogy:

The Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) Project Coordinator's conference -- usually in mid November;

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (MTGS) Seminar Annual Seminar -- usually the Saturday before Thanksgiving;

RootsTech -- usually in February; and

Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree with its embedded Genetic Genealogy Conference -- usually in early June. 

I plan my annual travel schedule around these events. This year all of these events are not going to be what I normally expect. It will be disappointing not to have the face-to-face fellowship with colleagues from around the world. However, the rearranged formats for some some of these events offer opportunities to more people to benefit from the presentations that will be presented in virtual format. This will be a relief to travel budgets and still provide some outstanding learning experience to more genealogists.

 

FTDNA Conference

At the moment the FTDNA conference has been indefinitely delayed. 

 

MTGS Seminar

The MTGS Seminar will be offered online with four outstanding presentations. It is coming up very soon but there is still time to register. Register here.

MTGS 32nd Annual Genealogical Seminar
Online-only Event this year
Saturday, November 21, 2020
9:00am - 2:00pm Central Time

While we cannot hold our traditional in-person Seminar this year, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have, as usual, a great panel of speakers for this year's Seminar:

• Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, will present “Samuel Witter vs Samuel Witter: Separating Same Name Soldiers, War of 1812.”
  
  
• Dr. David Dowell, DNA author and past MTGS Board Member, will present “If Grandpa Gave No DNA, Can I Find Out Who Did?”
  
  
• Zachary Keith, Archival Assistant at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, will talk about the Patriot Paths Website at TSLA - GIS Mapping of Revolutionary War Veterans
  
  
• Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist, will introduce us, virtually, to the new Library and Archives building in “Winning the Battle for a New Library and Archives”
  

This year's Seminar is free for current MTGS and THS members, and $10 for non-members, but pre-registration is required.

Non-members who register will automatically receive a 6-month MTGS membership (December 2020 through May 2021), including the Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 issues of the MTGS Journal.

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The Seminar will be conducted online using Cisco WebEx software, provided courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Registered attendees will receive instructions on how to connect via WebEx, prior to the event.

 

RootsTech 2021

The rich offerings of RootsTech, the world's largest genealogical conference, are far too extensive to describe here but can be sampled online 

25 - 27 FEBRUARY, 2021

For the first time ever, the world’s largest family celebration event will be entirely virtual and completely free. Get ready to celebrate shared connections with people from around the world. Connect with friends, your family, your past, and your heritage and homelands—all from the comfort of your home and in your browser.

 

SCGS Jamboree

For the past several years there have been two conferences bundled back to back to accommodate travelers from around the world. The chronologically first has been restricted to genetic genealogy and this has been followed by a more general genealogy conference. This year, since the travel will be virtual, the two conferences will be on adjoining weekends to allow staff to support both more completely and attendees to absorb more completely:

  

I'll be presenting at Jamboree as well as at the MTGS Seminar. I hope you get to attend many of the above sessions.

Uncle Henry's "scholarship"

It is said that if you dig deep enough into the history of any God-fearing family you will find a horse thief. Most of us experienced family historians know that families with only horse thieves to talk about are the boring ones.  

This tale started when Douglas Morris, a 2nd cousin, shared an old family picture: 

I immediately thought I recognized two of the elderly gentlemen in the picture. The one with the bent walking stick appeared to be my sometimes cantankerous great-grandfather Lindsia Dowell (1849-1930). In the middle of the picture was his older brother known as "Uncle John" (1848-1936) by everyone in the family. Technically he was the uncle of my paternal grandfather. But who were the other three siblings? The two ladies were Anna and Mary but which was which? If I really had to guess I would opt for Anna (1855-abt 1935) to be the one on the left and Mary (1859-1941) to be the one on the right. But this is just speculation because the one helping to prop up my great-grandfather appears to me to be slightly older. Do you agree?

This leaves us to identify the third male in the picture. Candidates include Henry (1851-aft 1918), Isaac (1857-1943) and Joel (1861-1943). Two half-brothers also deserve some consideration. Obviously there is more research calling me here. But back to the picture above.

