Data-Driven Genealogy: Charting My Ancestors

Data holds incredible power - it highlights gaps in knowledge, bridges them, and gives our research purpose and direction. When it comes to genealogy, data can reveal fresh perspectives on our ancestors' stories, offering new insights into where we come from.

For years, I’ve been mapping my family tree in every way imaginable. A particularly important approach is charting my ancestors by their birthplaces. The result? A vibrant, visual journey that showcases how "the story of me" began almost everywhere. The map is a kaleidoscope of colors - each representing a different ancestral birthplace - capturing a history so diverse it's almost overwhelming.

A map of my ancestors' birth locations. Bolded borders denote immigrant ancestors.

Mapping Life’s Journey: The Key to Unlocking Documents and Stories

Mapping your ancestors’ birth, life, and death locations is essential if you’re serious about uncovering the documents that tell their life stories. After all, you can’t know where to search for their records if you don’t know where they lived.

I’ve taken this a step further by mapping my ancestors’ burial locations across the United States. In late 2020, I embarked on a socially-distanced cross-country road trip. Along the way, I shaped my route to include stops at cemeteries where my ancestors are buried. This journey, which I recorded in, Ancestors Across the Heartland: A Family History Road Trip, became an opportunity not just to connect with living relatives but also to “commune” with my past.

Ancestor burials (purple flowers mark graves I've visited,
yellow flowers are graves still on my to-visit list)

Keeping Score: Who Am I Missing?

Early in my genealogy journey, I developed a habit of stepping back each year to crunch the numbers. I’d pause my research long enough to take a big-picture view and tally the direct ancestors I’d added to my tree over the past 12 months. This annual exercise became an opportunity to measure my progress from a purely quantitative perspective.

While I don’t approach genealogy as a numbers game, monitoring numeric benchmarks provides a simple and tangible way to gauge growth in my research. These periodic check-ins remind me not just of how far I’ve come, but also of who is still missing from the story (see My 2020 Ancestor Tally).

My ancestry by the numbers as of 2020

FamilySearch 7 generation fan chart. Margaret Fahey - my 3rd great-grandmother's parentage my only gap.

Comparing Myself to My Ancestors

Genealogy data has become more than just a tool for tracing family history - I've also used it as a fascinating point of comparison with my own life. 

Concerned about not being a parent yet? I've turned to my family tree for reassurance, asking: How old were my ancestors when they had the child who would eventually lead to me? Turns out, there's a chart for that! And I've got plenty of time - my 3rd great-grandfather, John Flynn fathered my ancestor John at the age of 49! (See Ancestors' Ages at Parenthood)

Ancestors' parents' age when they were born. Paternal age is first.

Wondering about my life expectancy? I've examined my ancestors' ages at death to see what the numbers might suggest about my own longevity. It's a bit macabre, sure, but also insightful. Here's hoping I inherited my second great-grandmother Minnie's genes - she lived to 92, making her my longest-lived ancestor! (See Longevity Pedigree: Crunching the Numbers)

And then there's my genetic pedigree. By mapping my ancestors' haplogroups, I've gained a deeper understanding of DNA inheritance across my pedigree. (See The Genetic Family Tree Grows New Buds)

My ancestors' paternal and maternal haplogroups

Uncovering the Past Through Data

Genealogy is more than names and dates - it's about uncovering stories, patterns, and connections that define who we are. By mapping and charting data like birthplaces, life events, and even genetics, we gain insights into our ancestors' journeys and how they shape our own. Whether it's comparing life milestones, exploring longevity, or creating visual charts of family connections, data brings clarity and meaning to the past.

How have you used data to explore your ancestry? Share your favorite ways to chart your family's story in the comments.

Celebrating A Decade Blogging Family History

I can hardly believe it, but this year marks a milestone in my family history journey. I'm celebrating my decennial blogiversary!

Where has the time gone?

Ten years ago, in June 2013, I started the Family Sleuther blog to uncover my family's forgotten history. Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 Ancestors initiative prompted me to make blogging a habit. Soon, I was routinely researching and publishing.

Propelled by a desire to rediscover my kin, I sought out ancestors whom the world had long forgotten. As the poet Marie Howe wrote, “I am living. I remember you.”

And remember I have done. Across 284 blog posts (this is #285!), I’ve racked up over 524,000 total views and nearly 1,400 comments.

I’ve learned a lot about the science and art of genealogy while making some dramatic discoveries. For example:

• I learned that my third great-grandfather John Flynn was murdered in a trifling quarrel in 1881.
• I uncovered and then solved a Misattributed Paternity Event, identifying my Kirk lineage and likely Irish roots and even self-published a biography of my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.
• I discovered my Cornish heritage and learned about the tragic and grisly death of my third great-grandfather Thomas K. Stephens who was killed in a Colorado mining accident.
• I learned that my third great-grandfather Francis Stephen Lamb shot and nearly killed a man in a jealous fit of rage, making his family fodder for Denver's early 20th century tabloids.
• I learned about my second great-grandfather William Kirk's drowning in a Denver water reservoir.
• I discovered the role Mahlon Haworth, my fifth great-grandfather, played as a station agent on the Underground Railroad.

