OGS Conference Workshops Provide Intensive Learning Opportunities

When I attend OGS conferences, I usually take in one or more workshops, which traditionally have been held on the Thursday before the regular programming takes place on Friday and Saturday. I looked over the workshops being offered for 2011 and have selected two to attend: those being offered by Lisa Louise Cook and Mark Lowe.

Here is the complete news release describing the 2011 workshops:

According to Conference Chairperson Diane Gagel, the 2011 Ohio Genealogical Society Annual Conference features eight intensive learning opportunities for beginning and advanced genealogists. “We think we have assembled a great lineup of workshops for attendees at the upcoming annual conference,” she states, pointing out that they will be led by experts in each of the workshop subjects.

The 2011 Annual Conference of the Ohio Genealogical Society will be held March 31 to April 2, 2011, at The Hyatt on Capitol Square, in Columbus under the theme “Genealogy through the Centuries.”

Persons just getting started, or attending their first conference, will be interested in “Beginning Genealogy: Learn the Basic Tools for Family Research.” In this workshop, attendees will be given an overview of methods and sources used to begin family history research, including genealogical forms and basic resources used to trace ancestry in the United States. Presenters: Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, and Diane VanSkiver Gagel, MA.

For the first-time conference attendee, the workshop, “Is This Your First Genealogy Conference?,” will be of interest. Presenter Drew Smith, MLS, will discuss how to maximize the value of your first genealogical conference experience with this one-hour workshop.

Lisa Louise Cooke will present a workshop on “Google: A Gold Mine of Genealogy Gems, Part 1 & 2.” She will cover innovative ways to work smarter and find more research golden nuggets than you ever thought possible with the power of Google. She also will instruct workshop participants on how to use free Google tools that will facilitate genealogical collaboration, online research, project management, relative interviews, and more.

“Researching and Writing Your Ancestors’ Stories” will be presented by Leslie Albrecht Huber for both beginning and intermediate genealogists. Can you write an interesting story of your ancestors when all you have are a few bare-bones documents? Yes! In this workshop, learn how to dig deeper in the records, create the context, and bring it all together to write a story that will leave your family sitting on the edge of their seats.

“Origin of Ohio Settlers as Told by the 1850 Census” will be covered by Tacy A. Shoemaker Lewis for beginning and intermediate attendees. She will discuss a study by Professor H.G.H. Wilhelm of the birthplaces of the non-Ohio born residents of the state listed in the 1850 census. When plotted on maps, very interesting pictures emerge, clearly delineating settlement groups and migration patterns.

“Tracking Generations through 19th Century Irish Land Valuation Records,” by Richard Michael Doherty is aimed at intermediate researchers interested in Irish genealogy. With the loss of Ireland’s nineteenth century census records, researchers must rely on other sources to track families. Learn about four types of Irish land valuation records, their usage and key characteristics of each, and a methodology for identifying and linking to other pertinent Irish records.

J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, will conduct “Developing a Research Plan,” a workshop for intermediate and advanced researchers. He will use real-life examples and patterns that busy professionals use to conduct research effectively. Acceptable standards, resources, and examples will be emphasized.

“Advanced Genealogy Discussion Group” will give advanced researchers the opportunity to discuss in-depth the genealogical methodology presented in a case study from an article by Thomas W. Jones, “The Husbands and Parents of Eleanor (nee Medley) (Tureman) (Crow) Overton,” NGSQ 94 (December 2006): 287–304. The format of the group will be that of a graduate seminar with every participant expected to contribute. Workshop leaders will be Donna Redhead Gruber, CG, Kelly Coghan Holderbaum, and Robert L. Keener.

The complete conference program and registration form is downloadable from the OGS website at www.ogs.org. 

FamilySearch Head to Deliver Keynote Address at OGS 2011 Conference

The following news release has been issued by the Ohio Genealogical Society:

Ohio genealogists should be looking forward to the kick-off presentation at the Ohio Genealogical Society’s 2011 Conference. “We welcome David E. Rencher from FamilySearch as our keynote speaker on Friday morning,” explains OGS President Sunda Anderson Peters.

