Legacy Tree
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian

Legacy Tree Genealogists at NGS 2016!

May 20, 2016 by Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President 6 Comments

NGS header

Our team sure enjoyed our participation at the NGS (National Genealogical Society) Conference this month! Although the event takes place in a different location every year, this year’s conference was held in a convention center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – a beautiful location right on the coast.

The conference began with a keynote address by Dr. Connie L. Lester, who is an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida and is also the editor of the Florida Historical Quarterly. Ms. Lester focused her thoughts on the “ordinary” settlers of Florida – how they contributed to shaping Florida’s history and how to learn about them, which is similar to what we do for so many clients who want to learn about their often “ordinary” ancestors.

Dr. Connie L. Lester, NGS keynote speaker. Courtesy of the National Genealogical Society.

Dr. Connie L. Lester, NGS keynote speaker. Courtesy of the National Genealogical Society.

The rest of the conference was full of top-notch speakers, teaching attendees how to really analyze sources, how to find elusive records, and how to use the historical backdrop to fill in holes in our knowledge of our ancestors’ lives. Many courses focused on Southern and particularly on Floridian sources, which was a great service for local attendees. There were also a handful of courses focused on DNA analysis – for example, Legacy Tree’s Paul Woodbury was happy to help visitors figure out chromosome mapping in hands-on workshops.

Here are a few more of the conference’s excellent speakers and topics which we found insightful:

  • Problem Solving in the Problem-Riddled Carolina Backcountry, by Elizabeth Shown Mills
  • Mapping Apps for Genealogists, by Rick Sayre
  • Separate but Unequal: Slave Laws and their Records, by Judy Russell
  • Irish Immigration into the Southern States, by David Rencher

Our team spent most of our time in the exhibit hall, where four of us offered free consultations all day during the 4-day conference. It was great to be able to spend time one-on-one with people who were battling brick walls in their family trees – helping them analyze what they already knew, giving them additional record sources to try, and helping them understand how DNA testing could help them bridge gaps.

One-on-one time with an expert at the Legacy Tree booth. Visitors spent time with LTG employees Jessica Taylor, Paul Woodbury, Kate Eakman, and Terra Costin.

One-on-one time with an expert at the Legacy Tree booth. Visitors spent time with LTG staff members Jessica Taylor, Paul Woodbury, Kate Eakman, and Terra Costin.

We were also privileged to teach at the MyHeritage and FindMyPast booths each day. Legacy Tree President, Jessica Taylor, taught about MyHeritage’s research partnership with Legacy Tree and how we help clients discover their heritage. For FindMyPast, Jessica walked visitors through a case study explaining how we discovered details about a World War I veteran and Londoner, Alma Summers, using FindMyPast records.

Paul Woodbury, Outreach Manager and a Legacy Tree genetic genealogist, taught MyHeritage guests about DNA testing and how to use it in genealogy.

Paul Woodbury at the MyHeritage booth.

Paul Woodbury at the MyHeritage booth.

Outside of the regularly scheduled events, one highlight for many of the partners and exhibitors in the genealogy community was a dinner cruise planned by MyHeritage. These guys know how to throw a good party!

FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer David Rencher and LTG president Jessica Taylor sailing away!

FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer David Rencher and LTG president Jessica Taylor sailing away!

Our team also enjoyed meetings with other groups in the genealogy community over breakfast, dinner, or desserts: The NextGen Genealogy Network, Judy Russell (The Legal Genealogist), the Genealogy Business Alliance, and the Association of Professional Genealogists. Conference luncheons are always a highlight as well. We mingled with conference-goers and presenters at the luncheon for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the FGS-sponsored luncheon, and a luncheon provided by FamilySearch. The Florida State Genealogical Society also provided a fun “Taste of Florida” with samples of many delicious things to try!

Jen Baldwin leading the NextGen meetup.

Jen Baldwin leading the NextGen meetup.

Jessica Taylor chatting at the NextGen meetup.

