The Tennessee Genealogical Society is honored to present Diane L. Giannini, CG, who is scheduled to speak at the annual Spring Lecture Series on Saturday, May 3, 2014. The lecture starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Lunch is included. The registration deadline is Friday, April 25, 2014. A registration form and the day’s schedule can be found here.

Diane L. Giannini is a Certified Genealogist (CG), who brings several years of experience in research and professionalism to each seminar she conducts. Giannini is a former Board Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and also serves as the Webmaster for the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society. She maintains memberships in a number of genealogical and lineage societies. Her Genealogical Research firm is Ancestry Sleuths.Societies and memberships that Diane has been involved in are:

• National Genealogical Society
• Association of Professional Genealogists
• New England Historical Genealogical Society
• Ohio Genealogical Society
• Arkansas Genealogy Society
• Virginia Genealogical Society
• Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society
• Ashtabula County Ohio Genealogical Society
• Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society
  

The topics she will be discussing are: 

• Where’s the Proof? The Importance of Source Citations (How unsourced family trees create “Brick Walls”)
• I’ve Found a Clue: Now What? (Analysis of documents and ideas to move research forward.)
• Research Using Special Collections (Finding documents in these collections.)
• Tricks of the Trade (Tips and Tricks to aid in successful research.)
  

We invite all who are able to attend this great informative event. The Tennessee Genealogical Society will be selling books during the breaks and at lunch. For more information, please contact Carla Maitland via email at carla@tngs.org or the Tennessee Genealogical Society at 901.754.4300. Be sure to get your registration in as early as possible!

 

“The Irish are Coming!” is the call you hear these days from Carla Maitland, Public Relations Director and newly elected 2014 Vice President of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. The Ulster Historical Foundation is a ”non-profit organization founded in 1956 to promote interest in Irish genealogy and history, with particular reference to the historical nine county province of Ulster. The Foundation is one of the leading genealogical research agencies in Ireland and a major publisher of historical, educational and genealogical source books. It has also devised a series of ground breaking online historical and genealogical resources, which have helped to transform the availability of Irish records for family historians at home and abroad.”

The Tennessee Genealogical Society is excited to have the Ulster Historical Foundation come to do an all day Seminar featuring Fintan Mullan, Executive Director and Gillian Hunt, Genealogist, that will be FREE. More information on this seminar as well as a downloadable registration form can be found at www.tngs.org. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis, so reserve your seat soon! The date is Saturday, March 15, 2014!

Sack lunches will be provided for $7.50, so be sure to place your order now. Drinks and desserts will be provided. 

Here are the informative topics that will be covered:

• Introduction to Irish and Scots-Irish Family History Research
• Researching the Farming Community in the 18th and 19th Centuries
• The Ulster Plantation: Sources for 17th Century Families   
• Records Relating to the Different Churches in Ireland
• Emigration from the North of Ireland to North America in the Eighteenth Century (the Story of the Scots-Irish)
• Solving Your ‘Brick-Walls’- Practical Internet Tutorial and Resolving Research Queries

A review of their website can be found at  http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art182056.asp . 

For more information, please contact Carla Maitland via email at carlamaitland@yahoo.com or the Tennessee Genealogical Society at 901.754.4300. Hope to see you there! Make your Reservations today!

Carla Love Maitland

Do you know all the ‘tricks of the trade’ for using Google to research your family’s history? You may think you do, but even ‘seasoned’ researchers learned new ways to use that venerable search engine during the Tennessee Genealogical Society’s day-long seminar with Lisa Louise Cooke, which was held on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at the Pickering Center in Germantown, TN.

Ms. Cooke, who is the owner of Genealogy Gems and the host and producer of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, spent the day with TNGS members and visitors regaling the seminar attendees with truly exceptional tips, research strategies and overall exceptional advice designed to improve the family history research process for each person who was there. Ms. Cooke’s presentation was part of the Tennessee Genealogical Society’s annual ‘Spring Conference’ and was most certainly a delightful and entertaining day.

Ms. Cooke (who asked to be called Lisa) is a true professional, as one can clearly see by visiting her website.  She is filled with knowledge and knows how to share that knowledge with others in a seemingly easy manner. Her presentation was filled with wit and charm and flowed so smoothly that everyone appeared shocked (and frankly dismayed) when each of her sessions came to an end.

The audience soaked in each word. The first session was filled with numerous ways to use Google for searching common surnames (such as Smith or Jones), and even more importantly, how to narrow down the search for those surnames that can also be used for other words in our language, such as Brown or Green.

