My Last Day in Salt Lake City~The Family History Library and Temple Square

    With FGS and Rootstech 2015 over, I took the opportunity on Monday, Feb. 16 to spend the day in the Family History Library.
 It has been almost 10 years since my last research trip to the Library so I was really looking forward to it.

Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

    Arriving when the doors opened at 8am, I went straight to the 3rd floor to look for books on the various South Carolina and North Carolina counties that I have ancestors from. A list was made using the FHL catalog before my trip so that I would know the call numbers of the books that I hoped would help me with my research.
   My goal was to use my Canscanner phone app to capture information from the books and then after a break for lunch head to the 2nd floor and look through microfilm for the same States and Counties. On Mondays the Library closes at 5. I had no time to waste!
     

North and South Carolina Books
Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

So many books, so little time!
Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

        After 5 hours of searching and scanning in the book section, I headed to get something to eat and then it was off to look at the microfilm.

Row and Rows of Microfilm
Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

     Luckily, the library wasn't too crowded so it was easy to find a film reader close to the films that I needed. The next 3 hours were spent looking through and finding much needed documents and information on my people. Some of which was new to me and some corroborated evidence for things already suspected.
  The library staff was helpful and friendly as were the other patrons. There were fellow conference goers researching in the library that day as well. I was able to wave to Judy Russsell and see Tom Jones and Michael Leclerc in action.
     5 O'clock came way too fast and it was time to gather my things and head out. My ride was not going to pick me up for an hour so I spent the time on Temple Square reflecting on my week. Knowing that these were my last few hours in Salt Lake City before my flight back home was bitter sweet. Although I was ready to get home and see my family, I was sad that the wonderful experiences that I had enjoyed over the past week were over.

Salt Lake City Temple

Assembly Hall on Temple Square

Tabernacle on Temple Square

 LDS Conference Center
Salt Lake City, Utah

Christus Statue
 North Visitors' Center
Temple Square
Salt Lake City, Utah

        So here's to the lessons learned and discoveries made, the friendships formed and those renewed-to the shear fun of it all.

    Thank you Salt Lake City and those who put together FGS and Rootstech 2015! A time I will always remember.

What are your favorite memories of FGS and Rootstech 2015? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment!


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!


   

DONNY!!! I Mean-Day 4 FGS/Rootstech 2015

Waiting for the Opening Session to Start
With Hilary Gadsby and Valerie Eichler Lair

     Saturday's Opening Session couldn't come fast enough!
Having been a Donny Osmond fan since I was a pre-teen, I was so excited to hear him give his Keynote address to the FGS/Rootstech crowd.

 The first speaker of the day was award winning author A.J. Jacobs who talked to us about his plans for the Global Family Reunion to be held in New York in June 6, 2015. This is to be quite a party! There will be games, entertainment, speakers and food with the proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Foundation.  A.J., whose tag line is"I Am A Cousin" came out on the stage with everyone in the audience holding a "I Am a Cousin" sign. He took a selfie with all of us holding up our signs in the background.

A.J. Jacobs-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2015

A.J. Jacobs with George and Barbara Bush
I Am A Cousin!

    This was a fun and entertaining Keynote talk. The Global Family Reunion sounds fantastic. I won't be able to attend this year, but am hoping that it will be held again in the future.
       
          Then, be still my heart, it was time for Donny!

Donny Osmond-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2015

Donny, sharing family stories
FGS/Rootstech 2105

Honoring his ancestors
Donny Osmond-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2105

      Donny began by entertaining us with songs from his past. It was so much fun to sing along with "Puppy Love", "One Bad Apple"and "Soldier of Love". He told us that his Mother had given him her 4o years of Genealogy work and asked him to continue on with it. Donny showed us pictures of his Welsh ancestors that had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bravely left their homeland to come to America. Their example of courage, he said, has helped him throughout his life.
       He also spoke of his father's hard life growing up and the faith of his parents as they went on to have more children despite being warned not to by Doctors after their first two sons were born deaf. Further examples of courage that have boosted him in times of trial.
    Donny reminded us that his life had been recorded in one way or another since he was very young and he asked "If you haven't started recording your life, why not?"

Photo with Donny!!

    What a wonderful morning! A fantastic way to begin the last day of the conference.
     
    My sessions for the day began with She Came From Nowhere:A Case Study Approach to Solving a Difficult Genealogical Problem-Michael Lacopo followed by The Power of DNA: Introduction to Genetic Genealogy -CeCe More and my last of the conference was Manuscripts and More -Pamela Boyer Sayre. Each was very good and gave great insight and practical ways to use each subject with my genealogy research.


 Fun photo opportunities came throughout the day!