Jessica Taylor chatting at the NextGen meetup.

A full table at the Genealogy Business Alliance dinner.

A full table at the Genealogy Business Alliance dinner.

The last evening of the NGS Conference featured a large banquet with David Rencher, Chief Genealogical Officer of FamilySearch, talking about what “don’t matter” and what does matter in genealogy, utilizing the It Don’t Matter restaurant as a theme.

David Rencher highlighting the "It Don't Matter" restaurant. Photo courtesy of the National Genealogical Society.

David Rencher highlighting the “It Don’t Matter” restaurant. Photo courtesy of the National Genealogical Society.

All in all, it was a beautiful conference in a beautiful location! You just can’t beat walking out of class to see this!

Fort Lauderdale harbor.

Fort Lauderdale harbor.

If you need help finding your ancestry, Legacy Tree Genealogists would love to help. Brick walls, DNA analysis, foreign/onsite research, translation, probate, adoption, and immigration are all specialties of ours. Our trained and educated professional researchers are ready and waiting to help you solve that family mystery. Contact us today for a consultation. 

  • Bio
  • Twitter
  • Latest Posts
Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President

Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President

Jessica is in love with many things genealogy brings - the connectedness of shared family stories, the personalness of local and world history, the trickiness of combining evidence to extend a tree. Jessica received a Bachelor's degree in Family History - Genealogy in 2003 and, with tons of help from her amazing team, has been enriching lives worldwide through genealogy ever since.
Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President

@LegacyTree

Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President

Latest posts by Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President (see all)

  • 3 Tips for Hiring a Professional Genealogist You Can Trust - November 11, 2016
  • Legacy Tree Genealogists at NGS 2016! - May 20, 2016
  • RootsTech and a DNA Contest - February 5, 2016

Filed Under: Conferences & Education, Legacy Tree Genealogists

Previous article: The Upside of Negative Results
Next article: Legacy Tree Onsite: the Diocesan Archives of Teggiano, Italy

Comments

  1. J. Paul Hawthorne says

    May 24, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    Thanks to Jessica for suggesting that I talk to one of her specialists concerning a tough problem that I have in my research. I sat down with specialist Kate Eakman and explained my problem. She suggested several different ways of looking at the problem and tackling it. Kate opened up my eyes and gave me hope where I thought hope didn’t exist. Thank you LegacyTree Genealogists!

    Reply
    • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

      May 25, 2016 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks Paul! It was great to talk with you!

      Reply
  2. Tracy Ellis says

    May 25, 2016 at 1:47 am

    Loved meeting and dining with Kate and Terra at The Taste of Florida! And later with Terra at the banquet! Thanks for giving me some pointers on my brick wall, Kate! The conference was very enjoyable!

    Reply
    • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

      May 25, 2016 at 9:10 pm

      Thank you Tracy!

      Reply
  3. Katelyn @ Uvraylights says

    March 23, 2021 at 12:12 am

    I’ve been there and it’s awesome! i love the genealogical research education

    Reply
    • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

      March 24, 2021 at 1:16 pm

      Yes, wonderful that you could participate! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Scottish Ancestors

5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay

March 6, 2023 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2023 Schedule

February 9, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Scenic Ireland_Irish Family Hisroey

Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors

January 26, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

portuguese geneaology

3 Tips and Tricks to Kickstart your Portuguese Genealogy Project 

October 10, 2022 By Becca- Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

British Isles

Uncovering Hidden Jewels in British Isles Genealogy Research

April 26, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Map of Finland

Ask a Genealogist: Interesting Facts about Finnish Genealogy Research

March 29, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 12 Comments

Brick Walls in British Genealogy Research

British Genealogy Brick Wall Breakthrough: A Case Study

March 8, 2022 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

CATEGORIES

SEARCH

SUBSCRIBE

  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Careers
Terms of Use Privacy Policy

© 2004 - 2023 Legacy Tree Genealogists. All rights reserved.

  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian