The recording of today's webinar, "Canada's Top 10" by Kathryn Lake Hogan is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

Explore the top 10 websites for researching your Canadian and Ontario ancestors. Learn where to find the best online resources for Canadian record groups as census, immigration, birth, marriage and death records, newspapers and more to help you get a jump on your research.

View the Recording at FamilyTree Webinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 27 minute recording of "Canada's Top 10" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.  

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 529 classes, 733 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 2,464 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Censational Census Strategies by Mary Kircher Roddy. July 5.
• Google Books: the tool you should use every day! by Lisa Louise Cooke. July 12.
• Tips for Snapping Pics: How to Take Perfect Family Photographs by Jared Hodges. July 14.
• Analyzing Documents Sparks Ideas for Further Research by Angela Packer McGhie, CG. July 18.
• The Firelands, The Connecticut Western Reserve, and the Ohio Territory by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG. July 19.
• Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families and the Simple Tech of How to Do It by Janet Hovorka. July 26.
• Tracing Your West Country Ancestors by Kirsty Gray. August 2.
• A Taxing Matter: Using Tax Lists in Genealogy by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. August 9.
• Using Pictures with Legacy Family Tree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 11.
• Analyzing Probate Records of Slaveholders to Identify Enslaved Ancestors by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG. August 15.
• Finding Your Ancestors in German Directories by Ursula C. Krause. August 16.
• How to do Mexican Research and Be Successful by Jonathan Walker. August 23.
• Getting Started with Evidentia by Edward A. Thompson. August 30.
• Top Tech Tips for the Technologist and the Genealogist by Geoff Rasmussen. September 6.
• Finding Isaac Rogers by Nicka Smith. September 13.
• The ABCs and 123s of Researching Your Ancestor's School Records by Melissa Barker. September 15.
• When Does Newfound Evidence Overturn a Proved Conclusion? by Tom Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL. September 19.
• WolframAlpha for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. September 20.
• Quick Guide to Texas Research by Deena Coutant. September 27.
• No Easy Button: Using “Immersion Genealogy” to Understand Your Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. October 4.
• Southern States Migration Patterns by Mary Hill, AG. October 11.
• Is Your Society Growing? Social Media may be your saving grace by Pat Richley. October 13.
• Databases, Search Engines, and the Genealogical Proof Standard by David Ouimette, CG. October 17.
• The WPA: Sources for Your Genealogy by Gena Philibert-Ortega. October 18.
• Midwestern & Plains States Level Census Records by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. October 25.
• Is this the End? Taking Your German Brick Walls Down Piece by Piece by Luana Darby and Ursula C. Krause. November 1.
• New York City Genealogical Research: Navigating Through The Five Boroughs by Michael L. Strauss, AG. November 8.
• Using Non-Population Schedules for Context and Evidence by Jill Morelli. November 10.
• British and Irish research: the differences by Brian Donovan. November 15.
• Research in Federal Records: Some Assembly Required by Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG. November 21.
• Understanding Alabama by Rorey Cathcart. November 29.
• Finding Your Roots in Catholic Records by Lisa Toth Salinas. December 6.
• I Thought He Was My Ancestor: Avoiding the Six Biggest Genealogy Mistakes by James M. Baker, PhD, CG. December 13.
• Finding Your Nordic Parish of Birth by Jill Morelli. December 15.
• The Law and the Reasonably Exhaustive (Re)Search by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. December 19.
• Palmetto Pride - South Carolina for Genealogist by Rorey Cathcart. December 20.
• Problems and Pitfalls of a Reasonably Shallow Search by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. December 27.

Print the 2017 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Have you ever wanted to reach out to your DNA matches but were hesitant? In this webinar, Shannon Christmas is going to make the process easier for you! He explains how to approach DNA matches and what to say to encourage your match to respond.

Named an “essential blog for genetic genealogy education” by the Board of Certification for Genealogists, Through The Trees is a blog for genealogy enthusiasts seeking to locate and leverage new tools and emerging technologies to break through genealogical brick walls.

