It Is Well With My Soul: Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune

You may have heard family stories about a relative who was “different” or perhaps you’ve discovered someone who simply “disappeared.” Have you considered the possibility that you could have a gay or lesbian relative in your family tree? LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered) people can be found when researching genealogy, but the search syntax, keywords and strategies are very different. By understanding the basics of “gay history” as well as how LGBT folk lived, worked and socialized, you’ll not only locate these relatives, but realize the importance of preserving their stories.

Imagine you are trapped in an archive and the only way out is to solve a series of genealogy research puzzles. Are you up to the challenge? Are you ready for Genealogy Escape Room™? Based on the popular escape room concept, Genealogy Escape Room™ turns the typical webinar format upside down! Each registrant will receive a Case Review File used to solve a series of online research tasks BEFORE the live webinar takes place. The webinar is the “reveal” where a step-by-step review of each puzzle, task, and clue all the way to the final “key” to open the door. Genealogy methodology concepts will be summarized before announcing who escaped first! The Case of Frank Woodhull: The Only Name Change at Ellis Island. You may have heard in a family story that a family’s surname or even a person’s given name was changed upon arrival in the United States at Ellis Island. This “urban legend” has been discussed and debunked for decades in the genealogy community. Since an immigrant’s name MUST match the ship’s manifesto, most name changes took place AFTER the person was successfully admitted. The change could have been done simply by adopting a new name or by selecting a new name during the citizenship process. But … there is ONE case of a name change of an immigrant at Ellis Island and that person is Frank Woodhull who arrived at New York City on October 4th, 1908. Follow an amazing research journey with twists and turns and you’ll find out how Woodhull lived under an assumed name in the United States for almost 15 years before his fateful return to the US from a holiday in England.

Trivia contests seem to be all the rage now. But if you were ever a fan of the television show Jeopardy or the game Trivial Pursuit, here’s a way to test your genealogy knowledge. With genealogy expert Thomas MacEntee as presenter, you can participate in a fun, fast paced, and educational genealogy trivia game. Every participant will receive a handout at the END of the adventure complete with genealogy trivia questions and answers!

Have you ever wondered if there was more to an ancestor’s home address or workplace address? Did you know that in the early 20th century many US cities reconfigured their “grid” resulting in new addresses? Do you know why certain streets simply seem to “disappear”? There’s more to street naming…

Imagine you are trapped in an archive and the only way out is to solve a series of genealogy research puzzles. Are you up to the challenge? Are you ready for Genealogy Escape Room? Based on the popular escape room concept, Genealogy Escape Room turns the typical webinar format upside…

Learn how savvy genealogists are finding success with 15 basic habits of frugality.

Documents – old and new – are a requisite resource for genealogy research. Learn the latest tools and programs available to translate foreign language documents as well as transcribe documents in order to extract needed information.

Do you get so excited when you find a new record for an ancestor that you forget to collect the information you need? Does that record shine and glitter so brightly that you are blinded to other vital clues you might need? Learn the “One Pass” approach to genealogy research…

Participants will learn how to locate lost family heirlooms at in-person events like flea markets as well as at online websites. We’ll cover how to research the history of an item, how to work with the seller, how to contact possible family members related to the item and more.