Events

Our presenter for this meeting is Jeremy Balkin from Family Tree DNA.  Jeremy's presentation will include examples from each test and what the results look like for each.  They also delve into tracing possible Native American, Jewish, etc. ancestry. 

Lisa Louise Cooke

Author, Host, & National Gen Tech Speaker 

Podcasts & Webinars:

Genealogy 101

Thursday, February 20, 2014

7 pm

Church of Christ

2601 Hwy 51 South & Preskitt Road

Decatur 76234

$5.00 for non-members

Genealogy in The Cloud:

     Basic concepts of cloud computing

     The advantages and disadvantages of using the cloud for storage, and web applications.

     How to use cloud computing in genealogy

This is at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Denton.  This is a free family history conference and is open to all.

We will be meeting at The Decatur Church of Christ at 9:00 am and carpool to the Dallas Public Library and tour and work in the  Genealogical branch of the library.  We request that you bring a sack lunch to eat at the library.  We will return home at 2:00 pm.  We ask those riding to give a donation of $5:00 to the driver of the car.  All are welcome to join us.

We will be meeting at The Decatur Church of Christ at 9:00 am and carpool to the Fort Worth Public Library and tour and work in the  Genealogical branch of the library.  We request that you bring a sack lunch to eat at the library.  We will return home at 2:00 pm.  We ask those riding to give a donation of $5:00 to the driver of the car.  All are welcome to join us.

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Classes

• Ultimate Google Search Strategies & Tips: All the powerful search tips & tricks to maximize Google!
• Get the Scoop on Your Ancestors with Newspapers: Learn the specialized approach that is required to achieve success in locating the news on your ancestors. Includes 3 Cool Tech Tools to get started!
• How to Genealogist Can remember everything with Evernote: Fast and easy note taking, clip items from the Internet, use OCR technology and tap into a myraid of apps that help Evernote help you!
• How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case:  Become a genealogical detective in this vital session. You'll learn to track ancestors like a bloodhound, sniffing out hols in your research and getting missing information on the record.

Accommodations

The Candlewood Suites located 601 W Thompson Road, will set aside a group of Suites for reserving for our meeting on August 22 and 23. The rate will be $79.00 for a suite. The Candlewood does NOT serve a continental breakfast but all suite have a microwave, refrigerator and small kitchen.

The rate will be available to those who call for reservations on or before August 1st, 2014.  To make reservations they should call 940-627-5722 Ext. 551  at the Decatur Candlewood and not call the national number for the Candlewood Suites. Please ask for the suites reserved for the Wise County Genealogical Society seminar to be held on August 23.

The Candlewood is located just off Highway 51 on Thompson Road.  It is about 1 mile from the site of the seminar at The Decatur Church of Christ.  This is probably the best location for ease of access to the seminar.

Agenda

Michael V. Bassett will present DNA Testing for Genealogical Purposes (90 minutes).  Learn how DNA testing can be used to help researchers overcome genealogical "brick walls," focus research, make ancestral connections and provide other information on biological and geographical heritage.  Michael will explain the Y-DNA, mtDNA, and the autosomal DNA tests providing real world examples from several DNA testing companies of how testing can be useful for family history research.  Surname projects, haplogroups and how to get started will be among the many topics covered.

Kirk Hathaway will be speaking on Using Family Search to research, organize and document your family.  It  has evolved in such a way that even a novice can produce quality results.

Aaron Holt an Archives Technician at the Forth Worth National Archives (NARA) will speak about records within the National Archives and how to begin doing genealogical research.  He will be touching on varied record groups such as the US Census, Immigration,and Naturalization, Military and Indian holdings.

Ugo Pergo ---I HAD MY DNA TESTED--- NOW WHAT? This presentation will be a webinar with handouts.  

Hundreds of thousands of genetic profiles for family history and ancestral purposes have been generated by private laboratories, universities, and the National Geographic's Project during the past fifteen years.  Thankfully, a number of online databases are providing large use of searchable data in an effort to provide the missing hand. Knowing which resources are available and how to properly use them is key to understanding our personalize genetic genealogy and getting the most out of our own genetic profile.

Lela Evans will be our presenter.

Our speaker will be Kelvin Meyers  Scallywags, Rogues, and Ruffs:  All Those Ancestors We Don't Talk About.  Every family has them, skeletons in the closet--those things that are not talked about in front of the children, and when they are it is only in whispers and euphemisms.  How do you access the records of prisons, asylums, and courts to find the truth behind the story>  In this lecture this question and many others will be answered.

Our presenter this month will be Mary E Willson.

Featuring Aaron Holt of the Fort Worth National Archives & Records

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Agenda

Kelvin Meyer will be presenting Probate: More Than A Will.  Most persons who lived in America, and lived to adulthood, left some kind of estate to be administered.  Some left wills, some did not.  Either way if there was land or large amounts of personal property, there should be probate.  The records of probate can be some of the most fruitful for genealogists.  wills, distributions, administrations, and inventories are all vital parts of the probate process and full of genealogical information.  These are the things that will be discussed in this lecture.

