Schedule
9:00 am – 10:30 am
John Sellers
Keynote: “A Mann of Mystery” -- The Study of Elusive Ancestor, Pulaski Mann.
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location: Garden Party
This lecture centers on the life study of one ancestor whose associates, relatives, and neighbors (his “FAN club”) are used to tell his story. Different strategies and methodology in the pursuit of his life will be reviewed.
All Day
Kids Corner
9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose C
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Bob Taylor
Introduction to The Family History Guide
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Garden Party
In this session you'll learn how to find and use the amazing features in this industry-leading free website, including Learning Paths, Activities, Country Pages, and more.
John Sellers
Your Ancestor's Own Cousin, Other Relations, and Their Value to Your Research.
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Paradise Rose A
The study of collateral research. The siblings of your ancestors and their offspring can lead you to new research and discoveries. Never ignore the relatives of your ancestors or a brick wall you will build. This lecture builds on the fact that rarely a family moves alone across the country, especially from the early 20th century and earlier. They usually are a part of an extended family, church, or ethnic group.
Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®
Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Method to the Madness (Youth – Ages 11-18)
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Paradise Rose B
Have you ever wondered how genealogists find stories about people's lives from old historical records? Come learn tried and true genealogy methods for following clues and putting together pieces of a story to arrive at a final narrative.
Larry Lewis
Reclaiming Our African Roots (African American track #1)
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Peace Rose A
The journey begins… Find out about African American ancestor research and preservation. Your ancestors count on you to remember them. But, first, you must find them!
Patti Huff Smith
Sentimental Journey: A Trip Down Memory Lane – Finding Your Ancestors War Records
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Peace Rose B
Music heals the heart of two young girls after their father leaves for WWII. Keeping his memory alive during the war was crucial as the two sisters faced a battleground of their own. As we search for answers to solve the mysteries of our family story, we find unexpected twists and turns. Learning the truth of our heritage can ignite a passion for more. It is a rewarding journey that can offer hope and healing. Sentimental Journey explores locating war documentation for your veterans and uniting the past with the present.
Roberto & Anna Rodriguez
Genealogy for Beginners (Spanish-speaking)
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Peace Rose C
Learn the first 5 steps to take in creating a family tree and finding your ancestors. This class will start at the very beginning and will help you find records for your ancestor. If you have a phone or tablet, bring it with you.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Rochell Mcwhorter & Krystle Lindhjem
WORKSHOP – Capture, Share, & Preserve Memories Using Your Electronic Device
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Location: VIP Pink Miracle
Learn from this Mother-Daughter Team how to capture “memories” before they are lost forever, using your SmartPhone.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Jim Thornhill
Creating Context
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose A
A sense of belonging is a basic human need, but did you know your ancestors can fill that need? Through learning the details of their lives your ancestors can be added to "your tribe." Join us as we learn what context is and how we can use it to grow our families.
Jim Jones & Rhonda Reagan
The Spirits Of Oakwood (Youth – Ages 11-18)
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose B
The Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee hosts a walking history tour, Spirits of Oakwood, through the historic Oakwood Cemetery. Two of these “Spirits” will be at this presentation, dressed in period costumes, and bringing two people to life as they tell their life stories.
Hannah Kubacak
Charting Your Heritage: Creating Personalized Genealogy Maps with Google
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose B
Embark on a journey with Google Earth Pro and Google Maps to create maps to help you explore the world of your ancestors for free. Features demonstrated will include overlaying historic maps with modern maps, finding family land, and plotting migration routes. Being able to see your ancestor’s land can provide a greater understanding of their life, and maybe even help solve a family mystery.
Nancy Rangel
Learn about the Hispanic Pioneers in Tyler, Texas. What is Your Story? (Spanish-speaking)
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose
C
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Patti Huff Smith
WORKSHOP – Learn What Your AncestryDNA Results are Telling You!
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: VIP Pink Miracle
Learn how to use the various tools in AncestryDNA such as ThruLines®, a powerful tool to help researchers use DNA Matches to find common ancestors—using your DNA results. Requirement: Please make sure to bring a laptop and are able to pull up your AncestryDNA results during this class.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Bob Taylor
Research with The Family History Guide
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose A
In this session you'll go into more depth with the research tools available on the site, such as online searches, problem solving, research around the world, and knowledgebases.
Patti Gillespie
Birth to Death and In-Between: Finding Religious Records in the United States
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose B
This presentation includes an overview with specific examples of why we want to look for religious records, what sorts of records might be found, who might be included in them, where to look on-line and off-line for these documents. Come share fun and insights that may help lead to your own ancestors.
Debra D. Christian
The Legacy of Butcher C. Christian Sr. (African American Roots #2)
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose A
This is a story of Butcher C. Christian Sr. who was a formerly enslaved man who was brought to Texas by the Christian family prior to the Civil War. Later, his former enslaver gave him approximately 500 acres, which he added to. Find out his story and the establishment of the Shiloh Baptist Church. He dedicated his life to improving his community.
Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®
Deep South Research: A Beginner's Guide and Case Study
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose B
Research in the southern United States can be a challenge with courthouse disasters, record loss, boundary changes, migration, slavery, and other unique obstacles. This presentation will discuss success strategies for southern genealogical research and provide a case study highlighting sound research methodology.
