Previously I wrote about my
experiences the first two days I was in Fort Lauderdale for the NGS 2016 Family
History Conference (see NGS 2016 Conference Photo Recap, Part 1). I continued
to enjoy the conference programming, the Florida weather, and the camaraderie of
fellow genealogists the remaining three days. Here are some of my favorite
presentations from Thursday, May 5 through Saturday, May 7:
Chromosome Mapping Workshop with Angie Bush (T200)—It takes a real enthusiast to get me into a lecture
hall at 8:00 am to do science and techie stuff for nearly three hours, but
Angie has that magic touch. She started by explaining what chromosome mapping
is, what criteria we should use, and how mapping can show genetic
relationships. Then she gave us step-by-step instructions to make our own
chromosome maps, using data from known cousins and Kitty Cooper’s Chromosome
Mapping Tool. I used data from my mother-in-law and her first cousin, hoping to
identify the DNA segments they share through their maternal grandparents. And
guess what? I did it! By the end of the workshop I had a colorful chromosome
map and a new confidence in my ability to use this tool on my own. How cool is
that?
“Going Beyond the Bare Bones: Reconstructing Your Ancestors’ Lives,” by
Tom Jones (T226)—Tom raised some excellent
points in this lecture about weaving information from genealogical records
together to develop an ancestor’s story. He talked about the importance of
understanding records (such as probate, land, court, and military records) in
the context of your ancestor’s life, social groups, and local and national
events. If you’re thinking of ordering audio recordings from PlaybackNGS, this
one would make an great choice.
I enjoyed visiting with a
number of colleagues at the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
luncheon, where J. Mark Lowe was the guest speaker.
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| Shelley Bishop, Angela McGhie, and Carla Cegielski at the APG luncheon |
“An Ancestry for Robert Walker of Rockingham County, NC,” by Pam Stone
Eagleson (T241)—Pam presented an
intriguing case study involving multiple pieces of indirect evidence, which she
analyzed and correlated with DNA evidence to establish the parents of Robert
Walker. Like many complex cases, it required a thorough investigation of
siblings, in-laws, associates, and neighbors. l always enjoy hearing about the
process of solving challenging problems and the research behind a NGSQ article
like this.
“Dissection & Analysis of Research Problems,” by Elizabeth Shown
Mills (T251)—Elizabeth outlined a clear 10-step process to dissect tough
research problems and develop plans for solving them. Her syllabus included
worksheet templates to use with each step. To drive home the importance of not
only citing but also appraising sources, she asked audience members to make a pledge
to appraise every source they use. Her 10-step process offers valuable insight
into her workflow, and it’s powerful stuff indeed.
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| Elizabeth Shown Mills answering audience questions |
“Reasonably Exhaustive Research: The First Criteria for Genealogical
Proof,” by Elizabeth Show Mills (F302)—To illustrate the first tenet of the GPS, Elizabeth likened reasonably
exhaustive research to a bulls-eye target. You typically start by focusing on
the center ring: evidence on the person of interest. You then expand your focus
in increasingly widening rings to encompass the person’s FAN club, less obvious
sources, topical studies, and more. Elizabeth walked the audience through a
particularly involved case that required 900 hours and the outermost rings of
the bulls-eye to prove. Her step-by-step methodology made the concept of
reasonably exhaustive research seem more tangible and approachable. This
session was live-streamed and is still available as part of a video package
from PlaybackNGS.
“How to Use GEDmatch.com to Optimize Your DNA Testing Experience” by
Ginger Smith (F353)—Ginger gave a
great overview of using GEDmatch to analyze data from autosomal DNA tests,
beginning with how to upload your results from AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, or
23andMe. She discussed running one-to-one, one-to-many, and X-chromosome
comparisons, then went on to cover phasing and more advanced utilities. I
appreciated that she used simple terms to explain the value and limitations of
each tool that GEDmatch offers. The crowd that surrounded Ginger after her talk
testifies to the need for more of this kind of information.
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| Ginger Smith fielding questions about GEDmatch |
“Using Griffith’s Valuation to Identify Your Ancestor’s Origins: A Case
Study” by Donna Moughty (S409)—Donna’s fast-paced yet thorough discussion of the valuations of Ireland was exactly what I
needed to finally understand these often cryptic records. In addition to
explaining how and why the valuations were done, she interpreted them
column-by-column. She also talked about related records and databases for
finding Irish families. I’ve made some progress with my husband’s Irish
ancestors lately, and after Donna’s talk I’m eager to look for them in
Griffith’s. Note: this session was not recorded.
“20th and 21st Century Research: Resources,
Methods, and Skills” by Debra Mieszala (S412)—Debra reviewed methods of finding living and
recently deceased individuals who may be hard to trace due to modern privacy
barriers. She talked about databases frequently used by forensic genealogists.
Given an interest in finding living relatives for possible DNA comparison
testing, I see an increasing need for this kind of specialized skill set.
“I Rest My Case: Constructing a Convincing Proof Argument” by Vic Dunn
(S421)—Vic’s presentation
concentrated on the last tenant of the Genealogical Proof Standard: a soundly
reasoned, coherently written conclusion. He discussed formats, approaches, and
usages of proof summaries and proof arguments. To illustrate his points, he
shared how he constructed a proof argument for a published article, and offered
tips for effective writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed the NGS conference
and felt it was well worth my time and money to attend. I go to genealogy
conferences for two primary reasons: to learn and to connect. The learning
occurs in seeing presentations, reading the syllabus, and talking to vendors in
the exhibit hall. The connecting happens informally as I gather with colleagues
and friends at lunch and after hours to share thoughts and news. I also enjoy
meeting new people whenever I can.
I’ve seen a number of
comments that the 2016 NGS conference didn’t draw as many attendees as previous
ones have. I’m sure that’s partly because the southeastern coast of Florida
isn’t exactly a central location for most of the U.S. In all honesty, though, the sheer number of people in attendance at a conference doesn’t factor that much into my overall experience.
What matters most is the quality of the learning opportunities, as well as the enjoyment I get from making and renewing friendships with others who
share my passion for genealogy. And on both of those accounts, I felt NGS 2016
was a success. It takes an incredible amount of work over a long period of time to host a major genealogy conference like this. Thanks to all the planners and volunteers who worked so hard to
make it happen.
--Shelley
