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Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG, FOGS, has an amazing ability to bring laughter into the lives of her audience members. One of her favorite photos is a picture of her mother on her way to a church picnic, then on to an afternoon of cemetery transcribing.  It was taken just four days before Peggy was born!

Having grown up with parents who were deeply involved in genealogy takes her love of family history to a new level.  Some people are amazed that she knew people who were actually born in the 1800’s; her own grandparents.  Listening to the stories from bygone years, touching the fabrics from quilts, dresses, blessing gowns, and bonnets all have added to the admiration of previous generations. 

Peggy is a frequent lecturer at many local societies in Ohio, as well as Family History seminars.  She has presented at Brigham Young University, and ICAPGen, and taught Continuing Education classes at several community colleges and The Ohio State University.  One of her proudest moments was achieving the credentials that qualified her to be an Accredited Genealogist, a credential she has maintained since 1998, for it polished her research skills.

She has enjoyed being a featured columnist in Reminisce magazine, has written several Legacy QuickGuides, and has filmed as an instructor for Ancestry Academy.  In 2018, she was honored to be awarded Fellow of the Ohio Genealogical Society, and received the Laura G. Prescott Award for Exemplary Service to Professional Genealogy.  She is a former researcher at Ancestry ProGenealogists.

Recently there have been several requests to speak to corporations, which is new territory for this researcher. It is quite enjoyable as business professionals and individuals are enlightened on a new way to leave a legacy.

Geographic Specialities
Appalachian areas of southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, northwest North Carolina, northeast Tennessee, West Virginia
New England
Records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Testimonials
Thank you again for a wonderful presentation to our society last night. As I said last night, we found your presentation to be one of the best that we've ever heard. It contained so much useful information for our members. This is a difficult topic and you did a masterful job of putting this presentation together!

I attended your webinar Saturday on "Community Research Using the National Register of Historic Places." It was wonderful and you amaze me that you have found so much terrific information about your family.

Thanks for a fabulous webinar!! Yours are always so informative and useful. In fact, I could listen to you for hours.

Thank you for one of the most interesting lectures. I can't wait to explore the subject. I never miss any of your presentations.

Once again I am writing to tell you I loved your presentation! The Tax Records program was full of new information and new angles to try. As usual you give lots of information an an enjoyable and accessible way. Thank you. I will watch it again and try out some ideas given in the syllabus.

I would watch any program you offer, even if I don't think I have research on the subject. Consider me a fan!

Publications/Media
Legacy QuickGuide: South Carolina Genealogy by Peggy Lauritzen (PDF Edition)
Legacy QuickGuide: Virginia Genealogy by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen (PDF Edition)
Legacy QuickGuide: Kentucky Genealogy by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen (PDF Edition)
Legacy QuickGuide: Tennessee Genealogy by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen (PDF Edition)
Legacy QuickGuide: West Virginia Genealogy by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen (PDF Edition)
Legacy QuickGuide: North Carolina Genealogy by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen (PDF Edition)

Reminisce Magazine, Sep 2016 - Dec 2022

Lectures
Current Lecture Topics Available
From my website: https://misspeggy55.weebly.com/lecture-topics.html

Those with an * can also be a keynote or luncheon address.
Those with ** denotes new and/or updated. All may be done as a webinar and/or in-person event.


**A Research Trip Around Ohio B/I/A
Ohio was a destination place.  Many ancestors were on their way to or through Ohio as they made their way westward.
Summary:  Ohio genealogists are often asked about the best facilities for researching when descendants return home to trace their ancestry.  This presentation will highlight some of the most productive facilities when you only have so much time to spend.

*America's Forgotten War - The War of 1812  I/A
The War of 1812 is one of the forgotten wars of the United States, yet records abound for our ancestors who were willing to fight the British once again.
Summary:  On June 18, 1812, the United States stunned the world by declaring war on Great Britain.  It lasted over two years and ended in a stalemate.  It did, however, confirm America’s independence, once and for all.

