The In-Depth Genealogist a digital community for all genealogists

As a mom I worry about all sorts of things and I am pretty sure worry comes with the job title.  As a genealogist an entire new layer of worry is added to that already extensive worry list. Now I ponder how I will make sure my kids, and grandkids, have the same love and respect for their family history that I have. I was lucky that I grew up in the family I did.  My parents and grandmothers loved to tell stories about our family.  Their houses were decorated with heirlooms, pictures, and memories. Family dinners were peppered with old recipes adding to the flavors of the day. I have learned through the years that this is not the norm in most families.  Yes, I do have family members who have attempted to run away from me or who not-so-politely sat through what I thought was a very interesting story.  I am sure you all can think of several instances where this has happened to you.  My goal as a genealogist mom is to, as Janet Hovorka states in her new book, zap the grandma gap with future generations. Zap the Grandma Gap, by Janet Hovorka, is a wonderful how-to-guide for anyone struggling with passing on their family history to younger generations.  Each chapter is filled with hints, tips, ideas, and wonderful personal stories to show you that it really isn’t that hard to connect.  All you need to do is relate to their life experiences and talk to them in ways that interest them.  Simple enough, right? Your guide through the book is Super Grandma who has an arsenal of special accessories.  In each section you are introduced to a special gadget which allows her to connect her family to their story.  From her “Bullet Proof Vest” to her ... Read More »

May seems to bring changes every year. Spring is in full bloom. Gardens are being planted. Students around the country are graduating and moving on to new adventures. The same holds true for family historians. We plan new research trips and family reunions. We update our blogs and websites with new designs and features. It’s the time of year so many of us get the itch to try new things after fabulous learning opportunities at conferences. We learn, grow, and challenge ourselves with new experiences – just like the IDG leadership team did at the 2013 National Genealogical Society Family History Conference last week. The In-Depth Genealogist has been such an important part of my family history journey. From the earliest days of a handful of friends writing articles for a newsletter over at Corn and Cotton Genealogy to the resource you know today, IDG has been first and foremost a labor of love for me. It has grown and evolved over the last year into something that still leaves me awestruck. We strived to be a place where all genealogists felt welcome when others may focus on dividing the community into labels such as “hobbyist” or “professional.” I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far! It has grown from a small group to a large family, and I love it. However, as with all journeys, sometimes we notice that the path in front of us is heading in a different direction than we expected. I’ve been blessed over the last year to not only work with a great team growing The In-Depth Genealogist but to also grow my business, Corn and Cotton Genealogy. The time has come that I need to pour myself full time into my business. Starting this month, I’ll be stepping down as the ... Read More »

Is anyone else amazed sometimes of the actual geography of somewhere? I don’t mean by a map, I mean where you have actually visited somewhere & suddenly realise that two or perhaps three places were closer than you originally thought. Of course, when that happens, it means perhaps you need to consider where in the locality you are going to research, whether that be by visiting or by using the Internet. Where I grew up in Surrey was quite close to my ancestral stomping ground. Surrey borders Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and of course Middlesex. I had always known that and of course living in the area took it for granted. A few years ago my husband and I ventured back to my native Surrey and had elected to stay in one of the budget hotels. We only needed somewhere to sleep as during the day I would be researching and hubby would be fishing. Guildford is notoriously expensive in the hotel market, so we ventured down to Liphook which was the exact area where my Grandmother’s maternal line had lived. I can not read a map with any degree of success, so we took a wrong turn, and headed under a railway bridge. Then suddenly I saw the County sign reading Sussex. Quickly we stopped the car and I asked hubby how far we were out of Liphook. The answer was less than a mile. It was one of those moments when your heart races a little faster as you comprehend just what you have discovered. Please tell me that you have all had those moments, otherwise I had best see a Doctor! We retraced our steps and made it to the hotel. Sorted ourselves out, we had to, we had only just arrived and then went off to ... Read More »

Of the many sessions offered during the course of the week at the NGS 2013 Family History Conference; several focused on the western states and resources available to those of us on “this side” of the Mississippi. One such presentation was given today, entitled “The Civil War in the American West,” with Rick Sayre, CG, CGL. (Find more information on the presenter: APG Profile) (For those of you with access to the conference syllabus, you can find this session on page 141.) During the war, the Trans-Mississippi West theatre’s primary operations were in Missouri, Indian Territory, and New Mexico. Although the duration of the lecture was very interesting, one effort made by Mr. Sayre caught my attention; and that was providing numerous references to attendees for further reading. His bibliography included twenty-two sources. Some of those included: (Brown, Dee Alexander. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1963.) . (Josephy, Alvin M. New York; A.A. Knopf, 1991.) . (McPhersoon, James M. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.) . (Wagner, Margaret E., Gary W. Gallagher, and Paul Finkelman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002.) Other interesting titles that were mentioned, but not provided in the bibliography included: . (Pittman, Dr. Walter Earl. The History Press, 2011.) . (Cottrell, Steve. Pelican Publishing, 1995.) One of the many tools provided for research of this nature was the concept of how to approach your search. Mr. Sayre suggested understanding, in this order: The war. Utilizing general resources for understanding the war, the political and social climate of the time. The organization. Look to The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference (see above) for a broad overview of how the two sides of the conflict were internally organized and managed their forces. The records. As the vast majority of records are held within the National Archives ... Read More »

There is incredible value in traditional conference sessions. The person chosen to speak on a topic stands in the front of the room, gives the audience a pre-planned, rehearsed presentation. The audience in turn listens attentively, takes notes, makes a valiant attempt to suck in as much as possible of the information that speaker is providing. But there is another, just as valuable option. There are many conferences around the world – not necessarily genealogy conferences – do it very well. It’s called un-conferencing, and it can take many forms. Sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight, I do not believe that the NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas has any un-conference events on the official schedule. However…. There are several events that are taking place in the exhibit hall, the internet café, and other sites around the conference center that have been able to partner with the team at NGS to utilize this event to showcase their products, collaborative projects and educational opportunities, and much more. The team at The In-Depth Genealogist is incredibly excited to be leading one such event: #genchat LIVE! from NGS 2013! We are grateful to the Conference Committee and to the incredible generosity of sponsors Findmypast and FamilySearch for the complimentary internet service; allowing us to make all of this possible. In the exhibit hall, there is one group of people we know of specifically that are bringing this un-conferencing experience to their booth. Pentandra is providing what appear to be extremely comfy red chairs for many of us to take advantage of. They are planning a series of scheduled conversations, on a variety of topics, and are hoping to create an engaging and dynamic space for people to share, collaborate and generally come together during the conference. Instead of ... Read More »