Becoming an Excellent Genealogist

Family History Conference
 
Friday and Saturday, November 9-10, 2007
Ernest L. Wilkinson Center
Brigham Young University campus
Provo, Utah

Conference Details

Presenters

Wilma Adkins, AG^®, CG, is manager of one of the United States Reference areas at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been a full-time professional since 1969, when she graduated with a BS in genealogy from Brigham Young University (BYU) and was accredited in both Southern States and in Mid-western States. Wilma has also lectured at several conferences for FGS, NGS, BYU, UGA, and others. One of the co-founders and past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), she has served in various capacities in UGA and other organizations.

Lecture Title: The Oral Defense!

Class Description:  

C. Lynn Andersen, AG^®, is Accredited by ICAPGen in Mid-South States. She is an avid genealogist and loves to teach family history classes. Lynn completed a part-time service mission for the Church and Family History Department March 2007. She was the director of the Tooele Valley FHC for more than five years. She has taught family history classes for the Tooele Institute of Religion, Tooele Valley FHC and at local genealogical conferences.

Lecture Title: Finding and Using Compiled Sources to Jump Start Your Research Project

Class Description: This class explains how to use Ancestry's OneWorld Tree, their new My Ancestry tab & card catalog search, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project, FamilySearch.org, Library of Congress Catalog, WorldCat, NUCMC, NEHGS, Heritage Quest On-line Books & PERSI to locate compiled records such as biographies, county & family histories, genealogies, pedigrees, GEDCOM files, etc. We will also discuss the role of the compiled source in your professional work and how to use it based on the Genealogical Proof Standard.

Barbara (Bärbel) Bell, CG, AG^®, MPhil. is a native of Germany. She received a BA in German/International Studies from BYU and a Masters of Philosophy inGerman Studies from the University of Birmingham, England. She has worked for the Family History Library, International Department since 1998. Mrs. Bell was certified by the BCG and accredited by ICAPGen. She is the author of Court Records of Saxony and various articles.

Lecture Title: Beyond the Basics of Church Records: Using German Court Records

Class Description: Court records are a viable source in the researcher’s repertory. They can clear up unanswered questions, confirm an identity, link generations, give us in depth information about the life of an ancestor, list possessions, next of kin and even bear a signature.

Evva C. Benson, AG^® hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She graduated from BYU in 2000 with bachelor degrees in Family History and Economics. She has worked at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City since her graduation. Evva is an Accredited Genealogist researcher in England and working towards Ireland.

Lecture Title: Ireland on the Internet: Separating the Gold from the Blarney

Class Description: Come and find the essential Web sites for Irish research on the Internet. (Also come and learn what you won't find for Ireland on the Internet.)

Samantha Boden

Lecture Title: The Center for Family History and Genealogy

Class Description: The Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University assists genealogists in their research by providing and maintaining valuable resources. This class will discuss some of these resources such as the various databases including the Immigrant Ancestors Project, the Basque Heritage Project, the Irish Mormon History Project, and the Welsh Mormon History Project. This class will also discuss the helpful resources that are free and available to use through the Center including books, magazine and subscriptions to Internet sites.

 

L. Reynolds "Ren" Cahoon, joined Lockheed Martin in November 2006, as Director of Advanced Programs, Civil Mission Solutions, for the company’s Transportation and Security Solutions business in Rockville, Maryland.
 
Ren spent 10 years as the chief information officer for the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. He served as Assistant Archivist of the United States.
 
Prior to his appointment with the National Archives, Ren served as the managing director for the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 
Before assuming his role in worldwide records preservation and access, Ren was a financial controller for Inland Steel Company.
 
Currently a commissioner for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, Ren has served as co-chair of the Architecture and Infrastructure Committee of the Federal CIO Council. He also has served on the Board of the Civil War Trust, and as a member of the International Council on Archives’ Automation Committee.

 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Our digital legacy, what we don't know will surely hurt us.

In this Keynote address, Ren will provide a 30,000 foot view of the world's digital preservation landscape and our critical and personal role in protecting our digital legacy.

 
Lecture Title: Preserving Today’s Records in a Digital World

Class Description: In this session, Ren will discuss specific digital preservation challenges and survey the approaches, tools and processes being developed to ensure our valuable digital materials are available and accessible to our descendents.