Davideen Demske will be presenting:   Naturalization and Citizenship                                                                                                                                                                   This presentation is a fast-paced and in-depth analysis on how to find and utilize the genealogical information found in naturalization and citizenship records.

Diane Dyess will be instructing us about,   Southern Cemetery Symbolism.  Southern cemeteries, especially in the Deep South, are full of their own unique tombstone symbolism that is not only fascinating but illuminating to the family researcher.

Patti Gillespie will be presenting;  Newspaper Research: Tips, Tricks, Sites, and Context.  Using newspapers that have become available to us in the digital age is a necessary step in our research.  This presentation will demonstrate some of the tricks to searching with OCR, how to determine if a newspaper in a given area is even digitally available, finding the free newspapers, and how to put these articles into historical context.

This will be Kirk Hathaway second time speaking to us on Family Search.  Come spend an enjoyable evening learning all the secrets and ins and outs to using and  finding more information in Family Search.

Clay Patterson will be joining us with ideas on organizing and formation your story.  Ke will also give information on editing, Printing, and publishing.  No story is too small or too large to publish.

Patti Gillespie will be presenting :  Genealogical Research in Wise County, Texas.  A county since January 23, 1856, Wise County has an interesting history concerning its records.  this presentation is designed to assist the individual searching for documentation within Wise County with emphasis on sites, repositories, and idiosyncrasies of research here.

Come join our group for a informative question and answer Panel, along with birthday cake and lots of socializing.

Kevin Meyer, Plowing Through the Land Records to Find Your Ancestor.  Because Americans were so "land minded" over 3/4 of all males who lived to maturity well into the 19th century owned land.  Because this is true, land records exist from the beginning of the first permanent settlements in America--frequently one of the few  identifying records from this early period.  A quality unique to land records is that the older they are the more genealogical data there may be to obtain from that record.  This lecture will focus on using these records, combined with other records to identify ancestors.

Jacob Mangum.  Portal to Texas History.  Jake Mangum is the director of the Texas Portal based out of the University of North Texas, Denton.  He has agreed to give us a presentation centered on Wise County from the materials gathered to the Portal

Due to the Wise County Historical Societies combined program being held on the night we meet, we will be hearing from Clay Patterson in January.  Surviving WWII Vets will be speaking at the Heritage Museum at 7:00pm

Digital On-Demand Publishers: Pros & Cons

Anne Mitchell. Become a Master Searcher on Ancestry.  A pre=recorded presentation from Roots Tech 2016.

Diane Dyness. Southern Cemetery Symbolism.   Southern cemeteries, especially in the Deep South, are full of their own unique tombstone symbolism that is not only fascinating, but illuminating to the family researcher.

Patti Gillespie. I've Got--or I'm Getting--My DNA Report: Now What Do I Do With It?   From a non-geneticist perspective, Patti shares some ways to expand our results,  potentially find new family, and get the most out of those confusing DNA reports.

Beginning Genealogy in the Digital Age    Census Sense: Clues and Conundrums  Building a Life Story Beyond the Census   Methodologies for search Success.   For more information see the flyer or contact Patti Gillespie at [email protected]

Register online now. Cost is $35 and includes lunch. On-site registration will be available, but will not include lunch.

Kelvin Meyer. The Sanctified Sisters of the Women's Common Wealth of Texas. An accomplished forensic genealogist by profession, Kelvin is sharing for the first time this presentation of a commune of Texas women who created a life together and without their husbands and sometimes their children.

Dale Ellison. Fixing Cemeteries and Finding Ghosts. Mr. Ellison is famed for the thousands of hours and thousands of miles spent not only repairing neglected cemeteries but presenting his experiences while doing so.

January 18th: Discussion

Patti Gillespie. Forgotten Treasures in the Texas Courthouse: Discovering the Miscellaneous Books. This presentation shares 3 fun Texan stories that have come to life with the information found in the Miscellaneous Books found in the Wise County County Clerk’s office. Also presented are abundant examples of assorted documents found in the books. Attendees will receive a list of all the Texas counties that hold one of these forgotten treasures.

Carla Weber. Carla has a lifetime experience researching for her husband’s family and the experiences and consequences of being a part of The Orphan Train

Steven L. Moore. Rise of the Texas Rangers. Literary author of the best selling Rangers, Riflemen, and Indian Wars in Texas series, Mr. Moore will be sharing Texas history with a bit of genealogy to boot.

Q & A Panel, 5th Birthday celebration

Judy Ramos. Writing About My Ancestors Made Me a Better Genealogist.
An accomplished speaker and fresh off the board of the Fort Worth Genealogical Society, Judy developed a slide show with article excerpts, suggestions, and a writing exercise with a handout all based on her personal experience writing about 52 ancestors in 52 weeks.