In January 2003 I took this picture with me on a visit to my soon to be nonagenarian dad. He quickly verified what I had already surmised about his grandfather and "Uncle John." However, he could not ID the other three. As snow was being whipped horizontally past his window at the Baptist Home in Northwest Missouri, I tried to prompt his memory. The third man could not be Henry I opined because Henry died in 1902. (Beeler, Flora Maye, A Dowell Family History, 1972.) My dad was then pacing around his room as he racked his brain. He whirled around with a combination of a "struck by lightening" and a "deer caught in the headlights" expression on his face. "Henry didn't die in 1902!" he forcefully asserted. "I've seen Henry and I hadn't been born in 1902." My dad who was not born until 1913 continued, "The reason I'm so sure about this is I still remember the angry expression on my dad's face when Henry came around. He didn't think Henry was a fit influence to be around us children." This was an indelible memory my dad had carried for more than eight decades.

So what is the real story about Henry? It turns out that Henry was a gifted writer -- so gifted that the State of Kansas had awarded him a "scholarship" that covered room and board at its fine institution in Leavenworth. This was the state prison not the federal one about which most of us are more familiar. Henry was a creative writer. OK, forger if you insist.    

My first documentary confirmation of my dad's recollection came in the 1910 US census for Delaware, Leavenworth, Kansas: "Dowell, Henry C., age 59, M, W, MO, NC, NC, inmate in Kansas State Penitentiary." Further research in the Kansas State Archives revealed that this was not his first "scholarship". According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Henry first came to visit September, 1893: 

H. C. Dowell #6641, "P.L.G. P342 SERIES -1

Rec 9/31/93 (2) -- Wilson Co., Breaking from Jail. Pleads guilty, sentence 2 years, farmer, born Sept 14 51 MO NC NC, parents not living, married to Mahala Dowell, Parsons, KS, 2 children, resided in state 10, reads & writes, 1 year in school, first time in prison.

He was further described as "age 42, 5' 11½", complexion fair, greyish brown hair, brown eyes."

By the 1900 US census Henry was back living with Mahala:

Dowell, Henry Head W M Sept 1851 48 M 16     MO TN TN farmer owned mortgaged 40

        Mahaley Wife W F Mch 1858 42 M 16 3 2 OH VA KY

        Claud     Son  W M April 1886 14 S           KS TN OH

        Flossie  Daut  W F Jan   1893   7 S           KS TN OH

OK you eagle eyed genealogists have already noted a couple of things wrong with the documentation. First September only has 30 days and probably that was true even back in 1893. Also the birth location for Henry's parents migrated from North Carolina to Tennessee between 1893 and 1900. I think Mahala was taking charge of the family and is possibly the one giving out this 1900 information.

Wait, there is more. On April Fools Day 1904 Henry returned to Leavenworth:

Dowell, Henry C. #1076, alias Jacob Johnson

SPR 4/04, PL-I, p. 179

Rec. 4/1/04 -- Barton -- Forgery 1st-2nd-14th D  Sentenced Mar 24th, 1904 1-57 yrs, 1-7

                                  Breaking Jail   1-2

did not plead guilty age 52 farmer Sep 14 1851 MO parents born NC OH not living; married to Mahala Dowell, RR 4 Morehead KS, 3 children, owned no property, 30 yrs in state, reads writes, 1 yr. school 2nd time in prison here, this name

  photo #1940

  previous term as prisoner #6641

His description had not changed that much. He was reported to have lost a 1/2 inch of height and his hair was greying further: "5' 11", Light complexion, white hair, brown eyes."

After Henry's first visit to Leavenworth, Mahala took Henry back. But the second time was too much for her. She started telling everyone he died in 1902. That is the source of the incorrect death information in Beeler's book above.

If you didn't catch it the first time, please note that the second intake record above mentions a photo. I had noticed that and contacted the Kansas State Archives about it. The Archives staff found it and we started negotiating. The staff there said they would have to take a picture of the glass images, process them and then decide what kind and size of paper on which they should be printed. Apparently they were not used to getting requests like mine. I decided to cut to the chase and told them to just photograph the glass plates and send me the images electronically. And voile: 

Both my wife and her sister Michele think I'm almost a dead ringer for one of these mugshots. After all Henry is my great granduncle according to my RootsMagic software. According to the Shared Centimorgan table, Henry would be called my great-great-uncle and would be expected to share an average of 420 cM of atDNA with me with a range of 186-713 cM. I knew we shared a yDNA signature but I would not have expected so much atDNA. No wonder we look so much alike.😉

Can you guess which mug they IDed?

