Day Four: NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

President Jeff sent his last conference report. Thanks so much!

National Genealogical Society Annual Conference Day Four
12 May 2012 Cincinnati, OH

A Saturday which means a change in the shuttle service between Covington, KY and Cincinnati, OH or a minor chance to miss the first 8:00 a.m. class! Yep! It means the opportunity to walk from Kentucky to Ohio, which is what I did to catch the 9:30 a.m. class by Harold Henderson Indirect Evidence: What To Do When Perry Mason Isn’t on Your Side. Harold suggested that we might be better off using Sherlock Holmes as our model since this fictional character could take small bits of information to solve cases. 

Then from this crowded room it was on to another packed room for Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS presentation Information Overload? Effective Project Planning, Research, Data Management and Analysis which included links to her papers at the BCG website. Work samples posted for all to read are at: http://www.bcgcertification.org/skillbuilders/worksamples.html 

The FamilySearch luncheon proved to be the weakest of any attended. It seemed like a long commercial rather than the topic Discover Your Ohio Ancestors Online, so I got up and left about halfway through, as did some others. 

I went for a last visit to the trade show floor and will bring back some goodies for use in the CGS Library. One of the groups with a booth was the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War whose local Camp footed the bill. I observed they were busy all four days of the conference, informing attendees about the SUVCW. As the conference winds down it is possible to talk with vendors without the crowd (unless a raffle is being held!)

The afternoon session was with Thomas W. Jones, who spoke on Solutions for Missing or Scarce Records and he cited several cases which can be found at the NGS website. One must be a member of NGS to read articles published in the last 100 years.

Then it was time to hit a Cincinnati highlight called Skyline Chili which opened in 1949 by a Greek immigrant; however, it was only the Greek salad that one might find to be “Greek” as the menu has chili in a variety of forms.

It was a GOOD conference, which I recommend to those who have not attended. It is interesting that the conference in 2013 will be in Las Vegas, Nevada. A video about NGS conferences can be found at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/video_conference. 2014 will be in Richmond, Virginia (7-10 May) and 2015 in St. Charles (outside St. Louis), Missouri (13-16 May). Now it is time to write up the other two days of research done before the conference began, pack for the return trip and reengage with CGS. Thank you for reading.

—Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2012 NGS
Report #2: 2012 NGS
Report #3: 2012 NGS
Report #4: 2012 NGS
Report #5: 2012 NGS

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Day Three: NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

Here is the next of Jeff's reports:

National Genealogical Society Annual Conference Day Three
11 May 2012 Cincinnati, OH

Day three has been an eclectic one with a variety of presentations. There are reported 2155 attendees and it shows, since Vinnie, Tim and I have seldom crossed paths. The day started with Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG presentation Okay, I ‘Got the Neighbors’: Now What Do I Do with Them? This was followed by Facial Recognition Software: Application for Genealogists? [Not yet] by Greg Kipper. Then Thomas W. Jones PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS who talked about Documentation: The What, Why and Where.

Before lunch, I think for some readers it might be useful to define all those nominal letters, so here goes: PhD I suspect folks know. In Dr. Jone’s case it is in the field of education. CG is Certified Genealogist, CGL is Certified Genealogist Lecturer, FASG is Fellow American Society of Genealogy [this is limited to 50 members only], FUGA is Fellow Utah Genealogy Association and FNGS is Fellow National Genealogical Society.

The NGS luncheon began with about sixty of us standing due to a miscommunication of the number of attendees. The staff at the Duke Energy Center, where the conference is being held, swiftly set up chairs, tables, linens, and silver without missing a beat. The talk was From Goetta to Guacamole: The Immigrant Impact on Cincinnati.

The afternoon was the Ancestry.com staff presentation on Making the DNA Connection. I believe Ancestry purchased the Sorenson Molecular Foundation and its database along with genetree. Ancestry is moving into this related genealogy field and taking reservations for lab tests. They are so backed up in the lab that my sample from 15 Nov 2011 is “still in process.” DNA testing can be expensive and I saw a bargain $9 to be part of their beta test and swabbed the check. I have 67 markers at Family Tree DNA as well as Sorenson as well as the Genome National Geographic project. 

The day ended with the NGS Quarterly 100th Anniversary Reception. I took a hand full of the sample brochure to bring back to the library. An element that is important in these meetings is the contacts made with others and the stories exchanged about the field of genealogy. Besides class there are opportunities to learn from the other attendees. 

—Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2012 NGS
Report #2: 2012 NGS
Report #3: 2012 NGS
Report #4: 2012 NGS
Report #5: 2012 NGS

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Day Two: NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

CGS President Jeffrey Vaillant sent another conference report:

National Genealogical Society Annual Conference Day Two
Cincinnati, OH 10 May 2012

I have Pierson, Render, Leathers and Tanner lines that landed in Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties in Kentucky in the early 1800’s and left for Indiana by 1840. So today I immersed myself in the “Research in Kentucky” track for four presentations:

• Researching Kentucky Records by Don Rightmyer from the Kentucky Historical Society (located in Frankfort, KY)
• They Paid Their Taxes: Using Kentucky Tax Lists for pre-1850’s Research by Gail Jackson Miller, CG
• Researching the Southern Side of Cincinnati: Northern Kentucky Genealogy and Local History Resources by Elaine Kahn, MLS
• Collections of the Kentucky Historical Society by Louise Jones, MLS

These were all excellent presentations with Kentucky Tax Lists leading the parade. Tax lists in Kentucky start before 1800 and were well documented and recorded – probably better than any census. The taxes were collected by local people who knew local people so it was not easy to duck the tax collector (sound familiar?) The tax records are a wealth of information since one did not have to own land to be taxed. Even an old horse worth $10 got taxed!!

