Access to all events will be through GoToWebinar. Instructions and Connectivity Link will be forwarded via email to all registrants upon registration, six days prior and again 1 hour prior to the event. Making the connection is quick and easy only requiring a computer and Internet connectivity from wherever you chose to watch the event. Your questions help drive the meetings, and we will be there to help each other. 

by Linda Harms Okazaki 

When: Wednesday, December 07, 2022 

Time:  10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST

Register

When you hear the phrase “Internment Camps,” do you automatically assume this references the experience of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II? Or do you think of Alien Enemies detained at camps run by the U.S. Army or Department of Justice? Does terminology matter? Is there a difference? Why? Genealogist Linda Harms Okazaki will discuss the differences in terminology (colloquial, archival, and culturally respectful), review the events leading up to the incarceration of a wide range of people following the attack on Pearl Harbor, describe the experiences of those inmates, and most importantly, help you to understand and locate genealogically relevant records. 

This event is being held in memorial of Pearl Harbor Day.

A Very Merry Genealogy Holiday 

When:  Tuesday, December 13, 2022 

Time:  10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST

Register

Let's put a little family history into our holidays this year!  Come learn about activities and traditions centered around the holidays and family history. We will give ideas of what to put on your Wishlist for Santa to bring this year!  and ideas to keep the kids busy and learn about their ancestry.  

A Case Study Proving Oral History 

by Dr. Deborah Abbott 

When:   Saturday, December 17, 2022

Time:  10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST

Register

This lecture will ask attendees to put on their "CSI" hat and utilize their "Detective" skills to solve a series of questions that will bring a family to life.  Using oral history, together, we will identify and describe the scope of the problem and determine what additional research is needed to answer the questions.  We will identify what we know to be fact and the resources that support the facts.  We will learn the importance of carefully analyzing documents and determining clues that will lead us to alternative resources.  The importance of using collateral and cluster genealogical methods will be emphasized. 

Quaker Genealogy:  Finding Friends in Your Family 

by Cynthia J. Guffey 

When: Wednesday, January 04, 2023  

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 CST

Register

Do you have Quaker Ancestry or want to learn more about these early immigrants to colonial America?  This lecture will cover the Quaker's European history, Quaker sources and repositories, and a case study on one Quaker family.

Cynthia J. Guffey has been interested in family history since a teenager, and began researching in courthouses, the National Archives, and visiting cemeteries to record and save family information.  She is a genealogist who specializes in Pennsylvania, East Tennessee, Scottish, and Quaker research.

The Trails Through Penns Woods-Records of Colonial PA 

 by Sandy Rumble 

When: Saturday, January 14, 2023 

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CST

Register

Researching in Colonial Pennsylvania can be a challenge for genealogists unfamiliar with the diverse populations that came together to form early Pennsylvania. William Penn wanted “his colony” to be a place where people of diverse backgrounds and religions could live together peacefully, without persecution and the heavy interfering hand of government. Penn’s noble ideas led to scattered record keeping, and conflicts in land grants from the British Kings led to competing land claims from neighboring colonies. However, this successful social experiment led to Philadelphia becoming the home of the Continental Congress, gifting religious tolerance, freedom of speech, and conscientious objector status to the new Republic.

Sandy started her career as a software developer and trainer. For over 30 years, Sandy was the go-to person to train new users in cutting-edge software developing in-house training programs for new development tools. Expanding her interest in teaching outside the software industry, Sandy began teaching genealogy, DNA testing, the Constitution, Congress, and the judicial system at the Delaware Valley University Center for Learning in Retirement. Sandy recently began speaking at genealogical institutes, conferences, genealogical and historical societies, and DAR Chapters. As a course coordinator for GRIP, Sandy coordinated Documentation for Lineage Societies and co-coordinated Answering the Call of Uncle Sam, an exploration of 18th & 19th century American military records. 

Genealogy 101-Beginning Genealogy 

by Debbie Atchley 

When: Wednesday, January 18, 2023  

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 PM CST

Register

Starting at the beginning and not in the middle is always a good strategy for genealogical research.  In this class we'll discuss genealogical research myths, tools to help you organize your research, resources, pitfalls to avoid along the way, determining fact or fiction in information you encounter, brick wall strategies for beginners and other hints and suggestions to help you on your genealogical research journey.  All this is simply an introduction to the wonderful things you'll learn in detail in the following classes scheduled for this GEN 101 series of classes.