Karen Clifford, AG^®, FUGA, is President Genealogy Research Associates, Inc., (www.GRAonline.com); an Online Instructor for Genealogy Courses at Monterey Peninsula College, California (www.mpc.edu); author of five college textbooks on genealogy and computers; ICAPGen 1st Vice Chair; a former Director for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and a former UGA President. Karen serves on several committees for ICAPGen and has represented the organization at several national conferences.

Lecture Title: Becoming an Accredited Genealogist Workshop Part II

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Lecture Title: Entering the Speaker Circuit

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Jill N. Crandell, AG^®, is a professional researcher accredited in Midwestern U.S. research and is currently a family history instructor at Brigham Young University. Previous positions include serving as a founding commissioner and executive secretary/treasurer of ICAPGen, director on the Utah Genealogical Association board of directors, and director of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2000 and 2001. Jill and her husband, Bill Crandell, are the parents of five children.

Lecture Title: Maintaining Your Career While Also Managing a Family

Class Description:

Luana Darby is a professional genealogist and Family History graduate of BYU, working toward accreditation and certification in Midwest research. She is currently developing a master index of Palatine German research for publication and has served as Assistant Director of the Welby West Jordan Family History Center for eight years.

Lecture Title: Professional Development Brings Financial Rewards

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Kathryn Daynes, Ph.D., AG^® is an assistant professor in the Department of History and the Director of the Center for Family History & Genealogy, joined the faculty at BYU in 1994. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. Her undergraduate work was started at BYU and completed at DePauw University. Her areas of specialty are U.S. family history, with emphasis on the Southern States, and U.S. social history. She is married to Bill Daynes, professor of political science at BYU, and they have three children. She is an ICAPGen Commissioner.

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Ronald Dennis is a Professor of Portuguese and Welsh at Brigham Young University.

Lecture Title: Finding Your Ancestor’s House in Wales

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G. David Dilts, AG^® has worked and taught at the Family History Library since 1975. He is currently a Senior Reference Consultant in the U.S. East & Canada Reference unit. He is a past commissioner of ICAPGen and a past VP of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA). Recent presentations include conferences at ICAPGen, BYU Computerized Genealogy, Utah Genealogical Assocation, Fresno CA, and Grand Junction CO. He is accredited in LDS Records and German research.

Lecture Title: Principles Learned via the Genealogical Proof Standard

Class Description: Studying the five criteria of the Genealogical Proof Standard helps researchers understand fundamental principles of organizing and evaluating evidence, and how those principles build on each other to make our work credible. Discussion includes some of this golden standard’s strengths and weaknesses, and when it should be used.

 
Lecture Title: Five-Year AG^® Renewals

Class Description: Learn the reasons you are asked to renew each 5-year anniversary of accrediting. Discussion includes how genealogical consumers, you, other accredited researchers, and ICAPGen benefit. Learn how to submit an ideal renewal application, what happens to it, and how the application will be judged after it is submitted.

Mark W. Gardner has conducted family history research for nearly twenty years. He has worked at the Granite Mountain Records Vault for the LDS Church for the past six years, where he is currently stationed in Digital Conversion. Mark is married with five children and enjoys spending free time with his family. He is also pursuing a BA in Family History and Genealogy from Brigham Young University with a focus on Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. He has written articles for and edited the Federation of East European Family History Societies’ Journal and is currently working on a book about genealogical research in Eastern Europe.

Lecture Title: Digital Devices: How to Successfully Use Digital Technology to Capture Images and Manipulate Them

Class Description: Learn how to successfully scan documents using low-cost technology and manipulate their readability, appearance, and value. Master the use of a digital camera to capture books, microform, etc. in a setting where scanning is unfeasible.

Amy Harris, Ph.D., is the youngest of nine children. She was born and raised in Ogden, Utah. She began filling out pedigree charts and begging family members for ancestral stories by the first grade. After graduating in family history from BYU, Amy pursued graduate studies in history at American University and University of California, Berkeley. She is currently an Associate Professor of history at BYU, teaching British family history/genealogy and European history.

Lecture Title: Time Management: Maximizing Your Income

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Baerbel K. Johnson, AG^® is a professional genealogist and works at the Family History Library as an International Reference Consultant. She holds degrees in Family and Local History Studies and Sociology from BYU, and has more than twenty years of extensive experience in European family history research with emphasis on Germany. She has published a number of journal articles, contributed material for several books, and lectured at various conferences. Her personal interest is in "putting flesh on the genealogical skeleton" by placing each individual within a proper social and historical context.

Lecture Title: Historical Context - An Important Key in Unlocking Ancestral Mysteries

Class Description:

John M. Kitzmiller, II Owner and Operator (19 years) of Kitzmiller Genealogical Services, Inc., past Operations Director of ProGenealogists.com and past Vice-President of Price & Associates. Co-founder of Native Records Preservation; Chairman & founder of The British Heritage Forum. Worked for 15 years for the Family History Department as a Product Manager, Operations Manager (Ancestral File), Chairman of the Lines of Business Committee, and supervised the design of record-linkage technology applications to genealogical databases - including the creation of the search engine for TempleReady. Teach genealogy classes (online and in person) for Salt Lake Community College.
 
CREDENTIALS: FSG (Eng) - Fellow of the Society of Genealogists; FSA(SCOT) - Fellow of Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; FRSAI(IRE) - Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland; Accredited Genealogist - England & Scotland; Heraldist - Heraldry Society of Canada [2nd level certificate] & Heraldry Society of London [2nd level]. International Lecturer; Genealogy Instructor (including the Salt Lake Institute); author and publisher. Past Research Consultant for Burke's Peerage (London) and Universal Genealogy, Salt Lake City. Mentioned in Who's Who in Genealogy & Heraldry, by Filby 1990. Co-Founder of Native Records Preservation, and consultant to AVIKAN – a Native American Foundation. For details, see www.KitzGen.com.

Lecture Title: Advanced Methodology – How it Can Solve Those Difficult Research Problems

Class Description: The following scientific techniques as applied to genealogy will be discussed in detail and applied to difficult research problems: paradigms, the scientific method, pattern recognition, probabilities, vector analysis, chronology, relationships, and onomastics.

 
Lecture Title: Planning a Research Trip Overseas As A Professional Genealogist (British Emphasis)

Class Description: Although focused on British research, these important steps can be followed in some form for any country or state. It is crucial to know the following: local customs; know what you are looking for; know where it’s at; logistics of the trip; advance notice of trip; project prep prior to leaving; and budgets. Levels of archives will also be discussed.

Ruth Maness, AG^® is manager of the Scandinavian/Hispanic Reference Unit of the Family History Library, an author and lecturer, and contributor to genealogical publications. She has field research experience in Germany, Scandinavia, and Poland as well as in the U.S. and other areas of the world.

Lecture Title: Records Created Via a European’s Emigration/Immigration Process

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Alan Mann, AG^®, was born in Phoenix, Arizona, not too many years ago. He has lived in nine states, Puerto Rico, France, and England. He has visited forty-six states and fourteen countries. Alan is a very educated man and speaks fluent French and some Spanish. He attended the University of North Dakota and BYU, majoring in accounting and minoring in French. Alan is an Accredited Genealogist researcher in England. To learn more about Alan, go to www.alanmann.com.

Lecture Title: Picking the Family History Software That’s Right for You

Class Description:

Adele Marcum is a professional genealogist currently employed by The Generations Network. A BYU family history graduate, Adele utilized her German heritage to write her honors thesis, A Noble Heritage: the German-American Experience in Milwaukee. She frequently lectures and teaches classes on topics ranging from Internet genealogy (including using Ancestry.com) to various aspects of German genealogy research. When not researching, teaching, or lecturing, Adele enjoys reading good books, traveling, cooking, and dancing.

Lecture Title: What’s New on Ancestry.com?

Class Description: Ancestry.com, part of The Generations Network, is known for being the Internet’s largest and fastest-growing collection of searchable genealogical data. Find out what new content and features Ancestry.com has added!

Marilyn Markham, AG^®, CG, MLS, has worked in the Family and Church History Department (FCHD) for twenty-three years. She worked as a reference consultant at the Family History Library for nine years. Currently, she is working in the FCHD Collection Management unit. She has taught many times at the Family History Library and at genealogical conferences. She has also taught New England family history research at Brigham Young University and is the 2007 Utah Genealogical Association president.

Lecture Title: New England Research

Class Description: Ideas will be presented for intermediate level research in the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). We will review of the basic sources and discuss additional types of records.

Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG^®, FUGA, has been involved in nearly every aspect of genealogy and family history for the past 20 years, beginning as a record searcher while attending Brigham Young University where he received an Associate in Family and Local History, as well as a B.S. in Psychology. He later completed a Masters of Library and Information Science. Spending two years in Germany gave him a fluency that has served him well in his professional research. He became accredited in four areas (Germany, Midwest, Eastern and New England U.S.), specializing in tracing the origins of German and Dutch immigrants, before joining the staff of the Family History Library as a reference consultant. Kory is Vice-President of ProGenealogists (www.progenealogists.com).

Lecture Title: Ethical Problems and Solutions: A Discussion

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Lecture Title: Genealogical Career Options

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Roger P. Minert, Ph.D., AG^®, received his doctoral degree from The Ohio State University in German language history and second language acquisition theory. After teaching German language and history for more than ten years, he became a professional family history researcher in 1991. Accredited by the Family History Library for research in Germany and Austria, he logged more than 33,000 hours in research, including 170 days in archives and parish offices in Europe. In August 2003 he became an associate professor of family history at Brigham Young University, where he is responsible for all courses in Germanic family history research. The author of more than 70 books and articles, he is currently directing a major project for the extraction of data on German immigrants found in church records in the United States.

Lecture Title: Family History Research for Fun and Profit Part I and II

Class Description:

Nathan W. Murphy, AG^®, Researcher and Marketing Director at Price and Associates Genealogical Services (www.pricegen.com), is a doctoral candidate in United States History at the University of Utah. He specializes in Anglo-American pedigrees. He completed his Master’s Degree in English Local History at the University of Leicester and has trolled 37 archives in the United States, 32 in the British Isles, three in Europe, and one in South America in search of people’s ancestors. For Mr. Murphy’s growing collection of more than 13,000 indentured servants, see Immigrant Servants Database (http://www.immigrantservants.com).

Lecture Title: My Ancestor Came to America as an Indentured Servant

Class Description: Some ancestors are more interesting to study than others. Learn why indentured servants make fascinating subjects.

Carolyn J. Nell, AG^®, FUGA, Chair of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, specializes in the Mid South and Gulf South states. She has been an Accredited Genealogist researcher since 1982. She was formerly president of the National Genealogical Society (NGS). She served two terms as NGS president from 1992-1996. Her credentials include serving two terms as president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA), and three terms as Fairfax [Virginia] Genealogical Society president. She has received numerous awards for outstanding leadership. In 1998, Nell was made a UGA Fellow in recognition of her contributions to the field of genealogy.

Lecture Title: Becoming an Accredited Genealogist Workshop Part I

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Lecture Title: How to Write a Research Report, Satisfy the Client, and Still Make a Profit

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James W. Petty, AG^®, CG^SM, BS (Genealogy), BA (History) is a 35 year career professional genealogy researcher and President of Heirlines Family History & Genealogy. The 2005 Donald Mosher Award for Virginia Research recipient with extensive professional genealogy research experience in Colonial Virginia genealogy, history, and immigration research, he is active in promoting new possibilities in genealogy research through DNA and genetic studies which are so needed when seeking colonial and immigrant ancestry and for jumping the pond. Jim is the current president of the Salt Lake Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).

Lecture Title: Picking Fruit From the Family Tree – Finding Clients in a Competitive Marketplace

Class Description: In a growing genealogical marketplace where millions of people are clamoring for assistance on their family trees, and thousands of professional researchers are competing to pick the fruit, how does today’s professional genealogist find new clients?

Richard Woodruff Price, AG^®, MA, President of Price and Associates, Inc. Genealogical Services in Salt Lake City (www.pricegen.com), is an Accredited Genealogist professional in English research and specializes in the research problems of English-descended families, with special emphasis on Colonial Immigration and Norfolk families. He has been involved in genealogy professionally since 1969, making regular research trips to England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, as well as many United States archives since 1974. He was a contributing author to The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy and has presented papers for the National Genealogical Society and Utah Genealogical Association conferences. He was a founder and president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and president of Utah Genealogical Association, Professional Chapter. He was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Family and Local History from Brigham Young University. His thesis studied English child naming patterns 1558-1740.

Lecture Title: Contracting with Clients

Class Description:

David E. Rencher, AG^®, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, is employed by the Family and Church History Department in Salt Lake City where he is the Director of the Records and Information Division. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is an Accredited Genealogist^® with ICAPGen^SM in Ireland research and a Certified Genealogist^SM with the Board for Certification of Genealogists^®. He is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a BA in Family and Local History. He is a past-president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 1997-2000, a national genealogical society umbrella organization, a past-president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) 1993-1995 and a Fellow of that organization. He is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, London and is a vice-president of the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU). He is currently serving as the Chair of the joint Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society committee for Record Preservation and Access and serves as a Director for the National Institute of Genealogical Research Alumni Association (NIGRAA), and Trustee for the Umpstead, Jr. and Elizabeth Jemima Philpott Rencher and the Winslow Farr, Sr. Family Organizations.

