The Family History Library Announces Free Classes for February 2016

These classes and workshops are designed to help individuals and families find their ancestors and teach others family history techniques.

Feb 9	12:00 P.M. Spanish Records Indexing Workshop Webinar Indexing Tips and Tricks (1½ hours) 1:00 P.M. Cousin Research
Feb 11	10:00 A.M. Migration Routes Across America Webinar
Feb 16	12:00 P.M. Portuguese Records Indexing Workshop Webinar—Indexing Tips and Tricks (1½ hours) 2:00 P.M. Exploring Death Notices in Norway Webinar
Feb 17	1:00 P.M. Online Ortsfamilienbücher (Village Lineage books) Genealogy.net Webinar2:00 P.M. Using Metasuche or Metasearch on Genealogy.net Webinar
Feb 20	9:00 A.M. African American Series: Creating Documentary on Family History, Guest speaker Sanford Bryant10:00 A.M. African American Research and Indexing (2 hours) 10:00 A.M. Boy Scout Genealogy Merit Badge (1½ hours) To register, call 1-801-240-4673 at least one week before the workshop to find out which requirements should be completed before attending.
Feb 23	12:00 P.M. French Records Indexing Workshop Webinar Indexing Tips and Tricks (1½ hours) 1:00 P.M. British Resources on FamilySearch Webinar2:00 P.M. U.S. Burned Counties Research
Feb 24	1:00 P.M. British Resources on Ancestry Webinar3:00 P.M. Using the Full Scope of ArkivDigital for Swedish Genealogy Webinar
Feb 25	1:00 P.M. British Resources on findmypast Webinar6:00 P.M. Religious Migration History and Research Webinar

Webinars can be accessed by the following link:  https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Classes_and_Webinars#Monthly_Class_Schedules; scroll to find the desired class.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Hosts Free Seminar - Saturday, January 17th, 9-Noon

Don't Let Them Be Forgotten—Honoring Our Ancestors through the Arts

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will host a free seminar on Saturday, January 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. The seminar will help genealogists of all skill levels learn how to:

•    Involve your children, nephews, and nieces in family history.
•    Share your heritage with your family, so they will become interested.
•    Teach your family to gain inspiration from the greatness of their heritage.
•    Teach them of the sacrifices made in the past from which they benefit.
•    Teach them about understanding the past.
•    Teach them that they are a part of the greater whole.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m., guests will hear from Clive Romney, who will present stories, songs, and cowboy (pioneer) poetry that tell how his heart was turned to his fathers through family history research and how his art has turned to our fathers as he has traveled through Utah for the past six years unearthing untold stories of Utah pioneers.

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.


10:10–11:10 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

•    “Road Tripping for Genealogy” Laurie Beardall

•    “New FamilySearch Indexing Program” Scott Flinders

•    “Family History Detectives: Inspiring Youth to Dig In” Susanne Hansen

•    “Find Your Past with findmypast” Sue Maxwell


11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

•    “Managing 100s of Family File Cards” Mark Ruhlman

•    “Your Ancestors in the Newspapers: Read All About It” Ron Ray

•    “Make Family Memories: Tell Your Story Today” Joan Gust

•    “MyHeritage—It’s Working While You Sleep”––– Sue Maxwell

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive (13175 South), Riverton, Utah. 

Riverton FamilySearch Library - Free Seminar - June 21st

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will host a free seminar on

Saturday, June 21st, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

that will offer help to genealogists of all skill levels.

Puzzilla: My Work Is Done? Or, We’ve Only Just Begun!

If you were navigating in a deep forest, how helpful would it be to have a view from above? We will introduce the Puzzilla.org descendants viewer, recognize patterns and methods for finding work that remains to be done, and discuss basic concepts that new researchers need to understand to find missing relatives.

Bill Harten founded UNIConnect in 1997 and is the creator of the UNIFlow process definition language, process tracking database, and UNIFlow quality compliance engine. He is known globally for being on a team that invented the GEDCOM format used to exchange computerized genealogical information and campaigning around the world for its establishment as a standard, resulting in its use in almost every genealogical database program developed since 1985, including many hundreds of independent software products worldwide. He has lectured widely, consulted, and taught advanced courses on LIMS, informatics, and genealogical computing around the world. He has consulted on informatics practices by invitation of the Russian State Historic Archive at their repository in St. Petersburg and published recommendations on informatics practices at the request of the US National Archives in Washington D.C.