Spoiler: My wife of more than 37 years has never seen my bare face and threatens that she would divorce me if she were subjected to that experience.

DNA Day Miracle Boy Turns 6

Last night I had my last bedtime story read to me by a 5 year old grandson. Today he turns 6. Because of current social distancing protocols, this bedtime story was shared through social media. Benj calls these his "Gerald" books. Some of you will know them as Mo Willems' award winning "Elephant and Piggie" series. For the uninitiated among my readers, Gerald is the elephant and apparently the favorite of Benj. Those of you with sharp eyes will see Gerald on my tablet below along with the top of the head of a still 5 year old.

Benj reads "Gerald" book to Papa with a little tech assist from Daddy

Some of you may remember some of the story of how he came to be and why I called him our DNA Day Miracle when he was born in 2014. If you've heard all this before, please indulge a proud Papa as he tells it again.  

My youngest grandson was first DNA tested BEFORE he was implanted into his mom. Since then he has been tested twice via swabs long before they became front page news everyday. He attempted a spit test but quickly demonstrated that he was too young. Every time he was asked to spit, instead he blew his nose. We will try that again very soon.  

A few years ago I tested his two older brothers who where then 7 and 9. When I was discussing the results with them, Noah observed, "If we tested Benj, his results would be more like mine than Simon's." I think his conclusion was based more on observations of phenotype than on genomic data. Never the less, ever eager to encourage interest in genetic genealogy, I made a deal with Noah. If he would follow Benj around for 45 minutes or so and make sure he didn't consume any food or drink, I would swab him to test Noah's hypothesis. Noah kept his part of the bargain and so did I. 

I could understand that based on hair alone, Noah's conclusion had merit. He and Benj shared straight hair and the patented Papa Dowell cowlick. Simon's hair is a little curlier for reasons we will explore below. 

The DNA test results were a revelation to me in one significant regard. Benj only inherited 15% of his atDNA from his maternal grandfather. Prior to this I had bought into the theory that we each inherited 25% of our atDNA from each grandparent. As I was to learn, we inherit 50% of our atDNA from each SET of grandparents but the amount we get from each individual grandparent can vary widely. Benj got 35% from his maternal grandmother. Simon's inheritance was more balanced getting 26% from his maternal grandfather and Noah 22%. Simon also inherited 24.1% of his atDNA from his paternal grandmother -- another potential source of curly hair -- compared to 21.7% for Noah and 22.6% for Benj. A fuller analysis of all this is another story for another day.

More to my main theme today, Benj probably got so little of his atDNA from his maternal grandfather because of his first DNA test when he was an 8 cell embryo. The purpose of that test was to select a healthy embryo that did not carry his maternal grandfather's potentially fatal Brugada gene. 

For those of you who are interested there was a 2 part special blog post that I wrote on DNA Day 6 year ago to explain why that day was so special to our family:

Part 1: Autosomal Dominant Inheritance: Brugada Syndrome.

Part 2: Our DNA Day Miracle.  

In lieu of the traditional birthday party today Benj will be getting a noisy surprise drive by from his friends at 10:30 this morning. I hope Mother Nature cooperates and does not rain on his parade which will go on rain or shine. After the conclusion of that honking and yelling event, Benj will have 6 more "Gerald" books to read with Papa. 

Dowell brothers and nanny observing social distancing [from Grandpa] while Benj warms up to celebrate birthday.

SAVE THE DATE: Requires advanced registration

FREE WEBINAR From SCGS, Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 10:00 AM Pacific

 

When Prussian Grandpa Contributed 
No DNA, Can We Find Out Who Did?

Free Webinar from SCGS

Saturday, May 2, 2020,
10:00 AM (Pacific Time)

Register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5494035707154445314

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION

When three siblings did not receive any DNA from their supposed maternal grandfather, a systematic research plan traced the origin of the biological grandfather. Family oral histories, digital phasing, DNA testing of many extended family members and analysis of xDNA inheritance patterns were needed to find the real source of that missing DNA. It was from Donaghadee, Ireland rather than Prussia.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

David Dowell, PhD, was a librarian for 35 years and a special investigative officer in the USAF for 4 years and has two degrees in history and two in library science. He has researched family histories since the 1960s. His most recent books are NextGen Genealogy: The DNA Connection (2015) and Crash Course in Genealogy (2011). Previously he taught “Genealogy Research” and “Ethics in the Information Age” at Cuesta College and chaired the Genealogy Committee and the Ethics Committee of the American Library Association. He blogs as “Dr. D Digs Up Ancestors” at http://blog.ddowell.com and coordinates three DNA projects.