The 2011 Annual Conference will be held March 31 to April 2, 2011 (Thursday through Saturday), at The Hyatt on Capitol Square, in Columbus under the theme “Genealogy through the Centuries.”

David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, is the Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. The title of his presentation is “Digital Projects and Programs of FamilySearch.” He will address the opening session on Friday, April 1, from 8 to 9:30 am.

This session will update the genealogist with what’s new and upcoming on FamilySearch.org. This will include the digital projects and programs that have been launched on FamilySearch.org or the projects that are nearing completion. A discussion of what’s in the research and development stage at FamilySearch Labs will also be addressed.

A professional genealogist since 1977, he is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research in Birmingham, AL. He has a BA in Family and Local History from Brigham Young University.

Rencher is a past president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), past president of the Utah Genealogical Association, and a Fellow of that organization. He is a Fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society and is vice president of the Genealogical Society of Utah.

He currently serves as the chair of the joint FGS and National Genealogical Society committee for Record Preservation and Access and serves as a director for FGS, the National Institute of Genealogical Research Alumni Association, and a trustee for several family organizations.

The complete conference program and registration form is downloadable from the OGS website at www.ogs.org. 

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I Have an Aha Moment: My Wife and I Have a Common Ancestor

I was working on my wife's genealogy on Ancestry.com today and I had an "aha moment" when I discovered we had a common ancestor. Here's how it happened:

I was looking at her pedigree on Ancestry, and going back generation by generation into 17th century Massachusetts. She comes mostly from Dutch ancestry on her father's side and mostly German on her mother's side, so we hadn't paid much attention to her early New England ancestry. As I went back, I finally recognized some names that appear in my own ancestry on my mother's side. These names were on her father's side.

In looking at these familiar names I found the common ancestor, who was--wait a moment while I consult Ancestry.com to get all the facts straight--Hezekiah Sumner (1724-1802) who lived in Massachusetts. I calculate that having him as a  common ancestor makes us sixth cousins once removed. The "once removed" is necessary because there is one more generation between my wife and Hezekiah then there is between him and me.

What's more, Hezekiah's 2 great grandfather William Sumner was born in 1605 in Bicester, Oxfordshire, England, so we have a common lineage back to England. William died in 1688 in Dorchester, Suffold, Massachusetts, so now I have to check to see if there is information on William's immigration to America, probably in the so-called Great Migration from England between 1620 and 1640.

Ohio Genealogical Society Heads to Columbus for 2011 Conference

The 2011 Annual Conference of the Ohio Genealogical Society will be held March 31 to April 2, 2011, at The Hyatt on Capitol Square, in Columbus under the theme “Genealogy through the Centuries.”

OGS President Sunda Anderson Peters predicts that “This year’s conference should be of high interest to our membership. Our inaugural class into the society’s new lineage society, Century Families of Ohio, will be inducted at the Thursday night banquet and we welcome David E. Rencher from FamilySearch as our keynote speaker on Friday morning.

“The conference committee has worked diligently to ensure that this year’s conference meets the educational needs of genealogists in Ohio and beyond through sessions that will offer innovative ideas and strategic techniques presented by speakers who are knowledgeable, experienced, and well regarded in the genealogical world. I invite each and every one of you to come to the Hyatt on Capitol Square in Columbus to see for yourself how OGS is committed to providing learning opportunities to its members and the genealogical community at-large.”

The conference program offers a keynote address, 58 lectures, and eight workshops. The program will be presented by thirty-six genealogical experts, including such nationally recognized speakers as J. Mark Lowe, Craig Scott, Paula Stuart Warren, Drew Smith, Lisa Cooke, Tim Pinnick, Michael Leclerc, Cecile Jensen, Richard Daugherty, John Humphrey, and Jana Sloan Broglin.

