Learn DNA Basics with Beth Taylor and a basic understanding of Ancestry DNA with Crista Cowan.  We will be playing their two RootsTech 2023 videos and then discussing what we learned.

Learn many ways to reach out to distant living cousins to help you expand your family tree forward in time. You may find family treasures, photos, DNA test takers and information that will break down a brick wall. We will explore online trees, lineage societies, cemetery indexes, obituaries in newspapers, living people finder websites and social media.

Research trips are more likely to be successful and enjoyable if you follow a number of steps before, during, and after. In this session, you'll learn how to prepare for the trip by engaging in specific pre-trip tasks (including researching the repositories to be visited; creating an itinerary, and making a packing list); what to …

How can it help you in your genealogy research? Where can you test? Who should be tested? Should you join a surname study? What Y-DNA results do and do not tell you. These are questions that Wendi will be addressing in her presentation on a basic introduction to Y-DNA as it applies to genealogical research. …

The National Archives website and online catalog have great resources for genealogists, but how can you get started? This presentation – appropriate for beginners and those new to federal records – will explain the in’s and out’s of federal government records and show you some great genealogical resources on the National Archives website. We’ll explore …

A simple 5-step method that will help you stay on track and make real progress in your research. The Search Party Method includes Spotlight, Clues, Sift, Map, and Dig. We will watch the Roots Tech video and gather in groups to discuss questions and share stories during this program.

Are you stuck on a line of your family tree? Do you feel like your ancestor must have just appeared out of nowhere? Come hear how three of our members moved beyond that situation and came up with vital information for their family tree. Speakers will discuss - Who was their problem ancestor? What did …

The loss of the 1890 Federal census is a source of great frustration for American Genealogists, but all hope is not lost! Learn strategies and gather tips for success in locating your family in other records between the 1880 and 1900 Federal censuses.

Brad Lemmon has been doing genealogy for 5 years and is the Secretary of the Bend Genealogy Society. His presentation will start with some general-purpose map information and then cover specific maps that he used (and created) to learn more about his Pennsylvania relatives. Hopefully some of the map ideas will help people make progress on their …

Nancy Loe will take us in the footsteps of our immigrant female ancestors as they navigated the naturalization path to citizenship after coming to America. Understanding changing requirements for US naturalization and citizenship is key to searching for and finding female immigrant ancestors. US citizenship and attendant rights for women could be fragile, depending on …

Our March presentation centers on Norwegian Research, but will include links and similarities with Swedish and Danish research, too. Topics include the unique naming patterns in Scandinavia and the importance of finding the farm or village your ancestor came from.