During the second session the attendees took an amazing voyage on Google Earth as Lisa explained how to use that free tool to trace their family’s voyages and settlements in America. By searching vintage maps and overlaying them on today’s addresses, one can actually visualize (and often truly see) where ancestors lived. She shared tips on how to insert family photos and research notes, allowing anyone to create their family’s personal story that can even be shared with others.

After lunch, everyone returned with eagerness to learn how to research and actually find those illusive newspaper articles and even ads that were written about or included the names of our family members even as far back as the early 1800s. Lisa shared ‘three cool tools’ to use in finding those newspapers, the best websites to search, and her five top tips for newspaper research. In the final session, the conference attendees learned how to become true detectives. Lisa shared guidelines that real detectives use to track down living persons. The revelations were truly awesome!

During each break and even throughout lunch, Lisa’s own books, video CDs, membership deals, and other offerings were literally snatched up by seminar members who wanted to make sure they could revisit and reinforce what had been taught during the day, and of course, learn even more.

Was your appetite whetted by reading this blog post?  Would you like to know more about these topics? I urge you to visit Genealogy Gems and become familiar with Lisa and her podcasts, video CDs, YouTube productions, and numerous publications, which include the Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Google Earth for Genealogy – Volumes 1 and 2, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, and Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies. Some of the items on her website are free (the very useful genealogy research toolbar for one), but to get the absolute best of the best, consider a Genealogy Gems Premium Membership.

At the end of the day, everyone agreed on these things:
1.       The Tennessee Genealogical Society definitely wants Lisa Louise Cooke to return for another seminar very soon!
2.       Lisa is as pretty as her picture – and just as pretty inside as out!
3.       Lisa Louise Cooke is a true professional who loves her work and truly enjoys sharing her knowledge with others!

Can you tell the seminar was a great success?                                                               

Tennessee Genealogical Society Spring Seminar
Guest Speaker Lisa Louise Cooke: 9:00 am to 3:15 pm — Saturday, May 04, 2013
Registration Form and Seminar Schedule available as download: PDF  
Registration: $20.00 TNGS members — $25.00 nonmembers 
See Lectures and Schedule details below: (1) Common Surname Google Search (2) Google Earth for Genealogy, (3) Newspapers, and (4) Finding Living Relatives.  

Registration at door begins at 8:30 am, Pickering Center, 7771 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN (See map below) (Next to the Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center, 7779 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN)

Lisa Louise Cooke is the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy and family history multimedia company.  She is producer and host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, the popular online genealogy audio show, as well as the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast. Both are available at http://lisalouisecooke.com/, in iTunes, and through the free Genealogy Gems app and free browser toolbar. Her podcasts bring genealogy news, research strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists in 75 countries around the world.

Cooke is the author of a variety of multimedia materials including the Genealogy Gems Premium website subscription; four books: Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, and Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies; and the video series Google Earth for Genealogy. Cooke will have books for sale during the seminar breaks.

Lectures and Schedule

1) 9:00 am-10:00 am - Common Surname Google Search: Discover Google tips and tricks to find your ancestors with common surnames and surnames that double as common words in the English language.

10:00 am-10:30 am - Break (books for sale and refreshments)

2) 10:30 am-11:30 am - Google Earth for Genealogy: Google Earth is a 360 degree three-dimensional way to view your ancestor’s world!  Google Earth has the power to geographically document your ancestor’s lives and lends itself very well to collaboration with other researchers.  It’s one of the best online genealogical tools available, and best of all, it’s FREE! 

11:30 am-1:00 pm—Lunch Break  You can enjoy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants or you may bring a bag lunch.  Drinks will be furnished on site.

3) 1:00 pm-2:00 pm - Newspapers: Yearning to “read all about it?” Newspapers are a fantastic source of research leads, information and historical context for your family history. Learn the specialized approach that is required to achieve success in locating the news on your ancestors. 

2:00 pm-2:15 pm - Break (books for sale and refreshments)

4) 2:15 pm-3:15 pm - Finding Living Relatives: Learn the techniques that private investigators use to track down missing people.  These strategies will help you find those elusive living relatives who may hold the key to your brick wall or possess that treasured photo you’ve been seeking.

Registration Form and Seminar Schedule available as download: PDF / Registration: $20.00 TNGS members — $25.00 nonmembers. For additional information, call 901-413-7995 or email Tina Sansone: tinahsansone@gmail.com