The Board for Certification of Genealogist luncheon had good food and a solid presentation. Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL wore a period mourning outfit and read from the diary of a Mrs. Davis, Civil War widow.

In the afternoon, after sitting next to the retired History and Genealogy Librarian from Kenton County Public Library, I made a dash to the library between class and the Evening at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The library (located in Covington) has vertical family files with some information on the Tanner and Leather lines which I mined. AND since it is something one has to do, I walked from Kentucky to Ohio….across a bridge across the Ohio River.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is everything one would expect from an excellent museum. Two floors of exhibits clearly bringing into focus the role of slavery in the United States through the Civil War and the Underground Railroad. It is a dramatic exhibit and a dramatic building. More can be learned at their website: http://freedomcenter.org/.

—Jeffrey Vaillant

Photograph courtesy of Jeff Vaillant, 5/10/2012

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2012 NGS
Report #2: 2012 NGS
Report #3: 2012 NGS
Report #4: 2012 NGS
Report #5: 2012 NGS


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Day One: NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

CGS President Jeffrey Vaillant generously makes time to write and send reports from conferences. This year he is attending the NGS 2012 Family History Conference in Cincinnati. Thanks, Jeffrey!

National Genealogical Conference-Day One
Cincinnati, OH 9 May 2012 

Great first day! It started with a presentation by Patricia Mosley Van Skaik on the Genealogy Buried in a Photograph: Amazing Discoveries in the Cincinnati Panorama of 1848. Rather than words, go here to see it for yourself: Cincinnati Panorama of 1848.

On the way to the opening of the trade show, Vinnie Schwarz, Tim Cox, and I stopped to have our picture taken by another attendee on his handy iPad. Hopefully he has sent it for posting. The exhibit hall has more room than I recall in the past, allowing the 2000+ attendees ease in getting around. All the usual suspects were displaying their wares and FamilySearch and Ancestry were the space hogs! The 1940 U.S. Census Project was on the floor so I was able to walk away with a tee shirt after indexing two more batches. Stopped to say hello to the Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, and told her we were looking forward to seeing her in early June for the CGS Day with the Photo Detective. She told me all her consultation times have been taken so I asked her to consider coming a day earlier for more. 

Then it was off to Strategies for Finding "Unfindable" Ancestors with Dr. Thomas Jones. It was a great class in methodology and research. 

I attended the Association of Professional Genealogists luncheon. (Vinnie and Tim went out to the local chili feed.) Curt B. Witcher spoke on the Expectations of 21st Century Genealogists and was entertaining as well as insightful. While he was focused on the individual genealogist, I think some of his ideas can apply to a genealogy society as well. 

Since I came early to do some of my own research, the afternoon lecture Moving Out: Migration Patterns into the Midwest by Carol Elise Smith AG, was spot-on for my thinking process. We all need to shed our modern-day view and consider how people moved about in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As Carol put it, "they did not have stuff to move!" and the routes taken were formed by geography. It was a solid presentation. 

The day was topped off by a trip to the Cincinnati History Museum which is located in a renovated Union Station at the west end of the city. Great renovation with art deco motif. They started construction in August 1929 and completed the original structure in March 1933 at a cost of $41M. The History Museum has a working model of Cincinnati in 1940 with trolleys and trains running. It is a HUGH exhibit reminding me of the one in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry. 

The evening included dinner and was attended by 230+ people. People are another important part of this conference as we exchange genealogy and learn from each other.

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2012 NGS
Report #2: 2012 NGS
Report #3: 2012 NGS
Report #4: 2012 NGS
Report #5: 2012 NGS

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

A Pre-Conference Report from President Jeff in Cincinnati

CGS President Jeffrey Vaillant is attending the National Genealogical Society's Annual Family History Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. He sent this "pre-conference" report:

Some of my people came from Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties in northern Kentucky which is just south of Cincinnati where the NGS event is being held. So since I'm "in the neighborhood" it's a great opportunity to do some research in advance of the conference.

Today was my day in Campbell County which has TWO places where records are kept – Newport  and Alexandria. The first stop was Newport since it is close to Covington where I am staying. Close is nice if one wants current (1850+) records. The staff there was helpful in pointing me to Alexandria where the old records (pre-1850+) are kept.

We all understand that it is great to have indexes as a clue to where to look and it is great to have cousins who are working the same lines. The combination made it possible for me to find a photocopy of the original marriage license for my ggg-grandfather, Robert Pierson. The good news is that someone took the time to make a copy of all the original documents and place them in a binder at the county clerk’s office. And some good soul made an index of the binder’s contents, which are not in chronological order. The earliest records start in 1799 (when Kentucky became a state). The record read as transcribed:

Know all men by these presents that we Robert
Pearson & Arch Render------
are held firmly bond unto Isaac Shelby
Esq Gov of the State of Kentucky This
successors (?) in the sum of fifty pounds
current money for the payment
where of we the s’d Pearson & Render
[do bind] ourselves and heirs [Ex & Admin]
[jointly] & severally firm[ly] [by these] presents
As witnesses our Han[d] & seals this 1st day of
September 1815. The condition of the obligations is that
when as there is shortly a marriage
intended to be solemnized between
The above bond Robert Pearson-----
& Nancy Render [now if there be no just cause to
obstruct] the same then this [obligation] to be void or else remain in full force & virtue
Robert Pearson==Seal
Arch Render==Seal

It was necessary to look at several similar documents of the time to decode all the missing words since the original copied was in extremely poor condition. On the back of the copied document (like many others) was stamped NO INSTRUMENT RECORDED. There was no paper on the marriage license actually being used for marriage.