I've also been fortunate to travel across the country and even overseas on same amazing family history road trips, retracing and documenting the steps of my ancestors. 

The author during a family history road trip to Licking County, Ohio.

I often return to past blog posts and am reminded of discoveries that have already escaped my memory. Writing my family history has helped me process my way through the information that I'm uncovering and preserving for posterity. It's made me a better genealogist.

As I celebrate this milestone and look forward to the decade ahead, I invite you to blog your family's history. I suspect that a year from now (or ten) you'll be grateful you took steps to help safeguard your ancestors' stories for the future. As I walk down memory lane, I know I sure am!

Texas Institute of Genealogical Research

Genealogy is a skilled endeavor. When you know better, you do better. Success hinges on knowing what resources to use and how to leverage them to find your ancestors.

For this reason, I've long placed an emphasis on my professional development - improving my skills and knowhow by attending conferences, workshops, and webinars. 

As an advocate for learning, I'm excited to be deputized a TIGR Ranger for the Texas State Genealogical Society's Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR). 

This year, TIGR is offering four courses virtually June 13-18, 2021. 

The week-long courses are laser focused on a single topic (think intensive college seminar) designed to provide an immersive learning experience that equips you with skills to enhance your family history.

TIGR Courses

Featuring a slate of dynamic instructors who are leaders in their respective fields, each course provides a deep dive into the following topics:

• From Spanish Rule to Republic: Research in the Lone Star State, coordinated by Kelvin L. Meyers and Colleen Roblendo Greene.

• Advanced Southern Research Techniques, coordinated by J. Mark Lowe, CG®, FUGA Registration is full for this course, however you can be added to the wait list

• African Americans in the South, coordinated by Ari Wilkins

• DNA Fundamentals for Genealogy, coordinated by Patricia Lee Hobbs, CG®

Registration

Registration is now open and filling fast (courses are capped at 40 students)! 

Register by April 30, 2021, and the cost is $425 for non-members of the Texas State Genealogical Society. The price then increases to $475.

You can register at this link.

Is That The Best Available Version of That Record?

As family historians, we put a lot of thoughtful effort into piecing together our ancestors' lives.

Genealogy can be a painstakingly difficult hobby. The fewer complications in the process, the better.

Last week, I wrote a life portrait of my second great-grandmother Bessie (Bair) Benedick. Her first documented appearance would have been in the 1890 US Federal Census, but that was destroyed in a fire 99 years ago this month.

That made Bessie's first surviving record appearance the 1895 census enumeration for the state of Kansas.

My go-to online genealogy site, for which I pay a hefty annual subscription, had a digitized copy of that census.

1895 Kansas Census featuring Bessie Bair

Unfortunately, the document was grainy and faint. It was difficult to make out the text and many of the names were illegible. Initially, I was just grateful that the record was digitized and available to view from the comfort of my home. Perhaps the 125-year-old document was showing its age and the poor quality was reflective of the record's current state.

But then I had an idea.

I searched FamilySearch, which is hurriedly scanning its many reels of microfilmed-records. Sure enough, I found a scan of the exact same census page.

1895 Kansas Census featuring Bessie Bair

Clearly one of these is not like the other!

It was like swapping my old black and white television set for one projecting in vivid color. Sadly, the crisp version was free and I paid for the poorly scanned duplicate.

There's a lesson for family historians: don't rely on one source even for the same document, and don't settle for poor quality.

If the copy you're working with is illegible, make sure there isn't a better one available to you. That may mean searching at FamilySearch or another online provider. It may also mean that you reach out to the courthouse or local archive to see if they can help you obtain a clearer copy.

Bottom line, your research and family's story are too important to work with anything less than the best. When compiling history for posterity, build with the finest quality available that will ensure your family's story endures time.

Grandma's Little Black Book

An African proverb warns that, "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground."

As family historians, we work furiously to capture our family's stories to mitigate this irrevocable loss. We seek out ways to record our family's lives for posterity.

One of the best ways to do that is through a recorded interview. There's nothing more compelling and dynamic than listening to someone tell you their story in their own words and hearing or seeing them share their past.

I was able to do that with my maternal grandmother. Our telephone interviews were recorded and, following her passing, made into a video with photographs of her life story. They're a fantastic treasure that provide insights into her life experiences including her reminiscences about my ancestors who I never met or knew - several of whom were born in the later 19th century.

But interviews don't work well for everyone.

My paternal grandmother was not a talker and she was definitely not someone who enjoyed reflecting on the past or walking down memory lane.

I remember trying to conduct a phone interview with her and eliciting a series of short answers like, "I don't know" or "I don't remember." Those were among the more wordy responses that were sandwiched between dozens of "yes" and "no" replies. It was like pulling teeth to get anything substantive from her.

Undaunted, I wasn't giving up and decided I would take a different approach to capturing her life's story.

Journaling to capture family history

I bought a small black faux leather-covered journal and mailed it to my grandmother. I wrote an inscription inside encouraging her to write her autobiography.

Would she take the bait?

I was unsure, but it certainly seemed like it was worth a shot after our unsuccessful interview.