The program also includes four awards luncheons and dinners for the following OGS lineage societies: Century Families of Ohio (honoring the inaugural class), the Settlers and Builders of Ohio, the Society of Civil War Families of Ohio, and the First Families of Ohio. Another featured event is the OGS Annual Luncheon.

Some fifty exhibitors are expected to offer products and services of interest to genealogists and family historians at the conference in the Vendor Hall. Admission is free to the Vendor Hall. Hours are: Thursday 2 pm to 8 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm, and Saturday 8 am to 4 pm.

The complete conference program and registration form is downloadable from the OGS website at www.ogs.org. 

Ohio Genealogical Society Dedicates New Samuel D. Isaly Library

The Ohio Genealogical Society dedicated its new 19,000-square-foot family history research library in Bellville, Ohio with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, July 23rd.

About 120 family historians from around Ohio came to Bellville for the dedication.

A highlight was the cutting of the ribbon by Samuel D. Isaly of Mansfield’s Isaly Dairy family. The new library bears his name.

Founded in 1959 in Mansfield by a group of physicians and others interested in family history, OGS has been at five previous locations, the last on South Main Street. The newly constructed building at 611 State Route 97 West in Bellville, just east of the I-71/SR-97 interchange, is the Society’s first facility wholly designed for a library and manuscript archives. James and Marjorie Gorman donated the seven-acre site.

Tours of the facility were conducted by guides able to explain the particular features of each room. 

Funded partially through an Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission grant, a Richland Foundation matching gift, and a Rural Development loan from the United States Department of Agriculture, the vast majority of funding for the 2.5 million dollar project came from hundreds of individual donors over several years. Officials are quick to invite additional contributions to OGS, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, for its endowment.

Newly-elected OGS President, Sunda Anderson Peters, of Mansfield led the dedication ceremony. 

OGS may be reached at a new phone number, 419-886-1903. A full schedule and construction photographs may be found on the group’s web site – www.ogs.org

Well, I did download the mobile app for CCPL yesterday. I have tried it out checking the status of two holds I have on books I want to read. Pretty cool! Now I am anxious to get to a library branch to try it for checking out books.


Here are the instructions that CCPL mailed out to subscribers this morning:


Cuyahoga County Public Library is taking convenient borrowing to a whole new level with CCPL Mobile, our new mobile app!
To download CCPL Mobile free from your app store, scan the QR Code below or visit http://ccpl.boopsie.com on your smart phone. With CCPL Mobile you can:

• Check out books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and other library materials.   
• Search for items in our catalog quickly and with minimal keystrokes. 
• Read item reviews and summaries.
• Access your cardholder account to renew and reserve items.
• Use the GPS-aware locator to find Library branches and hours of operation. 
• Text questions to KnowItNow 24x7.    
• Connect with Cuyahoga County Public Library on Facebook and Twitter. 
• And more...

CCPL Mobile is available free from the app stores of all smart phone and tablet platforms, including Android, BlackBerry, J2ME, Palm OS, Symbian S60, Windows Mobile, iPhone and iPad.

Learning About Using the Internet Safely

I have collected large files of information about Internet safety and about protecting my identity, and I use Norton 360 and a couple of other programs to protect three computers on my home network against intruders, but I am always interested in learning more about these two subjects that are so important today.

Expecting to learn more, I am looking forward to the Monday evening (5 Oct) meeting of the Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Society that will feature Independence Officer Joe Vanecek talking about "Internet/ID Safety." According to the publicity blurb circulated by John Stoika, CVGS's newsletter editor and publicity contact, Officer Vanecek has been on the Independence PD for 31 years. In talking with John, I've learned that Officer Vanecek has given this talk to genealogists before.

The meetings will be at 7:30 in the very comfortable Willow Room of the Independence Civic Center, which is at 6363 Seelig Drive.

Oh yes, CVGS extends a warm welcome to guests, and refreshments will be served after the presentation.