On Saturday, October 8th, from 10:30 on the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research will be offering a seminar on beginning genealogy research at the Detroit Public Library.
10:45-11:15 - Getting Started on Your Family History
11:30-12:00 - Researching In Church Records
12:00-12:45- Break for lunch
12:45- 1:15 - Census Records
1:30 - 2:00 - Newspaper Research
There is no fee for attending the series of talks. Everyone is welcome. For more information & directions check out their website.
Showing posts with label Talks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Talks. Show all posts
29 September 2011
17 May 2009
Confessions of a Genealogical Klutz
As a genealogist I try really hard to be good. I mean, you don't want people to think you're a genealogical klutz right? After all who would want anyone to think that you just accidentally stumbled into some information - you know, stuff other people search years to find & you just sort of stumble into it without even trying to find it?
Well come over here, just a bit closer to the screen, I have a secret to share... ready? I stumble into stuff all the time. I mean I don't plan it that way, it just sort of happens. I call it simply "stumbling". Does that make me a genealogical klutz or something? I don't really think so, but I've given it some thought and I think I can explain it out. Take a listen to this.
Each letter in the word stumble reminds me of things I do, things that help put me in the right place at the right time that make it possible for me to stumble into things. Goofy? Maybe. But it works. More than you know!
The dictionary defines Stumble with three different definitions. Of the three I like the third one the best - TO HAPPEN BY CHANCE. Although I don't know that anything happens by chance if you truly follow the letters of stumble.
S - SOURCES - Know where you got your information.
T - TRACE - keep good records on what you looked, the variations you searched
U UNTURNED - as in leave no stone unturned
M - METHODICAL - make a plan for searching & stick with it.
B - BOLD - Be bold. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for photo's & Doc's
L - LEADS - follow every lead. No matter how small.
E - EVALUATE - Evaluate your plan, not once but every time. Something you could change that might get different results?
Sometimes stumbling can lead to great finds, although I must admit it does take a bit of work. So when you say, I stumbled on to this, you really aren't saying you're an unorganized genealogical klutz. Actually its quite the opposite!
Why not give it a try sometime?
Karen
Well come over here, just a bit closer to the screen, I have a secret to share... ready? I stumble into stuff all the time. I mean I don't plan it that way, it just sort of happens. I call it simply "stumbling". Does that make me a genealogical klutz or something? I don't really think so, but I've given it some thought and I think I can explain it out. Take a listen to this.
Each letter in the word stumble reminds me of things I do, things that help put me in the right place at the right time that make it possible for me to stumble into things. Goofy? Maybe. But it works. More than you know!
The dictionary defines Stumble with three different definitions. Of the three I like the third one the best - TO HAPPEN BY CHANCE. Although I don't know that anything happens by chance if you truly follow the letters of stumble.
S - SOURCES - Know where you got your information.
T - TRACE - keep good records on what you looked, the variations you searched
U UNTURNED - as in leave no stone unturned
M - METHODICAL - make a plan for searching & stick with it.
B - BOLD - Be bold. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for photo's & Doc's
L - LEADS - follow every lead. No matter how small.
E - EVALUATE - Evaluate your plan, not once but every time. Something you could change that might get different results?
Sometimes stumbling can lead to great finds, although I must admit it does take a bit of work. So when you say, I stumbled on to this, you really aren't saying you're an unorganized genealogical klutz. Actually its quite the opposite!
Why not give it a try sometime?
Karen
01 May 2009
On the Road Again... Genealogy style...
Mark & I seem to spend so much time on the road, speaking, researching and sometimes just getting away. Mostly it seems to be for some sort of research or speaking.
Tomorrow I'm doing a three hour seminar at the Flatriver Library in Greenville, Michigan. A nice leisurly drive across the state.
I will be presenting two of my most popular talks, Chasing Your Elusive Ancestor on the Internet and Researching There When You Are Here... Both having to do with using the computer to do genealogy when your ancestors are in places other than where you are living.
Very few of us are lucky enough to live in the area where our ancestors once lived, and its probably a good thing for my family! I can't imagine being able to just hop in my car and in 15 minutes be able to walk the cemetery of my ancestors... Lordy, no housework would ever be done. We'd have some serious issues with laundry being done as well.
In 11 days I am off to Ft Wayne with the Dearborn Genealogical Society - my to do list for this trip is mostly done. I didn't get it all completed when I was there last time. I got sidetracked with a book I found on an older cemetery in the area I grew up in. Imagine that! My ancestors living in the area I grew up and I didn't even know it! Of course I wasn't into genealogy at the time either!
In 21 days Mark & I are off on another great adventure, this time for 11 days. We're headed down to Elkhart County, Indiana for some obituary searching & of course some headstone photography as well. We'll stop in and see my sister in Kentucky and then wander into Nashville for a few days. The Tennessee State Library & Archives is located in Nashville so I hope to do some newspaper work & find some death certificates during my visit there. We also hope to make time for dinner with some good friends who moved down to Tennessee a few years ago! Being a big fan of country music I also hope to do some site seeing and relaxing as well! After Nashville we are headed back north into Ohio for a few days of researching there as well. Don't know that I will ever totally exhaust all the resources for researching in Ohio.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be talking alot about the trip, my preperations - both research & personal for the trip. Our son is coming to sit with the dog, Spike and watch the house. Personally I think he's coming for the 92 inch screen that we call tv... or possibly the well stocked pantry... either way its nice to know he'll be here.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.....
If you are a librarian or a program chair for a society and are interested in any of the talks mentioned here either leave a comment or email me and I'll get back to you!
Tomorrow I'm doing a three hour seminar at the Flatriver Library in Greenville, Michigan. A nice leisurly drive across the state.
I will be presenting two of my most popular talks, Chasing Your Elusive Ancestor on the Internet and Researching There When You Are Here... Both having to do with using the computer to do genealogy when your ancestors are in places other than where you are living.
Very few of us are lucky enough to live in the area where our ancestors once lived, and its probably a good thing for my family! I can't imagine being able to just hop in my car and in 15 minutes be able to walk the cemetery of my ancestors... Lordy, no housework would ever be done. We'd have some serious issues with laundry being done as well.
In 11 days I am off to Ft Wayne with the Dearborn Genealogical Society - my to do list for this trip is mostly done. I didn't get it all completed when I was there last time. I got sidetracked with a book I found on an older cemetery in the area I grew up in. Imagine that! My ancestors living in the area I grew up and I didn't even know it! Of course I wasn't into genealogy at the time either!
In 21 days Mark & I are off on another great adventure, this time for 11 days. We're headed down to Elkhart County, Indiana for some obituary searching & of course some headstone photography as well. We'll stop in and see my sister in Kentucky and then wander into Nashville for a few days. The Tennessee State Library & Archives is located in Nashville so I hope to do some newspaper work & find some death certificates during my visit there. We also hope to make time for dinner with some good friends who moved down to Tennessee a few years ago! Being a big fan of country music I also hope to do some site seeing and relaxing as well! After Nashville we are headed back north into Ohio for a few days of researching there as well. Don't know that I will ever totally exhaust all the resources for researching in Ohio.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be talking alot about the trip, my preperations - both research & personal for the trip. Our son is coming to sit with the dog, Spike and watch the house. Personally I think he's coming for the 92 inch screen that we call tv... or possibly the well stocked pantry... either way its nice to know he'll be here.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.....
If you are a librarian or a program chair for a society and are interested in any of the talks mentioned here either leave a comment or email me and I'll get back to you!
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