Description: German Genealogy is NOT like American, African, or Asian. There are numerous reasons why:

•    o Records are NOT in English; they are in German, Latin, Polish, Hebrew, Russian       (Cyrillic), etc.
•    o Information/data is almost always very scattered.
•    o There is extensive record loss due to war(s), ethnic cleansings, etc.
•    o German record keeping is neither as cohesive or similar to that in North America.
•    o Adding to the challenges above, handwriting & print type faces are often illegible
        to North Americans.

In this presentation, you will receive clues on how to navigate these "waters". A newly revised version of his presentation may be downloaded/viewed Here.

BIO: Mark Rabideau, a member of the National Genealogical Society, the A.F. G.S. and the C.C.G.S. Speaker's Bureau has more than 20 years of Genealogy and Historical Research experience (including blogging, public speaking, client research), and is extremely active in providing hard to obtain genealogical source information to researchers all over the world. Semi–retired, he remains involved in the technology field. In addition to his involvement with PEP, Inc., Mark, along with his wife Becky, Mark is co-founder and owner of eirenicon, L.L.C., a small consulting firm providing world class business development and management consulting support. He is also the author of hundreds of genealogy articles and created and maintains internet-based genealogy environments for the Castle Rock and Columbine Genealogical Societies. Mark also created and maintains one of the internet's largest individually owned and managed repositories of West Prussia, East Prussia and Pomerania with maps, histories, source documents. Please go to his website www.many-roads.com for more areas of expertise and many other genealogical resources.

Description: Hispanic research is especially fascinating because there are excellent record collections documenting births, marriage, and deaths, which have been preserved by the Catholic Church for hundreds of years and are now available online. We will use a case study from my wife's Hispanic ancestry to discover where to find the records and how to use them.

BIO: I was first introduced to family research over 30 years ago when I was told that my grandfather had traced our family back to the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755. Then in 2015, while watching TV with my wife, a commercial came on for Ancestry DNA. My wife said, "I want to do that!" When the results arrived, I shared them with my 90–year–old father–in–law who responded, "I want to do that, too!" And so began my passion for genetic genealogy. I have since built a large family tree tracing my wife's ancestry through the Spanish Colonial period, from the Conquistadors through New Mexico and then to Southern Colorado. DNA results have led to several startling and unexpected discoveries for me and for my friends and now for my many clients.

Description: Irish research can be tricky, but knowing all you can about your ancestors in North America is the most important factor. Success can be achieved with a wee bit of luck and a good amount of research. Learn how to build a body of knowledge that will help you jump the pond!

BIO: Sylvia Tracy–Doolos has been interested in genealogy for forty years and working as a professional genealogist for over ten as the owner of New Leaf Genealogy. She is Past President of the International Society of British Genealogy and Family History, President of the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society (WISE–FHS). Sylvia is currently involved as a genealogical volunteer with both the Denver Public Library, and the Carbon Valley Library, and is an active member of several other genealogy societies, including LGS. She is a proud graduate of ProGen48 and has a B.A. in History with a minor in English focusing on linguistics so she could study how language changes affected record keeping.

Description: Over a decade ago, I set out on my first road trip to collect information about my ancestors and visit the places they lived. I jokingly refer to these as my "Dead Ancestor Tours" but I also visit living relatives. I wasn't completely unprepared for this three–week trip, but knowing what I do now, after many such trips, I could have accomplished more. The most successful trips come about because of preparation time, well spent. I will not be covering the National Archives or Library of Congress in this talk.

BIO: Eilene Lyon has spent decades researching families (hers and others) to piece together narrative stories about the past. She writes regularly on her blog, Myricopia (Meer–uh–COPE–ee–uh), and has published articles in local and regional genealogy and history magazines. A lover of the great outdoors, Eilene lives in Durango, Colorado, where she enjoys mountain biking, skiing, bird and plant identification, and hiking with her two enthusiastic mutts. She has a BS in Environmental Biology with additional qualifications in Geographic Information Systems, Chemistry, and Accounting. She also spent ten years as a licensed real estate broker. She shares her passion for family history by giving presentations on research, writing, and genealogy to local, regional, and national audiences, helping others to know their ancestors with greater compassion and historical context.

Description: Land records account for one–fourth of most family histories. Welcome to the Bureau of Land Management at glorecords.blm.gov. There are documents dealing with Cash Sales of land across the U.S. plus Military Bounty Land assignments and, after 1862, Homestead patents "to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain." Let's find your ancestors there.

BIO: Carol Darrow has been a professional genealogist for the past 25 years. She currently teaches free Beginning Genealogy classes on Zoom and facilitates a WriteNOW family writing group also on Zoom. Check cogensoc.us to register.

Description: This session will provide an overview of individual and organization membership with NGS, and explain the different purposes for each type and the benefits offered. There will be information on where to find various resources on the NGS website and opportunities to ask questions. If time allows, there may be highlights of the NGS 2025 Family History Conference and other NGS updates.

BIO: Kate Smith is the Organizations and Communities Manager at the National Genealogical Society (NGS). At NGS, she supports and champions organization members, primarily through work with the Delegate Council and Organization Administrators. Kate also helps with NGS's FORUM online communities platform, communications and marketing efforts, and events including FOCUS, the SLAM! Idea Showcase, and the NGS Family History Conference. Kate is in Kansas City, Missouri, and is involved with several professional and community organizations.

Description: Numerous interactions between your ancestors and the federal government generated records that have been preserved by the National Archives. The National Archives operates fifteen research centers and seventeen Presidential Libraries/Museums. This presentation provides information on the preservation of these records by the federal government. We will explore the types of information in these records along with how you can locate and access them.

BIO: Glenn York is an avid genealogist with decades of research experience at numerous facilities across the United States. Glenn began researching by pouring over microfilm at the National Archives and reading books at the Library of Congress in the 1980s while living in the Washington DC area. In 2024, Glenn attended the week-long Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) held at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

Glenn is past President of the Larimer County Genealogical Society and serves as the delegate to the National Genealogical Society for the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and many other genealogical and historical societies.