The other virtue of the original copies and index was a long list of relevant marriages that took place between 1800 and 1838. Nancy Pierson died about 1835-37 and Robert remarried; however in the Campbell county records I could not fine that second marriage.

Since the Clerk’s office was overwhelmed by other activities, I was left on my own to explore other volumes on the open shelves. Oh, is that fun. I went after land records which are indexed and had a list from a cousin; however, I was unable to find in the index any land for Pearson/Pierson or those identified. Perhaps the records ended up in Kenton or Boone County, although the land was in Campbell County.

There are the Will books from 1799 to look at and the Book A or first volume has been copied, which allows good copies to be made. Further back is the Leathers line and there were a lot of Leathers in Campbell County. The specific last will and testament of John Leathers (dated 27 May 1812 and probated November 1817) was photocopied so I can transcribe it soon. Robert Pearson along with Archib’d Render and John Leathers (son) purchased part of the estate!

And the original court order books were on the shelves. In the December 1797 Court “On the motion of Archibald Render….orders that a license be granted to him to keep a tavern in this county for one year…..bond.” As one recognizes this puts one character in our family in the county very early!

—Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2012 NGS
Report #2: 2012 NGS
Report #3: 2012 NGS
Report #4: 2012 NGS
Report #5: 2012 NGS

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Three Directors at SLIG 2012

Three happy California Genealogical Society board members just finished a week of intensive learning at the 2012 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, sponsored by the Utah Genealogical Association. President Jeff Vaillant and Recording Secretary Lisa Gorrell were here with me although we rarely saw each other since we were taking different courses.

Kathryn Doyle, Jeff Vaillant and Lisa Gorrell at SLIG 2012.

We were able to sit together at last night's banquet and compare notes about our courses, instructors, and what we learned. Bottom line: we all need to catch up on sleep but we had a fantastic time and learned so much.

Read Jeff's reports on previous SLIG years at Jeff Valliant's Reports.

Thanks to Kim von Aspern-Parker for acting as our photographer.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Report from the 2011 Allen County Public Library Research Tour

This year's tour to Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana was led by CGS Vice-President Jeffrey Vaillant who sent this report:

The pressure is on to be back in 2013 when the Federation of Genealogical Societies holds its annual conference in Fort Wayne! That was one of many nuggets gathered during the week at the Allen County Public Library.

It was a great week for research with everyone devouring the stacks of information available in book form or in microfilm. We all agreed that the microfilm room itself could hold ice cream solid for days!

It was a great group of people – Cathy Gowdy, Nancy Peterson, Mary Lee Sammis, Patricia Smith and Duncan Tanner – who fanned out in the library hunting down new information and genealogical clues. Mary Lee thoroughly investigated the 50,000 family history books looking for her families. Cathy fed Mary Lee information as well as seeking her own. Nancy walked the book stacks with state and county histories finding in one Minnesota county history THE naturalization account with the local German town which had been eluding discovery. Duncan hunted down clues for his grandfather and Pat was the energizer bunny moving around at a frantic pace.

Nancy Peterson presented Curt Wicher with a copy of her second edition of Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research

There were many highlights of the time in Fort Wayne. Everyone agreed that the Wednesday night dinner with Curt Witcher was one of the best. He broke bread with us for two hours and talked about being at the Genealogical Department for 25+ years, the type of staff he hires (they are very very helpful), the challenges of being in a public library, the policies about collecting materials and what he foresees. [Hint: Subscribe to the Genealogy Gems from the ACPL.]

The next day Curt took us into the “basement” to see and ask questions about the archives.org scanning efforts taking place at the Library. There is excellent work being done to scan a multitude of records including the original New York Times newspapers from the 1860s!

Gastronomically we ate our way through Fort Wayne from Cindy’s Diner (only seats 15 at a time) to J.K. O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House for three dinners! Of course we did the Dash-In as well as the 13th floor Window Garden Café – the view of Fort Wayne from the 13th floor can be stated in one word: Flat! The Toscani Pizzeria, the 816 Pint & Slice together with the Loaf n’Ladle and even Dunkin Donuts at the Library got visits. Another highlight was the 1905 Pfeiffer House and Wayne Street Soda Shop. All of these were within a few blocks of the library and the weather cooperated by being in the low 80’s with reasonable humidity.

Another highlight was a good old fashion Midwestern thunder and lightning storm or the fireworks Saturday night after the Tincaps baseball game. A little something for everyone was provided.

The Courtyard by Marriott was a hit. As one participant stated “I have never stayed in a hotel with such fast, seamless internet…multiple public terminals and “Word” to boot. Staff is extraordinarily friendly.” There was a Starbucks onsite for all the breakfast needs so we ate our way through their offerings.

It was my good fortune to be with five completely self-starters. It was a wonderful way to “break” me into my first trip. My thanks to all the people for a great seven days at the ACPL and Fort Wayne. See you in 2013.

– Jeff Vaillant

Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy: Jeff's Report #6

This is Jeff's last report from SLIG. Thanks, Jeff, for another great series!

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday, 14 Jan 2011

The last morning opened again with homework debriefing. The problem was to solve the father’s name of a workbook exercise that we had been looking at off-and-on all week. There were several suggestions. Dr. Jones offered a little hint and a big hint via email for those interested. The little hint did not help me. What helped me, I would say, is a better understanding of analysis.

Today we packed in six lectures starting with Special Problems III: Identifying Landless, Enslaved, Peasant and Other Impoverished Ancestors; Resolving Conflicting Evidence; Correlating Sources, Information and Evidence to Solve Genealogical Problems; Federal Land Records: Analysis, Interpretation and Correlation by Clair Bettag; Writing Genealogy and Continued Advancement.

