Using the Power of Spreadsheets to Answer Genealogical Questions (Monthly Meetings)
6:30 pm
Grand Prairie Memorial Library, Inspire Room, 901 Conover Dr., Grand Prairie, TX
Learn how to import search results from Websites into spreadsheets, use the spreadsheet's tools to format and manipulate the data, and process them to investigate possible group migrations, and determine family relationships. Also learn how to sort dates of the form, 10 May 1869, and overcome Excel's inability to recognize dates earlier than 1900. Don't have Excel? LibreOffice and OpenOffice are free alternatives.
Bernard N. Meisner is a genealogist and lecturer based in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He began researching his family almost 30 years ago and enjoys sharing lessons learned from that experience, including the mistakes. Although he knew only one grandparent (his maternal grandfather) he has successfully identified all his great-great grandparents, several triple- and quadruple-great grandparents, and his Meisner 9th great grand- parents. He is past president and current social media chair of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, a co-leader in the Dallas Genealogical Society's newly formed German SIG, and a member National Genealogical and Texas State Genealogical Societies.
Bernard earned a B.S. in physics/German from Carnegie Melton University in Pittsburgh, and an M.S. And Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Hawaii. He has attended the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh each of the last four year, completing courses in Irish research, German research, and Digital Research Skills.
Thursday, March 12 through Friday, March 13
FREE 24 Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon - Thursday Mar. 12th, 4pm - Friday Mar. 13th, 4pm (Special Events)
4:00 pm
Your Home!!!
FamilyTreeWebinars.com and MyHeritage are presenting the first ever 24 hour webinar that will help you advance your family history research. And it's free. From advanced Googling to DNA, from the Great Lakes to Australia and Germany, there is something for everyone in every time zone. Each lecture will be 45 minutes long, including 10 minutes for questions at the end. The full program is attached. If you can't watch in real time, all recordings will be available absolutely free for a week. After that you can watch them with a membership to FamilyTreeWebinars.com. Space is limited, so make sure to register now at: https://FamilyTreeWebinars.com/24.
Williamson County Genealogical Society 2020 Seminar (Other Societies/Organizations)
First United Methodist Church, 1004 North Mays, Round Rock, TX 78665
Williamson County Genealogical Society presents Amy Johnson Crow at their annual seminar. Registration is now open - Details available at the society's website:
Grand Prairie Memorial Library, 901 Conover Dr., Grand Prairie, TX
The Grand Prairie Genealogical Society invites you to research your ancestry at an after-hours lock-in. If you've never tried a Lock-In, you need to! If you have, we look forward to seeing you again!
What is a lock in?
A time when we have the Grand Prairie Main Library all to ourselves for after hour’s research. The Library provides a time and space exclusively for registrants. The public is locked out and we are "locked in" (think secure). This provides us an opportunity during extended hours to research and share without distraction. "Special Fee-base, on-line resource sites" plus computer access to library data bases and the internet. Roots Room access to the library’s print collection and lateral file photo archives.
We will have complimentary snacks, and cold drinks as well as a multi-item "bucket raffle".
Marriages Here, There, and Nowhere: Finding Gretna Greens and Borders (Monthly Meetings)
6:30 pm
Grand Prairie Memorial Library, Inspire Room, 901 Conover Dr., Grand Prairie, TX
A WEBINAR VIDEO PRESENTATION
Many Couples choose to marry in a location away from their home. Sometimes, this decision is based on a romantic location or a place that allows them to marry now without a three-day waiting period. These locations are referred to as a Gretna Green, the historic town in Scotland where thousands of English ran because of Scotland's sympathetic marriage laws.
As researchers, we first realize a couple chose a different location because we can't find their extant marriage record. Let's determine an appropriate strategy to find those records.
J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA, is a full-time professional genealogist, author, and lecturer. While sharing personal experiences that help beginning and experienced researchers gain new skills and insights for research, he specializes in Southern resources and researches primarily in original records and manuscripts throughout the Southeast.
Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee that lies in northern Middle Tennessee along the Kentucky border. With family history in both states, a knowledge of the interaction of citizens along borders helps Mark resolve difficult issues using often overlooked records. As a national and regional speaker, he has brought these areas of expertise along with his unique humor and southern style to many diverse audiences
He also serves as a Course Coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and Research in the South for IGHR at Samford University and Director of the Regional In-depth Genealogical Studies Alliance (RIGS Alliance), learning sessions and hands-on research focusing on original documents and manuscripts at regional archives. Mark has worked on several genealogical television series including African American Lives 2, Faces of America, uneXplained (BIO) and Who Do You Think You Are?
Thursday, May 7
My Heritage, Why Should I Use It? (Monthly Meetings)
6:30 pm
Grand Prairie Memorial Library, Inspire Room, 901 Conover Dr., Grand Prairie, TX
MORE TO COME
Kelli Merk began working on her genealogy when she attended a Continuing Education course on family history at Tarrant County College in the 1990's. Since then, she has become a life member of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society in Euless, Texas and the Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants in Horner, West Virginia. She has taught class on various topics such as Getting Started on the internet using websites such as Heritage Quest, Cindy's List and Family Search among others. She lives in Arlington and assists in the Family History Center on Wednesday evenings.
Bernard N. Meisner