Pre-Concert photo with David Archuleta 

Geneabloggers with photo bomber A.J. Jacobs

With WikiChic Eowyn Langholf
She was a teenager the last time I saw her!

With Valerie Eichler Lair and Caitlin Gow

      What a day! Learning, laughing, making and renewing friendships.  It was hard to believe it was almost over.
   
      In order to get a spot for Caitlin Gow and I for the Evening Social featuring David Archuleta and Studio C it was important to get to the media seats early. What I thought was the end of the Family Day presented by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned out to be a break instead. It was an honor to be able to hear the last part of the presentation that included the One Voice Children's Choir and Elder Quentin L. Cook.

One Voice Children's Choir

Elder Quentin L. Cook
with quote from Elder Boyd K. Packer

 
       Studio C began the Closing Event with a Q&A session and then performing a comedy skit involving a lip- syncing game. I love Studio C and thoroughly enjoyed them!

Studio C-Q&A

Studio C-Shoulder Angel

David Archuleta
Fantastic performance
FGS/Rootstech 2015

David Archuleta
 FGS/Rootstech 2015

      David Archuleta was up next and performed several songs for us. The first was a cover of Justin Timberlake's Mirrors. David told us that he chose to sing the song after learning that it had been written for Justin's Grandmother. Makes the song mean so much more! 

 
       Once the concert was over, it was time to meet up with our ride to the After Party at Myrt's. The ride was an adventure in itself and was a great opportunity to get to know Peggy Lauritzen and her husband Kerry. Thanks again for the ride!

     Dear Myrtle (Pat Richley-Erickson) and her husband Gordon graciously opened up their home to over 40 of us where we were fed and given the opportunity to mingle with wonderful people. Several joined in Myrt's weekly Genealogy Game Night on Google+.

  On a tour of their home, we were able to see where the magic of Monday's With Myrt, Wacky Wednesday, Genealogy Game Night and various Study Groups take place. Yes, Cousin Russ was there too! We also were shown many of the family's keepsakes and treasures. 

  Thanks to Pat and Gordon for your hospitality. A perfect way to end a wonderful four days!

At Dear Myrt's After Party

Dear Myrt's After Party
What a great group of Genealogists!

  With that, my conference week had come to an end. I can't wait to do it again! What a loving community of people.Thanks to all who taught, befriended and encouraged me. This will be a week to remember.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.

FGS/Rootstech 2015 Day 3~It Just Keeps Getting Better!

Waiting for Friday's General Session to start

 FGS/Rootstech 2105  Day 3 began with a General Session that featured Keynote speakers D.Joshua Taylor and Laura Bush along with daughter Jenna Bush Hager.
   Josh, who is a fantastic speaker, talked about his love of family history and of cheese. Seems Josh has a thing for cheese graters and so did his ancestors! He also gave us an update on the record collections on FindMyPast.com.

D. Joshua Taylor-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2105

   Family Stories was the theme of the talk by Former First Lady, Laura Bush. Personal stories about her days in the White House as a daughter-in-law and then as a wife to the President of the United States were warm and funny. She shared experiences during 9/11 that were chilling. To hear her tell of having to quickly go to the  White House basement safe house, without her contacts, in her fuzzy slippers while her husband, the President lead the way for her because she couldn't see was an emotional experience.  After we heard from Mrs. Bush she sat down on the couch where she was joined by daughter Jenna. A reporter, Jenna began interviewing her mother. We learned that despite the pressures of political life, the family has tried to lead as normal a life as possible.

Former First Lady Laura Bush-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2105

Jenna Bush Hager interviewing her mother, Laura Bush.
FGS/Rootstech 2015

With D.Josh Taylor-Keynote FGS/Rootstech 2015

My first class of day 3 was Gentlemen Judges:The Justices of the Peace-Judy Russell

   Judy taught us about the records created by our ancestors who were JP's and where to find them in a fun, information packed hour. 

With Laurie Desmarais, Judy Russell and Bev Fieg

         During lunch, I decided to check out the Expo Hall.

The Media Hub

Studio C Booth!

You never know who you will meet in the Expo Hall!

I found Donny!!!
Prep for seeing the real thing tomorrow!

With A.J. Jacobs

    That was exhausting, but it was back to classes for the rest of the afternoon.