HANDOUT

A handout will be available shortly before the presentation. A link will be included in a reminder that will be sent the day before the session.

2020 Webinar Times

1^st Saturdays                                   3rd Wednesdays

10:00 AM Pacific                             6:00 PM Pacific

11:00 AM Mountain                        7:00 PM Mountain

12:00 PM Central                            8:00 PM Central

1:00 PM Eastern                              9:00 PM Eastern



ABOUT THE SCGS
JAMBOREE EXTENSION SERIES WEBINARS
A goal of the Southern California Genealogical Society is to offer educational opportunities to genealogists and family history enthusiasts everywhere. The Jamboree Extension Webinar Series helps delivers those opportunities.

COST
The initial webcast of each session is offered to the public free of charge. 

Webinars are archived and available only to SCGS members as a benefit of membership in the society. The webinar archive can be found at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/archive-index.html.

Mukherjee’s The Gene: An Intimate History comes to PBS

Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter yesterday called our attention to a presentation first airing on PBS next Tuesday that should be of interest most of the readers of this blog:

Ken Burns Presents the Gene: An Intimate History will be broadcast on April 7 and 14 on PBS. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., and acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns have collaborated on the new documentary inspired by Mukherjee’s best-selling 2016 book, The Gene: An Intimate History.

The viewing guide on the PBS site gives the following preview:
 

The Gene: An Intimate History has 2 parts

 

“The Gene: An Intimate History” brings vividly to life the story of today’s revolution in medical science through present-day tales of patients and doctors at the forefront of the search for genetic treatments, interwoven with a compelling history of the discoveries that made this possible and the ethical challenges raised by the ability to edit DNA with precision.

PART 1: Dawn of the Modern Age of Genetics

PART 2: Revolution in the Treatment of Disease

This mini-series seems to have two things going for it as far as I'm concerned: Ken Burns and Siddhartha Mukherjee. Denise and I enjoy all the documentaries that Burns produces for PBS. In addition I found The Gene to be a fascinating book when I read it a couple of years ago. We have already set our DVR to record both episodes just to be sure we don't miss them. 

 

Dr. Mukherjee had a very interesting interview on CNN a couple of days ago about the COVID-19 virus. His article, "How Does the Coronavirus Behave Inside a Patient? We’ve counted the viral spread across peoples; now we need to count it within people." was published last week in the New Yorker and will be republished on Monday in the CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES.

I hope you enjoy these presentations as much as I plan to.

Should we CELEBRATE genetic Ethnicity?

Over the years I've been one of the biggest critics of those who put great faith of ethnicity predictions based largely on our autosomal DNA test results. Some market research suggests that a majority of millennials who test do so primarily -- if not exclusively -- to get that information. That is why much if not most of the advertising media is aimed at getting the public to scratching this particular itch. You probably recall the dilemma of deciding whether lederhosen or a kilt are the appropriate attire for the next family reunion.

Those who know me know that I like to wear clothes that have something to say. Recently I was working with Alex Coss of Celebrate DNA™ to finalize the shirt order we had began discussing a few weeks ago at RootsTech. I have long admired the colorful and clean lines of Alex's designs but I couldn't decide which of the ethnicity estimates I have received from various labs I wanted to feature. I finally decided I wanted to go a slightly different direction and list the biggest chunk of DNA from each of the top 5 companies. In each case the "biggest" chunk identified was from the same general geographical area: "Great Britain, Ireland", "British Isles", "England, Wales","British & Irish" or "English". Alex was very accommodating of my idiosyncrasies.

Alex Coss' depiction of my 5 current ethnicity predictions.