**America's Turnpikes, Rivers, And Canals  B/I/A
The safest and easiest way to move one’s families may not have been the migrations trails and roads that we have become most familiar with.
Summary: Roads and trails are the “go-to” places we look at first when determining how our ancestors moved throughout America.  However, there were other means of transportation available to them.  Could your ancestor have traveled other by-ways?  

**Analysis and Correlation: A Case Study on a Family Missing in the Census  Advanced
Summary: The US Federal Census is one of the first places researchers go to research their families. It's a beginning genealogist's dream to see their family lines build. But do we return and check our research as often as we should?
This case study visits a family that we would often assume as just being missed by the enumerator. But there was so much more going on.

Apprentices, Indentured Servants and Redemptioners; White Servitude in America  I/A
An estimated one-half of early immigrants came to America as indentured servants.  
Summary:  People came to the colonies by various means; some desired to come, and some came against their will.  This lecture will examine  indentureship in early America, and will follow a case study of the story behind my own ancestors' arrival.           
Note:  This is by no means a comparison of indentureship and slavery.  Though they may have worked alongside each other, and even ran away and married each other, their lives were vastly different.  One had hope of a piece of land, and perhaps money and implement.  The other had no hope at all; their service was perpetual.
  

Away, I’m Bound Away! - Migrations Into the Shenandoah Valley  B/I
The Shenandoah Valley beckoned many different groups, including religious, ethnic, and outcast peoples.  Learn what brought these different groups into the area, the migration trails they traveled, and the climate that developed as they merged together.
Summary:  Our ancestors were on the move a lot.  Land was precious to them, and influenced when and where they lived.  This lecture will focus on the varied groups that populated the Shenandoah Region, the culture and customs, where they came from and what may have influenced them to stay or to move on.
Note:  This lecture can also be divided into two separate classes - one dealing with the German element, the other with the Scots-Irish element.  It may also be turned into a three-part class, with added emphasis on the Quakers.

Community Research Using the National Register of Historic Places and the Historical Marker Database  I/A
The National Register of Historic Places and the Historical Marker Database are familiar sites across the United States, and even the world. How can they be used for genealogical research?
Summary: Two genealogists met over lunch a few years ago to discuss a common genealogy dilemma. The ideas began tumbling around, and soon each was using a different site to solve a research question. This presentation will take you through the steps of discovering the areas where your ancestors may have lived, and the necessary proof to have them registered. Those historic markers by the side of the road may contain a history of the area they lived, and perhaps even mention them by name.


Dark as a Dungeon; Researching Mining Records  I/A
This is the real ‘Minecraft’.  As the song goes, it truly was “dark as a dungeon” in just about any mine.  Fortunately, there are records that have may been kept on your mining ancestors.
Summary: Mining is hard work. Starting from the children that worked in mines up to the adults of today, mining records may provide a clue to your ancestors’ lives.

**Faith of Our Fathers  B/I/A
This is actually part of a two-part course taught at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) in 2019. 
Part 1 focuses on the religious upheavals and persecutions that were creating the push/pull effect in Europe.
Part 2 focuses on different areas of the eastern, mid-Atlantic, and southern regions that welcomed those of faith.
Summary: Our country is one of religious diversity.  Except for the very early days in the colonies, there has never been a “state religion”.  A number of different religions and their beginnings will be discussed.
​Before state and vital records were mandated, churches were valuable information that can be used as substitutes for vital records.​

FamilySearch and Your British Research  I/A
Discovering when your family landed on American shores can be so exciting.  But, how can you research in another country from home?
Summary:  FamilySearch can take you around the world without leaving your home.  This class will help you as you take your first steps in foreign research -- when you aren't quite sure how to.

**Finding Substitutes for Vital Records  I/A
As valuable as vital records are to us, there are many times when they just aren’t available.  
Summary:  Some states began recording official vital records later than others.  Others have suffered record destruction through burned courthouses, war, rodents, and mildew.  What can be used as a substitute?


Following the Money Using Tax Records  I/A
Not unlike today, our ancestors were taxed on every turn.  Tax records can provide a unique insight into their lives, possessions and coming of age.
Summary:  Tax records are widely available throughout the historical blueprint of our ancestors’ lives.  Let’s look at some ways they can help us.


*From the Shoebox to the Temple  B
Members of the LDS Church are sometimes a bit stymied as to what it takes to prepare a name for ordinance work.
Summary:  All of us have an aunt or a grandmother that has a shoebox full of obituaries and/or funeral cards.  How do we get those out of the box and on to the temple?


Genealogy 101:  A Four-Session Course in Beginning Genealogy  B/I
Genealogy is an adventure in researching your family’s history.  These sessions will aid the beginner in starting the process and enjoying the journey.
Summary:  Each of the four classes will build on the previous instruction.  They will include the following:            
Session 1 – Identify what you already know.
This will include home sources, oral interviews of older relatives, obituaries, appropriate charts, and forms.  Basic forms, i.e. pedigree chart, family group record, etc. will be provided to find out what is already known.
Session 2 – Filling in the blanks.
Pedigree analysis will aid us in deciding where we need to go next.  Following many recommendations from Tom Jones’ Mastering Genealogical Proof, we will focus on asking a genealogical question and setting a goal.  Citing sources and learning to keep a research log will be emphasized.  Time will also be spent on the value of maps.
Session 3 – Learning how to obtain and read a record. 
After learning of the many ways to search for and obtain a record, we will analyze the information it may contain.  Specific class time will include evaluation of a death record, an obituary, and perhaps even birth/christening records.
Session 4 – Organizing what you have gathered.
Organizing and preserving our data is essential.  An overview of computer programs specifically for genealogy will be demonstrated, different filing systems, sharing information with online databases, and leaving a legacy for future generations will be included.


Genealogy-On-The-Go  B/I
The internet provides a wealth of information to trace our ancestors.  But can we do it all from home?  
Summary:  Each day there are millions of new images being added to genealogy databases.   We can access these on many devices from just about anywhere.  However, is there still a need to make an in-person visit to research?

*Genealogy Travels With Miss Peggy (luncheon or dinner topic)
Because sometimes, you just have to make a trip.
Summary:  It helps having members in your family who are also interested in genealogy.  Peggy and her sisters have made dozens of trips into Appalachia to research their ancestry.  Come along on some of the most memorable adventures.


German Migration Into the Ohio  I/A
This lecture will focus on the strong German population that came to call Ohio home.
Summary:  Ohio was a melting pot of many ethnic groups, especially the Germans.  Most originated from the same area in Germany, and settled in areas of Ohio that reminded them of home.


Hidden Gems in the FamilySearch Wiki  B/I/A                          
The FamilySearch Wiki contains tens of thousands of pages to assist you in researching your family’s history.
Summary:   What is a wiki?  It’s one of the best-kept secrets of FamilySearch.  Let’s learn how this powerful and robust tool can bring the world to your fingertips.

Ho to California!  The Draw of the Gold Rush  I/A
Few events in America have had the impact of the California Gold Rush and the desire to have a better life; an event that lasted seven short years.
Summary:  The Gold Rush swelled the population of California by the hundreds of thousands.  And, it was all for the little flecks of gold that shone so brightly.  People rushed in from all over the world.  Did it beckon your ancestors, too?


Homespun and Calico:  Researching the Lives of Our Foremothers  B/I
This lecture will give the genealogist some frequently 
overlooked sources concerning the women in our ancestry.  Some case studies will be used to illustrate the research process.
Summary:  Half of the names on your pedigree chart belong to women.
These female ancestors sometimes have little proof that they even existed.  Let’s see what we can uncover as we discover new sources.

**I'm Warning You! The Poor and Impoverished in Colonial Times  B/I/A
Those without means were often brought before town councils to determine if they would possibly be a burden on their community.
Summary: In the colonial period there was no social system to help those who fell on hard times. Much of New England relied upon the warning out system to shift the burden of care back to the hometown, often resulting in splitting up family members.


**Improving Your Talent as a Genealogy Speaker  I/A
All eyes are on you when step up to the podium to deliver a genealogy talk.  The audience is expecting to be taught and instructed.  Can you deliver what they want and need?
Summary:  Attendees have set aside time and money to hear you speak about a subject that can help them further their quest in their family’s history.  Here are some points to help them feel their time is not wasted.


*In A Granite Mountain:  Using FamilySearch to Further Advance Your Research  B/I/A
This lecture will show the benefits of becoming familiar the ever-changing web site known as FamilySearch.org
Summary:  FamilySearch.org is changing sometimes daily.  It benefits us to become familiar with the web site and learn how to get the most from its sources.




**Let's Leave 'em Something to talk About  B/I/A
This lecture focuses on important techniques used in interviewing our living relatives who may be a bit skittish in talking about the past.  It also encourages us to leave a legacy for our own posterity that will make it just a bit easier for them to find us. 
Summary:  What we would give to be able to find letters, journals, diaries, pictures from our ancestors.  Those that are still may need some “memory jogs” to help them remember events from their own lives and the history they may have locked inside.  A charge to leave our own story concludes this lecture and includes several different ways to do it. 

Lighthouses and Their Keepers; For Those in Peril on the Sea *NEW* I/A
Lighthouses are a beacon to guide ships through stormy waters. We often forget that there were men and women who served as lighthouse keepers, making it a home for them and their families.
Summary: As far back as 2,000 years ago there were lighthouses, with the earliest known in Egypt. As Europeans made their new homes in British America they also needed beacons to protect the craggy shores of this new land and the inland waters.         

Making Sense of the Census  B/I/A
One of the first records we seek out is that of the U.S. Federal Census.  How are they read, and how can they benefit me in my research?
Summary:  The census was taken every ten years, beginning in 1790. This presentation will show how these records can paint a picture of your ancestors, their neighborhood, their industry, and their lives.

**Memory Keepers  B/I
This presentation takes a look at the easy way FamilySearch has enabled all of us to share and preserve items that are precious to us.
Summary: We daily see reports of fires in courthouses and homes, of flooding, mold, and hungry rodents. There is even the touchy subject of sharing the photos we have with others, and hoping they will share with us. FamilySearch provides a way to do that very thing so that precious items that may be destroyed are not lost forever.



 
 

Migration into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia B/I/A
This lecture will focus on the areas they emigrated from, the migration trails they took, and that areas they settled.
Summary:  There were three main European groups that form the basis of our ancestors in Virginia - the Germans from the Palatine area, the Quakers, and The Scots-Irish of Great Britain.  

**Migration Trails Across America  B/I/A
America has been a nation on the move since the first landings in the colonies.  From buffalo traces and Native American trails to rivers and canals, Americans found a way to keep pushing “west”.
Summary:  This presentation concentrates on the most common means of travel in the New World.  Migrations trails and patterns will be discussed, as well as the many rivers and canals that interconnected us as a nation.  A case study will be demonstrated showing a “lost” ancestor”.

Migration To and Through Virginia  B/I
Virginia had several major migration routes running through her, from the coastal tidewater region to the Allegheny Mountains.
Summary:  Virginia became a thoroughfare of several groups and religions.  Some were on their way to the deeper southern region; some had come in from the Carolinas and headed northward, and a few went south and returned due to slavery.


Migration Trails to the Ohio  B/I
This lecture will focus on different groups that migrated to the newly-formed Ohio country and how the land was divided up as people began to settle.  We will study these trails, as well as circumstances that brought people here.
Summary:  “Ohio fever” brought people to this western frontier state in droves.  The division of the land became a pattern for most of the other land areas in the United States.


*Misbegotten Children; Tracing the Family Lines of the Illegitimate B/I/A
Nearly all families have children with seemingly missing fathers.  Yet, there may be clues and resources to help us determine their ancestry.
Summary:  Illegitimacy can be both a surprise and an embarrassment as we discover more and more about our family’s history.  Treated with care and sensitivity, we can use many available resources to help us in our research.

*Navigating Our Way Through FamilySearch  B/I/A
FamilySearch.org is a marvel, and if our research doesn’t begin there, we should navigate our way to this ever-changing web site.
Summary:  Just when we think we have gleaned all we can from FamilySearch, the website changes, more records are added, or we uncover a new way or preserving our own stories.
 
Neither Rain Nor Snow…Finding Our Ancestors Using the Records of the United States Post Office  I/A
Our friendly Letter Carrier keeps us connected to the world, just as it did when first created.
Summary: The Second Continental Congress began in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin serving as its first Postmaster. Later, the US Constitution empowered Congress to establish Post Offices and post roads. Could your ancestors be among the records either serving as a postmaster, on a postal route, or even in the dead letter office?

Ohio and the Early Gathering of the LDS Church  B/I
Ohio was the first gathering place of the LDS Church.  Eventually, those who joined its membership eventually found themselves displaced into Missouri and Illinois before their trek to Utah.
Summary:  The story of the LDS Church is a story of persecution.  This lecture will focus on the members from both the United Kingdom and New England who were disowned from their families, and finished their lives in the western United States.  A case study will be used to show the connection between an early member of the LDS Church and their ties to New England, unknown until a short time ago.
​***Note:  This lecture is specifically geared to the non-LDS audience.

Ohio; the Great Land Experiment  B/I/A
Many roads led to and through Ohio.  The promise of land opened up a whole new world for immigration and migration to what was known as “the west”.  
Summary:  Ohio was the first of the states in the Northwest Territory to become a state.  There existed plenty of good and fertile land, but a new system of measuring the land was about to emerge with Jefferson's rectangular survey.  Everything new was tried in Ohio.

Plain Folk - Researching Amish and Mennonite Families  B/I/A
Amish and Mennonite families are often romanticized in modern literature and television series.  However, their backgrounds, though similar, have beliefs that keep them separate.
Summary:  The Amish and the Mennonites are often grouped together.  And, while they have some similarities, including their roots in religion, there are distinct differences.​



*Preparing For Your Cemetery Research Trip B
In the electronic age, we have a bounty of information available at our fingertips.  Does this mean we always have the luxury of researching at home?  Sometimes a trip to the cemetery may be just what we need.
If the opportunity presents itself, pack up and go to the family cemetery, the final place many of our ancestors may have gathered together.
Summary:  This class shows the does and don'ts of what to bring as you research with 'boots on the ground' techniques.  A look into www.FindAGrave.com completes the preparation into such a trip.


Putting America to Work - The Records of the WPA (Works Progress Administration  B/I/A
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was founded in 1935 as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal.  Providing jobs for over 8.5 million people, they were instrumental in compiling many records that are valuable to genealogists today.
Summary:  Many of the indexes and records we use today were compiled by the WPA; those unemployed professionals who were ‘put to work’ in the days following the Great Depression.

Quaker Migration into America  B/I/A
America was and is a “landing place” for many ethnic groups and religions.  The Quakers were one of those groups and were among the most influential.
Summary:  Quaker roots begin in England.  Soon the “Society of Friends” found themselves at odds with much of the surrounding area, leading them to other European countries and America.  With emphasis on the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio Quakers, this presentation will aid you in looking for clues as to whether your ancestors were Friends.


Quaker Migration Into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia  B/I
“Friends” were a vital element in the growth and economy of the Shenandoah Valley.  
Summary:  This lecture will focus on one of the varied groups that populated the Shenandoah Region, the culture and customs, where they came from and what may have influenced them to stay or to move on.


