Geeking Out on DNA at the APG Conference

Image courtesy of
cooldesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Association of Professional Genealogists held their annual conference in Salt Lake City on January 10 and 11th. Since it was right before the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), it was the perfect excuse to spend a couple extra days in Genealogy Mecca. Saturday's schedule included a two hour workshop with CeCe Moore titled, "Advanced DNA for Professionals."

It. Was. Exactly. What. I. Needed. Now I'm no expert on DNA but I do understand the basics and need to learn how to use the tools to understand and analyze the results.

CeCe spent time primarily on autosomal DNA after briefly discussing Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA. She emphasized that what your goals are will define which DNA test to use. Then you must test the right people. In other words, target who you test.

The big takeaway for me was the explanation and demonstration of Don Worth's ADSA (Autosomal DNA Segment Analyzer) Tool for use with ftDNA (FamilyTreeDNA). The tool had just become available and is pretty awesome because it will create a spreadsheet for you that will allow you to analyze your matches. Previously, you had to create your own spreadsheets which can take hours. You can learn more at www.dnagedcom.com/adsa.

Another big takeaway is that you need to look to matches with strands that are say 20-30 centimorgans in common with you. This makes it more likely that you will have a common ancestor within reasonable time frame (say 300 years).

On Sunday, I sat down with Oldest Daughter who really understands the technicalities of DNA and went over my results. We came up with some questions that I was able to get answered by Angie Bush, who also helped with CeCe's presentation. Oldest Daughter wants to do DNA mapping. Yippee! She's interested in genealogy. Well, sort of. Anyway, we have a couple of family members we need to have tested in order to work on that project. Needless to say, I'm all over it.

Now if I can just figure out how to ask my "targets" for their DNA for my Ballinger project...Perhaps Blaine Bettinger's presentation at RootsTech called, "Begging for Spit" will help.

URL for this post: http://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2014/01/geeking-out-on-dna-at-apg-conference.html

© 2014, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Happy 4th Blogiversary!

Well, it's a belated blogiversary anyway. January 24th was the official date and this blogger was busy recovering from spending  time in Salt Lake City with hundreds of her genealogy buddies and a short trip to Washington DC.

This past year was full of family events, genealogy and...not as much blogging as I would have liked. Hopefully I can do better in 2014. The que is full of ideas!

There was one big genealogy accomplishment however, my first book, Digging for Ancestors, was released. Digging for Ancestors is available in PDF, Kindle and Nook format for just $9.99 and in print for $29.99 from The In-Depth Genealogist website at http://theindepthgenealogist.com/ . Look under Shop>IDG Products. The Kindle format is also available from Amazon.com.

I'll share more with everyone soon. For now, I'm smiling because I've managed to hang in there for 4 years!

© 2014, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Digging for Ancestors is Released

PRESS RELEASE

Digging For Ancestors book release announced by The In-Depth Genealogist

December 6, 2013; Utica, OH: 

Our very own, Michelle Roos Goodrum has been working with The In-Depth Genealogist to take her many blog posts, articles, and research experience in land records to develop a guide and extensive case study.  The book is chock full of step by step explanations and analysis of many documents and includes great resources.  The chapters in this book are adapted compilations of the early “Timeless Territories” articles published at The In-Depth Genealogist (http://www.theindepthgenealogist.com), related writings from her personal blog, The Turning of Generations (http://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/), along with new material and useful resources. As you read each chapter, consider how the material, examples and methodology might relate to your own research questions or situations.

Check out the Table of Contents contained in the book:

Introduction
Quick Start: Top Ten Tips
Getting Started with Land Records Research
Using Deed Indexes and Deeds
Transcribing Documents: Quick Answers to Why and How
Understanding Extracts and Abstracts
What are Dower and Dowry?
Using the BLM in Your Research
Baffled by Legal Property Descriptions?
Let's Talk: State Land States
A Look at Cash Entry Files
Examining a Homestead File
Using Land Records to Solve Genealogical Problems
Cemetery Deeds: They're Land Records, Too
Three Reasons to Visit the Old Family Home
Google Earth: See the Past in the Present
Fun with Land and Property Records

Appendix A: Resources for Land Records Research
Appendix B: Township Grid
Index

Digging for Ancestors is a great resource and we hope that you all will gather at your computers in December to put in your own order.  The book is currently offered as a PDF for just $9.99.  Within the next few weeks additional formats will be available including Kindle and Nook. Best of all, we’ll also have a paperback version that will be 8.5” x 11” in full color for $29.99.  Simply go to http://theindepthgenealogist.com/idg-products/ to get your copy!

For more information, please contact Terri O’Connell.

My Summer "Vacation"

Just a few official days left of summer and I am beginning to see just how absent I have been from the blogging scene these past few months. It's not that I haven't thought about it. It's not that I haven't started several blog posts only to be interrupted by life. Family has taken over as happens from time to time.

What has been going on you ask?

First, our oldest daughter graduated from the University of Colorado which was cause for much celebrating and traveling since we do not live in Colorado. Also, since our ancestors lived in Boulder, Colorado, where she was living, I took some extra time to do my "genealogy thing" as another family member calls it.

We also had a couple of big family events in other parts of the country which allowed us to have some fun, big family get togethers. I won't bore you with all the details but it is always fabulous to get our families together.


Photo credit: Office

Then both of our adult children decided to move. In the same month. Yup. So who do you call on when you're in college and need help moving? You got it. Mom and Dad. So July turned into a crazy busy month, first because of the above mentioned family events and second because of the moves. Our youngest was moving within the same town so that was relatively simple but physically exhausting. Let's just say I survived! And I am eternally grateful for her football player friend who helped move her bed!


Snoopy Happy Dance
from media.photobucket.com

Our oldest daughter, the college graduate, moved from Boulder to Salt Lake City. She loves school so much she decided to go to grad school in SLC. I'm still doing the Genealogy Happy Dance over that choice! I will miss Boulder but who can be upset over having to visit your kid in the Genealogy Capitol of the World? eh?

Finally, there is this little construction project going on. I won't bore you with all those details either.

There has been some genealogy activity in my life these past few months. When Mastering Genealogical Proof came out, an opportunity presented itself to take part in an online study group with the book's author, Tom Jones as mentor. He not only helped us learn more about genealogical proof but also trained us so that we could mentor our own groups. I learned a great deal from studying the book, doing the exercises and, discussing online. Now I am mentoring a group and continue to learn more both from going through the book again and the online discussions we are having.

If you want to really understand genealogical proof and learn how to apply it to your research, I heartily recommend both the book and the GenProof study groups. There is no cost (other than the cost of purchasing Mastering Genealogical Proof). If you are interested, you can learn more at Angela McGhie's blog, Adventures in Genealogy Education. Angela is the organizer of the GenProof study groups.

And that leads into another summer (and continuing) genealogy activity. I volunteered to help Angela with the ongoing waiting list and registration for the GenProof study groups. It's been an easy way to volunteer and something I can work on almost anywhere (so long as there is internet access).

My best genealogy news is that I took a Genealogy Road Trip a few weeks ago! Both daughters were in need of some things that could not be shipped so I took a cross country (more like a cross the west) road trip and turned it into my own personal Genealogy Road Trip. All I am going to say is that it exceeded my wildest expectations! My goal is to write a mini series about it soon. Stay tuned!

That's about it for my summer "vacation." I hope your summer went well too.

© 2013, copyright Michelle Goodrum

The In-Depth Genealogist Needs Your Help!

The In-Depth Genealogist has asked me to share the following with my readers:

Your friends at The In-Depth Genealogist will be attending RootsTech 2014 in Salt Lake City!

We’re excited, and we’re already making plans. In fact, we will be presenting a session there as well, and we have a favor to ask of you, our readers. ...

Terri O’Connell, Executive Director, and Jen Baldwin, Director of Operations, will be co-hosting a discussion on the topic of
Online Trees: The Root of All Evil?

We want to know what you think! Please take a few minutes to complete a survey on this topic, so that we can be better prepared for this event.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NZTJCRJ"

It's only 4 questions and will take less than 30 seconds. Trust me, I know.

Saying Goodbye to Google Reader

It's not exactly a tearful goodbye. Frankly, it's time to move on and hopefully I'm finally ready. After asking for advice from fellow genealogists on Facebook and playing around with various products, I've settled in. At least for now.

I'm in love with Flipboard and have been for a while. Using Flipboard can only be described as a beautiful experience. Especially for the photography blogs. But I have some reservations. I'm having trouble making changes to the Reader feeds that I imported when I use my ipad. I wanted to do some re-organizing and haven't figured out how to do that without re-subscribing to the couple hundred blogs I read. I do love the magazine feature though. I'll definitely be sticking with Flipboard.

Feedly is another reader I liked. It was easy to switch over to and so far pretty easy to use. Plus all of my tags came over from Google Reader as well. I liked that. Thomas MacEntee mentioned being able to use alerts in Feedly in his blog post the other day. That caught my attention so I'll be looking into that feature too.

Now we'll see what happens in a few days when Reader goes away. I'm hoping I've done everything correctly. Are you ready?


© 2013 Michelle Goodrum

Five Reasons to Attend a Genealogical Institute

Image Credit: stock.xchng.com Collegiate 2

In January, I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy(SLIG), for the second year. A fantastic experience once again. Genealogical institutes are an excellent way to further your genealogical education and experiences. Here are five reasons to attend one. Warning: after conferring with numerous attendees, I’ve concluded genealogical institutes may be addictive!

1.       First and foremost, they provide in-depth and extensive instruction on a particular subject and/or time frame. For example, 1780-1840, military records, advanced methodology, southern research, or producing a family narrative. If you are looking to increase your knowledge and skill level in a particular area, a weeklong institute is an excellent way to go.

2.       The instructors are among the best in the business. Typically a course or “track” has a coordinator who does most of the instructing during the week. Several other experts will run other sessions over the course of the week.

3.       The networking opportunities are endless with attendees and instructors. Since you will be spending every day for an entire week with the same group of people you get to know them, their experience, knowledge base and connections. One of my classmates is with the Daughters of the American Revolution and was able to provide advice, assistance and direction on who to contact regarding issues I’ve run into with my application.

4.       Lasting friendships develop when you spend the day with the same people all week.

5.       I repeatedly observed genealogists helping genealogists. Discussions held over lunch resulted in new leads to follow. One classmate looked up some records in her area of expertise for another classmate. An instructor provided key advice to a student on a genealogical problem. It was invigorating atmosphere to be a part of.

In the case of SLIG there is a big bonus reason to attend. The Family History Library!

Here is a list of institutes with links to their websites for more information.

·         Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG)  held in January. Registration opened June 1. Some of the courses has waiting lists but there are still seats left in quite a few.

·         Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in Samford, Alabama held every June.

·         Genealogical Institute of Pittsburg (GRIP) in July.

·         National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) held in Washington DC every July.

·         Forensic Genealogy Institute was held in April in Dallas, Texas.

I hope you will be able to attend one in the not too distant future.

URL for this post: http://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2013/06/five-reasons-to-attend-genealogical.html

© 2013, copyright Michelle Goodrum