Lecture Title: Shifting Technologies Create a Shifting Profession

Class Description: The unrelenting impact of the Information Age on the professional genealogist's tools, methodology and business model.

Anne Roach, AG^®, B.A., is a Reference Consultant, instructor, and trainer in the Family History Library Information Commons. She will serve as the ULA 2007-2008 Genealogy Roundtable Vice-Chair. She is a professional researcher and paleographer with 15 years of genealogical experience. Anne enjoys working with languages and has translated genealogical documents in many languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Hebrew. She is the owner and webmaster of Technogenealogy.com, and owner of Findfam.com.

Lecture Title: Never an Expert: How to Avoid Growing Stagnant in the Field of Genealogy

Class Description: The term 'expert' may sound good, but avoiding it may truly create an expert. Learn vital tips to keep your genealogical expertise alive, and keep you at the top of your game!

Beau Sharbrough is a popular writer and lecturer, specializing in technical topics in genealogy. He is VP of Content at Footnote.com.

Lecture Title: History for the People: Footnote.com

Class Description: Footnote.com is a history website, with full Web 2.0 support for people to comment, annotate, and transcribe original historical documents. There are 14 million original records on the site in July, and images are being added at a rate of about 2 million per month. Footnote has license agreements with the National Archives, FamilySearch, and Allen County Public library. This lecture is a demonstration of the site, including search, browse, story pages, and user contributed content.

Paul Smart, MA, AG^®, CG, is employed by the Family and Church History Department as the Outreach Manager. He previously served as the training and accreditation coordinator, supervised the FHL British area for twenty-three years, and for two years managed the Family Record Extraction Program. He has a Masters Degree in History from BYU and has been recognized internationally as a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists (London, England). He is an Accredited Genealogist in England, Scotland, and Ireland; a Certified Genealogist; and a part-time instructor at BYU.

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Kip Sperry is a professor of family history in the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, where he teaches American and LDS genealogical research methods and sources. He is an Accredited Genealogist^®; Certified Genealogist^SM; Certified Genealogical Lecturer^SM; Fellow, American Society of Genealogists; Fellow, National Genealogical Society; and Fellow, Utah Genealogical Association. Author of Abbreviations and Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians; Genealogical Research in Ohio; Kirtland, Ohio: A Guide to Family History and Historical Sources; A Guide to Mormon Family History Sources; Reading Early American Handwriting; other books, chapters, journal articles, and two Internet tutorials. He has lectured at national, regional, and state family history conferences and seminars, including BYU genealogy conferences. A graduate of BYU, he was born in Chardon, Ohio.

Lecture Title: Reading Early American Handwriting

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Trish Tolley is a genealogist specializing in problem solving with DNA, as well as United States and German research. After graduating from BYU’s Family History program, Trish currently works for Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation and takes clients. Trish is planning to receive her Accreditation credential soon.

Lecture Title: Harnessing the Power of DNA

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Linda Turner, BS, AG^® is a professional researcher and lecturer, specializing in Midwest and Eastern states, 20th Century, and urban research. She received her genealogical accreditation in Midwest states. She has written training manuals for several genealogical computer software programs. She has served in various positions of Utah Genealogical Association, Conference Chair of the 1999 Utah Genealogical Association Conference, and Assistant Director of the 2000 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

Lecture Title: Writing an Excellent Report

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Stephen J. Valentine is the manager of the Indexing operation for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has managed the completion of numerous domestic and international indexing projects. He has recently led the development of the FamilySearch Indexing system.

Lecture Title: FamilySearch Indexing: The Next Revolution in Providing Access to Records

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Raymond S. Wright III, Ph.D., AG^®, FUGA, is the director of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Previously, he served as a professor of family history at Brigham Young University and as the director of the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy. His publications include numerous articles and three books: The Genealogists Handbook (Chicago: American Library Association, 1995); a revised edition of Meyers Orts- und Verkehrslexikon des Deutschen Reichs (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000); and Ancestors in German Archives. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004). Dr. Wright is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in German, and MA and PhD degrees in European History.

Lecture Title: Turning Points and Launching Pads at the New Family History Library

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