What is GeneaSpy?

GeneaSpy is an avid genealogist who attends national, regional, and local genealogical conferences, to learn about genealogy.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Jamboree 2015: A Photo Recap; Day 3

The last day of a conference is always bittersweet for me. Yet the fun still continues for one more day. I actually left early and missed two classes that I wanted to attend due to my tiredness and foreseen two-hour drive back down south.

 The SCGS Jamboree was again a great success in my eyes; with new vendors, new speakers, and new events. The new team from SCGS did a great job with coordinating everything that takes up to a year to do! Hats off to them and I’ll be back next year for sure!

 My schedule for Sunday was as follows:
v Class: “Research Gems: Southern and Western Historical and Sociological Journals” - Paula Stuart-Warren
v Class: “Cartography for Genealogists: Mapping Time and Generations” – Pamela Weisberger

v Instruction: One on one with Paula Stuart-Warren “Research Plans”

New friend from San Diego, Lydia Goularte

Ron Arons is a jet setter. He spoke on Friday, left for New York on Saturday, and came back to talk on Sunday!


$5.00! My find of the conference!

Another new friend, Sheri McNeil Savory from LA Talk Radio. No, I don't do interviews... LOL



Until next year...





Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Jamboree 2015: A Photo Recap; Day 2

 Day two started with a full breakfast in my hotel room followed by a trip to the coffee bar before another full day of genealogy classes and events.

My schedule was as follows:
v Class: “Searching For The Living and Connecting with the Slave Owner’s Descendant” Bernice Alexander Bennett
v Class: “Dissect Obituaries for New Clues” George G. Morgan
v Event: "We are Family" Sing-along w/Sister Sledge
v Class: “The Genealogist as CSI” George G. Morgan
v Class: “But Wait… There’s More: New and Lesser-Known Features and Tools on FamilySearch.org” Kathy Warburton
v Meeting: SoCal Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists
v Meeting: NextGen Genealogy Network
v Banquet: “Hoosier Daddy? LIVE!” Michael D. Lacopo 

Linda Brady from San Diego was there!

Catherine Luijt, President of CSGA
Paula Hinkel pumping up the people

Trish Stanard and daughter, Elena Jacobson


Michael Melendez at the NextGen meeting
Mark Olsen and the team from MyHeritage
RootsMagic table
Geoff Rasmussen of Legacy Software was there too!

The FamilySearch area
Dr. Joel Weintraub and Dr. Stephen P. Morris - Looking for a Pizza place
MyHeritage had a large presence!
Michael D. Lacopo after the banquet
Bernice Alexander Bennett speaking




Virginia Taylor won a raffle prize





Documenting Your Past guys


                   ***  A lot of my indoor shots turned out yellowish so I'll have to fix them and do a "revisited" post at another time. Also had trouble with alignment and timeline arrangement. I'm still very new to using Blogger.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Jamboree 2015: A Photo Recap; Day 1


 The Southern California Genealogical Society held its 46th. annual “Jamboree” at the Marriott hotel and conference center in Burbank, CA.  I attended the three-day event beginning on Friday, June 5th.  I left Escondido at 4:45 am driving my car through the morning traffic on up to Burbank and arriving around 7:30 am.  I relaxed with some coffee in the lounge with Randy and Linda Seaver while checking my schedule. Elyse Doerflinger, Sheri Fenley, and some others showed up for a chit chat before the classes began and we took a photo of the occasion.

Elyse Doerflinger, Myself, Sheri Fenley and Randy Seaver

  I attended the workshop entitled, “Documenting a Respectable Family History: Guidelines, Not Rules” presented by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS, to kick off my weekend of genealogical learning. This was a 4 ½ hour bombardment of all things “citations” by one of the masters of genealogy today. I wish it was videotaped, but I did get a nice handout from him.

Dr. Jones' workshop


 The rest of the day went as follows:
v  Meeting: California State Genealogical Alliance
v  Exhibitor Hall: Explore all the vendors
v  Class: “The Jones Jinx: Tracing Common Surnames” Thomas W. Jones
v  Class: “Tracing Slave and Slaveowner Ancestors with DNA and Genealogy" Nicka Smith
v  Class: “Debunking Misleading Records” Thomas W. Jones
v  Banquet: “How Genealogy Hasn’t Changed in Fifty Years” Thomas W. Jones

      So, this has defiantly been a Tom Jones day indeed! I might add that Nicka Smith was awesome as usual. I saw her last year too and I think this year she is even better. She is so energetic, funny, smart, and uplifting. In her audience were top genealogists, Angela Walton-Raji, Bernice Bennett, and Genealogy Roadshow’s, Kenyatta D. Berry. I also met facebook friend, Henry Goins, a potential cousin that DNA tests will have to confirm – hopefully!

Dr. Diane McClure-Lott, President of the San Diego Genealogical Society, was doing some last minute class selections early Friday.

They were organized with the check-in process.


Patricia Stanard and Kim Cotton also strategizing over the days events. So many classes!

One of the class schedule signs

Lunch on the green was one of many options for conference goers.

Leo T. Myers of SCGS introducing Friday night's banquet dinner speaker, Dr. Thomas W. Jones.

Dr. Jones giving his presentation, "How Genealogy Hasn’t Changed in Fifty Years", during the Friday banquet.

Yes, I'm a Ribbon Dork. Thanks to Thomas MacEntee for the California inspired blogger beads and to Melanie Frick for the NextGen bracelet. 

My home for 3 days.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Escondido Family History Fair 2015: A Photo Recap

Last weekend I attended the Escondido Family History Fair in my hometown of the past 20 years now, Escondido. It was great not having to drive 20 miles to San Diego or fly hundreds if not thousands of miles to see a genealogy conference. This conference (or fair) was put together by the local LDS church which was again free this year. The all-volunteer staff was excellent and very helpful. I was there as a vendor representing the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego and the San Diego Genealogical Society, but I was also there as a fairgoer. My friend and fellow board member of both societies, Ken Robison, helped tremendously manning both tables while I attended a few presentations.

 The keynote was the “Barefoot Genealogist” Crista Cowan from Ancestry.com. Her keynote was funny, informative, and even tear-jerking as she reminisced past genealogical stories about her own family. After all, it’s all about family. I’m glad I stayed for the whole day because the last session I attended was one of the best! It was with my friend, Jean Wilcox Hibben, Ph.D., CG, with her witty and audience participating presentation, “Fun with . . . Citing Sources”. Not only did she reinforce the importance of citing your genealogy sources -  We had fun too!


 So, I will be back next year to enjoy this great fair put on by the LDS church and hope you will too. And just a reminder, it's FREE!


Ken Robison at the SDGS and CGSSD tables

Crista Cowan during her keynote speech

NSDCGS table

LDS guys

RootsTech streaming videos

Scotland research table

Greg Palazzolo, President of the
Italian Genealogy Society of San Diego 

Chula Vista Genealogical Society
Gary Brock (L)

Sons of the American Revolution

The Pioneer Room of Escondido

Jean Hibben had some surprises for us

Randy Seaver joining in the fun game

Jean Hibben releases the balloon and says...

"Don't just write it... CITE IT!!"

(L-R) Crista Cowan, Myself, and Dawn Scully





Friday, February 27, 2015

FGS/RootsTech 2015: A Photo Recap; Day 5 (Part 2)

Part 2 is now ready for enjoyment.

Date: Saturday, 14 February 2015 (Valentines Day)
I received a Valentine card and candy from Amy Urman during the Keynote this morning. This really made my day! 

Randy Whited of FGS taking a quick
photo of Angie Bush (not pictured)

CeCe Moore during her incredible DNA
presentation at the APG Luncheon

Eowyn Langholf and Cheri Passey

Kimberly Jordan and Terri O'Connell

Thomas MacEntee (R) conversing with a vendor

DearMYRTLE - Your friend in genealogy

Master blogger, Robert Raymond

Tim Firkowski - The Genealogy Assistant

RootsTech crowd

Saturday was kids day - thousands!

MyHeritage had an impressive display

One more ribbon from Thomas MacEntee

A true GeneaRockStar, Lisa Louise Cooke

The GeneaSpy caught speaker Jennifer Alford (R),
blogging before her class... or was she on Facebook!

Great lineup and this is just one room!

S-416 the last class of the conference!
And it's the best!

Presenter and master blogger
Michael D. Lacopo

GeneaSpy, the RibbonDork

Dick Eastman of the long-running,
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

EOGN dinner party hosted by Dick Eastman
This was my 6th. dinner since 2012

A prize was given out from Clooz 

Mark Olsen of MyHeritage was very generous
with multiple free subscriptions!

Alan Phillips of Unlock The Past genealogy cruises
gave out an impromptu gift!

Robert "Bob" McLaren has been to almost every
EOGN dinner and always brings his Sgian-dubh

Grand prize winner with a new Apple!

My dinner buddies, Mark & Sara Olsen
with Dick Eastman

End of the conference and time to relax
Until next time!