In Thursday’s report I said I would provide some problem solving examples from the course work. Dr. Jones gave permission to do so; however, in reviewing the examples they would be out of context. Instead, given the internet email discussions about starting a GenWrite class like the GenPro class, here are a few points from the lecture on Genealogy Writing.

Dr. Jones spoke about his own experience. He had written articles in his professional field of special education for journals that were published. He submitted his first genealogy article to the NGS Quarterly when Elizabeth Shown Mills was the editor. As Dr. Jones told the story, he got his work back and looked at the first page, the second page, the third page and then on the fourth page finally found something he had written! He relates this story in great humor to fully illustrate that genealogical writing is a field unto itself.

His definitions of genealogical writing are “essays that describe a genealogical problem, discuss the evidence pertaining to the problem; and—if applicable—present and explain a solution to the problem.” There are a variety of products of writing from articles to books and the use of writing can be to illustrate to oneself what further research needs to be done.

The characteristics of writing are that it is readable, fully sourced, well grounded and structured, honest, precise, logical and comprehensive.

It was one of many great presentations.

I am going to conclude with the points made in Continued Advancement. This was my third SLIG course along with the IGHR in Birmingham along with the FGS and NGS conferences and one day workshops that constitute my continuing education. Dr. Jones’ list is similar – formal courses of study, major conferences, genealogical study groups, participating in support groups and seeking a credential. He went on to encourage reading journals, doing personal research, seeking expert vetting and regularly and routinely writing research with a view to publish.

BOTTOM LINE: The five days were fantastic and intense. The bibliography with each presentation was enormous allowing for further study. I encourage each person reading this to pursue their own professional advancement.

Next I am off to Charleston, South Carolina for the NGS Family History Conference, May 11-14, 2011. Will I see you there?

Jeffrey Vaillant
14 Jan 2011 

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2011 - Jeff's Report #5

Jeff's series continues from SLIG.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, UT
Thursday, 13 Jan 2011

Another morning opened with the homework debriefing. Not a lot of hands went up with solutions. Some students took up to four hours to try to solve the problem. The outcome for all, I would say, is a better understanding of analysis.

Today we packed in five lectures starting with Probate Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation and Correlation, Local Land Records: Analysis, Interpretations and Correlation, Bring Law to Bear on Complex Genealogical Problems, Special Problems I: Finding Immigrant and Migrant Origins and ending with Special Problems II: Identifying Female Ancestors.  Each of these presentations by Dr. Thomas Jones included little problems to solve at the end of each lecture. All of his material is copyrighted so I will obtain permission to publish a problem or two here tomorrow.

Yes, there is another homework assignment tonight. One page – which means it will be difficult. So I better get to it.

We are still behind schedule and tomorrow is Friday!

Jeffrey Vaillant
13 Jan 2011

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG

Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy - Jeff's Report #4

Jeff's series from SLIG continues:

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, UT
Wednesday, 12 Jan 2011

The morning began as a debriefing on the Tuesday evening homework with Claire Betteg. In general classmates were able to work through the challenging Library of Congress website. The point was made by someone that the Congress funds its own library well, unlike the National Archives and Records Administration. A user of both facilities in Washington, D.C. was of the opinion that the LOC has ten times the staffing of NARA!

We found ourselves a mere 24 hours behind schedule. The mornings topics were Census, Census-Substitute and Name List Strategies: Analysis, Interpretations and Correlation and Tax Roll Strategies: Analysis, Interpretations and Correlation by Dr. Thomas Jones. Jones has a wealth of professional genealogical experience which is brought to each lecture with examples. Of course, this leads into the Wednesday homework.

Richard Sayre, CG, was back in class talking about Rural and Urban Map Strategies: Analysis, Interpretations and Correlation. He pointed to the Library of Congress and its 5 million maps, 80,000 atlases and 6,000 reference works. He encouraged visiting it and the NARA location in College Park, Maryland, where there are another million+ maps. He spoke about the USGS topographical maps and showed how he was able to use them, along with other resources including Google Earth to pinpoint cemeteries. (Course 8 of the Samford Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research this June in Birmingham, Alabama will feature an entire week on maps!)


Then it was time for homework. The homework was a nine page assignment to find the father of a person who lived in the late 1700s in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. I spent a couple of hours hacking away at the problem and I spent a couple of hours at the Family History Library hacking away at my own research. In neither case did I solve any problems – does that sound familiar?

Jeffrey Vaillant
12 Jan 2011

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2011 - Jeff's Report #3

Jeff continues with his reports from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tuesday, 11 Jan 2011

As reported yesterday we have fallen behind in class. Today we explored the topics of Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses; Planning an Exhaustive Search along with Transcribing, Abstracting, Extracting, Quoting and Documenting Sources in the morning – which were supposed to be Monday mornings topics!

Richard Sayre, CG, presented an informational loaded Military and Pension Records Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation and Correlation. This presentation barely scratched the surface of the subject and offered numerous opportunities for further research. He and I had exchanged emails prior to the Institute so I was able to follow up with a conversation on the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Richard showed me a presentation he made on the GAR in St. Louis a few years ago. There is a concerted effort by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War to identify all GAR records and their locations. Another part of his presentation that was useful to me was the section on the War of 1812. While this year we recognize the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, the bicentennial of the War of 1812 is next year. A great deal of planning is taking place in the Midwest.

Claire Bettag blitzed us with her presentation Federal Research: Government Documents. She talks fast and must have said “gov docs” three zillion times!! And she gave us our first homework assignment which was to work with the Library of Congress site and its Century of Lawmaking to determine the outcomes of several citizen requests for government payment due to contracts disputes with the federal government. She allowed as an alternative to pick a private law of our own. I chose to explore the pension request the daughter of Major Charles Fuller, US Army, 4th Regiment, War of 1812 made in 1889. I found it and there is still more work to be done – does that sound familiar?

Jeffrey Vaillant
11 Jan 2011

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2011 - Jeff's Report #2

Jeff reports from his first full day at SLIG:

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, UT
Monday, 10 Jan 2011

“Fasten your seat belts, put your trays in an upright position” will be the mantra for the week as we take off with Thomas Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS in his Advanced Genealogical Methodology class. After a full day we are still on the first presentation: Developing an Evidence Orientation. We have been discussing a great deal of terminology around Sources, Information and Evidence as well as the processes of Analysis, Correlation, Weighing, Hypothesis, Case Building and Conclusion leading to a proof argument. Dr. Jones assures us that we will catch up as the week progresses. We did use the two case studies sent ahead of the class to illustrate some of the points in this first presentation.

Also we had a comprehensive presentation by Claire Bettag, CG, CGL on Archival Research at the National Archives and Other Repositories. This was particularly useful as the NARA is undergoing significant changes in its web presence. She emphasized using the finding aids, the descriptive pamphlets and the NARA tutorials that are available at the National Archives website.  She spoke about the Library of Congress Manuscript Division and its registers that describe its principal collections.  120+ registers are published, some of which are online at the Manuscript Reading Room.

This evening I attended Dr. Jones’ lecture Strategies for Finding "Unfindable" Ancestors. The bottom line: finding those ancestors is hard work taking a great deal of time and the cost to travel to the location(s) of original documents.

Jeffrey Vaillant
10 Jan 2011

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2011 - Jeff's Report #1

CGS Director Jeffrey Vaillant is continuing his pursuit of professional genealogical certification and is attending the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, January 10-14, 2011. As he did last year, Jeff is sending reports. Here's his first installment:

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Salt Lake City, Utah
Pre-course Work

As Dick Eastman puts it in his newsletter, I’m “on the road again” to the Salt Lake City Institute of Genealogy. This year’s trip started with pre-class work:

Course 9 Advanced Genealogical Methods Course Coordinator: Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA.

 Participants will develop advanced genealogical research, analysis, correlation, and compilation skills. Hands-on activities drawn from original sources will enhance this learning. Examples will be drawn from American states and colonies and European countries. Before the course begins, participants will complete two pre-course reading assignments. Three in-course homework assignments will be optional.

Yes, I have done the pre-course work by reading the case studies several times. I am not too sure about the homework as it is described as one additional hour of class plus up to three hours of in-library research!

There are numerous evening lectures to attend. The Family History Library is open until 9 p.m. This is my third SLIG and I learned from the first time it is important to pace oneself.

A number (28) of this year's attendees have completed or are part of the ProGen Study Group. I was fortunate to be in the first group (April 2008–December 2009).

ProGen Study Groups are organized to encourage professional and aspiring genealogists to put into practice the principles found in Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills. This program employs an innovative method of collaborative learning focused on developing genealogical research skills and business practices. 

Each month group members study one or two chapters of Professional Genealogy and complete a practical assignment relating to the material. They meet online to discuss the topic in small group discussions. Members review each other's assignments and offer constructive feedback. The study program covers all of the chapters in the book, including research procedures and business practices. This program requires time and commitment, but provides a unique opportunity for constructive feedback from colleagues. 

Each ProGen group has a BCG Certified Genealogist or ICAPGen Accredited Genealogist mentoring the group. These volunteer mentors participate in the monthly discussions to answer questions and offer guidance.

I would encourage anyone interested in broadening their genealogy foundation to consider ProGen as a means to accomplish such a goal.

I close with the following which outlines the learning for the next five days:

• Developing an Evidence Orientation
• Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses; Planning an Exhaustive Search
• Transcribing, Abstracting, Extracting, Quoting, and Documenting Sources
• Archival Research
• Census, Census-Substitute, and Name-List Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Military and Pension Records Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Tax Roll Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Federal research: Government Documents
• Rural and Urban Map Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Local Land Records: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Probate Strategies: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Bringing Law to Bear on Complex Genealogical Problems
• Special Problems I: Finding Immigrant and Migrant Origins
• Special Problems II: Identifying Female Ancestors
• Special Problems III: Identifying Landless, Enslaved, Peasant, and Other Impoverished Ancestors
• Resolving Conflicting Evidence
• Correlating Sources, Information, and Evidence to Solve Genealogical Problems
• Federal Land Records: Analysis, Interpretation, and Correlation
• Writing Genealogy
• Continued Advancement

Off to registration...
Jeffrey Vaillant
9 Jan 2011

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2011 SLIG
Report #2: 2011 SLIG
Report #3: 2011 SLIG
Report #4: 2011 SLIG
Report #5: 2011 SLIG
Report #6: 2011 SLIG

Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Friday Report: 2010 Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research

This is Jeff Vaillant's final installment of his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). Thanks so much, Jeff!

Friday was the “short” day with three presentations. Those of us staying in the dorms had to be out before breakfast so the rooms could be cleaned for a new group arriving in the afternoon. Samford University hosts many activities: youth sport camps, freshman orientation, and church organizational meetings. The decibel level in the cafeteria must have been in excess of 80!

Lloyd started the day talking about Church Records. His bibliography included surveys and denominational records. He drove home the point that understanding the religion of an ancestor will help in finding records. Two tidbits offered were the 903 churches in 1750 (465 Congregational, 288 Anglican and about 250 Quaker meeting houses) and that a “graveyard” is associated with a church whereas a “cemetery” is not.