During subsequent phone calls, I would often bring up the journal and encourage her to jot down memories and stories. I was hopeful that my persistence and nagging reminders would prompt her to put pen to paper.

But I was never sure if she did, and, eventually, even I forgot about the journal.

It wasn't until four years later, after she had passed away and her children cleaned out her home, that the journal came back to my attention. My father found it tucked away among her possessions. Reading my inscription, it was set aside for me to have.

To my great surprise - and delight that the idea had worked - I discovered that she had written five-and-a-half pages in cursive recalling her early childhood. Sure, fewer than six pages sounds like nothing, but for my tight-lipped granny it was a loquacious gift.

She began with her mother's death just one week after her birth and then her adoption by her maternal grandparents. They raised her on their Colorado farm. Although a woman of few spoken words, she took care to write of her youth so that you could picture her experiences.

For example, remembering one of the farm houses in which they lived, she wrote that it "was a 2 story place with the bathroom outside. A coal stove in the kitchen which did not keep the upstairs warm. You went to bed with a hot water bottle at your feet and a lot of covers to keep warm in the winter."

Many of the details she wrote revealed her guarded perspective on her young farm life, of which I was wholly unaware.

The tactic of mailing a journal afforded her privacy to think about her memories and share - on her own time frame - the history that she was comfortable sharing and in a way that worked for her.

Family historians are nothing if not industrious, determined, and unrelenting. We'll get our work done, one way or another.

Have you had similar success encouraging your family to capture their lives through journaling? What other approaches have helped you record your family's history for posterity?

Genealogy Goals in 2020

It’s said that the month of January takes its name from the Roman God Janus. With two faces, Janus was able to look back on the past while also gazing forward to the future.

With 2019 now behind us (and reflected on in last week’s blog), it’s time to look ahead. Each January, I set goals to frame my genealogy endeavors for the year ahead.

I subscribe to the philosophy that less is more. I don’t need goals for the sake of having goals. I don’t want the pressure and it’s important to me to be open to the research opportunities that present themselves.

But there is also value in saying out loud desired pursuits. Voicing goals makes them real and compels me to think about how to achieve them. Never underestimate good planning to get something done.

For 2020, I made the decision that I would allocate my resources – time and financial – to a few key items. That meant forgoing exciting opportunities like attending RootsTech, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

My goals for 2020

What’s on my docket this year?

First, I want to finish the book I’ve been writing about my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.

Born in 1778, his 68-year life spanned the inception and foundation of the United States. From the British Colony of Virginia to 13 colonies banding together in pursuit of the right to self-determination, Thomas lived during an unprecedented era of socioeconomic modernization.

In his lifetime, he saw eleven men serve as president (Washington to Polk) and modes of transport evolved from horses and wagons to canals and trains. Although an unknown American, his story offers compelling insight into what it was to be an unsung citizen shaping the western boundaries of the fledgling democratic nation.

I want that story to be told and published.

I also want to follow his footsteps. In 2020, I plan to take a road trip that will retrace the path of my Kirk ancestors from Berkeley County, (West) Virginia to Licking County, Ohio and into Crawford County, Illinois and Des Moines, Iowa. Instead of sitting in a conference room with genealogy buddies, I will be reliving my family’s history. That’s well worth my time and money!

Family Sleuther at the Berkeley County, West Virginia border

Lastly, I’ve been toying with creating family history videos. I would like to make my road trip into a film that captures some of Thomas Kirk’s life story and shares it in a new way – a media that will connect with audiences differently than blogging.

There they are! I’ve put my goals out into the universe.

Now we’ll see how well I do over the next twelve months. Here’s to a year of extraordinary family history discoveries.

2019 Year-End Review

Family Sleuther had one goal in 2019. Just one.

My aim was to finish writing and publish my book about my fifth great-grandfather Thomas Kirk.

Yet, here we are, the clock ticking down to the year's end and I've not accomplished that one genealogy endeavor.

Sure, a lot of progress was made on the manuscript. However, the chief complicating factor (aside from limited time) was that I encountered a lot of new research avenues that held the potential to reshape Thomas' origins story. 

It would be ridiculous to publish without thoroughly investigating each new lead. So, the year is drawing to a close and the book remains undone. 

But the prospects for 2020 are quite promising.

Blogging Family History

This year-end recap is my 40th post in 2019. That's seven fewer posts than I wrote last year or the two years prior. Not only did I not achieve my year's goal, but my blogging output dipped. Nonetheless, I'm still celebrating!

In my defense, the 15% decrease in published posts wasn't due to a waning interest in writing family history. My excuse was travel.

On the road again

I traveled a lot. In fact, in 2019 I traveled - for work or pleasure - every month beginning in January. Some of these travels touched on family history.

• In January, I traveled to San Francisco for work and was able to trace the footsteps (and recreate a photo) of my great-grandfather Samuel Kirk who served in the Motor Transport Corps while based at the Presidio during WWI.

• In February, I traveled to Salt Lake City for RootsTech, and met many of my genealogy buddies including the inspiration for the Family Sleuther blog, Amy Johnson Crow.

• In April, I traveled back to Salt Lake City for work, and during a brief escape to the Family History Library, I met long-time genea-friend True Lewis! A small genealogy world.

• In May, work took me to London where I was able to squeeze in some research time at the Society of Genealogists and locate my ancestors in the 1841 census, learning that they had been copper miners before emigrating to America and continuing that profession in the Rocky Mountains.

• In late May and early June, I traveled to Kansas for an annual family reunion where 100 descendants of my second great-grandmother Minnie (Hawks) Lumpkins Barber gathered to commemorate her life and enjoy each other's company.

• In August, I didn't have to go far when I traveled to Washington, DC for the Federation of Genealogical Societies' annual conference. A highlight was meeting famed genealogist extraordinaire Elizabeth Shown Mills.

• In September, I traveled to Potenza, Italy, the hometown of generations of my Italian ancestors before they emigrated to America. I had the good fortune to spend an evening in the small mountaintop old town and wander the streets where my ancestors once strolled.

These are just some of the travel highlights that included family history. Clearly, I covered a lot of ground (and need to get a new wardrobe... apparently I like that red checkered shirt, a lot!).

Did you read it?

This year's top three most-read posts were:

1. The Trials and Tribulations of Triangulation*
2. RootsTech 2019: Daily Recap
3. Family Rumors Beget A Genetic Conundrum

*My most-read post of the year got me into hot water with some genetic genealogists who rightly flagged the challenges inherent with triangulation. I corrected the record in The Limits of Triangulation. 

Those were the most widely read posts, but there were others that told important stories, including:

• The Linchpin Who Links an 18th Century Family Together
• Following Thomas Kirk's FAN Club Across 18th Century Virginia
• Timeline of a Colonial-Era Death

These three posts detail just a few of the research leads I'm pursuing in my Kirk family history, which have necessitated the delay in writing and publishing my book.

A year of accomplishment

There were many research discoveries this year, and although I didn't finish my intended goal, I did make progress which will ensure that the final product is a more thorough and accurate volume.

Here's to a happy and productive 2020 for all of us.

Timeline of a Colonial-Era Death

Timelines are an import tool in genealogy.

Laying out the chronology of an ancestor's life enables family historians to surface patterns, gaps, or inconsistencies. This visual approach to mapping research helps flag problems that may otherwise be overlooked.

Evidence-informed timelines can also help frame milestones like births, marriages, and deaths, providing narrowed time periods for when a life event likely occurred.

For example, my current research is focused on Joseph and Sarah Kirk who lived in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia) during the latter 1700's. I speculate that they were my sixth great-grandparents [see A Genealogy Cold Case Heats Up].

Curiously, some researchers have decided that this Joseph Kirk moved to Kentucky where he died in the 1830's. The Kentucky Joseph Kirk proliferates in Ancestry's public trees and is now appearing with alarming frequency.

Despite his growing dominance, the public trees for the Kentucky Joseph Kirk include no substantiating evidence. Actually, that's not entirely true. There is one source that appears.

That's right. The sources for the Kentucky Joseph Kirk are other family trees with no corroborating facts.

Realizing what I was up against and eager to set the record straight, I turned to Berkeley County's few surviving Colonial-era documents. I created a timeline that helped determine when my Joseph Kirk died and, in turn, built a factual case that dispelled the myth propagated by these contagious family trees.

Timeline

• 1773 April 9: Joseph Kirk made his first appearance in Berkeley County, leasing 100 acres from George William Fairfax in a "land lease for lives".
• 1773 September 22: The lease was proved and recorded in Berkeley County Court.
• 1780 September 20: Joseph Kirk served as a court witness for Isaiah Hoskinson and was due 300 pounds of tobacco as remuneration.
• 1781 April 3: Joseph Kirk submitted a Revolutionary War Public Service Claim (a receipt from the local authorities verifying Joseph provided six bushels and a half of wheat to supply provisions for the use of the Continental Army. In exchange, he was entitled to 130 pounds).
• 1781 November 20: A charge of trespass was brought against Joseph Kirk by John Coplan, a local constable and operator of an ordinary (tavern) in Martinsburg, Berkeley County.
• 1782 September 21: Joseph Kirk served as a court witness for John Evans and was due 125 pounds of tobacco as remuneration.
• 1782: Personal Property Tax Records 
• 1782: Land Tax Records
• 1783: Personal Property Tax Records
• 1784: Personal Property Tax Records
• 1784 August 18: George William Fairfax brought a petition (Replevy Bond) against Joseph Kirk for falling behind on land rents.
• 1784 August 21: Joseph Kirk didn't appear in court for the Replevy Bond. Instead, he was represented by his wife Sarah and likely brother-in-law John Beard. Why didn't Joseph appear in court?
• 1784: Land Tax Records
• 1785: Land Tax Records
• 1786: Land Tax Records
• 1787: Land Tax Records
• 1788: Land Tax Records with the first mention of Joseph Kirk's "exrs" - executors, confirming that he was deceased by 1788.

Drawing Conclusions

From this timeline, I could narrow to a period of a few years when my Joseph Kirk died based on what the records said and even pinpoint the specific year I think he died based on what the records didn't say.

The records definitely said Joseph Kirk was in Berkeley County for a decade beginning on April 9, 1773, when Joseph first signed a land lease for lives (meaning the land lease could be passed on to Joseph's heirs in the event of his death) until 1783 when he paid his personal property tax.

Things began to look dodgy in 1784.

On August 18, 1784, a petition was filed against Joseph Kirk, which summoned him to appear in court for a Replevy Bond (a legal procedure used to return property to the owner, suggesting that Joseph fell behind in payments to the farm's landlord, George William Fairfax).

Excerpt of Berkeley County, VA court orders 18 Aug 1784
George William Fairfax vs Joseph Kirk on Replevy Bond

However, Joseph Kirk didn't appear in court to answer the petition. Three days later, on August 21, 1784, his wife Sarah and John Beard (a man married to Joseph's maybe sister Margaret Kirk) appeared in court.

Excerpt of Berkeley County, VA court orders 23 Aug 1784
George William Fairfax vs Sarah Kirk & John Beard on Replevy Bond

Where was Joseph? Why was he being represented by his wife? The records didn't say.

During the next four years - 1784 through 1787 - Joseph Kirk's name appeared on land tax records for the 100-acre farm, suggesting that the Replevy Bond was satisfactorily resolved.

In 1788, though, the land tax records confirmed what I had speculated. Joseph Kirk's name appeared but, for the first time, was followed by the abbreviation "exrs" or executors. 

The land tax was levied on the executors of his estate. 

Berkeley County, VA land tax for 1788
Joseph Kirk's Exrs

Joseph Kirk was in fact deceased by 1788. This record single-handedly undermined the family trees alleging that he died in Kentucky in the 1830's. Thank you for playing. Next!

But I was sure I could do better and further refine the window of time in which Joseph passed away. The absence of his name in certain records helped, I believe, pinpoint an exact death year.

Narrowing the Window of Death

Berkeley County's personal property tax lists survive and date to 1782. Joseph Kirk appeared in the records in 1782, 1783 and 1784. However, his name disappeared from the tax lists in 1785. 

Was this further evidence that he was deceased? 

If Joseph died before August 1784 when he didn't appear in court for the Replevy Bond, he would still be liable for personal property tax for whatever portion of that year in which he was alive, right?

His death mid-way through 1784 could explain why his name appeared in that year's personal property tax list but then not the following year, 1785.

But how to explain why his name continued to appear in the land tax records?

I believe it was reasonable for his name to continue to appear in land tax lists from 1784 through 1787 while his estate was undergoing probate or the lease for lives was being transferred to his widow Sarah (which tax, land, and court records suggest eventually happened).

Collectively, I believe the records support the theory that Joseph Kirk died in the first part of 1784. 

Of course, the answer would be more definitive if Joseph Kirk had a surviving probate record. He does not, according to the West Virginia State Archives. Strike one for the Kirk Curse!

Furthermore, Berkeley County's Court minutes documenting all legal petitions spanning February 1779 to October 1785 are missing, so there's no court notation of initial probate proceedings. Strike two for the Kirk Curse!

Out of an abundance of caution, I'm trawling through every single page of Berkeley County's surviving court minutes and order books to ensure nothing has been overlooked, even the vaguest hints that may shed light on Joseph Kirk's estate. 

While the painstaking search goes on, the genealogical timeline has dispensed with a false family history and narrowed the timeline for Joseph Kirk's death.

That's a remarkable victory and cause for celebration!

RootsTech 2019: Daily Recap

Saturday, March 2, 2019:

It's early evening and the snow has started falling in Salt Lake City. I'm nice and toasty in the Family History Library (seriously, what's the thermostat set on?!), and reflecting on the final day of RootsTech. 

I attended four sessions today:

• Tracing British Ancestors Through the Ages with Else Churchill, Myko Clelland, and Audrey Collins. Else started with an admonition for the audience: "We're British and speak fast, so keep up!" The presenters whisked us through British history spanning the 17th century (pre-Civil War) to the Victorian era and into the 20th century. A bevy of records were splashed on the screen for our research consideration. There was a slew of great research tips, too, including Else emphasizing that, "You've got to be open to variance in name spelling. I think I went from Churchyard to Churchill." Myko advised to be prepared to give leeway in your ancestors' ages in Victorian era census records. The ages were often rounded down. For example, even Queen Victoria was enumerated younger than she actually was.

Audrey Collins, Myko Clelland, and Else Churchill (at podium)

• Writing and Publishing a Family History: 10 Steps with Penelope Stratton. I've been writing about my fifth great-grandfather for months. This session was fantastic and provided to-the-point tips to make the writing process smooth while tailoring, to the extent possible, the content to appeal to my audience (let's just say my genealogical tome is likely to appeal to a very niche readership!). Penelope implored the audience to action: "No one knows your family history like you do. I urge you to get it into print. It's the best way to ensure you're leaving a legacy. Get something tangible." I was sold! Penelope, who's affiliated with the New England Historic Genealogical Society, has published a book on the topic: Guide to Genealogical Writing. She warned there were only a few copies left at the NEHGS booth in the Expo Hall. After the presentation, I briefly discussed my project with her and then hoofed it over to the expo hall just in time to watch the last copy being purchased. A pox on that shopper's family history! I joke, I joke.