Jim Thornhill
Getting Started with the U.S. Census
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose
C
Every ten years the United States counts its people. The information captured on these forms is invaluable to Family Historians and is the place to start your family history journey. Come learn how to freely access the census and uncover its secrets.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Paula Perkins
What is Genealogy? – Tools & Tips on How to Get Started in Your Search
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose A
What is this strange thing called Genealogy? Genealogy is the science of studying about our ancestors (also known as family history). Genealogy helps us understand ourselves and our ancestors. In the 21st century it is easier in the digital age to get started researching your ancestors. Many tools are available online to help you begin. Sources ranging from vital records, land, marriage, military, church, cemeteries, and wills are just some of the things that can be located. Public libraries and FamilySearch Centers have resources to help beginners. Free and fee-based sites contain a wealth of information, including free forms to record the information found. There is great value in learning about our ancestors!
Brent Chambers
Let’s REMEMBER! (Youth – Ages 11-18)
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose B
The 9/11 Crime Scene as told by Brent Chambers, Retired FBI Agent who was called in, along with his team, to process the evidence at the Twin Towers
Greg Muckleroy
The Journey of my Enslaved Ancestors from Georgia to East Texas (African American track #3)
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose A
Resources available for genealogy have improved exponentially over the past few years. The archives available through FamilySearch include many historical collections. Because of the effort in many states to digitize county clerk records, it is now possible to conduct detailed historical searches from the comfort of our homes. Personally, I was able to search my family’s history through census data, county records and newspaper reports. With that knowledge, I was able to identify properties and businesses associated with the people who were responsible for bringing our family members to East Texas as slaves. This research has allowed me to locate their plantations in Georgia before they packed up and moved to Texas. My presentation is a story of how I was able to find records and link them to my family.
Hannah Kubacak
Dawes Rolls Demystified: Tracing Native American Ancestors in the Five Civilized Tribes
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose B
Explore the process for identifying ancestors within the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Muscogee Creek tribes on the Dawes Rolls. Gain insight into the historical backdrop as we walk through the process of finding and analyzing records. Learn how to expand your research to include records prior to the Dawes Rolls including annuity rolls, tribal records, and more.
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Patti Gillespie
WORKSHOP - Beyond Ancestry: The Benefits of Testing or Sharing our DNA with 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: VIP Pink Miracle
While Ancestry soars in sales over the other DNA testing companies, this presentation will demonstrate the benefits and strengths of 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Making a Video (Youth – Ages 11-18)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose B
Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®
They Came From Virginia: A Case Study in African American Research and Methodology (African American track #4)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose A
African American research can be especially challenging for many reasons. This class will demonstrate sound methodology for tracing your African American ancestors by following the Todd family in a case study.
Tina Mcguffin
It’s Hunting Season: Using PERSI to Track Elusive Ancestors
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose B
Roberto & Anna Rodriguez
Capturing Memories and Leaving a Legacy (Spanish-speaking)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose C
Learn how to capture memories in FamilySearch and leave a legacy to your posterity full of photos, oral histories, stories, and documents. If you want to add a hands-on memory, bring your phone with you.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Stewart & Kimberly Wenger
WORKSHOP - There’s an App for That!
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: VIP Pink Miracle
With all of the genealogy apps that are out there, this workshop will examine the BEST of the BEST in a hands-on learning environment. Please make sure you have a Smartphone or Tablet for this Workshop.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Patti Gillespie
The Healing Power of Family History
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose A
Some among us have experienced great family or personal trauma, and we bear the scars. Doing family history research can minimize these scars and bring more peace into our lives. Finding more about our family and/or our ancestors often creates small or large epiphanies that invite the miracle of healing. Please come and share the speaker's experiences of inviting hope and healing into her life through researching her family lines. She will share family stories and healing principles that might be helpful to others.
Pat Gordon
Finding Ancestors During the Depression
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Paradise Rose B
Dorothy Franks
Unknown No Longer: Family Slaves of Monte Verdi Plantation in Rusk County, Texas (African American track #5)
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose A
Monte Verdi Plantation, completed in 1856, near Cushing, Texas, in Rusk County, produced an abundance of cotton and there were many enslaved people. Genealogist, Dorothy Franks, did the research and found many of the enslaved people’s families so that descendants could come to Monte Verdi and see what their ancestors help build. It is an opportunity for descendants to pay homage to their ancestors. Hear the story from Dorothy Franks.
Paula Perkins
Demystify & Unlock the Secrets of Finding Free Digital records via FamilySearch & Other Online Resources: A Genealogical Goldmine Awaits!
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Peace Rose B
In this digital age you can locate a wealth of genealogical information to further your research to the next step. Beginner to intermediate researchers can jump start research using the FamilySearch Wiki for locations all over the world. You can find census records, vital records, marriages, wills & genealogy books! USGenWeb, FamilySearch & FamilySearch Wiki plus more are all goldmines of free online resources. The digital age has made searching streamlined for all with no cost involved.
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Closing Program
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Garden Party
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Join us in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in East Texas to hear from industry leaders about family history!
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