Ogden FamilySearch Center 2017 Conference Class Descriptions

This page is the Class Descriptions for the Conference. To return to the Conference home page click HERE

Analysis Strategies for Brick Wall Ancestors

After you attend this class you will know how to overcome roadblocks in your research. You will enjoy learning how to use some new tech tools for the tenacious researcher. (This is an advanced class)

Descendant Research:  Find and Add Distant Cousins to your Tree

More than surfing Family Tree for temple opportunities, this class will focus on how to research records to find the descendants of your ancestors using sound genealogical research practices.   A system of keeping track of where you are and what you have completed will be demonstrated.  How to utilize a personal tree at Ancestry.com and how to sync your newly found relatives and their sources with Family Tree will be shown as part of a case study.  Examples and the case study involve English research; but the techniques shown could be adapted to research anywhere.   Emphasis is not on finding names already in FamilyTree,  but adding people that have not yet been found.

FamilySearch for Beginners (offered twice)

Offered twice. New to FamilySearch? Do you think you would benefit from a “hands on” experience? We are offering a lab class this year for you. If you have an LDS or Familysearch account, you are ready to attend. Volunteers in our One-on-One Circle of Service can help you register with FamilySearch during the conference (you would need to be able to access e-mail there to complete the registration), or visit the Ogden FamilySearch Library before the day of the conference.

Find out how to bring your pictures to life using QR code technology.

Make slide shows and interact with your T.V. This is an amazing way to share your information and get others interested.

Finding German Places of Origin

The objective of this class is to understand record types in the United States and Germany that can lead you to your German immigrant ancestor’s hometown.

Germanic Research for Beginners

The objective of this class is to learn the basics needed to begin researching ancestors in German speaking areas.

How to Start Your Family History

This course is designed for those beginning their family history journey.  We will discuss an organized approach to finding information, including finding records in your own home, interviewing family members, and organizing the information you find into a detective kit.  We will explore how to find the online records and physical records that will help you find your family, use a research log, and record and evaluate your findings and sources.

PERSI and Its 8,000 Periodicals

After you attend this class you will know about the vast resources available in periodicals. You will know how to access the index to more than 8,000 periodicals and how to read them and how to obtain copies for articles of interest.

Storytellers Rule the World

The past is rich with wonderful stories about fascinating lives and great adventures, sinking tragedies and soaring triumphs. History is so much more than just names, dates, and places. Sometimes, as family historians, we get overwhelmed with cataloging the data and miss the intricate and delightful drama of past lives. This session will discuss how to capture those stories from the record and how to tell them accurately and interestingly.

The Utah War: The Coming of "Johnston's Army"

Among benchmarks in nineteenth-century Mormon history are such events as the arrival of the first pioneers in the Valley in 1847, crossing the Plains, and the 1890 Manifesto. As people do family history, they often use these happenings as watershed moments and points of reference. Another common event that appears often in family histories is “the coming of Johnston’s Army.” Some ancestors resisted this army during the Echo Canyon War as members of heroic guerrillas under legendary Mormon leaders such as Porter Rockwell and Lot Smith. Others participated in the “Move South” to evacuate the northern settlements in case the army breached the mountain defenses and the resistance of the Nauvoo Legion. In spite of this, few understand what actually happened during this frightening confrontation with the U.S. government in 1857-58 that historians call the Utah War. This workshop will reveal the basic details and meanings of the arrival in the West of the Utah Expedition under orders from President James Buchanan to quell a so-called “Mormon Rebellion.” It will outline the dangerous potential of this episode and discuss how it ended with the army establishment of Camp Floyd in Cedar Valley west of Utah Lake.

Visualizing Historical Boundaries

After you attend this class you will know how to locate images of historical boundaries and overlay them on Google Earth. You will learn how to use them for detailed research analysis.

Why Some People Should NOT Write a Book! 7 Great Reasons Why YOU Must!

The session presenters will discuss the importance of publishing personal, family and social histories – and the use of related genealogical research publications – to reach a broader audience beyond one’s own immediate family members.  One great reason to publish histories of this kind is to enable researchers (from novice to expert) to search and discover your work and the unique information it contains.  Session topics will include the importance of print and digital versions of your work, ISBNs, registering works with the Library of Congress, making the work available through Family Search Online Book Collection, worldwide distributin/access to your work and other essentials for making your work available to anyone.  Examples of recent publications will be presented and a case study regarding the search and discovery of a “lost” ancestor using a variety of research methods and sources.