The Workshop Review

The workshop is over and it was a booming success. We had approximately 120 people equally mixed between beginners and those who have had some experience with this hobby. Hope you all attended, learned something new and enjoyed our speakers. (Read about the schedule here.)  In case you did not make it, here is a review of our fun-filled, educational day.

After registration, people filtered into one of two classrooms. One for beginners and one for non-beginners. Each class was well attended. Jim Douthat and Linda Mines gave excellent and delightful presentations.  Jim Douthat, the James W. Livingood 2012 Award recipient for the Historian of the Year (read about this here), taught beginners how to start their family genealogy. Linda Mines, the Hamilton County Historian, gave an excellent presentation that followed the family through generational lines with the use of social and economic events. This is the class that I attended. She was awesome! She knows more about history and its effects on the lives of our ancestors than I can ever dream of. She's my hero! I want to be her when I grow up. If I ever get the opportunity to hear her speak again, I will be in the room on the front row,

Then the next classes began with Jim Douthat and Rufus Williamson. Jim Douthat discussed how to use the United States Federal Census's to extend your family history further down the generational lines. Rufus Williamson, the President of Delta Genealogical Society, conquered the hard topic of DNA. The science of DNA is the newest tool in the genealogical toolbox. If this topic was clear as mud before, I am sure you have some basic understanding of it now.

After a light lunch, we all congregated together for the day's highlight presentation. An entertaining speech from Dr. George Schweitzer.  He always comes dressed for the part. Can you Guess?  This presentation was entitled "Searching for our Ancestors Across the Ocean".  He is a nationally acclaimed genealogist, historian and longtime professor at the University of Tennessee. He is the author of 220 publications including 19 genealogical guidebooks and has lectured to more than 200 genealogical and historical societies in the U.S. and internationally. This man gives an informative, interesting and a very witty performance. AMAAAZING!

I sure am glad that I was one of the people sitting in this room. I can only speak for myself, but I believe that everyone else in these rooms felt the same way that I do about the workshop...................

When is the next one?

Congratulations to Delta Genealogical Society and Signal Mountain Genealogical Society. All of their hard work payed off.