• Connecting Your DNA Matches with Diahan Southard. I can't get enough DNA coursework because of the potential it holds for helping me advance my Kirk family research (my passion project). Diahan's session focused on the importance of genetic networks to help answer specific research questions. I track my genetic networks using Excel spreadsheets of my own design. I was curious to learn about new tools that automate much of the work, including GeneticAffairs.com and DNAgedcom.com. Clearly, I have homework for after I fly home tonight in the hotel. 

• It's Called FAMILY History: Top Tips for Collaborating With Living Family Members with Crista Cowan and her father Stephen Cowan. Crista, who works for Ancestry.com, and her father have set a weekly phone date to work through their most recent DNA matches. Why have they conducted this collaboration for more than two years? Simply put, two heads are better than one. It was a touching and funny presentation. Crista joked: "I read obituaries every Sunday night to my dad like they're bedtime stories." There was a particularly funny exchange that happened, which I shared on Twitter:

And that's a wrap! 

During four wonderfully-exhausting days, I attended twenty-three different sessions (very nearly an entire 24 hours of genealogical learning and entertainment). I got to learn from experts in the field who I've seen on TV, listened to on podcasts, and read their published works. 

I met dozens of family historians - some I've known for years on social media but am only now getting to put Twitter handles with faces. I connected with my genealogy community.

@tillies_tales

@JordanClanGen

@ancestryadrienne

Indeed, Connect and Belong. 

P.S. 

As I was writing this post, I was approached by a gentleman who asked if I was Family Sleuther. FamilySearch's Family Tree app includes a Relatives at RootsTech feature that identifies potential cousin matches based on the shared pedigree. We were a match.

Allow me to introduce you to @researchfamtree, my potential 9th cousin!

---

Friday, March 1, 2019:

Day three of RootsTech. You know the protocol: in my seat for sessions beginning at 8:00 am and buckled in for a day of back-to-back learning. Today's lineup included:

• Writing Powerful Family History Stories with Valerie Elkins, Rhonda Lauritzen, and Rachel Trotter. In the thick of writing my own book about my fifth great-grandfather, I was keen for tips that would liven up the material (to the extent that's possible). I loved Valerie's recommendation to choose your most cherished, most-told stories because you know them so well, and they make for an easy place to start. Another good point was the recommendation to focus on your story's theme. The advice: focus on your protagonist's change. "Every great story is about transformation."

• Video Magic: Creating Brilliant Videos Quick and Easily with Lisa Louise Cooke. I've recently started producing short films for a Facebook family group that I administer. The response from group members has been rousing. Lisa is a fantastic presenter, and knows how to pull at her audience's heartstrings. Her advice: make the story personal. Why? Fred (Mr.) Rogers put it best, "There isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story." Stories that are personalized make for compelling viewing.

Lisa Louise Cooke

• Chromosome Mapping Tips and Techniques with Blaine Bettinger. I aspire to make greater use of third-party tools that afford me expanded ability to interpret my genetic data. Blaine's session was a breezy walk-through the capabilities of DNA Painter. The program maps DNA that you've pinpointed to a particular ancestor on a graphic illustration of your chromosomes. I look forward to giving this a whirl. I wonder which snippets of my chromosomes can be attributed to Thomas Kirk (my 5th great-grandfather)?

• General Session with Saroo Brierley, who was separated from his family at five years old, shared his remarkable journey from his adoptive Australian family to his home in India. The incredible saga was recently told in the film Lion.

Saroo Brierley

• I split my afternoon between two sessions, which were competing interests. First up was David Allen Lambert presenting on Colonial New England Research and Resources. There's fantastic record-keeping in the region and many detailed genealogies (some even dating back centuries). But, David cautions, "Question older genealogies" so you don't perpetuate a mistake that was made 100 years ago. I slipped out to catch the tail end of How to Start a Family History Blog and Why You Might Want To with Laura Hedgecock and Elizabeth O'Neal. A highlight for me was meeting Linda, the blogger behind Empty Branches on the Family Tree. I've followed her work for years, so it was good to finally put a face with the blog.

• My academic schedule for the day wrapped up with D. Joshua Taylor presenting Land Records: 15 Steps to Move Beyond the Index. Followers of this blog know that I've been toiling with trying to pinpoint the location of a 100-acre tract of land that my maybe sixth great-grandfather Joseph Kirk leased beginning in 1773. I'm eager to apply some of his tips to this lease and see what additional clues I can wring from the record.

At day's end, I joined the crowds back in the expo hall, checking out what the many exhibitors had on offer.

I also met Jenna, aka Seeking Surnames, who won my RootsTech free pass giveaway. I've known Jenna for several years through #Genchat, an online Twitter conversation. I've said this so much this week, but it really was a pleasure to finally meet in person.

Family Sleuther and Seeking Surnames

I also met Nathan Dylan Goodwin, another social media buddy and author of the Forensic Genealogist, a series of genealogical crime mysteries. I picked up the first book in the series, Hiding the Past, which I look forward to reading.

