Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

National Genealogy Conference to Draw 900 to Birmingham This Week

An article by Lisa Osburn in the The Birmingham News predicts that 900 people are expected in Birmingham, Alabama, Wednesday through Saturday to attend the annual Federation of Genealogical Societies' conference at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. That number surprised me as it is a bit lower than usual. Most years, the same conference attracts 1,500 to 1,800 or so attendees.

King Richard III Could be Buried Underneath a Car Park in Leicester

Archaeologists will dig up a council car park in a bid to find the remains of King Richard III.

The king, the last Plantagenet, ruled England from 1483 until he was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. It is believed his body was brought to Leicester - but the exact whereabouts of the church have become lost over time. Old maps were used to work out that the Franciscan Friary, demolished in 1538, would have been where the car park now stands.

If human remains are found, DNA will be used to hopefully prove or disprove that the body is that of Richard III. Canadian furniture maker Michael Ibsen, 55, is the nephew on the 17th generation of the monarch. His late mother Joy, who died four years ago aged 85, was the niece in the 16th generation of Anne of York - the sister of Richard III. The assumption is that Mr. Ibsen would carry mitochondrial DNA matching that of Richard III.

Announcing the EOGN Dinner in Birmingham

You are invited to the EOGN Genealogists' Dinner!

Join us for dinner! You are invited to join me and many other genealogists for dinner on Saturday evening after the end of the FGS 2012 conference. Rumor has it there will also be a few door prizes.

To make a reservation, go to http://eogn-birmingham.eventbrite.com/.

The dinner will be held at the Birmingham Sheraton Hotel, the official hotel of the conference. We will meet and dine in a meeting room near in the Rotunda. This means no walking outdoors for those staying at the conference's official hotel.

Check the TV screens throughout the hotel on Saturday for the exact location.

Federation of Genealogical Societies Announces a New Conference App for Handheld Devices

The following announcement was written by the Federation of Genealogical Societies:

August 20, 2012 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces the debut of its free mobile application for the upcoming FGS 2012 Conference, Indians, Squatters, Settlers and Soldiers in the "Old Southwest" – to be held in Birmingham, Alabama 29 August to 1 September, 2012.

Based on the Guidebook app platform, the FGS 2012 Conference app provides smart phone and mobile device users with an easy way track all the exciting events and happenings at one of the largest genealogy events of the year. Once the Guidebook application is loaded, search for “FGS” to load the FGS/AGS 2012 event.

Announcing an EOGN Dinner in Birmingham

Join us for dinner! You are invited to join me and many other genealogists for dinner on Saturday evening, September 1, after the FGS 2012 conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Rumor has it there will also be a few door prizes.

I cannot provide all the information just yet as I am still negotiating with the restaurant about "minor" details such as menu, price, and so forth. I will write a full announcement as soon as the details are settled, probably within the next day or  two. I can tell you the dinner will be held very near the convention center and the official convention hotel. The price will probably be in the $40 to $50 range.

The agenda is simple: there isn't one. There will be no presentations, no programs, and little of anything else in the way of organization. This is a chance to sit with friends, even newly-found friends, and to relax over a meal and discuss genealogy.

If you know anyone who has ever attended a previous EOGN Dinner, ask them if they enjoyed it.

33rd Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference: Los Caminos del Rio

The 33rd Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference: Los Caminos del Rio will be held on October 11 through 14 in South Padre Island, Texas. The conference will feature informative speakers, tours, sightseeing and plenty of networking functions.

The state organization is working with the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic and Genealogical Society to host the conference. The event is held in a different Texas locale each year and attracts genealogists from outside the state as well.

This year’s conference has topics of interest for genealogists of all levels of experience, including:

Dick Eastman's Advance Reconnaissance Trip to the FGS 2012 Conference in Birmingham

This is a report from your "man on the scene" in Birmingham.

I have been traveling in a motor home for weeks and am now in Birmingham, Alabama, arriving several weeks in advance of the 2012 FGS conference. I have found some good news and some bad news about the conference location. OK, perhaps it is not terribly bad news; but, there are a few things you should know before traveling to Birmingham.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies' 2012 Conference will be held in Birmingham on 29 August through 1 September, 2012 with local co-host, the Alabama Genealogical Society. That's only three weeks from now! If you would like to attend, now is the time to make reservations.

The Genealogy Event in New York City

If you are in or near New York City, you might want to circle October 26 and 27 on your calendar. The Genealogy Event, a 2-day conference, will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 W 18th Street.

The event will feature a number of today's better-known genealogy speakers, including Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Judy G Russell, Ron Arons, Shellee Morehead, Laura G Prescott, Lorraine Arnold, and more. Forty presentations are planned. Many genealogy vendors will also be on hand to demonstrate their products and services.

findmypast.co.uk Becomes Headline Sponsor for Major Family History Conference

The following announcement was written by the Halsted Trust:

The Halsted Trust is delighted to announce that findmypast.co.uk have agreed to sponsor their forthcoming conference on migration, to, from and within the British Isles

"Exodus: Movement of the People" will take place from the 6th to 8th September 2013 at the Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire. This major residential conference will give the genealogy community an opportunity to increase their knowledge on migration and network with other family historians. Full details of the programme will be announced in September.

Wrap-Up: Midwestern Roots 2012 Conference

I was fortunate this week that I was able to attend and make presentations at the Midwestern Roots 2012 Conference, presented by the Indiana Historical Society and held Friday and Saturday in Indianapolis. This was a first-class event.

Roughly 35 presentations and workshops were held over the two day conference. The opening session on Friday featured D. Joshua Taylor speaking on the future of genealogy research. He presented some surprising facts and statistics about the genealogists of today and then made projections about the future.

ICAPGen Conference Call for Papers

The following announcement was written by the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) and the Center for
Family History and Genealogy:

The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) and the Center for Family History and Genealogy invite you to submit lecture proposals for the upcoming conference, “Becoming an Excellent Genealogist.”

The conference will be held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah on October 19-20, 2012.

FGS 2012 Conference to be Held in Birmingham, Alabama

The annual conference of the Federation of Genealogical Societies is one of the larger genealogy gatherings of the year in North America. The next conference will be held from August 29 - September 1, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama. Here's my weather prediction for those days: it will be hot and humid. Of course, that's a safe prediction for Alabama in August!

This year's conference, co-sponsored by the Alabama Genealogical Society, will have a theme of Indians, Squatters, Settlers and Soldiers in the "Old Southwest."

Midwestern Roots Early Registration Ends June 27

The Midwestern Roots conference is shaping up to be a major event. To be held in Indianpolis, this event normally attracts hundreds of attendees. Speakers this year include myself, Shamele Jordon, J. Mark Lowe, Thomas MacEntee, Daniel S. Poffenberger, Juliana Smith, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, D. Joshua Taylor, Patricia Van Skaik, Curt B. Witcher and more.

If you would like to attend, you can save a bit of money by registering NOW. The following announcement was written by the Indiana Historical Society:

Call for Speakers Now Open for APG Professional Management Conference

The following was written by the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG):

WESTMINSTER, Colo., 24 June 2012−The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) is now accepting speaking proposals for the 2013 APG Professional Management Conference (PMC). The one-day conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City on 20 March 2013, one day before the RootsTech Family History & Technology Conference (http://rootstech.org/).

FGS 2012 Conference News: New Keynote Speaker

The following announcement was written by the Federation of Genealogical Societies:

Readers may be aware that Jay Verkler, former President and CEO of FamilySearch has ventured forth to a new job. Unfortunately that means he isn't able to be our keynote speaker at the 2012 Federation of Genealogical Societies/Alabama Genealogical Society Conference. Jay is a cool guy and always friendly. We wish him well in his new ventures. However we are so lucky to have another cool and friendly guy to step in as the keynote speaker on Thursday, 30 August in Birmingham. Chris van der Kuyl is that guy! As CEO of brightsolid, he is bringing findmypast.com to the U.S. You may know about the popular findmypast.co.uk which is a solid and important site for UK research. His FGS keynote topic and bio:

2014 World Acadian Congress to Feature 60+ Family Reunions

The 2014 World Acadian Congress (or Congrès mondial acadien 2014) will be held 8 August through 24 August 2014. It will be the latest event in a major celebration of Acadian culture and history that has been held every five years since 1994. Its mission is to bring together the Acadian diaspora from around the globe through a series of family reunions, conferences and events that occur over a two to three-week period. The organization has already announced more than 60 family reunions to be held during the 17-day event.

Reunions are already scheduled for the following families:

Free Genealogy Conference for the Deaf in Salt Lake City

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch International :

SALT LAKE CITY — In conjunction with a Bi-Annual Genealogy Workshop for the Deaf, there will be a Conference for the Deaf on Sunday, June 24, 2012, held in the Little Theater of the Conference Center from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  All deaf and hearing friends of the deaf are invited to attend.  Elder John K. Carmack will be speaking. 

The Conference Center Little Theater is located to the north of Temple Square on West Temple between North Temple and 200 North Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.  Free parking is available underneath the Conference Center accessed from West Temple Street.

Northern California Family History Expo in Sacramento

Family History Expos is a commercial company that produces conferences in a number of states. The next one on the agenda will be held July 6 and 7, 2012, in Sacramento, California. If you live in the greater Sacramento area, you might want to attend this one.

Family History Expos has a different focus than most of the non-profit conference organizers. The company's mission statement shows that Family History Expos teaches people to trace their roots with modern technology and proven techniques. This education process is accomplished by holding two-day conferences, open to the public, in several cities around the country. See http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/expos.aspx for a list of events planned for the next few months.

Genealogy Jamboree to Stream Some Sessions Live on the Internet

The following announcement was written by the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree:

We're making the last big reveal leading up to this weekend's Genealogy Jamboree.

In keeping with SCGS's tradition of delivering exceptional genealogical education over the Internet, we are proud to announce that the 2012 Genealogy Jamboree will offer ten streamed sessions over two days, Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10.

Streamed sessions will be delivered at no cost to the viewing audience. As speakers permit, sessions will be archived and made available for viewing after Jamboree through the SCGS webinar archive. While we are not charging to view the sessions, we greatly appreciate the support of the genealogical community in making contributions to offset the expense of bandwidth, speaker honorarium, equipment, camera operators, etc.  SCGS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Colorado Genealogical Society's Computer Interest Group at the Annual Spring Seminar Next Weekend in Denver

If you live in or near Denver, Colorado, you are invited to spend next Saturday with the Colorado Genealogical Society's Computer Interest Group at their Annual Spring Seminar. The seminar is being held on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I will be there also and will be giving several presentations on a variety of topics.