He was on a team that invented the high-performance database technology used in the LDS Church’s huge FamilySearch genealogical database on CD and is recognized in the database community as a world expert on database architectures for extreme computing requirements. He has developed several high-performance engines for matching complex genetic profiles and genealogies. In an experimental system, his matching engine was able to search a simulated copy of the FBI’s national criminal DNA database of 50 million samples in 0.1 seconds.

He holds US patent 6904412 for an invention that uses artificial intelligence concepts to implement a comprehensive legal and regulatory compliance and workflow engine for the mortgage industry, enabling and documenting compliance with all federal requirements, plus the bewildering different requirements of all 50 US states. He is active in presenting and publishing papers in the laboratory and genealogical technology communities. He earned an MS degree in Computer Science and BS in Accounting from Brigham Young University in 1977, is a Sun-certified java developer, and has completed post-graduate work in artificial intelligence at the University of Utah.

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

10:10 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

·         “Internet Sources for Locating Your 19^th Century German Ancestor” -- Baerbel Johnson

·         “Legacy 8: An Update for the Future” -- Carl Holland

·         “Googling for Grandpa” -- Bret Peterson

·         “Fast and Accurate Online Searches” -- Van Celaya

11:20 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

·         “What’s New in German Research on the Internet” -- Baerbel Johnson

·         “LDS Pioneer Research” -- Steven Sorensen

·         “Make Family Memories: Tell Your Story Today” -- Joan Gust

·         “My Tree Is Full; Now What?” -- Carol Moss

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Free Saturday Seminar at Riverton Family History Library

Saturday, May 17, 2014 / 9:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

The library offers a free seminar the third Saturday of each month, except for July and December. An opening session is held at 9:00 a.m. featuring a keynote address. Following this session attendees are offered four choices of presentations at both 10:10 and 11:20 a.m. 

The address for the library is 3740 West Market Center Drive (13175 South), Riverton, Utah. If you take Bangerter Highway and exit at 13400 South, you will see the building to the northeast behind Home Depot and across from Kohl's.

9:00 a.m.

Keynote Address - "Let's Get Your Book Ready to Print"- Carol Holland

10:10 a.m.

"Ancestral Quest Basics: Getting Off to a Good Start" - Bud Wood

"Are You Your Own Brick Wall? Common Genealogy Mistakes and Their Solutions" -Beth Taylor

"Pictures Past, Present and Future" - Jens Nielsen

"In-laws and Outlaws: The Bylaws of Teaching Youth About Family Skeletons"- Janet Horvorka

11:20 a.m.

"Are Your Personal Genealogy FIles Messed Up? Are They Multiplying? Are They Lost? Do Your Photos Disappear?" - Bud Wood'

"The Tired, the Poor, the Huddled Masses, and the Wretched Refuse: U.S. Immigration, 1820-1954" - Beth Taylor

"Capturing My Ancestors' Lives: A Guide to Writing Family Histories" - Michael Grimshaw

"Tear Down This Wall!"- Scott Fisher

UVTAGG Family History Meeting and Classes- Come Join Me!!

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG will be on Saturday, 10 May 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location,  main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org. 

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG by Sue Maxwell is titled ANCESTRY - READY, SET, GO!  HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.  Whether you have a personal subscription to Ancestry.com, use the Library Edition at a local library or Family History Center it is important to understand how Ancestry.com functions and what it can do to enhance your family history experience and make the most of this incredible opportunity to do research at home.  All members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will soon have access to Ancestry.com at home through their login to FamilySearch. Learn about all that Ancestry has to offer so you will be prepared to utilize its varied tools and features. Come see how the interface will work when the new features are released to all members.  