Family Sleuther with Nathan Dylan Goodwin

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Thursday, February 28, 2019:

Bright and early this morning, I made a beeline for the convention center. By 8:00 am I was in for another succession of fantastic RootsTech sessions, including:

• The Ultimate Guide to Tracing British Isles Roots with Jen Baldwin, Myko Clelland, and Brian Donovan. A key takeaway for my Irish research (those pesky Quirks/Kirks) was learning from Brian that Irish Protestants migrated in proportionally higher numbers because they more often spoke English, and they often migrated to Canada because it was government subsidized. I also learned that Irish Quaker records are quite robust, survive largely intact, and date to 1660. Many Irish Quakers migrated to America. I'm not sure whether my Irish ancestors were Quakers, but worth investigating.

Myko Clelland, Brian Donovan, and Jen Baldwin

• Adding Shared Matches and Genetic Networks to Your Research with Blaine Bettinger. Blaine's overview of DNA cluster research is very applicable to the research I've done to support my theory that my 5th great-grandfather Thomas Kirk had a sister, Mary (Kirk) Geiger (see: Were They Brother and Sister? Verifying an 18th Century Relationship with Autosomal DNA).

• General Session with Ancestry.com CEO Margo Georgiadis and featuring Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond. Margo announced a slate of new tools that Ancestry unveiled today, including a new approach for tagging family trees and a DNA tool (ThruLines) to help suss out shared family connections. That latter tool will be especially helpful given that the AncestryDNA database is about to hit 15 million. 

Margo Georgiadis, Ancestry.com CEO

Patricia Heaton extolled the virtues of family - no less true for a Hollywood actress - and that, at our core, we all share more in common than not: "We need to remind ourselves that despite our differences, we're all one family."

Patricia Heaton

• What You Don't Know About Ancestry with Crista Cowan. Crista picked up where Ancestry's CEO left off in the plenary, and provided a precursory preview of each of the new features unveiled today. I'm quite antsy to begin tinkering with them, and see how they enhance my own family history research.  

Crista Cowan

• Go Behind-the-Scenes of Long Lost Family with Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs. I love this show, and was very glad to see the hosts on the agenda. If you haven't yet, watch this series, which seeks to reunite adoptees with their biological family. Although the emphasis isn't necessarily on the genealogical research conducted to connect lost family, the human stories are incredibly compelling television.

Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs (center)

• Ask the Experts with Kenyatta Berry, Angie Bush, and D. Joshua Taylor. The concept for this session was great. Get three expert genealogists on one stage and have the audience pepper them with questions. Even better, the session encouraged users to submit questions via Slido, an online event question aggregator. I was able to get a few questions in, including whether recent popular media stories on DNA (some sensationalized and others with merit) will negatively impact sales and folks' willingness to test (yes, already happening, says Angie). I also asked about the prospects for PBS' Genealogy Roadshow returning for another season. Kenyatta and Josh said that was possible; the show was not canceled just on hiatus. And, lastly, what innovations are on the horizon for genealogy? Kenyatta flagged greater records access, particularly for materials held by academic archives. Josh anticipated technology that would further bridge the divide between DNA and paper trail.

Kenyatta Berry, D. Joshua Taylor, and Angie Bush

Other highlights of the day included wandering through the expo hall, which boasts an array of family history vendors. 

I listened to Lisa Louise Cooke record a Genealogy Gems podcast. Then, a few booths later, I got to share my adoration face-to-face with Brooke, the wonderfully witty mover and shaker behind Reclaim the Records, a nonprofit organization using government open records laws to make genealogically-relevant records publicly available. Financial supporters of the organization received t-shirts, too. Please and thank you!

It was also selfie day at RootsTech. There was no shortage of snapshots with genealogists I admire and engage with on Twitter.

@ancestryjourney

@GenealogyJen

@ShamrockGen

@CarolinaGirlGen

@ShamrockGen, @FamilySleuther, @GenealogyJen, and @Pressingback
Photo courtesy of @ShamrockGen, used by permission

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Wednesday, February 27, 2019:

It's been a looong yet fantastic first day of RootsTech 2019!

By my tally, I logged over six hours with some of genealogy's most high profile names:

• Me and My 1,000+ DNA 4th Cousins with Diahan Southard. After a breezy introduction to genetic genealogy and an overview of autosomal's limitations due to recombination, Diahan walked attendees through her protips to help determine which of your many DNA matches (should you be so lucky to have hundreds, like I do) to focus your valuable research effort and time on. Key takeaway: DNA is a fantastic revolutionary tool that can point you in the right direction, but you will always have to couple it with traditional genealogy to prove a relationship. I'm eager to apply Diahan's strategies, and see if I can make some progress and tame my genetic horde.

Diahan Southard posing for Australian genealogist Jill Ball

• Tools for Your Genealogy Business with Amy Johnson Crow. Amy offered pointers on how to avoid the social media black hole and make the most of promoting a genealogy business or blog through thoughtful and data-informed social media techniques. I was particularly glad for the chance to see Amy present because she was a key figure who inspired this blog - nearly six years ago! - with her 52 Ancestors blogging prompts.

