Brainerd Library Genealogy Conference 2019

Join us for Brainerd Library’s Eighth Annual Genealogy Conference! Our speaker this year is Paula Stuart-Warren, who will present sessions on genealogy fundamentals and organizing your research materials. See the event description for more detail. Registration is required for this free conference. There will be a break for lunch, during which attendees may bring their own lunch or purchase a meal at the on-site Baxter’s Bar and Grill, where a short pre-order menu will be available. Please click on “Tickets Available” to register.

Event schedule:

9:30-10:00am: Registration

10:00-12:15pm: Your Family History: Where to Begin?
Curious about your family history? Been doing some genealogy research? This two-part session is designed to help you learn about researching your family history or update what you have already learned. An extensive handout aids in what to do in the U.S. to prepare you for “crossing the pond” to the old country if that is where your family originated. It includes an abundance of useful Internet addresses and details about places to do research. Researching the greater family including the siblings of your great grandparents, all those cousins, aunts and uncles, and even that scoundrel is important. You never know what the records about them might hold.

A wealth of ancestral information can be found in censuses; birth, death, and marriage records; church records; probate records; cemeteries; citizenship records; county histories; newspapers; obituaries; and military records. These are found online but many are still in libraries, courthouses, archives, and historical societies. It is never too late or too early to learn more about your family or about the wide variety of records. An added bonus is a section on DNA testing.

12:15-1:30pm: Lunch (bring a sack lunch or purchase a meal at the on-site Baxter’s Bar and Grill, where a short pre-order menu will be available)

1:30-2:30pm: Controlling Chaos: Organizing Your Genealogy Materials
Are you like most genealogists? That is, do you have stacks of papers, files, certificates, census copies, and other items around your home? Do you panic when you have to find something or have to use the dining room table for a meal? Can you find what you need in your computer files? You can conquer this dilemma and will learn tips for regularly keeping on top of the organizing task, with both paper and software. No one can promise perfection, but this session will share many ideas to get you on your way, including tips from some professional genealogists. We’ll even discuss some “lazy day” methods to keep you on top of your filing.

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