Explore the top 10 websites for researching your Canadian and Ontario ancestors. Learn where to find the best online resources for Canadian record groups as census, immigration, birth, marriage and death records, newspapers and more to help you get a jump on your research.

Join us and Kathryn Lake Hogan for the live webinar Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion. 

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenters

It all started when Kathryn Lake Hogan, UE, PLCGS, was a Girl Guide leader wanting the girls in her group to learn about their heritage. Why not teach them about researching their family history? To do so, Kathryn had to first learn how to research her own ancestry. That was over 18 years ago, and today, Kathryn is an author, educator, speaker and professional genealogist specialising in finding your ancestors in Canada. She is the owner of the Canadian-based genealogy business, Looking4Ancestors.

The author of Digging Your Canadian Roots, as well as fifteen mini-research guides featuring Canadian genealogy, Kathryn has also written articles for FamilyTree magazine, and The In-Depth Genealogist.

Kathryn is the past Dominion Genealogist of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada, and a past Director-at-Large with the Association of Professional Genealogists. Currently, she is the Canadian virtual chat coordinator with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, as well as one of the founding partners of The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit.

A native of Ontario, Canada, Kathryn continues to reside there with her family. 

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The recording of today's webinar, "Virtual Family Reunions: Super Easy, Super Fun" by DearMYRTLE and Russ Worthington is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

DearMYRTLE & Cousin Russ demo how to set up a Google Hangout in 10 minutes and answer the following questions: 1. Must we use Google accounts? 2. What about advanced advertising? 3. Where to post the link to join the panel? 4. Where to embed the video before the event starts? 5. What if some members are in the same room, and provide remote access to the rest of the family? 6. What if our guest speaker is not in the same room as our family? 7. What equipment is required? 8. Where is the video archived? 9. Can we make the video private, unlisted or public?

View the Recording at FamilyTree Webinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 28 minute recording of "Virtual Family Reunions: Super Easy, Super Fun" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.  

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 526 classes, 730 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 2,456 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Canada's Top 10 by Kathryn Lake Hogan. June 28.
• Censational Census Strategies by Mary Kircher Roddy. July 5.
• Google Books: the tool you should use every day! by Lisa Louise Cooke. July 12.
• Tips for Snapping Pics: How to Take Perfect Family Photographs by Jared Hodges. July 14.
• Analyzing Documents Sparks Ideas for Further Research by Angela Packer McGhie, CG. July 18.
• The Firelands, The Connecticut Western Reserve, and the Ohio Territory by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG. July 19.
• Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families and the Simple Tech of How to Do It by Janet Hovorka. July 26.
• Tracing Your West Country Ancestors by Kirsty Gray. August 2.
• A Taxing Matter: Using Tax Lists in Genealogy by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. August 9.
• Using Pictures with Legacy Family Tree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 11.
• Analyzing Probate Records of Slaveholders to Identify Enslaved Ancestors by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG. August 15.
• Finding Your Ancestors in German Directories by Ursula C. Krause. August 16.
• How to do Mexican Research and Be Successful by Jonathan Walker. August 23.
• Getting Started with Evidentia by Edward A. Thompson. August 30.
• Top Tech Tips for the Technologist and the Genealogist by Geoff Rasmussen. September 6.
• Finding Isaac Rogers by Nicka Smith. September 13.
• The ABCs and 123s of Researching Your Ancestor's School Records by Melissa Barker. September 15.
• When Does Newfound Evidence Overturn a Proved Conclusion? by Tom Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL. September 19.
• WolframAlpha for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. September 20.
• Quick Guide to Texas Research by Deena Coutant. September 27.
• No Easy Button: Using “Immersion Genealogy” to Understand Your Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. October 4.
• Southern States Migration Patterns by Mary Hill, AG. October 11.
• Is Your Society Growing? Social Media may be your saving grace by Pat Richley. October 13.
• Databases, Search Engines, and the Genealogical Proof Standard by David Ouimette, CG. October 17.
• The WPA: Sources for Your Genealogy by Gena Philibert-Ortega. October 18.
• Midwestern & Plains States Level Census Records by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. October 25.
• Is this the End? Taking Your German Brick Walls Down Piece by Piece by Luana Darby and Ursula C. Krause. November 1.
• New York City Genealogical Research: Navigating Through The Five Boroughs by Michael L. Strauss, AG. November 8.
• Using Non-Population Schedules for Context and Evidence by Jill Morelli. November 10.
• British and Irish research: the differences by Brian Donovan. November 15.
• Research in Federal Records: Some Assembly Required by Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG. November 21.
• Understanding Alabama by Rorey Cathcart. November 29.
• Finding Your Roots in Catholic Records by Lisa Toth Salinas. December 6.
• I Thought He Was My Ancestor: Avoiding the Six Biggest Genealogy Mistakes by James M. Baker, PhD, CG. December 13.
• Finding Your Nordic Parish of Birth by Jill Morelli. December 15.
• The Law and the Reasonably Exhaustive (Re)Search by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. December 19.
• Palmetto Pride - South Carolina for Genealogist by Rorey Cathcart. December 20.
• Problems and Pitfalls of a Reasonably Shallow Search by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. December 27.

Print the 2017 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

The recording of today's webinar, "Beating the Bushes: Using the GPS to Find Jacob Bush's Father" by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/BCG for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

Eli Bush's grandfather was reported to be Daniel Bush, but was his father Jacob? Witness the research process unfold as land, probate, census, tax lists, and church records are correlated. Watch out for pitfalls such as different men with the same name and other red herrings.

View the Recording at FamilyTree Webinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 24 minute recording of "Beating the Bushes: Using the GPS to Find Jacob Bush's Father" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.  

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 525 classes, 729 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 2,456 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Virtual Family Reunions: Super Easy, Super Fun by Pat Richley and Russ Worthington. June 21.
• Canada's Top 10 by Kathryn Lake Hogan. June 28.
• Censational Census Strategies by Mary Kircher Roddy. July 5.
• Google Books: the tool you should use every day! by Lisa Louise Cooke. July 12.
• Tips for Snapping Pics: How to Take Perfect Family Photographs by Jared Hodges. July 14.
• Analyzing Documents Sparks Ideas for Further Research by Angela Packer McGhie, CG. July 18.
• The Firelands, The Connecticut Western Reserve, and the Ohio Territory by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG. July 19.
• Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families and the Simple Tech of How to Do It by Janet Hovorka. July 26.
• Tracing Your West Country Ancestors by Kirsty Gray. August 2.
• A Taxing Matter: Using Tax Lists in Genealogy by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. August 9.
• Using Pictures with Legacy Family Tree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 11.
• Analyzing Probate Records of Slaveholders to Identify Enslaved Ancestors by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG. August 15.
• Finding Your Ancestors in German Directories by Ursula C. Krause. August 16.
• How to do Mexican Research and Be Successful by Jonathan Walker. August 23.
• Getting Started with Evidentia by Edward A. Thompson. August 30.
• Top Tech Tips for the Technologist and the Genealogist by Geoff Rasmussen. September 6.
• Finding Isaac Rogers by Nicka Smith. September 13.
• The ABCs and 123s of Researching Your Ancestor's School Records by Melissa Barker. September 15.
• When Does Newfound Evidence Overturn a Proved Conclusion? by Tom Jones, Ph.D, CG, CGL. September 19.
• WolframAlpha for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. September 20.
• Quick Guide to Texas Research by Deena Coutant. September 27.
• No Easy Button: Using “Immersion Genealogy” to Understand Your Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. October 4.
• Southern States Migration Patterns by Mary Hill, AG. October 11.
• Is Your Society Growing? Social Media may be your saving grace by Pat Richley. October 13.
• Databases, Search Engines, and the Genealogical Proof Standard by David Ouimette, CG. October 17.
• The WPA: Sources for Your Genealogy by Gena Philibert-Ortega. October 18.
• Midwestern & Plains States Level Census Records by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. October 25.
• Is this the End? Taking Your German Brick Walls Down Piece by Piece by Luana Darby and Ursula C. Krause. November 1.
• New York City Genealogical Research: Navigating Through The Five Boroughs by Michael L. Strauss, AG. November 8.
• Using Non-Population Schedules for Context and Evidence by Jill Morelli. November 10.
• British and Irish research: the differences by Brian Donovan. November 15.
• Research in Federal Records: Some Assembly Required by Malissa Ruffner, JD, CG. November 21.
• Understanding Alabama by Rorey Cathcart. November 29.
• Finding Your Roots in Catholic Records by Lisa Toth Salinas. December 6.
• I Thought He Was My Ancestor: Avoiding the Six Biggest Genealogy Mistakes by James M. Baker, PhD, CG. December 13.
• Finding Your Nordic Parish of Birth by Jill Morelli. December 15.
• The Law and the Reasonably Exhaustive (Re)Search by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL. December 19.
• Palmetto Pride - South Carolina for Genealogist by Rorey Cathcart. December 20.
• Problems and Pitfalls of a Reasonably Shallow Search by Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. December 27.