Sue Maxwell is a genealogist and blogger specializing in teaching, training and mentoring others to help their computer skills, software, family history, and genealogical research. Her focus is on helping others find the joy in identifying and learning about their ancestors.  Sue is actively involved in the genealogy community, former Vice President of Utah Genealogical Association (UGA), a member of NGS and UVTAGG where she is a speaker and trainer.  She and her husband are serving as Area Family History Advisors for the Church and serve 17 stakes in Sandy, Utah. She teaches at Family History Centers and at the FamilySearch Library in Riverton. She recently presented at the Regional Family History Conference in Rexburg Idaho to about 1000 attendees. She has served as a Director, Trainer and Tech Support for a local Family History Center and maintains her blog, Granite Genealogy. This blog focuses on training, information, and materials and helps people keep up to date on what's going on in Family History.  She retired after a 27-year career in management in the utility industry.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.  

(1)  Ancestry.com: Strategies for Effective Searching, by Sue Maxwell; 

(2)  German Research:  Online Resources, by Laurie Castillo;  

(3)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  

(4)  Video of last month's main presentation,  Using State Archives and Local Libraries Online, by Luana Darby; 

(5)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay; 

(6)  Organizing Media Files with RootsMagic, by Terri Tyler; and 

(7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett. 

 

There will be no Mac class this time, though several of the above classes are "Mac-compatible."

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

UVTAGG Genealogy Meeting and Classes - Saturday 12 April 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG will be on Saturday, 12 Apr 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. 

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be by Luana Darby on USING STATE ARCHIVES AND LOCAL LIBRARIES ONLINE.  With many state archives and local libraries posting one-of-a-kind information that many times has never been seen outside of that institution, the wealth of information now available to genealogists and family historians is astounding.  Vital records, journals, obituaries, city directories, maps, photographs and more are accessible, if you know where to look. Learn how to search and where to find these elusive, but vital resources. These digital collections will enrich your genealogical experience and may offer that family breakthrough you are looking for!  

Luana Darby is a professional genealogist and lecturer.  She graduated from BYU with a degree in Family History and received her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.  She is the owner of Lineages by Luana, a genealogical research company which focuses on US/Canada and Western European research and consultations and is co-owner of American Patriots and Pioneers Research Services, lineage application specialists.  She has lectured at various regional and national genealogical conferences including NGS. FGS, RootsTech, UGA, BYU and ICAPGen.  She has served as treasurer, vice president and president of the Utah Genealogical Association and is working on her accreditation in Midwest research.  Her love for genealogy came from listening to her grandmother tell her stories of growing up on the Kansas prairies at the turn of the century.  These stories created a desire to learn more about her ancestors and their stories.  She has spent the last 35 years reconstructing these accounts and looks for every opportunity to connect with "cousins," some of the most recent coming from genealogical DNA breakthroughs.  It is her goal to instill this passion and desire in everyone that she meets.  

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   

(1)  Can You Hear Me Now?  Voice Recognition, by Luana Darby;  

(2)  FamilySearch Subscription Site Access Preview, by Beth Ann Wiseman;  

(3)  Software and Genealogy Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  

(4)  Video of last month's main presentation: Family History with Heart: Digging Info Out of Distant Relatives, by Suzanne Hansen;  

(5)  Help With The MAC Software "Reunion", by Ron Snowden;  

(6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  

(7)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell; and 

(8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free Seminar-April 19th, 2014

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will host a free seminar on

Saturday, April 19th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

that will offer help to genealogists of all skill levels.

Putting the Family Back in Family History: Getting Your Whole Family Engaged

Families can be strengthened as children and youth accept the challenge to engage in family history and temple work. Come learn how your family can receive blessings promised by the Brethren by getting everyone engaged in the work of salvation, as families implement creative ways to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers.

Presenter Suzanne H. Curley is the North America patron services manager for FamilySearch, working with family history centers throughout the United States and Canada to enhance the patron experience. She is the former director of the Riverton FamilySearch Library. Suzanne is also a licensed attorney and member of the Utah State Bar. Suzanne and her husband Mike are the parents of four children and 14 grandchildren.

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

10:10 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “How to Find Your Swedish Ancestors” Part 1- Geoffrey Fröberg Morris

• “The Magic in RootsMagic”- Ron Ray

• “Can Genealogy Be Simplified?” Part 1- Ray Millgate

• “Finding the Lost That You Didn’t Know Were Lost”- Ann Rueckert

11:20 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “How to Find Your Swedish Ancestors” Part 2- Geoffrey Fröberg Morris

• “FamilySearch Indexing”- Rose Scott and Margaret Klingler

• “Can Genealogy Be Simplified?” Part 2- Fred Ratliff

• “Family History Detectives - Inspiring Youth to “Climb” Their Family Tree and Enter a New Exciting World of Adventure,  Mystery, and Discovery”––Suzanne Hansen

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free Seminar

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will host a free seminar on

Saturday, October 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

that will offer help to genealogists of all skill levels.

