RootsTech + FGS: 2015's Genealogical Extravaganza!

As I reflect on last week's 2015 RootsTech + Federation of Genealogical Societies combined conference in Salt Lake City, I'm left wondering how to sum it all up and share the experience.

Salt Lake City Street Art

If I had to choose only one word, it would have to be extravaganza. And that may be an understatement. The event was simply wild and off the hook - out of this world! Unprecedented even. It was a genealogical extravaganza.

I shouldn't sound so surprised. After all, it was billed by event organizers as the world's largest family history conference.

By the Numbers

• There were so many people. Over 20,000 of them! 
• There were tons of sessions. Nearly 300 of them!
• There were a slew of exhibitors. 140 vendors!
• Several motivating keynotes, including: a former First Lady, a multi-platinum recording artist, and New York Times bestselling author!

The Sessions

Laura Bush Gives Keynote

Over the course of four days, I attended 26 keynotes, sessions, and social events. The speakers were a who's who of genealogy's experts and rock stars, including Lisa Louise Cooke, Thomas Jones, CeCe Moore, Judy G. Russell, D. Joshua Taylor, and Maureen Taylor. And that's only to name a very few.

I've returned home with pages of notes.  I'm eager to apply what I've learned, including how to incorporate technology like Evernote into my work, be a more ethical genealogist, problem solve brick walls with probate records, and use tax records for all they're worth! And those are only the CliffsNotes!

Really, the hard work is ahead of me. I need to get down to brass tacks and apply this past week's learning. My research stands to benefit!

Location, Location, Location!
You couldn't ask for a better location. Salt Lake City is synonymous with family history (Hello?! Family History Library, millions of microfilm, and a GRANITE MOUNTAIN!). It's a beautiful city with the mountains jutting majestically beyond the skyline, and the weather - although unseasonable - was wonderful.

The greatest challenge was finding time to slip away from the conference and dive into the Family History Library's records. Fortunately, their extended evening hours made for productive research post-conference. It was genealogy 24/7, folks! More on my research will follow in a separate post.

In sum, this was a conference unlike any other. It was an extravaganza of learning, connecting and advancing family history. I'm already eager for next year, and I hope that you'll consider marking your calendar, too! 

Genealogy Goals for 2015

The beginning of the year has been a whirlwind, and I'm only now finding time to blog.

With 2015 in full swing, I took time to review my genealogy research goals for 2014. Happily, I made great strides towards many of them. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot more work to do. Some brick walls remained standing and some answers brought new questions. Mindful of limited time and resources, I'm setting my sights on the following areas for 2015:

General Genealogy Goals

• Continue to collect and scan old family photos from relatives near and far.
• Grow the pool of family who have DNA tested.
• Build genealogy technical skills and networks by attending conferences like Roots Tech + FGS and the Global Family Reunion in New York.
• Begin writing narrative biographies for my direct ancestors.

Brick Walls

• Identify Mary Jane (Andrus) Bair's biological mother. You may recall that "Kindly Relatives" built a brick wall.
• Identify George Henry (Jucket) Hawks' biological parents. During a family history road trip in October 2014, I had an opportunity to pay my respects at his grave in Arkansas.
• Identify the parents of Thomas K. Stevens and Susan (Day) Stevens.
• Determine where and when Burr Zelah Dornon died and was buried.
• Having identified her mother in 2014, determine the whereabouts of Annie (Winkler) Wagnon's father.
• Identify the parents of Giuseppe and Maria Rosa (La Rocca) Ruota.

Paternal Lineage

I've saved the most pressing goal for last. In December 2014, DNA test results confirmed a rumored non-paternal event on my direct paternal line and provided evidence of a link to a different family surname than what was previously known. 

While serving up quite a shock, I'm eager to learn as much as I can about this family and find additional evidence - both paper trail and genetic - to help further corroborate the link.

Stay tuned for more on this recent development. 2015 is shaping up to be a year for unveiling family history truths. 

Why I'm Attending FGS + RootsTech 2015

I'm excited to be attending the genealogical conference event of 2015.

If you haven't heard (where have you been?!), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and RootsTech are joining forces to host a joint conference in Salt Lake City, February 11-14, 2015. This is big, folks. Huge!

Why am I going? Three key reasons:

1. Professional Development: As a newbie to the field of genealogy, I'm keen on growing my nascent genealogy skills. This first of its kind joint event will play host to a slew of skills-building sessions facilitated by the field's rock star experts. Don't take my word for it. See for yourself! Check out the schedule of sessions for FGS and RootsTech.


2. Networking: I'm eager to connect with attendees who share my passion for family history. Likely to be among the largest-attended genealogy conferences, I look forward to the opportunity to meet and learn from folks from across the country...heck, the world! Who knows, perhaps I'll meet a few distant cousins with similar research interests who want to tear down brick walls.


3. Genealogy's Capital City: Salt.Lake.City. Need I say more? The conference is hosted in family history's capital city. I'm on a pilgrimage to the land of all things genealogy, and hope to log an hour or two (I joke, more like a day or two) in the Family History Library.

Those are my reasons, and I think they might be compelling for a few of you, too. If they are, register for the conference online. I hope to meet you there!