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| LeVar had an exercise for the audience where we closed our eyes and imagined someone who believed in us. |
Today's points at RootsTech came in threes. Here are three sessions I attended with three take-aways from each.
General
Session with LeVar Burton
·
LeVar told us about his wonderful mother who
instilled in him the importance of education and introduced him to the power of
storytelling.
·
The human imagination is our superpower and "connects
us to our birthright as storytellers.
·
LeVar received a standing ovation and was then
presented with research on his family tree done by FamilySearch. When the
marriage certificate of his grandmother appeared on the big screen, it showed
his grandfather's original signature. LeVar emotionally responded with,
"Is this what y'all do all day?" The researchers found two of
LeVar's second great grandparents and
five of his third great grandparents. Some were born into slavery and lived
through emancipation. LeVar exclaimed through tears, "These are my people!"
I don't think there was a dry eye among the thousands of people in the room.
For a beautiful summary of LeVar's
talk, read the post, "LeVar Burton's session brings us all to tears,"
over at Jennyalogy.
Preparing
for Research Trips to Your Ancestral Homes - Dirk Weissleder
The presenter is German so the focus
of this session was preparing for a trip to your German ancestral home. Much of
the information is applicable to a trip to any country.
1.
The smaller the place, the deeper your roots may
go in that town. Since "old" in Europe might be 500-800 years
(compared to a couple hundred years in the U.S.), you need to be prepared for
the emotions you might experience. Take your time and soak it in.
2.
Ask lots of questions. It shows your interest
and you will not only learn more but also make a connection with the people.
Germans appreciate this.
3.
Graves. This topic sparked lots of questions! In
Germany, due to space limitations, a gravesite is only good for 25 years. After
that someone else can be buried in the site. The person who was there before is
cremated. It's something Americans have a difficult time wrapping their heads
around. So don't expect to find a gravesite. Go after records instead.
Finding
your French Ancestors Via Societies and Other Genealogical Sites: Who Can Help
- Jacques Le Marois
This talk covered a variety of
websites to use in researching in France. Here are three that stuck out to me.
Go take a look and see what you think.
Disclaimer: I
(Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2017 Ambassador and received complimentary
registration to RootsTech along with other perks.
Any opinions expressed
are my own.
© 2017, copyright Michelle Goodrum
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