John Colletta revealed our ancestors using nineteenth-century newspapers. I heard a similar presentation from him in Santa Rosa a few years ago. If you have heard John speak, then you know he is both entertaining and informative. Again, an excellent outline and bibliography was offered. John cited St. Louis as an example of why newspapers are important in research. Of the fifteen papers in print there in 1904: six were in English with four for the white community, one for the black community and one for the Jewish community. There were five German newspapers, two Czech, one Polish and one Italian publication. The Library of Congress has a newspaper collection as well as many state archives and local archives. There are several websites with varying newspaper collections available—mostly on a fee basis.

The last session was Lloyd’s opportunity to finish his discussion of church records and other tidbits, for which there was little time earlier in the week. Yes, we all got handsome certificates of completion.

My take on IGHR is that I now understand why people keep coming to the Institute. One can spend an entire week on Virginia records or Military records or Scottish records.

The June 12-17, 2011 Course Offerings are:

1. Techniques and Technology (Pamela Boyer Sayre)
2. Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies (Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck)
3. Research in the South, Part 3 (Carolyn Earle Billingsley)
4. Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis (Elizabeth Shown Mills)
5. Writing and Publishing for Genealogists (Thomas W. Jones)
6. Advanced Library Research: Law Libraries and Government Documents (Ann Carter Fleming and Benjamin b. Spratling)
7. Virginia's Land and Military Conflicts & Their Effect on Migration (Barbara Vines Little)
8. Researching African-American Ancestors: Slave & Reconstruction Era Records (Frazine Taylor)
9. U.S. Military Records (Christine Rose)
10. Scottish Genealogical Research (Paul Milner)

I meet some splendid people while at the Institute. My next genealogical educational endeavor will be the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy in Salt Lake City, Utah in January. So, it will be from the frying pan of Birmingham to the freezer of SLC.

– Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report


 Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Thursday Report: 2010 Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research

Jeffrey Vaillant continues his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).

Thursday was Bockstruck day! The definition of a walking encyclopedia is Lloyd.  His first presentation was on Hereditary Societies and Their Records. His bibliography included history, directories, military, armigerous (right to use of coat of arms), occupational, ethnic, colonial, old world societies and geographical references. He illustrated many of the lineage societies with his own family.

Next he covered the topic of Migrations or Westward Expansion in two separate presentations. One interesting set of facts about immigration that he offered was the number of arrivals.

• 1620 – 1820:  650,000 people immigrated in 200 years
• 1820 – 1880:  10,000,000 arrived over the next 60 years
• 1880 – 1920:  25,000,000 in the next 40 years

Those are big numbers that stretch the brain to comprehend the impact made. A selfish thing that I found happening while listening was noting those references and aids which will help me in my own research. Most of the materials presented related to the Colonial period.

Lloyd finished the day talking about Special Collections. The points made were to survey the literature, become familiar with handbooks and guides to collections, stay current on genealogical literature, attend conferences, interact with other genealogists, and search computer data bases. Search the Family History Library catalogue, identify WPA inventories, use the NUCMC (National Union Catalog Manuscript Collection) and a touch of serendipity is useful too.

Thursday evening was the dinner banquet in the dining hall with Pamela Boyer Sayre talking about Lookin’ for Kinfolk, Dead or Alive. Hers was a light hearted presentation about field work and what might encounter.

– Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wednesday Report: 2010 Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research

Jeffrey Vaillant continues his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).

The morning began with an excellent presentation by Christine Rose on Correlation and Analysis of Evidence. She began the talk with a discussion of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). She literally wrote the book on this subject. Rose spoke about the three classes of evidence which are (1) primary and secondary information, (2) direct and indirect evidence and (3) original and derivative sources.  Then she spoke to the importance of evaluating the three classes of evidence. If one becomes stuck, she suggested the following:

• List all the documents located
• Examine for any local, county, state and/or federal items not examined.
• Abstract each document into a Word document, then use the FIND function to review names and locations
• Watch for clues on religion
• Watch for clues on inherited property

As an aside, Christine Rose will be presenting a one day seminar for the Sonoma County Genealogical Society in Santa Rosa on April 16, 2011. This may have been the best lecture of the week.

Onomatology was the title of Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck’s talk. That is a big title devoted to talking about names and everything and anything that can happen with the surname we are all researching.  And since word usage is big with Lloyd, on Monday I suggested “semi-posthumous child” for definition.  If I understood Lloyd and wrote it down correctly, that term is used to define a child who is left material goods by a grandfather when the father is dead!

Lloyd distributed an extensive bibliography (five pages single spaced) that included general works, forenames and diminutives, name changes (by state) and language dictionaries.  Another term to drop at the next genealogical society meeting is uxornecronyms—the name of the dead wife given to the child.

The afternoon was well spent with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. who first spoke about Passenger Arrival Records from Colonial Times to Mid-twentieth Century. That is a lot of material which he supported with eight pages of outline and bibliography. I took away from this lecture his ideas on where to look if an ancestor arrives before 1820 – colonial period land patents and land grants, pre-federal naturalization, oaths of allegiance, lists of emigrants leaving, list of immigrants arriving, church records and complied histories.

Next the subject of Naturalization Records from Colonial Time to Early Twentieth Century was presented and supported by six pages of outline and bibliography.  My take away was the reminder that naturalization records are kept by the regional NARA depositories not in Washington, DC and to check with a state’s archives. The other piece of information I took was the specific legislation that allowed foreign born to gain citizenship from fighting in the Civil War.  That citation is to Chapter XXV, Thirty Seventh Congress, Session II, Chapter 75, 1862 which one can find by looking up the congressional records.  This sent me to the Library right after class to do so!  If you are not interested, skip this next section.

Act of July 17, 1862:  Honorably Discharged Soldiers (Re: Naturalization):

“Section 2166:  Any alien, of the age of twenty-one years and upward, who has enlisted, or may enlist, in the armies of the United States, either the regular or the volunteer forces, and has been , or may be hereafter, honorably discharged, shall be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, upon his petition, without any previous declaration of his intention to become such; and he shall not be required to prove more that on year’s residence within the United States previous to his application to become such citizen; and the court admitting such alien shall, in additions to proof of residence and good character, as now provided by law, be satisfied by competent proof of such person’s having been honorably discharged from the service of the United States.”

On Tuesday the question was: What President lost his citizenship and did not regain it?  The answer is: John Tyler – who was a strong states rights person and who lived in Virginia at the time of secession.  As a person living in Virginia he lost his citizenship AND he died before the end of the Civil War.

Wednesday evening Patricia Walls Stamm presented The Timeline: Linking Historical Events to Our Family History. She urged the use of a person’s life events with readily available timelines. Some genealogy software has this capacity. I know I have found timelines to be a big help in identifying where to look for more information about an ancestor.

– Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report

 Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Tuesday Report: 2010 Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research

Jeffrey Vaillant continues his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).

Tuesday morning was filled with Court Records presented by Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG – one of our many local (San Jose) gems. Part I of the presentation was The System and Its Records; Part II was on Estates. Like Lloyd and Claire, Christine prepared in advance very complete documentations supporting the presentation. What I gather is clues for my research. For example, we mainly think about court records being at the local level; however, I learned that is not the case for North Carolina. Those records are in the state archives. (Yes, after each class I have been visiting the library to do research on the items learned.) And courts issue licenses for ordinaries. An ordinary is what we might call a public inn. So did my ggg grandfather Charles Fuller get a license from the court before opening his inn in Jeffersonville, Indiana in the early 1820s? I do not know and will find out if there is a record to be found.

The afternoon was devoted to Military and Pension Records from the Revolutionary War through World War II. A big time span and with the prepared materials we are left with much research to do. I picked up several ideas about looking for NARA records for the War of 1812 which is one of my interests and research challenges. Lloyd knows his records and we sit spellbound as he relates to us his knowledge. A tidbit is what U. S. President lost his citizenship? Answer later in the week.

The Tuesday evening session was Certification: Procedures, Questions and Answers presented by Elissa Powell and Thomas Jones. For me this was one of those recharge the batteries as I continue to have a goal of certification.

Other stuff: The weather continues to be about 100°F with humidity of 90% each day. It rained briefly Monday and today which temporarily reduced the humidity for about 60 minutes.

The University Center Cafeteria does an excellent job feeding what must be 1500 people per meal. Yes, the lines are long and one does learn short cuts.

Samford University has about 2700 undergraduates and about the same number of graduate students. It is an all brick campus set on gentle hills.

– Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Monday Report: 2010 Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research

Jeffrey Vaillant continues his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).

Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck began the morning by stating the “simple” Four Steps of Genealogical Research:

1. What do you want to find or to prove?
2. What kind of record would contain that information?
3. Where does that record exist?
4. How do I gain access to it?

This four step process strikes me as a good guideline for the week. The first presentation was on Tax Records. Lloyd provided a bibliography of tax record sources that have been complied for many (but not all) states. He addressed remembering to know what the law required for taxing. And in the colonial period there were rent rolls rather than tax rolls in places like Virginia (paid to Lord Fairfax), Maryland (paid to Lord Baltimore), Pennsylvania (paid to William Penn) and North Carolina (paid to Lord Granville).

Next Lloyd discussed the Pitfalls of Genealogy with a list of some twenty-eight examples! Some we all know about: surnames and forenames, Sr. versus Jr., as well as abbreviations and titles. Some people get tripped up on the sanctity of the printed word or the failure to become acquainted with local history. Ever hear the term “semi-posthumous child”? I certainly had not. Want to guess what it means? I will answer in a couple of days.

Claire Bettag, CG, CGL, presented the afternoon lecture on Federal Land Records at the National Archives. If you have heard Claire, then you will know it is impossible to nap after lunch when she is presenting. She ripped through her ten pages of prepared materials leaving behind many items for follow up. Upon my return I'll be visiting NARA in San Bruno to follow up on several sources she cited.

Lloyd finished the afternoon with A Genealogical Bibliography divided into subjects of Atlases/Gazetteers, Bibliographies, Biography, Dictionaries, Handbooks, Indexes, Law, Paleography, Passenger Lists, Periodicals, Manuscripts, and Ethnic Guides.

There are optional evening presentations offered. Monday night was excellent. Ruth Ann (Abels) Hager spoke on History through Genealogy—the Best of Both Worlds. She presented what would be called a case study on Dred and Harriet Scott: Their Family History. Yes, this is the Dred Scott of the U.S. Supreme Court decision. One might think that about all has been written and discovered about the family. Well, one would be wrong. Ruth has uncovered new materials and explained how using genealogical methodology led to the discoveries and their information. Her book was published this year and is now in my collection.

– Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days

Board member and conference reporter, Jeffrey Vaillant, has been on another voyage of learning. This time he took time out of a busy week in Birmingham, Alabama to report on the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). Jeff's first report:

IGHR is the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research held annually at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. There are ten courses offered this year and I selected Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies whose course coordinator is Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck.

My trip to “genealogy camp” (as some call it) began innocently enough with a United Airlines flight from the San Francisco Bay Area to Birmingham with a stopover in Chicago – all on the Saturday before the institute to allow me to arrive a bit early. The travel time would allow me to read Virginia Winters’ book Murderous Roots (2009) which I highly recommend for mystery readers with a strong genealogical bent.

Landing at O’Hare International Airport brought the sudden news that my connecting flight to Birmingham had been cancelled. The agent at the gate informed me that the chances of getting out of Chicago were slim and to proceed to the customer service desk which he warned me would have a long line. How right he was. After waiting 2.5 hours in line I finally got to talk with a service person. No flights on any airline out of O’Hare Saturday night. What were my options? ALL the flights on Sunday were booked! To his credit the service person put me on a standby list for the 7 a.m. flight and if that did not work out he ticketed me from Chicago to Charleston, SC, to Charlotte, NC and then to Birmingham. Since the flight cancellation was weather related I got a discounted rate at the Doubletree in Rosemont and was assured that my luggage would be on the first flight out the next morning (which was my standby flight).

Up early Sunday morning, shuttle to the airport and Starbucks was my start of the the day. I found that watching the wonderfully informative screens at the gate kept me informed about the flight, including the standby list. I was number eleven and there were ten seats left. “Standbys” were encouraged to stay until the gate closed. I had an alternative so I waited it out. Four seats left and I am number seven on the list. WHAT?? My name was called and I was on the plane.

It was a short flight to Birmingham – one hour, forty five minutes – arriving before 9:00 a.m. Off to retrieve the luggage. The routing is well known. We all stand around staring at the conveyor belt which finally starts. Nope, the luggage did not arrive! Where is the luggage agent? The luggage office was closed so it was off to see a ticket agent. The luggage tag and the computer system worked well: the luggage was still in Chicago! The United Airlines Delayed Baggage Report was filled out and submitted. The assurance was I would hear within 24 hours. Well, that was not going to work since I was staying in the dorms and the luggage contained bedding materials and the like.

Since orientation was in the afternoon and it was hot in Birmingham (99°F.) I elected to stay in the airport and read Labor Day by Joyce Maynard on my Kindle. Afternoon arrived so it was time to taxi from the airport to Samford University ($45). It was amazing to see others standing around in the heat and humidity waiting to register – and the line got quite long before the doors opened. Registration was a snap due to the IGHR staff. I got my dorm room. Bare bones accommodations and the price is right.

Dinner was in the Cafeteria with more than the 300 attending IGHR. The campus is alive with various activities from summer youth sports camps to freshman orientation. The cafeteria staff must have feed 1500 people. The IGHR orientation followed. The orientation was complete and informative. I called United Airlines to find out the status on my luggage. Their call center could not find anyone at the Birmingham Airport---not surprise it being Sunday.

One advantage about conferences and institutes is the people who attend. I was able to hitch a ride to Kmart to get clean clothes and some bathing items as well as rent a room at the nearby Marriott for the night. At 11:30 p.m. my luggage arrived so Monday I could get settled into the dorm.

Ah, what an adventure. I knew I should have flown Southwest Airlines.

– Jeffrey Vaillant



Read the entire series:
Part 1 — Getting to IGHR: A Tale of Two Days
Part 2 — Monday Report
Part 3 — Tuesday Report
Part 4 — Wednesday Report
Part 5 — Thursday Report
Part 6 — Friday Report



Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Report #6 and a Recap: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Here's Jeffrey Vaillant's last SLIG installment. Great reporting, Jeffrey!

Friday, 15 January 2010
Salt Lake City, Utah

The morning class began with a three-person panel discussing the Uniqueness of International AG Examinations. The panelists were Heidi Sugden, John Kitzmiller and Larry Jensen all of whom are deeply involved in the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) organization and all have positions at the Family History Library. They spoke to the application process for accreditation in a foreign subject, the language needs for the German and French areas and how to prepare. The "how to prepare for the exam" was study, study and study the sources available for the country AND be fluent in the language.

Karen Clifford followed with her presentation on Evaluating and Solving Research Problems and somewhat modified the syllabus by drilling down in some detail on report writing while doing research.

Next was Elaine Helgeson Hasleton (another three named female!) who spoke about The Oral Review: Purposes, Rubrics and Results. For the AG designation the candidate will answer questions about the four-generation report, discuss the latest genealogy project, discuss the written exam and respond to questions from the exam where the answer needs amplification. To demonstrate what might happen in the oral exam a role playing exercise was conducted.

Confession time again: I cut the last session on the AG Renewal Process (which like the CG is every five years). The Library was waiting with its books and microfilms for my attendance. I got some good electronic images on my flash drive of land records in Pottawattamie County, Iowa – aren’t you excited?

The institute ends with a banquet in the hotel and a program of recognitions by both the SLIG organization and the Utah Genealogical Association. The guest speakers - yes, two people - were a husband and wife who gave a great presentation on their 35 years experience doing research in Spain and France. They lead students from BYU on research trips overseas.

In spite of my cutting class I managed to get a completion certificate. What do I think about the week?

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is a solid program allowing the student to concentrate on a given subject for five days with guest lecturers throughout the course. I heard rave reviews for the classes Dr. Jones and Dr. Colletta taught. The meeting rooms and hotel (Radisson) were good including a 20% discount on all meals in the hotel Copper Canyon restaurant. I would recommend this Institute for a week partly because it is virtually next door to the Family History Library. I am staying an extra day to take advantage of the FHL.

What did I think about the AG/CG class? There were thirty people who signed up for the class of which eleven are from Utah and the rest of us from coast to coast. Class participation was good and there was the opportunity to ask questions and get answers. The difference between the AG and CG designation was clarified which was one of the reasons I took the course. Personally speaking, I will pursue the CG designation due to its research report writing emphasis over taking a written and oral exam.

Now it is off to Alabama in June for another solid week of learning at the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). Registration opens Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. PST January 19, 2010.

Thank you for reading my reports.

- Jeffrey Vaillant

Read the entire series:
Report #1: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Report #2: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Report #3: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Report #4: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
Report #5: 2010 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy