Georgia Family History Expos-The Exhibitors

It didn't seem like there were as many exhibitors as there was last year, but there were still some good ones. Two local businesses were there doing giveaways, one for a Mercedes Smart Car and one for a $250 Home Depot Gift Card. I had their names wrote down, but can't seem to find them right now.

The Mercedes Smart Car. Isn't it cute? I had to enter the drawing.

FamilySearch was also there. I have to talk about them. One of my genealogy puzzles is my husband's paternal line. They came from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which broke up a few years later and the land has changed hands and names a few times since then. Even though I had the birthplaces for both the parents and children from their naturalization record, I wasn't having much luck finding information on those localities or records for the family.

After speaking to one of the people at the exhibit, they recommended I talk to Tamra Stansfield, the German Research Consultant who also works in International Research. She was apparently very popular because it took me stopping by a couple times and waiting for a bit before I could talk to her.

While she wasn't familiar with the area, she did manage to come up with a few books at the Family History Library that might be helpful for me. Since they weren't available online, she suggested I post a lookup request on the FamilySearch Forums. For some reason, the forums wouldn't let me in so she gave me her card and said for me to email her and she would look it up herself once she got back. Now that's service.

Another helpful exhibit that I have to give props to is the Ask the Pros booth. I spoke to Billy Edgington there. I asked her about my family that disappeared for 20 years and she gave me some things to try. I also asked her about my husband's family and she recommended someone else at the Family History Library for me to talk to. 

I also got to meet Lisa Louise Cooke of the Genealogy Gems Podcast. I checked out the other exhibitors including Elise Friedman of FamilyTreeDNA, the Georgia Genealogical Society, the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (Metro Atlanta Chapter) and Genealogy Book Printing.

I learned about two new (to me anyway) sites that could be helpful in genealogy. The first was JustAJoy, a service that matches family heirloom held by antique dealers or collectors with family members. They have items for over 40,000 families. It's free to search for items related to your surname, but you have to have a subscription to the site ($20 for a year at the time of this post) to get the contact information for the person or business that has the item. I do want to note that while there are some items offered for free, some require purchase.

The other new to me site was AGES-Online. It appears to be an online-based family tree builder. Since it is online-based, it can go wherever you have an internet connection. So rather than bring your laptop to the library, you can sit down at one of the computers there, sign in to the site and attach facts and sources to your tree on the spot. As of the time of this post, it's free to try for 30 days, after which a subscription is required to continue using the service. They do have varying subscription levels so you can find the one that best fits your needs and budget.

Last but not least was the books. I'm a book lover. My genea-cave currently serves as my personal library as well and I have five bookcases lined up along one wall. I really need a couple more. Every shelf is full of books and some shelves are even double stacked. Needless to say, I had to check out the book exhibits, which included Family Roots Publishing andWolf's Head Books.

I ended up buying a 38 generation ahnentafel wall chart and three books. They were out of the charts so I'll have to wait for it to be shipped. Like the name implies, it covers 38 generations of ancestors from a single couple. It has room for details on the first 9 generations; the remainder of the generations only have space for the names. Once it arrives and I get it filled out, I'll frame it and hang it in my genea-cave surrounded by family pictures.

The three books I chose were Georgia Genealogical Research, Indiana Genealogical Research and Virginia Genealogical Research. Each book contains an overview of the state, available record types and where they can be found and county listings, which includes information on the formation of the county, available records and libraries in the area. I probably would have bought more of these books, but couldn't find any more on the state I'm interested in.

Georgia Genealogical Research, Indiana Genealogical Research and Virginia Genealogical Research, all by George K. Schweitzer

I did check their website once I got home and saw that they do have some books available for other states. Since I like the books, I think I'll start buying all of the ones available, even if I don't need them for my personal research. They will still be helpful for the genealogy reference library I'm building for when I start working as a professional genealogist.

Georgia Family History Expo Day 2

The second day of the Georgia Family History Expo went much smoother for me. I arrived early enough to check out some more exhibits before sessions started.

Even though I usually avoid having my picture taken, I promised my little girl I'd get one of me at the expo. A very nice expo attendee from Louisiana took it for me. Now you can put a face to the person you've been reading.

My first session of the day was Special Sources for Confederate Research at Nara with Robert S Davis. At first the classroom didn't have many people and I was beginning to think not many people wanted to fess up to the fact our ancestors were on the losing side. But then people started pouring in. Apparently it was popular with geneabloggers because Valerie Craft, Tonia Kendrick and Linda McCauley were there as well.

