Presented by Dr. Penny Walters, PhD on 20 August 2020 at 6:00pm MT.

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Some people are told they were adopted; others find out by accident, with papers, rumored stories, or medical problems. People who want to search for their birth parent/s then have to go through bureaucratic procedures, discovering they had a different name, and then potentially finding lots of overwhelming information. We will discuss the excitement, problems, pain, and practical realities of researching a ‘new’ family.

Dr. Penny Walters has been a University lecturer for 30 years in Psychology & Business Studies. Penny's interest in genealogy started after having her first child and then wondering about her biological parents, as she was adopted. DNA testing revealed 71% Irish heritage, refined now to 94% (Munster- counties Cork and Kerry), which supports her paper trail and collaboration with 3rd cousin DNA matches. Having researched her 2 family trees for 30 years, Penny lectures internationally and writes articles (regularly for Family Tree magazine (UK) about genealogy topics including ethical dilemmas in genealogy; mixing DNA results with a paper trail; the psychology of searching; adoption; black British heritage; ethnicity and identity; diaspora; Irish heritage; the 1939 Register; and communication skills. Penny has lectured at Roots Tech London and USA; APG PMC; Brigham Young University Family History Summer School; Ireland’s Back to Our Past, West Cork Symposium, Famine Summer School, and Clan Gatherings; London Society of Genealogists; also the annual conferences of the British Jewish Genealogy Society, the Federation of Family History Societies, Register of Qualified Genealogists, and the Guild of One Name Studies. Penny hosts webinars and has presented webinars for UGA, and Family Tree Live. Penny has authored the books: 'Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy,' and ‘The Psychology of Searching.’

Presented by Diane L. Richard on 17 September 2020 at 7:00pm MT.

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Seafaring folk, especially southern ones, are challenging to document. Shipping records do survive for many 18th & 19th century ports. We’ll follow the money to identify mariner ancestors.

Diane L. Richard, Mosaic Research and Project Management (MosaicRPM), has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina and southern states. She regularly contributes to Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today. In 2019 she published, Tracing Your Ancestors -- African American Research: A Practical Guide, via Moorshead Publications. Since 2016 she has been editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) journal.

As a speaker she has delivered webinars and in-person talks about the availability and richness of records documenting Southerners, pursuing formerly enslaved ancestors and their descendants, genealogical research tips, techniques, tools and strategies, under-utilized resource collections [online and on-the-ground], and much more. She has appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? (Bryan Cranston episode) and The Dead Files (Detox episode).

She is co-leader of Tar Heel Discoveries, started in 2018, which offers guided North Carolina genealogical research programs providing participants targeted, focused, research assistance leading to new family discoveries.

Presented by Tammy Priolo on 15 October 2020 at 7:00pm MT.

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This lecture will demonstrate the tactful approach to interviewing individuals, making cold calls, and making first contact with individuals via emails and social media. Learn how to be comfortable gleaning oral family history stories from people you know and have never met before. Examples of these types of contact will be given.

Tammy Priolo BASc, PLCGS has 27+ years of genealogical experience; nine-year FHC volunteer, ‘The Ancestor Investigator’ since 2000. International Genealogical Lecturer since 1997, Author and Published 100+ articles, biographies, and two books. Member of the Association for Professional Genealogists, Ontario Genealogical Society, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and Ancestry.ca Advisory Board.

Presented by Pam Vestal on 19 November 2020 at 7:00pm MT.

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Notoriously difficult to trace, our female ancestors often generated few records, but using history, law, overlooked documents, and even fashion, we can tell their stories.

Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker from West Linn, Oregon, and the owner of Generations Genealogy, LLC. After 20 years as a professional writer, Pam turned her full attention to her longtime love of genealogy. Since then, her articles have appeared in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly and FGS's Forum Magazine, and her lectures take her from coast to coast.

Presented by Janice Lovelace, PhD on 17 December 2020 at 7:00pm MT.

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Many families have the oral history that an ancestor was Native American. Minnesota has a significant Native American community and a long history of interaction with non-Native populations over centuries. How does a family researcher begin to discover if it is true that an ancestor is of Native background? What federal, state, and tribal records are available?

Janice Lovelace, Ph.D. is a genealogical researcher, author, and lecturer, with over thirty years of experience. Dr. Lovelace is a frequent speaker at national and regional genealogy conferences on health and genetics, ethnic minority genealogy, and research methodology. She authored the National Genealogical Society's continuing education course African American Roots: A Historical Perspective and is an instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute (MAAGI).