World War II Research with Jennifer Holik

I ran into World War II expert, Jennifer Holik at the RootsTech registration desk. She told me about the four-part series of WWII talks she’s giving at RootsTech. When I made a comment about my grandfather’s WWI service during the conversation, she responded that everything she discusses is applicable to WWI and the Korean Conflict as well. I've attended three of her talks and am planning on being at the last one tomorrow. By the way, her husband is a WWII re-enactor from The Netherlands.

Jennifer’s first talk, Finding the Answers: The Basics of World War II Research, was live-streamed. If you’re interested learning about your WWII ancestor’s experience (or WWI or Korea), watch this video when they post it at rootstech.org. You’ll learn a ton about the methodology of military research.

Here are a couple of things that I learned:

·      Europeans feel a debt of gratitude to our American soldiers for liberating their country today. They are very willing to help and if you visit, make contact with some of the experts ahead of time. They will take you around to the places where your serviceman fought.

·      Men served in many units throughout the war. The unit that is on their final papers is only the last unit. Remember this when researching your ancestor’s military service.

For more information, Jennifer’s website is WWII Research and Writing Center at http://wwiirwc.com.

Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton was our keynote this morning. If you missed the live stream, watch it when it’s posted at rootstech.org. I was thoroughly immersed in what he had to say and so didn’t take any notes. All I can say is, he is an amazing human being. The talk he gave is one of a kind for RootsTech where he shared thoughts and experiences about growing up, skating, life challenges and family. You don’t want to miss it!

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Stay tuned for upcoming posts, especially the interview with I participated in with Scott.

Last but not least, my talk on Google Photos from yesterday (Thursday) is now online at RootsTech.

#RootsTech

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. All opinions are my own.

URL for this post:https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/03/world-war-ii-research-with-jennifer.html

 © 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

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RootsTech 2018 – Day Zero

Tuesday, February 27^th, the day before RootsTech. The RootsTech folks send out a notice to “avoid the lines” and pick up registration materials early at noon. They gave away a prize to the first 4,000 people. This was part of the result:

It was a zoo! But an organized one. Everyone I spoke with said the lines went quickly. So kudos to the organizers and many volunteers.

At the media dinner we got some great insights I’d like to share with you. And some trivia.

·      On Sunday, the new season on Relative Race begins. I’ve never seen it but it sounds sort of like Amazing Race with a different theme. A member of each Relative Race team took a DNA test and has a question about family they are hoping to answer. The show is based on clues each team must follow to find their family. The Amazing Race team even brought their Amazing Race cars.

·      The season premier is Sunday on the BYU channel. Also you can go to byu.org or relativerace.com.

Trivia:

·      As of Tuesday, 14,200 ticket sold. And counting.

·      People from every state and 42 countries are attending.

·      There are 380 computers at RootsTech.

·      Over 8,000 feet of cable.

·      Over 300 classes.

My personal highlight:

We were encouraged to try the FamilySearch Family Tree app’s new feature called, Find Relatives at RootsTech. One of my genealogy buddies is my cousin! When we looked at our family trees, we saw it was a line we have researched. So we are pretty sure it’s a legitimate (correct) cousin relationship. So glad to have a new cousin!

#RootsTech

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. All opinions are my own.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/rootstech-2018-day-zero.html
 © 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

RootsTech 2018 is Here! A Few Last Minute Tips

It's the day before RootsTech. If you are attending either in-person or remotely, there are a few things you should check off your to-do list if you haven't already.

• Download the RootsTech app. Then read, "7 Ways the Mobile App Will Enhance Your RootsTech Experience."
• Download or view the handouts for the sessions you're attending. See my instructions for this at the end of this post. 
• Read "A Survival Guide to RootsTech 2018." It's short and has the critical things you need to know.
• Drink lots of water. Seriously. It's dry here in Salt Lake City. Really dry. I'm from the Arizona desert and I think it's dry. In past years they've had water stations throughout the Salt Palace. Use them. You'll be glad you did. If you're attending remotely, drink water anyway. It's good for you.
• Stay tuned in. I'll be posting throughout the conference.
• Have fun!

How to download session handouts:

When you first open the session on the RootsTech app. This is what you will see. Scroll all the way to the bottom.

Tap on "Handout." Then tap on the session name. You will be presented with options to download the handout, email it, or take notes on the handout.

While we are at it. Be sure and rate the session. See the image below. Speakers are not paid and they put a ton of time and effort into their presentations. If you like the talk, give them the highest score. RootsTech gives speakers a "bonus" if enough attendees score them highly.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech #RootsTech2018

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/rootstech-2018-is-here-few-last-minute.html

 © 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Twenty-Six Days to RootsTech 2018

...not that I'm counting or anything!

If you haven't registered for RootsTech 2018, there's still time.

The app is out. It can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store for free.

I'll be scouring the schedule in the next week to see which sessions I want to attend and which vendors I'm interested in. Stay tuned for some thoughts here in the days to come. For now, just know that I'm looking forward to all of the keynotes. Especially, Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Scott Hamilton.

If you are a blogger, or even if you're not, hop on over to GeneaBloggers Tribe and read Laura Wilkinson Hedgecock and Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal's post titled, "Bloggers Guide to #RootsTech."

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. 

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/twenty-six-days-to-rootstech-2018.html
© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum