Articles by Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach, PLCGS, is the Executive Director at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies. She's a multi-published author, speaker, and presenter. Find out more about her books at https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

My Time at FGS2015

My Time at FGS2015

By Lynn Funk, Student Salt Lake City, Utah is considered by many to be the “Mecca for Genealogical Research” and it was never more so than this February 11-14 when the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) combined their conference with the annual RootsTech Conference. Over 22,000 people crowded into the Salt Palace to learn, share and enjoy speakers, workshops and exhibits about their shared passion—family history! My conference experience opened Wednesday night with a social featuring sandwiches and desserts and a panel discussion about Family History and Television. Participants included FGS president and Genealogy Roadshow host Joshua Taylor; Genealogy Roadshow host, genealogist and lawyer, Kenyatta Berry; George Ott from ProGenealogists; genetic genealogist CeCe Moore and Jennifer Utley from “Who Do You Think You Are?”  The panel discussed the impact shows such as Genealogy Roadshow, Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are?  have had on the growing interest in family history and genealogy. The next three days I attended sessions presented by both FGS and Rootstech, however most were FGS classes as they seemed to focus more on research methodology. In these classes I learned about cluster genealogy, resources for tracing U.S. ancestors between 1780-1840, using tax records to solve genealogical problems, and finding ancestors in between the censuses. One of my favorite classes was taught by Michael Lacopo and was entitled: She Came From Nowhere: A Case Study Approach to Solving a Difficult Genealogical Problem. Since I have several “difficult genealogical problems,” I found this class very helpful. It was fun to see how, step by step, he took down…

Continue reading

RootsTech 2015 Recap

By Lynn Funk, Student I always look forward to February. You may be asking yourself “why February?” Well, the holidays are over, the promise of spring is in the air and, at least here in Salt Lake City, it means the opening of the annual RootsTech Conference. This year’s conference was held February 11-14 and was combined with the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference which made it an even bigger and better conference than ever for family history enthusiasts. This was my third year attending the conference and as always it was an enjoyable experience. The theme this year was Celebrating Families Across Generations. Keynote speakers included Dennis Brimhall CEO of FamilySearch International; Mike Mallin, CPO MyHeritage; Tan Le, found of Emotiv; former First Lady, Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna Bush Hager; D. Joshua Taylor, Director of Family History at FindMyPast;  author A. J. Jacobs, and singer/entertainer Donny Osmond. All had fascinating stories to tell about their ancestors and what family and family history means to them. You can watch many of these addresses as well as some of the workshop presentations online at rootstech.org/video. RootsTech has something for everyone from workshops by top-notch genealogical lecturers to the latest innovations in technology that aid in researching, organizing and preserving your family history. There were several hundred classes to attend and an expo hall filled with everything from books to software to genealogical education and online storage. The International Institute for Genealogical Studies even had a booth there. I stopped by and had a wonderful conversation with…

Continue reading

New Course: Italian: Civil Registration-Part 1

Have Italian roots? Then you’ll want to check out our newest course, Italian: Civil Registration-Part 1. Written by professional genealogist and Italian research expert Melanie D. Holtz, CG this course looks at civil registration, one of the largest and most important record sets in Italian genealogical research. In this course, you will delve deeper into three main types of records: birth records [both regular and supplemental], marriage records [including marriage banns and marriage supplements], and death records [both regular and supplemental]. Each type of record has different challenges as well as differences in format depending on the time period and/or location of its creation within Italy. You will also delve more deeply into translating and abstracting these documents so that you can understand more fully how to find every piece of genealogically useful information they contain. You will learn how to spot discrepancies and information contained that is over and above what is generally given. Understanding the documents is the heart of the course and there will be much study required of the example documents. For those interested in registering for this course, you should have previously completed the courses, Italian: Introduction to Research Outside of Italy and Italian: Language and Location, or have a good understanding of the content of those courses, before commencing this course. Italian: Civil Registration-Part 1 begins in March. Register for it today!

New Course: Organize & Publish a Family Tree

The new courses keep coming and March is no exception. Our latest course by genealogist Cari Taplin is Organize & Publish a Family Tree. This course is designed to give students a wide view of genealogical organization systems available. Geared toward making a sound decision and investment in one’s genealogical software, this course will include cloud-based systems, online trees, desktop software, as well as a brief survey of alternative programs and systems for organizing and displaying genealogical research. So what does this course include? Pretty much everything: Genealogical Software Platforms Online Search Capabilities and Integration Source Citations Website Creation Publishing Features Genealogy Programs for Windows Genealogy Programs for Macintosh Organizing Your Family Trees Online Privacy Issues Security Tips Online Family Tree Websites Genealogy Mobile Applications Genealogical Software Companion Apps Website Companion Apps Stand-Alone GEDCOM Viewer Apps Miscellaneous Apps:  Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote Storing, Organizing, Analyzing & Displaying Research Programs Cloud-Based Systems Backup Systems File Transfer Systems Timelines Mapping Note-Taking Mind Mapping Presenting Your Research Other Miscellaneous Programs Evidentia Pinterest Snagit Spreadsheets   This course begins March 2, 2015. Sign-up NOW!

Meet our Student Blogger: Debbie Dale

Meet our newest student blogger, Debbie Dale! We sat down with Debbie and did a little Q & A to learn more about her. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I currently live in a small town called Hermiston in Eastern Oregon.  The town is very close to the desert but I’m happy to say I’ve made my difficult peace with the sagebrush.  I’m originally from Washington State, where I’d always been able to view tall green trees and water from the Puget Sound.   I moved to Hermiston to help care for my 98-year-old grandmother who lives with severe dementia.  It’s hard work but also rewarding.  I do have time to pursue genealogical interests, however, because I’m not the only caregiver. Tell us about your educational journey thus far. I’ve been a student at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies for several years, working towards two certificates in American Records and Irish Records. I have a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington and spent ten years in that field before moving to Hermiston.  What genealogy topics are you most interested in? Almost anything related to Ireland.  My current research is in County Waterford with a branch of my mother’s family, although the women in my direct maternal line came from the island of Inis Meain, in the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway Bay.   I would like to specialize in Irish immigration to the United States, but I’m interested in…

Continue reading