Print the 2017 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Eli Bush's grandfather was reported to be Daniel Bush, but was his father Jacob? Witness the research process unfold as land, probate, census, tax lists, and church records are correlated. Watch out for pitfalls such as different men with the same name and other red herrings.

This webinar is hosted and sponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

Join us and Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL for the live webinar Tuesday, June 21 16, 2017 at 8pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Download the syllabus

In preparation for the webinar, download the supplemental syllabus materials here.

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, a western Pennsylvania researcher for over 25 years, is the co-director of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and Professional Genealogy Course Coordinator at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). She was an instructor and module creator for Boston University's Genealogical Research Certificate program 2008-2016. She was the course co-coordinator of the AG/CG Preparation Course at the 2010 and 2013 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). She is a regional and national speaker on such topics as Pennsylvania records, methodology, professional development, and society management.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Tuesday, May 21, 2017 at:

• 8pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 7pm Central
• 6pm Mountain
• 5pm Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

DearMYRTLE & Cousin Russ demo how to set up a Google Hangout in 10 minutes and answer the following questions: 1. Must we use Google accounts? 2. What about advanced advertising? 3. Where to post the link to join the panel? 4. Where to embed the video before the event starts? 5. What if some members are in the same room, and provide remote access to the rest of the family? 6. What if our guest speaker is not in the same room as our family? 7. What equipment is required? 8. Where is the video archived? 9. Can we make the video private, unlisted or public?

Join us, DearMYRTLE, and Russ Worthington for the live webinar Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion. 

Or register for multiple webinars at once by clicking here.

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenters

DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of Pat Richley-Erickson, author of the award-winning DearMYRTLE Genealogy Blog, consistently among the top 5 family history blogs internationally, where her focus is on beginning genealogy topics. A speaker at regional and national conferences including several live videocasts at RootsTech2011, 2012 and 2013, Ol' Myrt is slated to present two G+ Hangout on Air workshops at RootsTech 2014. DearMYRTLE is a co-founder of the Genea-Quilters group on Facebook, and founder of www.GeneaWebinars.com, a centralized calendar and blog for all known genealogy webinar hosts and virtual presenters. Have fun watching Myrt LIVE on "Mondays with Myrt" on DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel and Google+ Community. Online since 1985 in membership development with Q-Link's Your Family Tree and later on the leadership team of AOL's Golden Gate Genealogy Forum, Pat is a retired post-secondary computer instructor.  She and her husband live in Salt Lake City, Utah, just a stone's throw from the Family History Library.

Russ Worthington lives in the beautiful Northwest corner of New Jersey that most people don't know exists in his beautiful state (no exit numbers). He started "collecting his ancestors" about 15 years ago when his youngest daughter gave him a genealogy management software program as a gift to "give him something to do." Little did he know where this would lead him and the people he would meet. Russ enjoys helping others in their hunts and in building their family relationships.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Are you lost trying to find your Eastern European ancestors? Do perplexing surnames, confusing geography and records written in unfamiliar languages challenge you at every turn? Don’t despair. You can channel some research superpowers to conquer your research roadblocks.

1. Detect. Genealogists often compare themselves to detectives. We follow clues in about our family to make sense of the past. Determining the immigrant’s original name and learning the specific name of the ancestral town or village are the two most essential pieces for success. To do this you must check ALL available resources on this side of the ocean first. While many records are online through sites such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org, you also must be prepared to check microfilm, books, and other sources. It is also necessary to understand the time period and consider geography. For example, when your ancestors departed their homeland, was the area under the Austro-Hungarian, German, or Russian Empire? Did they arrive post-World War I or post-World War II? Did the town names change depending on who was in charge?
   
   
   
   
2. Decode. During the research process, you will likely hit a number of brick walls—those seemingly unsolvable research problems that wherever you look there appear to be no answers. One issue is with the complex surnames for which spelling can be problematic and often leads to incorrect indexing. Sites such as Behind the Name can help, or you can perform a Google search for websites specific to your ethnic group. Be aware of name changes after the immigrant settled in North America. (Names were not changed at Ellis Island—that's a myth. Read about immigrant name changes in this article by Marian Smith). Learn naming practices and patterns to help figure out which Maria or Mihaly is your ancestor. To take account of border changes, consult maps, atlases, gazetteers (geographical dictionaries), books, websites, and town and village histories. Browse the FamilySearch Wiki by country for links to print and online resources. When you are ready to search across the ocean, you will want to see which archives have records online. Start with the free digitized collections at FamilySearch. Another excellent resource is the JewishGen In some instances you may wish to hire a professional researcher based in the country you are researching to pull records from civil archives and other repositories with more restrictive access. Ethnic genealogical societies such as the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International and the Polish Genealogical Society of America, or even fellow genealogists may provide recommendations. If you can manage it, a heritage trip to your ancestral town or village, and local archives can often turn up previously unknown information not yet available online, not to mention the potential for meeting long lost cousins.
   
   
3. Decipher. Many new researchers are dismayed when they locate records for their ancestors, but can’t read them because they are written in German, Hungarian, Latin, Polish, Russian or other unfamiliar alphabets or scripts. While you don’t necessarily need to be fluent in a foreign language to read great-grandma’s baptismal record, you will need to become familiar with keywords and phrases, especially common genealogy terms in the language used to record the information. You can start by watching some language tutorials available for free in the FamilySearch Learning Center, or on YouTube. Online or print dictionaries, books, and FamilySearch Word Lists can also help. Using an online translation tool such as Google Translate is another option, but beware that such tools are usually best for short words or small blocks of text. The accuracy of the translation may be questionable and often local or regional dialects are not taken into account. To ensure a proper translation, you could post a short query to Facebook (Try Genealogy Translations on Facebook or just do a search for Polish, Czech, Hungarian, etc.), or hire a professional translator.

For more tips, tools, and resources, watch Lisa's bonus webinar on "Survival Skills for Eastern European Genealogists,” available to subscribers in the Legacy Family Tree Webinars Library.

Don’t Give Up

Just as a superhero never surrenders, neither should you. Yes, tracking down elusive Eastern European ancestors can be a daunting task. There is no “Easy Button.” But remember that genealogy is one part skill, one part persistence, and one part serendipity. New record sets are being released all the time, so keep checking websites for new or updated content. Channel your powers to detect, decode, and decipher and start solving your family history mysteries.

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A. is a freelance writer, instructor and internationally recognized lecturer specializing in Eastern European genealogy, writing your family history, and finding female and immigrant ancestors.  She is the author of 10 books, including The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide, and the award-winning Three Slovak Women.  Lisa is a frequent speaker for Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and blogs at The Accidental Genealogist. She can be reached at http://www.lisaalzo.com.