What DNA Can Do for the Family Historian.
Tresa, an experienced presenter, will briefly discuss the different DNA tests available for family history purposes, some of the testing companies and how the results can be utilized in furthering your genealogical research.

Sheryl Rascher,  An Uncommon Census: the US Non-Population Schedule.
Focused on the Peters’ Colony settlers in North Texas, Sheryl, a genealogical speaker and enthusiast, demonstrates historical characteristics of the United States Federal Census Non-Population Schedules. Genealogical content, value and availability are discussed for the Agriculture, Manufacturers/Industry, Social Statistics, Slave, Defective-Dependent-Delinquent, Indian and Mortality Schedules

 Military Pensions: Vital Records in Disguise.
Military pension records are an amazing source of vital information. This presentation puts “flesh on the bones” of several individuals whose military records are reviewed; it also goes through the steps of retrieving various records from various repositories and demonstrates how to link a family through these documents

Live Webinar

Pat Gordon. Finding Your Ancestors During the Great Depression: CCC & WPA.
The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration hired thousands during the Depression, not only saving many from starvation but also creating a legacy of public parks, lakes, oral histories and countless other projects that are still enjoyed today. In the process, these government programs kept meticulous records of everyone hired. These records are filled with genealogical information, including names, birthdates, addresses and some really interesting social history about your relatives

Video from RootsTech TBA

Q & A Panel, 5th Birthday celebration

Laura J. Douglas & Eric Kaszynski. Local Resources for Long Distance Research.  This presentation will give an overview of the genealogical resources and services provided by the Denton Public Library and the Denton Family History Center. Both the Special Collections Research Area at the Denton Public Library and the Family History Center have free access to popular online genealogy services and other internet websites, physical records and staff that can help you in your research.

Patti Gillespie. Census Sense: Clues & Conundrums for Intermediate Researchers.
This presentation focuses on federal census headings and codes, alternate federal censuses, state censuses, and their use in our research. The partnership between the national census website and the use of state censuses in revealing information about our ancestors is demonstrated in story form. The value of a research timeline is also demonstrated.

Lisa K. Reed. Hold Your Horse, Cite Your Sources.
Learn to handle the reins of your genealogical sources. This is a quick gallop through the subject to keep your genealogy on the right trail.

Happy Holidays

Jim Thornhill. The Runaway Scape.
The title “Runaway Scape” is historical term given to those citizens of Texas, mostly women, and children, and what they experienced as they ran from Santa Ana when he invaded Texas toward safety.

Sheryl Rascher. An Uncommon Census: the US Non-Population Schedule.
Focused on the Peters’ Colony settlers in North Texas, Sheryl, demonstrates historical characteristics of the United States Federal Census Non-Population Schedules. Genealogical content, value and availability are discussed for the Agriculture, Manufacturers/Industry, Social Statistics, Slave, Defective-Dependent-Delinquent, Indian and Mortality Schedules.

Bernard N. Meisner.   State and Territorial Censuses—Underused Genealogical Tools.
This presentation will be a review of the state and territorial censuses that have been conducted and their value in filling in the gaps between the federal census years, and in providing additional information concerning families, their occupations, and the places they lived, with a special focus on Texas and surrounding states

Question and Answer  Panel     7th Birthday Celebration

Between the Lines: What Your Ancestors Didn't Tell You (Getting the most from your DNA results), Part 2. In this DNA program, you will learn a simple and easy approach to help utilize your DNA results successfully. Using Ancestry.com results and loading them to GEDMatch.com will be a strong portion of this presentation. You will leave inspired, equipped, and ready to get the most out of your DNA results.

The Why and How of Preserving Your Personal History
In this engaging presentation, professional historian-turned-personal historian Dr. Kasia Flanagan outlines the why and how of creating your personal history. From writing an ethical will of your core values to writing a full history of where you came from, where you ended up, and everything you learned along the way, your personal history is irreplaceable and the most important part of your legacy.

Speaking of Family, Let's Talk
Major events experienced in a family--some good and some bad...some really bad.

My DNA Story
Randy will share his recent experiences with DNA testing and finding family he didn’t know he had.

Finding your England Ancestors Online
A wealth of records exist 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

Finding Your Ancestors with Surname Mapping
You can use surname mapping to show the distribution of a surname across a given area. This can help you locate where a surname is found and its frequency, which in turn helps you to find clues and focus your research.

Create an Interactive Book to Share Your Research with Your Family
I wanted to share my family research with family members in manner that would interest them. I prepared an interactive electronic book for my sister and my cousins as a Christmas gift that they could view on their computers. The contents were a set of pages, one for each direct ancestral couple in our tree, with links to pictures, articles, maps, and movies that documented the lives and experiences of each couple. I will show example pages and explain how they were created.