School Daze  B/I
This lecture will focus on a little-known source for aging and placing our ancestors.
Summary:  Locating school records can be an amazing way of putting our families into place, especially when there may be no vital records available in an area.  Not all of our ancestors had the opportunity for education, but those who did may have left behind valuable records.


Speaker Proposals That Sparkle  I/A
How do you catch the eyes of the conference and program chairs?  It all boils down to selling oneself.
Summary:  You have made the decision to submit a proposal that may be considered for a conference or webinar series.  This lecture will focus on making your proposals shine and be considered for inclusion.

“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” - The Underground Railroad in Ohio  I/A
Synopsis: Ohio was a pivotal destination in the search for freedom. It also housed many who would engage in physical conflict between anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces, resulting in The Reverse Underground Railroad.
Summary: If they could just make it to the Ohio River, the enslaved were looking at the possibility of their ticket to freedom. Known also as the “trunk line” of the Underground Railroad, there were many secret routes and safe houses where abolitionists would guide them to freedom.



The Firelands, The Connecticut Western Reserve, and The Ohio Territory
B/I/A
The northeastern lands of Ohio are called “The Firelands” and “The Western Reserve”.  How did they come to be called that? And, what connection do they have to the northeast section of our country?
Summary:  “Ohio fever” brought a lot of people the state following the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and its eventual statehood in 1803.  Settlers came from all sections of the country, but of particular interest are those that eventually made their home in the “Firelands District” and “The Connecticut Western Reserve”.
 
 


The Great Migration of African Americans to the North  B/I/A
Synopsis: As conditions became more difficult in the southern states, opportunities in the northern states, and later the western states beckoned millions to new areas.
Summary: There were two main reasons African Americans left the south. Following the Civil War, attempts to make a living as sharecroppers introduced a new form of slavery. Plus, the dreaded cotton boll weevil would spread from the Texas border to the Atlantic seacoast. Later, a second pull would take them to new areas where jobs would beckon - and Jim Crow would follow.

The Great Toledo War *NEW*  B/I/A
The Rivalry between Ohio and Michigan can trace its beginnings to The Great Toledo War. Did your ancestors live in that area known as
“The Toledo Strip?” Which state were they actually living in?
Summary: America is a nation that has experienced boundary disputes in many forms. This presentation examines a long forgotten, bloodless “war” that many have affected your ancestors in northwestern Ohio.


**The Old Northwest Territory; the First American West  B/I/A
People were often on the move, and the “new west” provided a new opportunity to relocate to a less crowded area. 
Summary: This lecture is a case study in locating family members who appeared in Maryland, reappeared in Kentucky without a clue as to what happened in the years between. It includes the proof needed to become a member of First Families of Ohio.

The Scots-Irish in America  B/I/A
This lecture will focus on the group of people known as the “Scots-Irish”.  Just who are they and what brought them to America?
Summary:  Many Americans can trace their ancestry back to the British Isles.  Some have even heard that their background was “Scotch-Irish”.  We will focus on who these people were and where they came from in the British Isles.
 

The Sun Shines Bright; Beginning Your Kentucky Research  B/I/A
The best place to research your ancestors in Kentucky is not always in Kentucky!  Let’s learn what is available to help discover our ancestors.
Summary:  This presentation concentrates on researching in this state which neighbors us just beyond the Ohio River.  Its beginnings were in Virginia, and were part of its rich history before becoming a state of its own.

The Watchfires of a Hundred Circling Camps  I/A
America's Civil War became one of the darkest times in our nation's history.  However, the records produced from this war can open up the life of our soldiers, and their families.
Summary:  Though impossible to cover all aspects of the war, this presentation will concentrate on information gleaned from a soldier's pension file, and the second family that came to light.


This Land is My Land!  A Basic Land-platting Class - $10/person fee A
The United States was a young and developing nation with a need; a way to pay its veteran soldiers.  We were cash poor and land rich. 
Summary:  As the United States became more populated, so did the love and need for land that our ancestors needed to build a home of their own.  This class will cover the different types of land measurement systems; the early days of metes and bounds to the modern-day township and range method.