I learned that these particular records are at only the main National Archives in Washington, D.C. not the regional ones. They are supposed to be sending them to St. Louis in the near future. If you happen to be in Alabama, Wallace State College also has the records on microfilm. One thing to remember is that NARA doesn't have all of the military records. Some can only be found at state archives. This was a great session with an amazing speaker and I picked up several tips to use on my ancestors.

I had originally planned to take The Campaigns Forgotten: American Wars after the American Revolution and before the Civil War Records at NARA for my second session, but switched to Newspapers: Find the Details about Your Family with Thomas Jay Kemp of GenealogyBank. A lot of the material was familiar to me already. I've worked in the newspaper industry and used them before in my research.

I did pick up something new though. When researching for newspaper articles of our ancestors, we tend to look in only their local paper. However, articles about them are sometimes found in newspapers farther away. I definitely need to widen my newspaper search to see what I might have missed in earlier searches. Session attendees also got a special subscription rate so I'm going to check into what newspapers they have available to see if it's worthwhile for me to subscribe.

My third session was Using the Genealogical Proof Standard and US Census Records as a Foundation for Creating an Effective Research Plan with Teicha Hill Milhes. This was my first time attending one of her lectures and I found her to an excellent presenter. She really connected with the audience. She gave a good overview of her method for creating a research plan, what she dubbed the "Law & Order" Approach.

I feel a lot more comfortable with creating research plans now and can't wait to put what I learned to practice. One thing she reminded us, which bears reminding to anyone that researches genealogy, is that census records are not always right. She used a census record of her family to illustrate one of the most error-filled census records I have saw thus far. It had siblings of the household head listed as his children, children of his sister listed as his children and his mother listed as a male.

For my last session, I had originally planned to attend Flames Over the Courthouse with Leland Meitzler. I attended one of his sessions last year and was impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm. However, it appears he wasn't able to make it because that session was dropped from the syllabus when I checked it before I left home.

I was going to substitute Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands with Joan E Healey. However, I decided to skip the last session in favor of visiting Ask the Pros and FamilySearch to get some clues on a couple problems I had run into with my tree. I'm happy to say I now have a couple new avenues to try.

Last of the day was the closing ceremonies. That held a bit of a surprise for me. When Family History Expos President Holly Hansen was talking about her family, I heard a name that sounded somewhat familiar. I'm going to have to do some research to make sure I'm right, but if I am, we have a common ancestor. As with last year, I didn't win anything, but I still had a great time and I'm looking forward to next year's expo.

Georgia Family History Expo: Day 1

This was my second time attending the Georgia Family History Expo so I knew what to expect. Like last year's expo, though, I ran into a problem early on. Last year, I overslept, missed an exit and ran into construction, which made me late for the opening speeches.

This year, I scheduled the possibility of delays into my drive time, giving myself an extra half hour cushion in case I hit traffic. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. A mile before I exited I-285 to get on I-85, traffic came to a standstill. It took half an hour for me to go the one mile to my exit.

Once I reached the exit, traffic picked up a tiny bit, but it was another five or six miles before we finally got past the wreck and two stalled cars that were holding things up. When I finally arrived, the opening ceremony was over. By the time I got my registration packet and checked out a few exhibits, it was time for the first session.

My first session of the day was Researching North and South Carolina-the people, the records, the jurisdictions with Dr. Arlene Eakle. I had attended a couple of her sessions as last year's expo and was impressed by the wealth of her knowledge so I was looking forward to hearing some more from her. This year's sessions (yes I took more than one of hers again) were no exception.

For those that attended last year's sessions and were wondering about the handouts, she did mention that there was a delay in sending them, but they would be going out in the next few weeks with an added bonus for the wait. For the session on the Carolinas, she touched on the various cultures that settled there and characteristics of those cultures that could help with researching them. Then she gave a breakdown of the differences in records between the two states. There was a lot more, but you really need to attend one of her lectures to get the full benefit.

Next up was Finding English/Welsh Ancestors with Kathy Warburton of FamilySearch. She talked about the various records available for researchers and gave several websites where they could be found. One thing that was new to me was that on the 1841 census, ages were rounded down to the nearest 5 for anyone over 15. So if your ancestor appeared in the census as age 35, they could actually be anywhere from 35 to 39.

Gwinnett Center around dusk. It was quite beautiful.

My third session of the day was another with Dr. Eakle, Georgia Land Records. Even though I have lots of Georgia ancestors on my maternal line, I haven't really explored land records so this was an eye-opening session for me with most of the information being new to me. One thing that I found interesting was that Georgia had some unique rules when it came to headrights.

The last session of the day was The Clothesline Approach to Documentation and Analysis. Even though I have read DearMyrtle's blog for a while now, I've never had the opportunity to hear her speak before now. I thoroughly enjoyed her session. She's very friendly and down to earth. Thanks to her lecture, I got a better understanding of how much credibility to give various documents.  I also learned that even somewhat unique family heirlooms have a place in our genealogy and should be cited.

After the final session, I went to the hotel, which thankfully was very close. Even though I'm a trucker's daughter and, in theory, should have a genetic sense of direction, I have a knack for taking wrong turns. I always manage to get myself back on track, but sometimes it takes a while. The hotel was very easy to find. After pulling out of the parking lot at the Gwinnett Center and turning left, go over the speed bump, hang a left and go up the hill to the hotel on the right.

On the way to my room, I bumped into Linda McCauley and talked to her for a minute in the elevator. After checking in with my family (who didn't end up coming with me after all), a light supper and reading for a bit to unwind, I snuggled into bed to rest up for day two.

The hotel room at Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center

It's a good thing I brought Pepsi with me. Not only did the convention center have Coca-Cola products, but so did the hotel. You think there's any chance I can talk Family History Expos into having one in North Carolina, which is the birthplace of Pepsi?

Planning for the Expo: Final Choices

I've been struggling for the last month to narrow my session choices down. As much as I would like to be able to, I just can't be in more than one session at a time. After much debate, I've narrowed it down to one session per time. As always, these are subject to change without notice.

November 11th
2:00 PM

• Opening Keynote Address

3:30 PM

• Researching North and South Carolina-the people, the records the jurisdictions

4:50 PM

• Finding Your English/Welsh Ancestors

6:30 PM

• Georgia Land Records

7:50 PM

• The Clothesline Approach to Documentation and Analysis

November 12th
10:00 AM

• Special Sources for Confederate Research in NARA

11:20 AM

• The Campaigns Forgotten: American Wars after the American Revolution and before the Civil War Records in NARA

1:10 PM

• Using the Genealogical Proof Standard and US Census Records as a Foundation for Creating an Effective Research Plan

2:30 PM

• Flames Over the Courthouse

3:50 PM

• Closing Keynote Address

If anyone would like to meet up at the Expo, tweet @freefamilytree to let me know and we'll make plans. I'll be checking in throughout the Expo.

What I'm Taking to the Expo

I'll be leaving soon for the Georgia Family History Expo in Duluth, GA. This will be my second time attending this particular genealogy conference. I learned a lot last year about what I needed to take and what I needed to leave at home. This year I'm taking:

A messenger bag

Last year, I carried a backpack. While it worked great for carrying everything, it was heavy and killed my back. It was also bulky, which made navigating through the crowds and finding space to store it in some sessions difficult. In a couple sessions, I ended up having to put it on the floor in front of me and prop my feet on it. Thankfully, I'm short; otherwise I would have had my knees up around my chin.

Using a smaller bag will force me to limit what I take with me so weight won't be as much of an issue. The smaller size will also make it easier to move through crowds of people and should fit easily underneath my chair while I'm in sessions.

My portfolio

I have a leather portfolio that I received as a gift when I graduated high school. Eleven years later, I'm still using it. On one side it has an address book, a calculator, space to hold three pens, two slots for business cards, and a couple pockets for holding miscellaneous papers. The other side holds a legal pad. I used the portfolio at last year's expo and it was great. It gave me a place to hold my printouts from the syllabus and business cards I had printed up; contained the handouts, business cards and fliers I received at the conference; and gave me a hard surface for taking notes.

A tablet (hopefully)

When I attended last year's conference, I wanted my research files on hand in case I ran into a possible connection. At the time, I had one huge binder for all my files so I added it to my backpack. It was extremely heavy and definitely contributed to the strain on my back, neck and shoulders. I'm in the process of finding a tablet so I can load my files on it and carry it instead.

If I don't get a tablet in time, I'll take our Ipod Touch and load a genealogy app on it. While it has a much smaller screen, it will serve the same purpose as the tablet and won't add much weight. The tablet or Ipod will also allow me to tweet from the conference. While I did tweet using my phone last year, I prefer a bigger screen than the one my phone has.

My camera

I actually took my camera with me last year, but for some reason never took a single picture. When I got home and went to write about my experience at my first ever genealogy conference, I was kicking myself because I didn't have pictures to memorialize what was an amazing experience for me. The camera is coming with me again this year and it will be used.

My Flip-Pal (maybe)

I'm a book lover. I currently have five bookcases set up in my home, all full of books, and I actually need a couple more bookcases so I can unpack the rest of my books. So any exhibit that has books is at the top of my list when I visit the exhibit hall. I came across a couple books last year that had information that would be helpful in my research. Unfortunately, my budget wasn't enough to buy them so I resorted to jotting down the titles and authors and hoping my local library had a copy (they didn't).

I'm debating about bringing my Flip-Pal this year. If I only need a page or two of a particular book, the Flip-Pal will allow me to scan just what I need, rather than breaking my budget buying an entire book or set of books when I only actually need a few pages.

I also have tentative plans to meet with a cousin that lives nearby while I'm in the area. This cousin has been researching our family for over ten years and has amassed a lot of photographs and documents, many of which I don't have. If I take the Flip-Pal, I can scan the ones I'm interested in.

My migraine medicine

I never leave home without it. Even though I'm aware of my triggers and avoid them whenever possible, occasionally a migraine will strike for no apparent reason. If I wait too long to take my medicine or don't have it to take, I can easily be laid up for several days until it abates. After saving all year to be able to attend the conference, I would hate to miss it, not to mention have the added cost of a longer hotel stay.

Hard candy

In the cooler months, I frequently have a cough and/or tickle in my throat due to the dry heat provided by heating systems. Sucking on candy will help keep my mouth and throat moist so I don't have to leave a session because I'm coughing and miss out on learning needed information.

Snacks and drinks

I learned last year that conference food is expensive. The selection is also very limited. Since it was in Georgia, birthplace of Coca-Cola, the convention center only had Coke products in the machines. I'm a die-hard Pepsi addict so I had to leave and go to a nearby store to get my caffeine fix. This year I'm packing some crackers, cereal/energy bars and my Pepsi so if I get hungry or thirsty, I have something on hand. I'm also going to have a small cooler in the car so I can replenish if I run low.

A long sleeved button down shirt

When I was researching what to bring with me last year, one suggestion I saw a lot was to bring a sweater or jacket because some classrooms may be cold. I ended up putting one of my light jackets in my backpack and put a heavier one in the car in case the light jacket wasn't enough. As it turns out, my light jacket worked a little too well. In the classrooms that were cold, I would put the jacket on, only to have to take it off a little while later because I got hot.

This year, I'm switching to a long sleeved button down shirt, one of my husband's flannel shirts that I swiped borrowed. It's not as bulky so it won't take up as much space in my bag and should be warm enough without being hot. Plus it has the added benefit of smelling like him, which, as many women will tell you, is the reason we like wearing our men's clothing.

Some of my family (Maybe)


When my sisters and I were young, my mom started tracing her side of the family. She ended up stopping because she had so much going on, she didn't have the time to devote to it. She has given me a lot of information on her side of the family and she loves hearing about what I have uncovered. Now that she's retired, I'm trying to talk her into getting back into it.

Since I've been talking about last year's conference ever since I got back, she's now interested in going herself. If she does, I'm hoping to convince her to attend the sessions that I can't and take notes for me. There's so many to choose from that I have a hard time narrowing it down to just one and I always end up wondering if I missed out on that one critical piece of information I needed by choosing one session over another.

My daughter, sister and niece may also be going with me. My daughter is five and I've only been away from her overnight for four nights her entire life-one night I spent in the emergency room, two nights last year when I attended the expo, and one night a couple months ago when my mom and I went to a concert . Even though I was only gone a couple days for the last conference, we missed each other terribly.

Since she's out of school anyway for the Veteran's Day holiday, my plan is for her to go with me and stay at the hotel with my sister and niece. That way I can see her in the morning, at lunch break and in the evening. Plus I'll be close enough to get to her fast if she needs me, something that bothered me a lot last year since I was three hours away if something happened.

Last year, I had arranged a schedule of childcare that covered school, her grandparents and my husband so I knew she was taken care of, but I still worried. I'm a mom. That's what we do.

US-Records Study Group: Assignment 2 (Part 2)

Pedigree Analyis

For my pedigree analysis, I chose my maternal 2nd great grandmother Addie Mae (Deen) Sweat. One of my cousins on Facebook started a family group for us to share stories, pictures and research on the Sweat-Deen family. Addie has long been a mystery for those of us researching the family so we've been discussing her a lot lately and she's been on my mind. Specifically I'm looking for the name of her parents and her siblings.

What I know: Addie married James Walter Sweat 1 Nov 1896 in Pierce County, GA.
What this suggests: Addie may have had a connection to Pierce County.

What I know: Addie's death certificate says she was born 5 Oct 1873 in Blackshear, GA to parents Billy Deen and *** Jerdan.
What this suggests: Blackshear is in Pierce County. If the date of birth is accurate, I should be able to find Addie and her family in the 1880 census. The fact that her mother's maiden name is known, but not her given name says that the informant, Addie's son Clifford Eugene Sweat, probably never met his grandmother.


What I know: The SSDI gives Addie's birthdate as 5 Sept 1881.
What this suggests: Either the SSDI or Addie's death certificate has the wrong date of birth. If the 1881 date of birth is correct, it would explain my inability to find Addie in the 1880 census.

What I know: Census records give her age as 17 in 1900, 39 in 1920 and 51 in 1930. All list GA as birthplace of her and her parents. I haven't been able to locate the family in the 1910 census to compare.
What this suggests: Based on census records, Addie was born ca 1879-1882, meaning the 1881 birthdate is probably the right one.

What I know: Family members say that Addie had a sister named Annie.
What this suggests: I should look for census records for Annie Deen as a possible avenue to find Addie's parents.

What I know: Family members say that some of Addie's siblings married siblings of her husband James Walter Sweat. A search of marriage records finds that William Lawton Sweat married Zillo (Doley) Deen, Lonnie Sweat married Annie Deen and Hulda Sweat married John Wesley Deen.
What this suggests: Doley, Annie and John Wesley Deen were probably siblings of Addie. I need to try to locate them in census records prior to their marriages to see if their parents are listed. It might also be worthwhile to check their death certificates.

What I know: An older cousin remembers that a nephew of Addie's named Elbert Deen used to come stay with her family when she was young.
What this suggests: Looking into Elbert Deen may be an option for finding Addie's family. There was an Albert Deen, son of John Wesley Deen and Hulda Sweat Deen, who was born ca 1911 per census records. The cousin was born in 1930 so if this is the same person, he would have been an adult at the time. I asked her if he was older, but she hasn't got back to me yet.

What I know: According to another cousin, Doley Deen Sweat's death certificate lists her parents as Billy Dean and Unknown.
What this suggests: Doley may have been Addie's sister. The cousin is sending me a copy of the death certificate so I can examine it more closely for clues.

What I know: According to the same cousin, Annie Deen Sweat's death certificate lists her parents as Billy Dean and Mary Sweat.
What this suggests: Addie and Annie might have been sisters or half-sisters. It's possible that the mother's name was mixed up. The cousin is also sending me this death certificate as well.

What I know: There is a William Deen, widowed, living in the same area as Addie in the 1900 census. He is listed with children Zillo, Alfred, Lonnie, John, Annie, Maidie and Georgia.
What this suggests: This may be Addie's family. Judging by the ages of the children and William being listed as a widower in 1900, Addie's mother probably passed away between 1896 and 1900.

What I know: There is a William Deen, married to Mary 8 years, in the 1910 census. He is listed with children Alfred, Madie, Georgia, Eddie, Emmit, Minnie and Marie. There is also a grandson Talmage Deen.
What this suggests: This may be Addie's family. Her father may have remarried (marriage record for William Deen and Mary Ann Bolton 1 Mar 1902 in Pierce County was found) and had more children. Since Eddie's age predates the marriage, but he didn't appear with the family in the 1900 census, he was most likely a step-son of William Deen, meaning Mary Ann was probably married before.

What I know: William Deen was not found in the 1920 census.
What this suggests: He probably passed between 1910 and 1920.

What I know: The William Deen I've found in records was born ca 1844.
What this suggests: His age is right for service in the Civil War. I need to look at rosters and pension rolls.

What I know: The 1880 census has a William Deen married to a Mary, living in Pierce County with children Nancy, Jiny, Josephine and Malissa.
What this suggests: Addie's mother may have been named Mary and she may have more siblings. Judging by the age of the children, William and Mary probably married ca 1870 in Pierce or one of the surrounding counties.

Locality Analysis

Since Pierce County seems central to this family, I chose it as my place for locality analysis.

Pierce County was formed 15 Dec 1857 from portions of Appling and Ware Counties. It was named for the 14th US President Franklin Pierce. Blackshear is the county seat. According to Randy Major's US Historical County Boundary Maps, the area that Blackshear lies in was previously part of Ware County.

I located an 1881 railroad map, which shows that at the time of Addie's birth (if the 1881 date is correct), the surrounding counties were Appling, Ware, Charlton and Wayne. Modern day counties that surround Pierce are Appling (parent, formed 1818 from Creek Indian land), Ware (parent, formed 1820 from Appling), Bacon (formed 1914 from Appling, Pierce and Ware), Brantley (formed 1920 from Charlton, Pierce and Wayne) and Wayne (formed 1803 from Creek Indian land).

According to Ancestry's Red Book, Georgia tried to require registration of vital records at a county level starting in 1875, but it was repealed a year later. It was 1919 before statewide registration of vital records was required, although full compliance from all counties wasn't reached until 1928. 

This means I'm not likely to find a birth certificate for Addie or any of her siblings. The one exception might be possible siblings Jiny Deen who census records indicate was born ca 1875. Surviving records are available at the Georgia Archives. I looked at the Archives website to see what counties were available, but neither Pierce, nor its parent counties are listed.

Marriage records for Pierce County are only available from 1875 so finding a marriage record for William and Mary Deen is unlikely. Marriage records for Pierce's parent county Appling are available from 1869 so that might be an option. I have searched them with no success.

Pierce County had a courthouse fire in 1875. Since this pre-dates Addie's birth (provided she was born in 1881), this shouldn't be an issue in tracing her. However, this could make it difficult to trace her parents. If they were married in Pierce County prior to the courthouse fire and records were kept at the time of their marriage, the marriage record may have literally went up in smoke.

The Blackshear Times has been in business since at least 1889 so it might have birth announcements for some of Addie's possible siblings, and maybe death notices for her parents. It is my understanding that these newspapers are available at the UGA Library and not through inter-library loan. I need to contact them to be sure they have the newspapers for the times in question since their site states that not all of the newspapers from a specific time period may be available.

Since the Blackshear Times is still in business, they may have copies in their morgue file. It's worth a call to find out. Another option may be the Blackshear Library. I have added it a call to it to my to-do list as well.

US-Records Study Group: Assignment 2

First, I'd like to update on my progress on my first assignment. I'm proud to say that other than one day, I have consistently used my research log whenever I researched in the last month. I'm still working on getting in the habit of writing a report at the end of each research period. The weekly research reports on an ancestor is also something I'm trying to get in the habit of, although I did write two in the last month.
While it wasn't one of my goals, the assignment and group discussion led to me revamping my organization system. Since starting with my research, I've tried a variety of systems to stay organized, but so far, I think my current system is my favorite. My advice to other genealogists and family historians would be if you can't find a system that works for you, take the pieces of other systems that do work, drop the ones that don't, and put it all together in a system that is personalized to what works for you.

On to this month's assignments. This month actually has a three part assignment so I'll do a post on each of them. The first part is measuring your genealogical maturity. The evaluation consists of five sections: sources, citations, information, evidence and conclusions.

Sources

With sources, I am guilty of mainly using what I can find from the comfort of my home. One my goals this year was to work with a wider range of sources, which I have started doing, but I do need to get out of the house for more on-site research. As the end of the year approaches, I have started thinking on my genealogy goals for coming year and a visit to the Georgia and/or South Carolina Archives is going to be one of the goals.

Citations

While I am now consistent about citing my sources, I still struggle with their construction and including all pertinent data within them. I need to focus on a standard format (even if it's not the standard format others use) and including more necessary data (condition, etc).

Information

I need to get better about analyzing my information: what it says, what can be inferred, what factors affect what the source says, historical background etc. When looking back over sources I have found previously, it's not uncommon for me to find a detail I missed.

Evidence

This was originally a problem area for me, but since I started rebuilding my tree from scratch, I've got better. As I begin to explore more record types, I will probably find more supporting and conflicting evidence to analyze.

Conclusions

This is a weak area for me. While I am okay at sorting out my conclusions based on the evidence at hand, I'm not good about writing it out so someone else can see my thought process. This is something I really need to work on.