Taking Your Family History Electronic: Creating Your Own Amazing E-book

E-books are gaining favor with genealogists and family historians for their readability, look, and convenience. Learn how to take your written family history from paper to electronic format. You can even add photos and embed videos. Using Sigil, a free open-source software program, and a few publication tricks, you will be up and running in no time. Share your family stories in multiple formats to be read on a computer or on one of the many readers on the market, including the iPad, iPhone, Nook, Kindle, or other mobile device.

The keynote presentation will be by Luana Darby, MLIS, a professional genealogist based in Salt Lake City. She specializes in the U.S. Midwest, Palatine German, LDS, and American patriot research. She is working toward receiving her AG and CG credentials. For over 20 years, she has worked with clients of her company, Lineages by Luana, and is a frequent speaker at conferences, workshops, and institutes. She is a past president of the Utah Genealogical Association.

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that address topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

10:15 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “Recognizing and Extracting Genealogical Information from Norwegian Church Records” - Anka Haslam

• “United States Military Records” - Pat Jensen

• “Merging People in FamilySearch’s Family Tree” - Ben Baker

• “Digging Up Death Records Online” - Lorraine Bourne

11:30 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “FamilySearch Family Tree Made Easy with Legacy Family Tree” - John Baker

• “Presenting and Preserving Your Family History: You Can’t Take It with You, So How Do You Leave It?” - Don Snow and Linda Snow Westover

• “Italian Marriage Civil Registration Records: 1809–1900” - Paola Manfredi

• “Using Online Resources for Danish Research” - Linda Baker

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive (13175 South). The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Riverton Family History Library Seminar - GeneTech: Y-DNA Solutions to Common Genealogical Problems

DNA testing has become an accepted tool for identifying ancestors. Information stored in the Y-chromosome passes virtually unchanged from father to son for centuries. Analysis of this genetic information, found in living people, can help determine whether or not you share a common ancestor with another person alive today. Computer algorithms predict approximately how long ago the common ancestor lived. These results have many genealogical applications.

Nathan W. Murphy, MA, AG, works at FamilySearch in the Patron Services Division. He holds degrees in family and local history from Brigham Young University and the University of Leicester (the English university that recently discovered King Richard III’s remains). He has assisted more than 25 clients through DNA testing. His own Murphy Y-DNA originates near County Cork, Ireland.

Following this keynote presentation from 9:00 to10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “Introduction to the Church History Library for LDS Research” by Jay Burrup

• “Writing Family Histories” by Mike Grimshaw

• “Find Your Ancestors at Home Using Thousands of Free Sites” by Boyd Willden

• “Dropbox and RecordSeek’s Tree Connect: Tools for Adding Sources to Family Tree” by Tom Stubben 

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Choose one of the following four classes:

• “Introduction to Research in LDS Branch, Ward, Stake, District, and Mission Records” by Jay Burrup

• “Bite-size Pieces: Writing Your Personal History” by RoseAnn Fisher

• “Questions, Clues, and Strategies for Genealogy Research” by Diana Toland

·        • “RootsMagic Features That Enhance the Software”¾Paul Hyer

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Meeting (UVTAGG) - Not a member -That's OK!

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 14 Sep 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  

The main presentation this month will be by Bret Petersen on MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MOBILE DEVICES.  Mobile devices are all around us with smartphones, tablets, and other devices.  We use them for communicating, playing games and maybe keeping our calendar up-to-date. However, many don't realize all of the ways that they can help in our genealogy research.  Come with us as we explore some of the many ways that one might make the most of the power behind these devices.  