At first blush these results seem greatly at odds with each other. However, closer examination suggests the results have a basic similarities. Since each company has it's own proprietary algorithm and method of conducting population studies, the bottom three have a certain similarity. One must understand how far back in history each company is trying to measure ancestral migration. 500 years? 5,000 years? 20,000 years? Those who tested several years ago with the National Genographic Project are used to seeing these longer time frames. My Genographic results were a little different than the more current ones above and with good reason. The projected timeline was much longer:

My closest ethnicity prediction by the Genographic project.

My second closest population according to Genographic.

But the attention span of most of us does not extend that far back. Those of us who are now North Americans are primarily interested on where our ancestors were living just before they boarded boats to immigrate here. Generally that is only one to four centuries ago. Even over that short timeline, national borders have changed and ancestors have migrated over the decades before they got to their ports of departure.

Fortunately these ethnicity predictions have been getting better as population geneticists learned more and testing companies improved their projection algorithms. Genetic genealogy is still a new and our learning curve is still steep. By the time some of you read this, my shirt may be out-of-date. FTDNA has announced that it will soon be updating its projections. Your can see a sneak preview of what to expect by reading Roberta Estes' post last month about what we can expect when myOrigins 3.0 is rolled out. Fortunately, when this happens we generally do not have to line up and retest. The reports of results from our original tests are just updated to reflect the new and hopefully more accurate predictions. In my case it may not significantly alter the results as shown on my new shirt; but who knows, I may be in for a surprise.

Below is what the shirt Alex created for me looks like. Read it quickly before the data is obsolete! Thanks Alex, I really like the shirt and my wife does too.

My shirt created by Celebrate DNA

Virtual Pass Schedule and FREE Live Streams for RootsTech 2020

Live Streaming Sessions

I hope many of you will be able to join me at #RootsTech in four weeks in Salt Lake City. If you are there I hope we get a chance to meet. If you are not able to work this into your travel schedule, the live streaming schedule has now been announced. For four days from Wednesday, February 26 to leap day on Saturday, February 29 you will be able to watch live at least five sessions from where ever else you are. Several of the best programs will be live streamed FREE of charge but you must register to get login information. These will include presentations by recognized experts on a wide variety of genealogical topics. Also celebrity key notes are included:

Virtual Pass Classes

Even if you are able to be in Salt Lake City, you may want to multiply your number of learning experiences and your options by purchasing a Virtual Pass. This will allow us to attend one session live and others from that same time slot at a later time. The 30 sessions covered by this pass will be available for a year after you have been notified they are available. This pass is available for $129 (US) if you are not attending the conference and for only $79 as an add on if you are already registered for RootsTech. A list of the presentations covered by this pass are available on the Virtual Pass page.   

Virtual Pass Classes (Beyond the Free Streaming classes)

Resources for Tracing Mayflower Ancestors – Lindsay Fulton, Donald LeClair, Ginevra Morse

2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the crossing of the Mayflower. With an estimated 35 million descendants worldwide, people are curious to learn if their family has a connection to the Pilgrims. Don't reinvent the wheel! Learn about published resources, online databases, and collaborative projects that will make finding your link to the Mayflower easier than ever before.

Accreditation: What, Why, and How – Diana Elder, Jenny Hansen, Lisa Stokes

Have you considered going through the Accreditation process to earn a professional genealogy credential? What does the process entail? Why would you want to explore this endeavor? How can you get started? We’ll satisfy your curiosity in this fast-paced and fun overview of Accreditation through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen).

Challenges of Jewish Research: Names, Dates, Places – Janette Silverman

Jewish genealogical research has unique challenges. It is often very difficult to determine our Eastern European ancestors’ names because the spelling is inconsistent after immigration. The places they were born or resided are also recorded in various ways, and determining where the places were is often elusive. Dates are also often inconsistent and seem to change from document to document. This presentation will discuss and describe some of the challenges and resources that will aid in resolving the inconsistencies. This session will take a brief look at each of these areas: how to identify the names of ancestors, how to figure out where they came from, and how to understand dates.

What do you mean the vital record is wrong? – Shannon Combs-Bennett

Records, even official ones, can be wrong. When evidence raises more questions than answers, an exhaustive search must be conducted. But how? This lecture will cover how mistakes can be made in official records and how to use the GPS to create proof narratives for your records and will conclude in a case study about identifying the correct paternity of August Jahnke even when no vital record states it.