Goals for Improvement:

• Pick a format for citations and use it consistently. Make sure the chosen format includes a section for condition and provenance of source, as well as a space for notes.
• Spend more time examining sources that I find to make sure I'm getting every bit of information available from the record.
• Start writing research reports (goal from assignment 1) to force myself to spell out my conclusions.

Planning for the Expo: The First Weeding of Sessions

Last year, I attended my first ever genealogy conference, the 2010 Atlanta Family History Expo. I had a blast and came home with my head buzzing over all the new information I had learned and a determination to do it again as soon as I got the opportunity. I have been waiting since I got home for this year's expo agenda to be posted so when I saw that it was finally up the other day, I started planning.

From last year, I knew that the hardest thing for me, aside from getting over my shyness, was figuring out what session I wanted to attend at each time slot. There are so many good ones to choose from, it's hard to narrow it down to just one.

Last year, I focused on sessions that could help me in my personal research. Since most of my lines are concentrated in the Southeastern United States, my skills and experience are in that area. While I may eventually choose this region as my area of specialization, I need skills in other areas as well so I've decided to take at least a couple sessions specifically to expand my horizons.

So far, I've done a little narrowing, but as you can see, I still have a ways to go. Since the expo isn't until November, I have some time to weed down the list even more. My mom is interested in genealogy as well and has expressed an interest in going with me to the conference so maybe I can talk her into taking a few of the sessions for me.

Friday, November 11th

02:00 PM     

• Opening Keynote Address

03:30 PM 

• Researching North and South Carolina-the people, the records, the jurisdictions. Some of my maternal line has roots in South Carolina. I also live close to the South Carolina line, making it a distinct possibility that I will be researching there in the future.
• Georgia Research: the Basics. I also have Georgia roots with multiple lines on my maternal side. This made the list because of that, but the fact that it includes the basics in the title of the session makes me wonder if it might be too basic. I made the mistake of choosing a basic class last year and was disappointed because it didn't really offer much additional information over what I already knew.
• African American Newspapers. This session I chose as a way to expand my horizons. I do have a distant direct-line African-American ancestor so this would be helpful with that particular ancestor. However, the main reason this session made the list is that it is something I'm not familiar with and want to learn more about.

04:50 PM

• Census Techniques and Strategies for Finding Elusive Ancestors. This session was actually on my list of possibilities last year, but I ended up going with a different session. I do have some very elusive ancestors so this would be helpful to me in my personal research, but also towards my eventual goal of becoming a professional genealogist.
• Finding Your English/Welsh Ancestors. I do have English roots (don't we all?), but have done no serious research into those ancestors. As with the other session offered in this time slot, this would help me personally and professionally.

06:30PM

• Historical Events and Their Impact on German Research. This session is definitely a stretch. Unless one pops up with more research, I have no German ancestors. That means pretty much everything that's covered in this session, aside from what I learned in history class, will probably be brand new to me.
• Georgia Land Records. As I mentioned before, I have a lot of roots in Georgia. Land Records are also something I have not yet explored.

07:50 PM.

• The Clothesline Approach to Documentation and Analysis. I enjoy reading Dear Myrtle's blog and have learned a lot from it, but I have never had the opportunity to attend one of her presentations. Since documentation is something I'm working on doing consistently and I could probably use more tips on analysis, this session definitely makes my list.

Saturday November 12th

10:00 AM

• The Tired, the Poor, the Huddled Masses and the Wretched Refuse: US Immigration from 1820 to 1954. Aside from researching my husband's immigrant ancestors, I don't have a lot of experience in this area so this is an area in which I need to sharpen my skills.
• How to Document Your "Common Man" Ancestors in British Land Records. As I mentioned before, while I have British ancestors, I haven't really researched them so I'm not familiar with the available records.
• Special Sources for Confederate Research in NARA. I have Confederate ancestors, but haven't really explored NARA that much so this would be helpful.

11:20 AM

• Hansel & Gretel: Finding and Following Our German Ancestor's Trail Home. As with the other German session, this one is on the list because it takes me out of my comfort zone.
• Finding Your Scottish Ancestors. This is another session chosen specifically because it's something I know nothing about.
• The Campaigns Forgotten: American Wars after the American Revolution and before the Civil War Records in NARA. As I said before, I haven't really explored NARA that much. I'm also curious about the wars and records I may be missing.
• Question Everything. I included this session on the list of possibles because I think it might be helpful in teaching me to evaluate and analyze records more effectively.
• Newspapers: Finding the Details about Your Family. While I have used newspapers before in my research, I could always use more tips. Plus I have to admit I'm curious about the special access promised.