Deborah Atchley began her genealogical research after watching Roots on TV in the late 1970's.  As a software engineer, she did quite a bit of travelling and would attempt to carve out some research time if travelling to a city with an archive.  After switching to teaching high school math and computer science, she continued her research and became active in several local (and non-local) genealogical groups and continues to participate in those groups, adding online genealogical groups to the mix.  She mentors other researchers and manages to teach a few classes in genealogical research and DNA research, while adding sufficient time to grandmother activities - and trying to sneak in some genealogy knowledge to the grandkids along the way. 

Sons of East Tennessee-Civil War Veterans Divided and Reconciled 

 by Jack Brubaker 

When: Wednesday, January 21, 2023  

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 PM CST

Register

Two aging Civil War veterans mourned the death of their sons at a joint funeral in Knoxville National Cemetery in 1889. One father, Gen. Reuben Bernard, had fought for the Union; the other, Dr. William McCorkle, had served as surgeon, with the rank of major, of a Confederate cavalry regiment. They met for the first time at the graves of their sons_army lieutenants and University of Tennessee graduates killed together in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Americans reading newspaper accounts viewed the fathers' encounter as a prime example of veteran reconciliation.

Other books have provided comprehensive reviews of veteran reconciliation. This is the first book to focus on specific veterans from opposing armies as the core of a study of the reconciliation process. That both families lived in Hawkins County, East Tennessee, a section harshly divided by the Civil War, makes their story's contribution to the overall examination of reconciliation all the more compelling. 

Jack Brubaker has presented lectures on his new book, "Sons of East Tennessee: Civil War Veterans Divided and Reconciled," to historical and genealogical societies in East Tennessee, southern Virginia and his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 

He has written six other books, including "Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake"(Penn State Press 2002) & "Massacre of the Conestogas"(The History Press 2010).

He writes a weekly column exploring area history and culture for LNP, the daily newspaper in Lancaster, He is a retired investigative reporter for LNP.

Genealogy 101 - Research Tips and Techniques

by Nancy Walczyk 

When: Wednesday, February 01, 2023 

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 PM CST

Register

Later sessions of the Genealogy 101 series will discuss specific record types and sources useful in genealogy research. In this session, we will focus on general research practices, and things to keep in mind no matter what record type you are reviewing. 

Nancy Walczyk is the Director of Research for the Tennessee Genealogical Society, a position she has held since 2016. She has been researching her own family (which, sadly, contains no Tennessee ancestors) for over twenty years.

Two Colonial Georgias: Understanding History Helps Find Records 

by Larry W. Thomas 

When: Saturday, February 04, 2023 

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 PM CST

Register

Most people know Georgia was originally a Trusteeship; but what did that mean?  Understanding a state’s pre-statehood government will help you locate & understand records.  This 1-hour presentation will explain the two distinct government entities that controlled Georgia before the American Revolution and where to find records.

Retired US Army Captain Larry, with 23 years in Aviation, Transportation & Logistics, a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Maintenance Management, an FAA airplane mechanic license, an MBA in MIS, and a Project Management Professional Certification.

Beginning his Genealogy Research 30 years ago with his Thomas Family, Georgia residents since the 1750s, then expanded into his and his late wife’s families. Beginning client research in 2008 and presenting regularly in 2015, operating www.AtlantaGenealogy.com.

A ProGen graduate, Larry periodically assists with the TV show Finding Your Roots.  A member of numerous Genealogical and Historical Societies, he is the current President of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and serves on several genealogical societies and non-profit boards.

Genealogy 101-Source Citations 

by Nancy Walczyk 

When: Wednesday, February 08, 2023  

Time:  10:00 AM - 11:30 PM CST

Register

Use citations with confidence. Every fact and event should have a source citation. Learn what to cite, where to find it, and how to put it in a proper format.

Nancy Walczyk is the Director of Research for the Tennessee Genealogical Society, a position she has held since 2016. She has been researching her own family (which, sadly, contains no Tennessee ancestors) for over twenty years.