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   

  (1)  The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Prison, Criminal, Asylum and Other Records, by Bret Petersen;  

  (2)  A Comparison: Ancestral Quest, RootsMagic, and a Touch of Legacy, by Bud Wood;  

  (3)  Advanced Animap, by Marilyn Thomsen;  

  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation: Zap the Grandma Gap: 10 Best Ideas to Leap the Generation Gap, by Janet Hovorka;  

  (5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  

  (6)  MAC: Getting Started with Reunion and MAC Essentials, by Ron Snowden;  

  (7)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell;  

  (8)  Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen; and  

  (9)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants. 

Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Meeting (UVTAGG)

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG will be on Saturday, 10 Aug 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org.

The main presentation this month will be by Janet Hovorka on ZAP THE GRANDMA GAP:  THE TEN BEST IDEAS TO LEAP THE GENERATION GAP IN A SINGLE BOUND.  These are the 10 most important ideas to connect to your posterity by connecting them to their past.  If they are bored, you are doing it wrong.  Go from snoring and boring to exciting and inviting.  Janet Hovorka received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ancient History and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from BYU.  She accepted teaching and library positions at BYU and Salt Lake Community College before having her three wonderful children. She and her husband, Kim Hovorka, own Family ChartMasters -- https://familychartmasters.com/php/index.php -- an online genealogy chart printing service that was the first company to be FamilySearch Certified by the LDS Church. She writes The Chart Chick blog -- http://thechartchick.blogspot.com/ -- winner of the 2009 Geneablog award and is currently serving as Past President of the Utah Genealogical Association.  One of Janet's greatest genealogy accomplishments was the completion and publication of her mother-in-law's oral history just one year prior to her untimely death.  She has presented 100s of lectures all over the country to help countless people find out more about their family’s history.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.  
(1)  Zap the Grandma Gap: Leave a Heritage Hands-on Workshop, by Janet Hovorka;
(2)  A genealogy Tour of the BYU Map Collection, Physical and Digital, by Rick Grapes;
(3)  Advanced AniMap. by Marilyn Thomsen;
(4)  Video from last month's main presentation: Treasures in Your Own Backyard: Genealogy Resources in the BYU Library, by Terry Dahlin;
(5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Finn Hansen, Beth Ann Wiseman, and Bud Wood;
(6)  RootsMagic, by  Sue Maxwell;
(7)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay; and
(8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.
Note: There will not be a MAC class this day.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100+ attending the monthly meetings on second Saturdays.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free Seminar for July

The Five Most Important Resources for Finding Your U.S. Families

With an ever-growing number of sources, websites, and research tools, today’s family historian can be overwhelmed at the possibilities. Where to start? How to be sure you have not missed anything? Here are the tools that will help you be sure you have made a broad and deep sweep of the possible sources.
These five resources are true power tools. They can accomplish great searches in just a little time. Learn all their features and functions, so their power will work for you.

Kory Meyerink, one of the founding partners of ProGenealogists, has been involved in nearly every aspect of genealogy and family history for the past 30 years, beginning as a record searcher while attending Brigham Young University, where he received an associate degree in family and local history, as well as a bachelor of science degree in psychology. He later completed a master of library and information science degree. He has written extensively and contributed numerous articles and columns for both Ancestry and Heritage Quest magazines. He recently served as the lead editor for the ground-breaking new methodology book, Becoming an Excellent Genealogist, published by the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), where he served for eight years as a commissioner. His volunteer work also includes serving as an officer and on the board of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and as past-president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA).

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00–10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.
The classes available from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. are:

• “ResearchTies: A Quality Tool for Logging and Tracking Research” - Jill Crandell

• “Find Your French Ancestors Online” - Heidi Sugden

• “Installing and Using IrfanView Software” - Colleen Willis

• “Basic Indexing” - Rose Scott


The classes available from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. are:

• “Research Fundamentals for Consultants and Novice Genealogists” - Sherry Zealley

• “Fundamentals of Legacy Family Tree” - Carl Holland

• “Find Green Arrows through Descendency Searches” - Cathy Anderegg

• “Using Billiongraves.com as a Source on Family Tree” - Linda Baker

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive in Riverton, Utah. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free Seminar-June 15th

Come join in the fun and learn more about ways to get your family involved with Family History!

