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30th ANNUAL STATE GENEALOGY CONFERENCE Preserving The Past Delta Hotels Helena Colonial September 19, 20, 21, 2019 Hosted by the Montana State Genealogical Society and the Lewis and Clark County Genealogical Society

Featuring National Speakers:

German Life's Family Research / Familie Forschung columnist James M. Beidler is the author of two successful commercially published German genealogy books (The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide and Trace Your German Roots Online). His newest book is The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide. Beidler writes “Roots & Branches,” a weekly newspaper column and blog (at www.roots-branches.com). He is also a research-reports editor for the worldwide research firm Legacy Tree Genealogists.

A Senior Archivist at the Archives of Michigan, where he specializes in family history and Michigan research, Kris Rzepczynski has worked in the genealogical community for nearly 20 years. He holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Wayne State University and a Master of Arts in History from Western Michigan University. Kris has presented at national, state, and local conferences, including the Federation of Genealogical Societies, National Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, Historical Society of Michigan, Indiana Historical Society, and for dozens of local genealogical societies and public libraries, and is a former Vice-President of Membership for the Federation of Genealogical Societies and a former President of the Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society.

James M. Beidler will present:

TACKLING THE “BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA” PROBLEM: Many researchers will find their research extends to an ancestor said to be “born in Pennsylvania” without additional information. Learn the strategies for making the needle bigger and the haystack smaller in this type of search!
GERMAN IMMIGRANT WAVES: CONTRASTS AND SOURCES:  The 1700’s “Pennsylvania Germans” were a different breed than the “German Americans” who immigrated in the 1800’s. This presentation shows the differences in geography, economic class, religion, and aspirations of – as well as sources about – the two great waves of German immigration as well as reviewing “the basics” of German genealogy.
ZIGZAGGING THROUGH GERMAN CHURCH RECORDS:  Explaining the methodology of using the baptismal, confirmation, marriage and burial records from German church registers most effectively. By utilizing the different bits of information found in each, researchers can zigzag their way to adding centuries to a pedigree.
PIONEERS AND COLONISTS: BACKGROUND OF GERMANS IN EASTERN EUROPE:  Millions of German-speaking people never spent a day in today’s countries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.  For centuries, German-speaking enclaves existed in Eastern Europe. This presentation introduces and gives historical background about these “Germans outside Germany”.

Kris Rzepczynski will present:

BECOMING AMERICAN: RESEARCH WITH NATURALIZATION RECORDS:  Although one of the most important tools in family history research, naturalization records can often be very difficult to locate. This program will explore naturalization records, the many tools available to assist you in your research, and successful strategies to locate citizenship records, utilizing both online and print resources.
BIG CITY BLUES?  RESEARCHING URBAN ANCESTERS:  Using case studies from Chicago, Detroit, and other cities, this program will explore successful strategies for researching ancestors in large urban centers across the US.
MIDWEST REPOSITORIES AND ONLINE COLLECTIONS:  The Midwest is full of archives and libraries bursting with genealogical records and online content.  This session will explore some of the key research institutions and their collections.
BEYOND NAMES AND DATES: ADDING THE “STORY” TO YOUR FAMILY HISTORY:  Our ancestor’s lives are so much more than just names and dates on a pedigree chart. This program will explore record collections and examples beyond the basics that can provide rich detail and reveal fantastic stories about your ancestors’ lives.

Registration Fees:

2 full days without meals: $70.00
Full Registration with 3 meals (2 lunches & 1 banquet): $134.00
Friday Only without meals: $45.00
Saturday Only without meals:  $30.00

Accommodations at the Conference Hotel:

The Conference will be held at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial, 2301 Colonial Drive, Helena, Montana.  Rates are $109.00/night plus taxes for 2 bedded rooms and $119.00/night plus taxes for king bedded rooms. Over 2 persons per room additional $10.00 each person. Reserve your room, BEFORE 19 AUGUST 2019 to receive these rates. To reserve a room online or Phone: 406-443-2100 and state you are with the MT State Genealogical Society.

Watch this site for additional updates as they become available. The Registration Form will be available here in late July.

For more information contact blgsmarket@aol.com page updated 9 April 2019