family history conferences

2019 IGGP Conference Update

~ marestales

Great progress has been made in the planning and preparation for this international German genealogy conference, “STRIKE IT RICH! with Connections 2 Discoveries,” to be held in Sacramento June 15-17, 2019. Top-notch speakers have been selected, including Dr. Frit Juengling, Dr. Michael Lacopo, and Dr. Roger Minert. Presentation tracks have been planned, including Advancing Your Research, Regional Focus, DNA/Technology, History and Culture, and Eureka! (a variety of other topics relevant to researching German ancestors). Creation of the preliminar program is well underway. Hospitality is busy organizing special events for our visitors. And… Registration is only a few weeks away–November 1!

For more info about IGGP and this golden opportunity, visit the IGGP website: www.iggpartner.org.

A Special NGS Moment

~ marestales

NGS Family History Conference 2018 ended a few hours ago. Now to put all of this new-found knowledge to work. I attended about 15 sessions, reviewed successful BCG portfolios, reconnected with friends, ate some great food, and bought a few souvenirs.

It was interesting to learn about how many Dutch immigrants settled in this area of Western Michigan. Over the past twenty years I have been researching my father’s paternal line in earnest. I have discovered that they came from Ostfriesland, which included northwestern Germany and northeastern Netherlands, not far from the North Sea. The Davids branch, his paternal grandmother’s line, have roots in the Netherlands. I have located records for the Brinkman line in Marienhafe, Engerhafe, and Siegelsum, all part of the province of Hannover, kindgom of Prussia, during the years before their emigration.

One of the highlights of the conference for me was a special presentation shared by Yvette Hoitink, a certified genealogist from the Netherlands, at last night’s NGS banquet. She shared a heartfelt story of a Dutch tradition that occurs every May 4th and 5th–Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) and Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag), respectively. At about 8 pm, after explaining the significance of these two special days, Yvette invited everyone at the banquet to stand in silence for two minutes in honor of those who lost their lives in WWII, and in wars since, fighting for freedom from tyrrany and oppression. The following link explains those special days in the Netherlands.

http://www.britsoc.nl/remembrance-day-and-liberation-day-in-the-netherlands/

The more I study and learn about my family’s history, the more I want to learn and know. Maybe it is the same with you. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.” As I come to know more about the lives of my ancestors, about my roots, I am beginning to understand what parts of me come from each of them.

Why Attend Genealogy Conferences?

~ marestales

I left Sacramento, CA, on Saturday, and arrived in Grand Rapids, MI, on Monday. That’s NINE states in THREE days! California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Thirty-two hours behind the wheel to travel about 2,400 miles. Some of you would probably call me crazy. I get it. Why would anyone travel so far, by car mind you, to spend four days sitting through genealogical lectures from 8:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon?  In one word: Passion.

I was having dinner in the hotel tonight with a fellow genealogist, who is also a friend and newfound cousin, when our waiter asked a similar question. What do you do at a genealogy conference? First, we talked about the passion genealogists have for learning about their ancestors. We explained that genealogy is much more than dates and places. It is about discovering the life lived in those places, between those dates. It’s about “the dash.”  A favorite song by Scotty McCreery explains this idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSTY9NZvBfI

Genealogy conferences, such as the NGS Family History Conference, give those with a passion for genealogy an opportunity to learn from experts in the field, to improve their research techniques, to explore records they may never have heard about before, and to network with others in the genealogical community. Sometimes we find cousins we never knew we had. Other times we may find that elusive piece of the puzzle which could complete the picture of an ancestor’s life, allowing us to break through the brick wall in our research.

Ancestors are waiting for us to uncover their stories. I often feel like mine are guiding my research, leading me to the records they left behind. This week I will learn best practices and discover new resources. I can’t wait to get started!

 

2019 International German Genealogy Conference

~ marestales

July, 2017–The International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) held their first-ever family history conference in Minneapolis, MN–CONNECTIONS: International Cultural Personal. Instead of an expected 250 attendees, the conference committee was ecstatic to host over 700. It was one of the best conferences I have ever attended! What else would you expect when you gather together a group of German “cousins” from all over the world who are interested in finding their connections to the past, to the present, to each other? It was so great in fact, many people said, “Just give me a few days to regroup, then let’s do this again!”

Well, it is going to be more than a few days, but the Sacramento German Genealogy Society (SGGS) is hosting the 2019 International German Genealogy  Conference, June 15-17. The theme is “STRIKE IT RICH! with Connections 2 Discoveries.” If you have German ancestors and want to learn about the best resources and methods for German genealogical research around the world, or want to connect with possible cousins, I would encourage you to attend this marvelous conference.

For more information about this conference and IGGP, go to https://iggpartner.org/