**Ticked Off!  Those Pesky Pre-1850 Census Tic Marks  B/I/A
Those pesky tic marks seem to get in our way as we work to extend our pedigrees.  Just what do they mean, and how can they help me? 
Summary:  It’s exciting when we are able to find our ancestors on every census they appeared on, until we reach 1840 and beyond.  Are they throwing us into a dead end, or can they tell us more?  This lecture provides a case study following an eastern Kentucky family back into the area of Germantown, Pennsylvania. 

Tracing Our British Ancestors Using the Resources of FamilySearch  B/I/A
We have researched our ancestry back to the time when we believe they may have come from the British Isles.  But what if we know nothing about researching this area of the world?
Summary:  Many Americans are descendants of those who came from the British Isles.  Perhaps they came of their own volition; perhaps as indentured servants.  This presentation will provide some tools for beginning our research in the “Mother Country”.


Treasures in Township Records  B/I/A
This lecture will focus on one of the smallest areas of recordkeeping, the township.
Summary:  A part of the rectangular survey system, the township had its beginnings in Europe.  Still in use today, we will focus on the many types of records of our ancestors that may be found there.


Up In Smoke!!  What To Do When the Courthouse Burns  B/I/A
All is not lost when we learn that the county courthouse has burned.  This lecture will look at alternatives for research in these “burned counties”.
Summary:  War and natural disasters have taken their toll on many of our nation’s county courthouses.  Let’s look at some helpful sources that may still exist.

Using FamilySearch to Trace Your British Isle Ancestors  B/I/A
Researchers around the world lay claim to ancestry from the British Isles.
Summary:  It would be so rewarding to return to the British Isles, where many of us lay claim to the rich heritage from those lands.  However, FamilySearch can take us to those faraway isles from the comfort of our own homes.
***Note:  This lecture can be "tweaked" to any country or state, or even any topic that is contained in the records of FamilySearch.

Vital Records Before State Registration  B/I
As reach further back into our family tree, we find that most vital records, as we know them, just did not exist.  What are some of the alternatives we may use as primary evidence in our ancestors’ lives?
Summary:  Let’s not take every printed or compiled source as “gospel”.  
Perhaps there are some hidden sources to help make our research more credible.

Welcome to the Family History Center  B/I
Family History Centers offer many tools to help you discover your ancestors.  Come, and let us help you, and let us show you around some of the premium sites available for your research.
Summary;  Supposedly, everything is on the Internet, and there is no need for "on the ground" research anymore.  Family History Centers offer many tools to help you discover your ancestors.  Come, and let us help you.  
​

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!  B/I/A
West Virginia has had more fun poked at it than nearly any other state.  But, there are some vast resources there in the history of this, the “restored government of Virginia”.
Summary:   Having been part of Virginia since the beginning, the fifty counties of West Virginia elected to remain loyal to the Union.  Its history is rich, as are the people who hail from this region of the Ohio River Valley.
 

Repositories
Ohio Genealogical Society Family History Center, Mansfield, Ohio
Ohio Historical Connection, Columbus, Ohio

Research Time Periods

• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century

Honorifics/Credentials
AG® - Accredited Genealogist
FOGS - Fellow of the Ohio Genealogical Society

Certificates
2018 Recipient, Laura G. Prescott Award for Exemplary Service to Professional Genealogy
2018 Fellow, Ohio Genealogical Society
Brigham Young University - Idaho, Pathway Program with Family History Emphasis
ProGen 17

Affiliations
Ohio Genealogical Society
Utah Genealogical Association - Board Member
Board Member Association of Professional Genealogists - Secretary and Member of Executive Committee

Degrees
Brigham Young University - Idaho, Pathway Program with emphasis in Family History Accredited Genealogist, 1998