Riverton, Utah

Zap the Grandma Gap
This keynote presentation shares the ten most important ideas for you to connect to your posterity by connecting your posterity to their past.  If they are bored, you are doing it wrong.  Based on the book and workbook Zap the Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How to Connect to Your Family by Connecting Them to Their Family History, (www.zapthegrandmagap.com) Janet Hovorka helps you figure out what will work in your family. You can take your family history from snoring and boring to exciting and inviting.

Janet Hovorka owns Family ChartMasters, an award winning genealogy chart printing service and is the author of the Zap the Grandma Gap–Connect to Your Family by Connecting Them to Their Family History book and workbooks.  Janet writes The Chart Chick blog and the Zap the Grandma Gap blog, writes for numerous genealogy publications, and widely lectures about genealogy.  She is the immediate past president of the Utah Genealogical Association and teaches genealogy and library science at Salt Lake Community College.

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00–10:00 a.m., two blocks of four classes each are offered that will cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

The classes available from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. are:

•   “Using Neighborhoods to Solve Difficult Problems: A Case History from New York State” - Bart Kowallis
•   “Naturalization Records” - Pat Jensen
•   “The Bred, the Wed, and the Dead: U.S. Vital Records” - Beth Taylor
•   “Introduction to Ancestral Quest” - Bud Wood


The classes available from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. are:

•   “U.S. Migration Patterns” - Mary Hill
•   “Where There’s a Will There’s a Probate: U.S. Probate Records” - Beth Taylor
•   “Organizing and Presenting Your Photos: Picasa and Other Freeware” - Don Snow and Linda Snow Westover
•   “Using ‘My Source Box’ on FamilySearch and Family Tree” - Linda Baker

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Free Research Series at the Family History Library in May

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - Genealogists and family history enthusiasts looking for help with research in the following areas will be interested in classes held at the Family History Library in May.

A free Mid-Atlantic States Research Series will be held on Saturday, May 4, at the Family History Library. The classes will include:
       9:15 a.m.    “New Jersey”
     10:30 a.m.  “New York”
     11:45 a.m.  “Pennsylvania”

A free Norwegian Research Series will be held on Saturday, May 4 at the Family History Library. The classes will include: 

       9:15 a.m.    “Basic Elements of Norwegian Research” 

     10:30 a.m.    “Vital Records in Norway”

     11:45 a.m.    “Emigration and Printed Sources”

A free workshop on “Older English Handwriting” will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the Family History Library.  The workshop will run from 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and the topics are:
       9:15 a.m.    “Introduction & Examples”
     11:45 a.m.    ‘Hands-on Practice”

A free Hispanic workshop (taught in Spanish) on Searching for Ancestors in FamilySearch will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the Family History Library.  The workshop will run from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the topic is:
       1:00 p.m.    “La búsqueda de antepasados en FamilySearch”
El sábado 18 de mayo de 2013 la Biblioteca de Historia Familiar en Lago Salado habrá un taller hablada en español.  El tema del taller es:  “La búsqueda de antepasados en FamilySearch.”  El taller empieza a la 1 de la tarde y durará una hora y media.  Estará en la sala de computadores en el piso principal de la Biblioteca de Historia Familiar.

To view the class schedule online, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/library_class_schedule.  Classes will be held in the Main floor classroom of the Family History Library.  The library is located to the west of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and South Temple Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.  On Saturdays, parking is free to library patrons and is located behind the Church History Museum.  To register for these free classes, send an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or call 801-240-4950.

Riverton FamilySearch Library to Host Free Seminar

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will host a free seminar on

March 16th from 9:00 a.m. to noon,

offering help to genealogists of all skill levels.

Riverton, Utah¾ In every genealogist’s life, there are moments and experiences that change our course, give us the inspiration to solve the brick wall, or even cause us to laugh out loud. Popular keynote speaker Barry Ewell will share ten “aha!” moments that will give you cause to say, “I’m a genealogist and lovin' it!”

Barry J. Ewell is the founder of MyGenShare.com, an online knowledgebase website for individuals interested in learning, sharing, contemplating, and discovering family history. Throughout his professional career as executive officer and senior manager of advertising and public relations strategy for technology companies, he has worked for companies like IBM, 3M, and Rational Software. He has a BA in Communications from BYU. Since first being introduced to family history in 1998, he has extensively researched his family roots in the United States, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, and Russia. His focus has been to preserve the record of his family through oral, written, and documented histories, and researching family lines. 