The author with Amy Johnson Crow

• Everyone Has a Story, Even You! with Blaine Bettinger, Angie Bush, and Diahan Southard. This genetic genealogy trio walked two normal people (i.e., not celebrities) through their ancestry - essentially a real-time Who Do You Think You Are? The case studies reinforced the premise that Diahan introduced earlier in the morning that DNA cannot be divorced from the paper trail. A complete family history story requires both.

Southard, Bush, and Bettinger

Fantastic connecting with genealogy friends from social media like @sosonkyrie

• Italian Genealogical Records and Strategies for Success with Mary Tedesco. Mary is familiar to many because of her work on PBS's Genealogy Roadshow. With a compelling passion for Italy, she warmed the crowd up with a round robin of the Italian hometowns of audience members' ancestors. I've enjoyed my Italian genealogy because the civil records made for a methodical research process. One record led to the next, and I quickly bounded back each preceding generation. I'm now at a point where I'm ready to tip my toe in Catholic Church records, but have found the access issue particularly daunting. Mary underscored the potential value of the church's records thanks in huge part to the Council of Trent, which standardized the creation of ecclesiastical records in 1563. The prospect of being able to take my genealogy back anywhere near that year is quite exciting.

• Use an Ancestor's FAN Club to Get Past Brick Walls with Drew Smith. A longtime fan of the Genealogy Guys podcast, I'm always game to listen to Drew or George Morgan. Drew shared examples from his own research to illustrate the value of the FAN Club principle: researching your ancestors' Family/Friends, Acquaintances, and Neighbors to suss out forgotten relationships that may point to clues needed to help roadblocked researchers puzzle out the truth behind those relatives who were seemingly dropped off at random by aliens (the only conceivable explanation for their sudden appearance or disappearance from the records).

• General Session with Steve Rockwood. FamilySearch's CEO, Steve Rockwood, welcomed the crowd and reminded everyone that "Family history is not a spectator sport" and nothing happens unless you act on it. FamilySearch announced that it was making a generous $2 million donation to the new International African American Museum's Center for Family History in Charleston, South Carolina. The museum is under construction on the site of a wharf that saw the largest number of enslaved Africans brought to America and sold into slavery. Its president, Michael B. Moore, is a descendant of Robert Smalls who "bet everything he had on everything he dreamed of" and sought freedom in the north at the outset of the Civil War. He eventually served in the Union Army, persuaded President Lincoln to enlist African Americans in the armed services, and even served in Congress until the encroachment of Jim Crow. There's a lot of potential with this new center to deepen the understanding of the ancestral origins for many African Americans. Martin Luther King III joined the chorus of voices on stage to cheer the investment, as he underscored that, "knowing who and where we come from and how we're connected creates a more powerful present and hopeful future."

Steve Rockwood, FamilySearch CEO

Martin Luther King III

I attend many large conferences for my day job, and I can confidently say that the RootsTech team has pulled off an exceedingly polished endeavor. 

There were no lines to get into any of the sessions. Presentations were in large rooms with plenty of seats to accommodate attendees. And the conference app has made quick work of accessing session handouts, rating sessions, and catching last-minute conference updates. I applaud their efforts, which have created a polished learning/networking environment focused on connecting and belonging. And we're only just beginning.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2019:

First full day in Salt Lake City is now under my belt, and what a busy day it was.

Bright and early, I joined the chorus of genealogists cheering the Family History Library to open its doors. When the locks finally clicked, we mobbed made our way inside and each headed off for own merry rounds of research.

I dove headfirst into my never-ending, never-yielding Kirk family mysteries (stay tuned for that post next week). Nothing puts you in genealogy purgatory faster than trawling through 18th century (West) Virginia land deeds for hours. Nothing.

At lunch, I made my way to the Salt Palace Convention Center to pick up my RootsTech 2019 conference materials. It was an incredibly smooth process: in and out in a matter of minutes. No uncertainty about where I needed to go. No lines. No hassle. Well done!

After registration and a quick bite to eat, it was back to the library and more research before this evening's RootsTech Media Dinner (as a reminder, I'm serving as a conference Ambassador).

This year, the conference anticipates nearly 14,000 attendees from all 50 US states and 37 different countries. That's a lot of folks to connect with and geek out over our shared passion. Quite fitting when you consider the conference's theme is: Connect. Belong.

Bottom line: this year's event promises a dynamic experience for attendees: high profile keynote speakers, hundreds of classes, tech offerings (check out FamilySearch's Family Tree app and the Family History Activities option to tinker with the gamification of genealogy - which of your ancestors do you most closely resemble?). 

Stay tuned. The updates continue...

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Monday, February 25, 2019:

I'm here! Family Sleuther is finally - after a flight delay - in Salt Lake City and ready to kick-off RootsTech 2019. Follow this space in the coming days to catch-up on all of the family history conference excitement as seen through my eyes.

Today's highlights include:

• Escaping winter weather to successfully fly across country, and having my checked bag arrive, too. Celebrate every victory!

Today's lowlight includes:

• Discovering that my airplane window seat - for which I paid extra - provided a rather opaque view of the world around me. A five hour jaunt across the country felt like I was in a windowless room. Oh, because I was!

Tomorrow we get down to the business of family history! Check back to see what RootsTech has in store for us.