Essential Tools for the Hobbyist Genealogist – Olivia Jewell

You’ve got the passion, but what about the time? Come learn the latest tools that can make your family history frequent and fantastic. In this class you will learn sneaky ways to incorporate family history into the busy moments of life using your best friend—your smartphone. Work on family history on the go, at the game, at the doctor’s office, waiting in line at the airport, or in your few minutes of sanity at the end of the day. We’ll discuss some great apps and tools designed for on-the-go family history.

Kicking DNA up a Notch to Unmask Unknown Ancestors – Roberta Estes

Confirming known ancestors is great, but are you ready to kick it up a notch? Learn techniques utilizing various vendor and third party tools and analysis techniques to suggest previously unknown ancestors. Make your DNA tell its story and knock down those pesky brick walls in your tree.

Finding My Story: Adoption and Family History – Amie Tennant  Adopted persons sometimes have a difficult time putting together their personal family history. Though they may know about their adoption family lines, they may have big gaps in their birth family lines. Do you long to learn more about your birth family history? In this lecture, we will first discuss how an adoptee might prepare mentally to begin their journey of finding their birth family and history. Next, we will talk about the first steps to finding information that may include, but is not limited to, petitioning the courts, DNA testing, and the use of social media to put together the story of you.

10 Years Later: 20 Ways RootsTech Changed Our World – D. Joshua Taylor

As RootsTech celebrates its 10th year, take a look at the incredible advancements in family history that came about through the world’s largest family history event. This session will include comments and notes from professional genealogists, technologists, and other industry leaders.

Ancestry Search Tips & Tricks – Crista Cowan

Discover how to make the most of your searches on Ancestry.com from Crista Cowan.

Oral History for Beginners: Interviewing Is Key – Rachel Trotter, Rhonda Lauritzen

Asking the right questions is the best way to get started telling your own story or that of someone you love, but sometimes it can be the biggest stumbling block. What do you ask? How do you record it? What do you need to know? This class will go over the basics of the best interview, recording, and transcription. You will come away with a skill set to start writing your own stories (because you have to interview yourself to write your own story) or that of a loved one. Easy and practical tips will also be shared on the best recording and transcription methods. We will role-play practical application of the interview process and what to do if things don’t go as planned.

Report for Duty: Find Stories of Veteran Ancestors – Lindsay Fulton, David Lambert, Melanie McComb

Throughout American history, brave men and women have answered the call to serve our country and defend our families. Many of us can claim these courageous citizens as our ancestors. But how do we learn more about their service? Finding their stories is a way to connect with and honor their memory and military service. In this session NEHGS experts will provide you with the tools, tips, and strategies for learning about your ancestors who served in the Civil War (David Allen Lambert), World War I (Lindsay Fulton), and World War II (Melanie McComb).

The Leeds Method: Grouping DNA Matches to Identify Shared Ancestors – Dana Leeds

Have you taken a DNA test but need help identifying your DNA matches? Are you frustrated with matches who don’t have trees or won’t answer your questions? The Leeds Method is a free tool that requires no previous knowledge of DNA or your DNA matches. It creates DNA match groups or clusters, with each person in a cluster likely being descended from a common shared ancestor. This method, which can be done on a spreadsheet or piece of paper, often creates four clusters representing four grandparent lines. It can help you work on a specific line with a specific research question such as an unknown great grandparent, an unknown biological parent, or a brick wall.

Finding Your England Ancestors Online – Jana Greenhalgh

A wealth of records exists to help us research our families from England, and many records are available online! This beginning-to-intermediate class will cover basic English research methods and provide an overview of the valuable records that are most useful to genealogists. And because it's wonderful and convenient to research at home, the focus will be on records that are accessible on the internet.

The 2020 Genealogist’s Google Search Methodology – Lisa Louise Cooke

It’s a new decade, so if you think you know how to Google, think again! Technology moves rapidly, and keeping our search skills updated and sharp is key to genealogical online research success. In this session Lisa Louise Cooke, author of the book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox lays out her proven Google search methodology updated for 2020. You’ll learn the process that is guaranteed to dramatically improve your genealogical searching with Google and its associated tools and get up to speed on the latest and best search innovations.

German Vital Records: Finding the Clues You Need – Katherine Schober

Learn how to discover the wealth of information German vital records contain—even if you don't speak German! In this session, we will examine three standard vital record forms (birth, marriage, death) in detail, teaching you exactly where you can find the information you so ardently seek: names, parents’ names, occupations, hometowns, witnesses, and more. We will also discuss the incredible tools and resources available to make deciphering these specific forms much easier.

British & Irish Research: The Differences – Brian Donovan

Brian will give an overview of the key differences between researching in Britain and Ireland. Because of administrative and cultural similarities, there can be an assumption that research is also similar. However, the differences in records kept and their survival, coupled with historical and cultural distinctions, make Ireland a unique challenge to most genealogy enthusiasts. Brian will touch on the:

• Key historic differences.
• Administrative/geographic divisions.
• Destruction of records and what survives.
• Census, BMD, and parish registers.
• Land ownership and occupation records.
• Security records.
• Poor Relief records.
• And much more, providing a firm foundation to get started.

Gathering the Life Stories of Living Generations – Deborah Abbott, Sunny Morton, Jay Newton-Small

Capturing the memories of living loved ones is a unique opportunity. It’s not genealogy research and it’s not your personal history; it’s what lies between. It’s an opportunity to learn more about your older relatives and also gain access to their living memories about relatives who have died. But interviewing and recording these stories can be challenging. There’s a delicate balance between truth-discovering and managing family relationships. This session will offer different perspectives on how to capture these life histories and also different ways you can share them.

A 5 Company Comparison of DNA Ethnicity Results – Diahan Southard

In the early days of DNA testing, we were excited to be able to tell the difference between European and Asian. But advances in both technology and database size are leading to an unprecedented level of clarity in our history and origins. Learn a bit about how these estimates are made and about how each of our five major DNA testing companies are doing things a little bit differently. Learn which company can offer the best estimates for different areas of the world and which company is offering the best tools to utilize your ethnicity results in your family history research.

Any French ancestors? Research them yourself! – Muriele Gadaut, Jerome Malhache

If you have French ancestors, do not panic! Before calling for help or coming to France, start by working your genealogy at home. You can do it through associative databases, commercial sites, or public archives’ portals. In practice you will use all these sources, but, according to the data you use to start your research, you may find it more useful to begin using one or the other. It is still necessary to know that they exist and what they offer. And then, when you have to dive into the handwritten archives, which can be complicated to read and understand, you can call a professional genealogist. It’s simple, effective, and economical.

Super Tools: Research Plans and Logs – Heather Murphy

Have you ever sat down to work on family history and spent too much time trying to remember what you were doing and what records you had searched? Research plans and logs are some of the best time-saving and organizational tools in genealogy. Learn how to keep track of what you want to accomplish and plan the steps to meet your goals. This presentation will cover many options to stay organized, from pen and paper to spreadsheets and databases. Not only do plans and logs save you time, they help you have greater success. Whether you come back to your research the next day or the next year, you can easily pick up your project right where you left off.

Using the Online Scandinavian Church Records – Jenny Hansen

Did you know that actual research of your Nordic ancestors can be done on your home computer? Recent record digitization for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden puts images of the Church records at your fingertips. See how this new access can change your life—genealogically speaking, of course!

Geography of the British Isles: A Crash Course! – Myko Clelland

Britain can seem confusing. Are your ancestors from England, Britain, or the UK? How can they be from the British Isles but have never set foot in England, Wales, Scotland, or Ireland? Why are my relatives from one county only found in records from another? Questions like this can make it difficult to know where to look for answers to genealogy mysteries! Join Myko Clelland, Findmypast’s resident British genealogist, as we delve deeper into the often confusing Church & Civil administrative boundaries that have appeared and disappeared through the ages. We’ll better understand where British records can be found, how they work, and how to better pick out matches that may not be all that they seem.

Y-DNA Basics for Genealogy & Parentage – Gale French

This presentation teaches the basics of Y-DNA testing. It covers tools used to assist with the matching process and what to do if there are surprises. The Y-DNA test offers males a clear path from you to a known or likely direct paternal ancestor. The course will also show how women can use the test by recruiting a father, brother, cousin, or uncle to do the test.