Following the keynote presentation from 9:00–10:00 a.m., there will be two blocks of four classes each that will cover topics of interest for beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history enthusiasts.

The classes available from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. are:

 ·       Digging Up Death Records Online"¾Lorraine Bourne

 ·        “Searching Ancestry.com”¾Echo King

 ·        “Utilizing Online Resources of the Midwest”¾Luana Darby

 ·        “Church of England Parish Registers”¾Apryl Cox

  

The classes available from 11:00 a.m. to noon are:

·       “The ‘Shady’ Side of the Family Tree: Prison, Criminal, and Asylum Records and More”¾Bret Petersen

·         “Ancestry.com Online Family Trees”¾Echo King

·         “Using Danish Military Levying Rolls”¾Linda Baker

·         “Census Techniques and Strategies”¾Jason Harrison

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Meeting and Classes

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 Mar 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org . 

The main presentation this month will be by  David Ouimette on SOLVING DIFFICULT FAMILY HISTORY PROBLEMS.  Proving family relationships, the essence of  genealogical research, may seem daunting when the evidence is sparse.  This presentation will show how to solve difficult family history problems by applying sound research principles and practices.  David Ouimette, CG, is Manager of Content Strategy at FamilySearch.  His responsibilities include identifying the most valuable records for genealogical research worldwide and prioritizing records to preserve digitally and make available online.  He has conducted onsite family history research and participated in record negotiations in Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and much of the United States.  He previously worked in software development and product management at Ancestry.com and has lectured at many national and local genealogy conferences.  His research specialties include Ireland, Quebec, and New England.  He has contributed articles to Ancestry Magazine, APG Quarterly, Crossroads, The Septs, and BYU Family Historian and is the author of Finding Your Irish Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide (Provo: Ancestry, 2005).  He currently serves as Vice President of the Utah Genealogical Association and is responsible for publishing Crossroads magazine.

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled:   

(1)  Family History in Bulk: More Bang for Your Buck, by Linda Snow Westover;  

(2)  Marching Forward in a Major Way: U.S. Military Records, by Laurie Castillo;  

(3)  Q&A: Solving Difficult Family History Problems, by David Ouimette;  

(4)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  

(5)  MAC:  Using Reunion 10 and Previous Versions, by Ron Snowden;  

(6)  Video of last month's main presentation: Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons, by Margaret Young;  

(7)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  

(8)  Legacy, by Jim Kendall; and  

(9)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.  

Check the meetings page at  UVTAGG for last minute changes or additions to the class offerings.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

RootsTech: Classes for Priesthood and Church Leaders

General Authority and other Church leaders provide Family History Training on March 23, 2013, at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City

Priesthood and Church leaders are invited to participate in free family history training on Saturday, March 23, 2013.

Registration is required at rootstech.org/Fhcallings Training includes:

Special Family History Devotional

9:45 AM, Elder Allen F. Packer, First Quorum of the Seventy, Salt Palace Hall 2

For all Church Members

The doctrine of family history and the work of salvation.

The Role of Family History in the Work of Salvation

11:00 AM, Elder Bradley D. Foster, Second Quorum of the Seventy, Salt Palace Hall 2

For Anyone with a Family History Related Calling

Learn successful practices for using family history in wards and stakes to:

• Receive the full blessings of the temple
• Focus on the work for YOUR dead
• Strengthen family connections
• Support Priesthood leaders and councils

Priesthood Leaders: Family History as a Resource in the Work of Salvation

12:40 PM, Elder Paul E. Koelliker, First Quorum of the Seventy, Salt Palace Hall 1

For Priesthood Leaders:  Learn how Priesthood leaders play a large role in the success of ward or stake family history activities. Learn how to use family history to strengthen families, reactivate members, and as a missionary too.

Youth Leaders: Using Family History to Bless the Lives of Your Youth

12:40 PM, David L. Beck, Young Men General President, Salt Palace 155 C

Using Family History to Bless the Lives of Your Youth

Learn about the blessings promised to youth who engage in family history work. Come away with ideas on how to plan activities like pioneer treks, youth conferences, scouting, and the Duty to God and Personal Progress.