IN PERSON featuring Bernard N. Meisner PHD., CCM
AND . . . Virtual via Zoom!
Topic Discussion: Tracking Your Urban Ancestors
At one time or another, almost every researcher will search for an ancestor in a large city. With their large populations cities present a unique set of problems for the urban researcher. Large cities are often the last to have their records indexed or put into electronic databases due to the number of records involved. And existing indexes are often spotty, with many omissions. While the faint of heart may be tempted to focus more on their country cousins, there are advantages to research in a big city. Vital records in cities often predate those for the state. Urban governments, archives, libraries, and genealogical/historical organizations often have more resources available to them to preserve and protect old records. Bernard will demonstrate how to use those resources to find your urban ancestors.
Bernard is a genealogist and lecturer based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He began researching his family over 30 years ago and enjoys sharing lessons learned from that experience, including his mistakes. Although he knew only one grandparent (his maternal grandfather) he has successfully identified all of his great-great grandparents, many triple- and quadruple-great grandparents, and his Meisner 8th great grandparents. He is a past president of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, a co-leader of the Dallas Genealogical Society’s German SIG, and is a member of the Texas State Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.
Bernard retired from the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters where he was the Chief of the Science & Training Branch. He is certified as a consulting meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. He has taught at the Universities of Texas, Oklahoma and St. Thomas (Houston).
Bernard earned a B.S. in physics/German from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Hawaii. He has completed coursework of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, the Texas Institute for Genealogical Research, and has attended the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh each of the last six years, completing courses in Irish, German and Pennsylvania Research, Digital Research Skills, and Practical Genetic Genealogy.