The First Documented Africans and Hear Their Story – Ric Murphy

They were captured in Angola and enslaved by the Portuguese in January 1619. They were intended to be enslaved when they were to arrive at their designated port of call in Vera Cruz, New Spain. They were kidnapped a second time on the high seas and brought to the shores of English North America on August 25, 1619. More than “20 and Odd” Angolans came as unknown individuals destined to be enslaved but persevered and ended as wealthy land owners, procurers of English headrights, respected officers in the colonial government. Now meet for the first time the first documented Africans in English North America. Learn their names, remarkable stories, and present-day genealogical importance.

DNA Clusters: Power in Numbers – Randy Whited

While using shared DNA matches has long been a mainstay of genetic genealogy, new tools and techniques have recently come to the forefront. From the Leeds method and color coding matches to automatic clustering applications found in DNA Gedcom or Genetic Affairs, we can now better work our matches collectively. This has the power for deeper analysis, to identify patterns and common ancestry, and to develop new lines of research. Learn how to tackle the overwhelming number of DNA matches and better target your DNA work.

Engaging the Family in Telling Your Family Story – Nicole Dyer, Jana Greenhalgh, Olivia Jewell

Let’s get creative—instead of just telling the stories ourselves, we’ll explore modern tools that will make it fun to engage family members of all ages in the process of gathering and telling your family story. If you’ve felt the nag to get your family more involved, this is a can’t-miss class. Learn from three busy moms who know what it means to get family involved.

FamilySearch Records: The Most Valuable Collections for your Family History – David Ouimette

Discover the breadth and depth of the record holdings freely available on FamilySearch.org, including the record collections of greatest value for your family history. We will explore the FamilySearch treasure trove and show you how to get the most out of the records of your ancestors.

Three Next Steps for Your DNA Test – Diahan Southard

Autosomal DNA is a flexible, information-rich test that has most people left wondering what the next steps should be. While everyone’s genealogical brick wall may be different, the steps to utilizing DNA successfully are the same. We start with what we know, we gather new information, and then we do genealogy. Lots and lots of genealogy! Come to this class with your questions and leave inspired and confident that you can use DNA to find the answers.

Not in the Census? Try again! – Drew Smith

Not everyone recorded in a census is easy to find on first inspection. In this session, attendees will learn tips and techniques to locating those ancestors who require additional effort. The session will cover a quick bit of U.S., UK, and Canadian census history; the idea that some individuals were counted two or more times in the same census, or sometimes entirely missed; and the pitfalls of enumeration, transcription, and indexing. Attendees will learn some clever searching techniques beyond the obvious methods, how to find individuals who are not where they are expected to be, and how to use browsing instead of searching for the tough situations.

Locating Your Immigrant’s Hometown – Debbie GurtlerStruggling to trace your ancestor to their homeland? Learn about a myriad of U.S. sources that may contain that treasured piece of information—the name of your ancestor’s hometown. Learn record types you might find when you get there and how to find help once you get there.

Genetic Genealogy identifies parent of fetus?

If you are looking for a medical science fiction thriller, Genesis may be of interest. This would be particularly true if you are a fan of Robin Cook from reading some of his earlier thirty or so medical crime novels. Published last month Genesis can stretch your mind a bit about the potential of genetic genealogy to solve crimes and not just cold crimes.

If you are not familiar with Cook's genre, he takes an emerging technology and fictionalizes its use or abuse when applied to medical practice. For example about five years ago he wrote Cell about using cell phones to advance personalized health care.  

In Genesis his protagonist is a brilliant but antisocial pathology resident who stumbles into genetic genealogy as she tries to identify a killer who has attempted to cover his tracks by masking them as fentanyl laced opioid overdoses. Armed only with Blaine Bettinger's The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genealogy and Tamar Weinberg's The Adoptee's Guide to DNA Testing: How to Use Genetic Genealogy to Discover Your Long-Lost Family she steamrolls in search of her killer who may be the father of a 10 week old fetus discovered during the autopsy of his mother.

From Cook's epilogue:

“Let’s look on the bright side,” he said.”

“I’m having trouble seeing the bright side,” Laurie said.

“It seems that you and Aria Nichols have added genetic genealogy to the forensic grab bag of tricks to make it possible to construct a perpetrator’s genome. If that’s not a bright side, I don’t know what is.”

That's enough of a spoiler.