01:10 PM

• German Research: Records Other than Vital. Another German research session chosen to expand my horizons.
• Finding Your Irish Ancestors-Are There Really Any Records? I have been told that my Hayes line came from Ireland. Until I'm able to extend my line beyond my 2nd great grandfather, I can't prove it, but I'm curious about what records are available.
• Using the Genealogical Proof Standard and US Census Records as a Foundation for Creating an Effective Research Plan. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm not that great with putting together research plans. This is definitely one that could be helpful.

02:30 PM

• Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. I've heard of the Freedmen's Bureau, but beyond that, I don't know much about it.
• Records of the Poor in England-Pre 1837. Another area I'm not very familiar with and want to learn more about.
• Flames Over the Courthouse. With lots of Southern roots, burned courthouses are a given. I'm always interested in alternate record sources I can use.

03:50 PM

• Closing Keynote Address

My Genealogy Education Binder

As genealogists, we're constantly learning. Whether it's new ways to approach an old problem or learning about a new technology for genealogy, there's always something around the corner that we need to know about. At least once a week, I come across something that would be helpful for my research. It may be a blog post or article, notes I've taken while watching a webinar or taking a self-directed course, or the syllabus and handouts from a class I have taken.

When I originally started out trying to keep track of all the information I had on topics related to genealogy, I didn't foresee how much I would eventually amass. So at first, I just stuck everything in a manila folder and stuck it in the file rack on my desk.

While this system kept all my education material in one central location, it had one major drawback. Whenever I wanted to refresh my memory on a certain topic, I had to dig through a lot of paper to find the one I was looking for. After a few times of this happening, I decided that I needed a better way to handle this mountain of paper.

In effort to organize these papers, I ended up with a large binder subdivided into topic areas, which are organized alphabetically. In effect, I have designed my own genealogy textbook, personalized to my needs. So if I want to refresh my memory on say researching in land records, I just flip to that section of the binder to access all the information I have on that topic.

At the moment, my genealogy education binder consists of the following sections

• Brick Walls
• Cemetery Research
• Census Records
• Church Records
• Courthouse Research
• DNA
• Family History Travel
• Immigration
• Land Records
• Lawsuits
• Location-Based Genealogy
• Maps
• Military Records 
• Names
• Native American Research
• Naturalization
• Newspaper Research
• Occupations
• Pensions
• Photographs
• Repository Research
• Reunions
• Tax Records
• Vital Records
• Wills & Probate
• Writing Family History

You will notice that some categories overlap. This is intentional because while an item may fit in one category, it may offer advice on another area as well. If a particular item I'm adding to the notebook fits more than one category, I file it in the first category it fits and then add a cross-reference in the other categories.

The beauty of the education binder is that it can always be added to. If I decided to start learning a new area of genealogy, say German research, I just add a divider at the appropriate place in the notebook to start a new section. When it outgrows the current binder, I can move it to a bigger one or divide it into multiple binders.

At the very front of my genealogy education binder, I have a log where I record classes, self-directed courses, webinars and conferences I have attended. I eventually would like to become certified and/or accredited as a genealogist. I know that ICAPGEN requires applicants have at least 1,000 hours of experience, education and training in the area for which they are applying for accreditation. The log allows me to track my education hours. It also serves as a reference I can look to when choosing new classes to take so I don't end up repeating something I've already taken.

US Records Study Group: Assignment 1

As part of my goal of becoming a professional genealogist, I recently joined the US Records Study Group. The group was started by Tonia Kendrick and Valerie Elkins and will do an in-depth study of The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy and The Source. To keep myself on track and accountable to myself and the group, I will be doing my assignments here at Ancestrally Challenged.

Assignment 1-Rate organization and research evaluation skills. Set goals for improvement.

Well, there's good and there's bad. On the good side, I do generally cite my sources, keep what I've found organized, and take notes pretty much anyone should be able to decipher. On the bad side, I don't consistently use my research logs, don't write summaries of a research session so I can pick it back up later and rarely write reports so I can fully evaluate what I have found and what is missing.

My goals to improve my organization and research evaluation skills are

• Use my research log every time I do research.
• Write a summary of what I have already searched and ideas for future research after each research session.
• Write a research report on one ancestor per week.