 I attended Time Saving Apps for Busy Genealogists-Lisa Alzo

  Writing a Prize Winning Family History-Tom Jones  and 

Using Tax Records for Genealogical Problem Solving-Michael Lacopo

   Again, each class was full of great information. Each gave me tips and hints to help me move forward with my research. Lisa helped me see different ways that I could use apps, Dr. Jones went through the steps to write a family history that could be submitted to a genealogical publication and Micheal Lacopo? Great information on where to find and how to use Tax Records- in spite of the fact that he should have been blogging......no, really! :)

Micheal Lacopo

  The night ended with a Cultural Event in the Expo Hall. There were performances representing many different cultures and people dressed in costumes from different time periods. The booths stayed open to give extra time to see and experience all that was there.

Scottish Musicians performing during Cultural Night

Time to get a good night's sleep! 

Valentine's Day With Donny Tomorrow!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

My First Day at FGS 2015~Learning, Socializing and Having Fun!

  The Federation of Genealogical Societies held their annual conference along with Rootstech in Salt Lake City, Utah February 11-14, 2105. I flew out from South Carolina so that I could attend.
  Day one for me was on Wednesday, February 11 with FGS presenting Society Day. The sessions for this event dealt with topics to help grow and develop local and state Genealogical Societies as well as how we as society members can more fully engage.

    We began the day with the FGS Opening Session: Focus on Societies-Successfully Embracing the Future.
 We heard from FGS President D.Josh Taylor and listened to talks by Deena Coutant, Jen Baldwin and Curt Witcher.
 Awards were given to those who had made a difference in their societies.

    Then it was time to move on to the sessions that I had planned for the day.
    First was a great lecture on Connecting, Exploring, Refreshing: Marshaling Change in Your Society by Curt Witcher.
  The question of Why Not? Instead of Why? when it comes to change and keeping up with the times was discussed.

Curt Witcher FGS 2015

    Next Paula Stewart-Warren gave a presentation called  Your Society Can't Afford To Do A Seminar? Here's How! in which she gave practical suggestions on how to plan, fund raise and successfully have your society or group have a seminar. She asked for examples and ideas from the audience as well.  I am looking forward to sharing what I learned with my local club.

     After lunch with a friend, it was time for The Ethical Genealogist by Judy Russell.  Anyone who has ever attended Judy's lectures knows how entertaining and informative they can be. This was no exception. We talked about the importance of these three elements:

                                                        Tell the Truth

                                                    Play Nice With Others

                                                 Don't Tell Tales Out of School

     We want to be known as someone who is honest in what they are sharing, honors others whom we associate with and are mindful that sometimes, stories are not ours to tell.

Judy Russell-FGS 2105

      My next session was by Jen Baldwin and was called Now What Do I Do? Your First Year As a Board Member.

   We were encouraged to make a list of S.M.A.R.T. goals to help us in our efforts to do a good job as a board member. Making sure we know exactly what our particular job entails and how we can help fulfill the mission of our organization will help us to be successful.     We ended the session by asking questions to those in attendance so that we could share experiences. One of my questions was -How do we make changes and get past the "this is how we've always done it" mentality? One suggestion was to actually show examples of  doing something different and the results that occur do to that change. 

Jen Baldwin-FGS 2105

      

      Rorey Cathcart's session on Social Media for Societies: It's Not a Bandwagon It's a Freight Train! was my last class for the day and  gave some practical and useful tips for using various types of social media. We talked about the need to get the word out about our societies. Through social media we can let others know who we are and what we can do for them. 

Rorey Cathcart-FGS 2015

        

After a full day of learning and meeting old and new friends, it was time for dinner and then the evenings social event.

Meeting Thomas MacEntee

Taking a pic of J. Paul Hawthorne as he took a pic of Cyndi Ingle!

Cousin Russ! 

 The FGS Evening Event- Behind the Scenes: Family History & Television began with watching clips from Finding Your Roots, Who Do You Think You are and a preview of stories from Genealogy Road Show that had not been aired. We were then able to ask questions from a panel of representatives from each of the shows.
                                     

 

 Josh Taylor (Genealogy Road Show) with panelists CeCe Moore (Finding Your Roots), Kenyata Barry (Genealogy Road Show), George E. Ott (Who Do You Think You Are) and Jennifer Utley (Who Do You Think You Are)

   

            One of the most interesting things that I learned was that on Who Do You Think You Are, the celebrities do not know where they are going before hand or what may have been discovered about their family. Their reactions are not scripted but true expressions of what they are learning about who they are and where they come from.

  Afterward, I was able to meet and talk to Kenyata Barry and Mary Tudesco from  Genealogy Road Show as well as several other Genealogists. It was a great night and perfect way to end the day.

Laurie Desmarais (who is beside me in the back) and I photo bombing
 J. Paul Hawthorne's pic of Polly Fitzgerald Kimmet, her friend and Mary Tedesco.
 Laurie made me do it!! LOL!
Photo Credit: J. Paul Hawthorne

   

    Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!