In 2022 MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars brought you 237 genealogy webinars. 237 ways of finding your ancestors. Wow! We hope you've been able to find an ancestor or two and that you've enjoyed our Webinar Wednesdays, our 3rd annual Genealogy Webinar Marathon, the MyHeritage Webinars series, Webtember, TechZone videos, the Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series, the African Diaspora series, the Board for Certification of Genealogists webinar series, the Mexico Research series, and everything else we've brought you in 2022.

Thank you for being part of our webinar family. My family. While every single webinar was fantastic, here's the list of the top most-watched webinars in 2022.

The Top 10 for 2022

1. Introducing DNA Labels by Ran Snir

2. From Piles to Files: Organize Your Genealogy by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG

3. The Only Thing You Need to Know About DNA and Genealogy by Diahan Southard

4. Drawing Insights from Your Family Photos: Using MyHeritage by Daniel Horowitz

5. Quickly Organize Your DNA Matches with the Leeds Method by Dana Leeds

6. What’s New at DNA Painter by Jonny Perl

7. Top 10 Secrets to Using MyHeritage by Daniel Horowitz

8. Proving Parentage Two Centuries Later Using DNA Evidence by David S. Ouimette, CG, CGL

9. Identifying Common Ancestors with DNA by Shahar Tenenbaum

10. Different Ways to View Your Tree at MyHeritage by Uri Gonen

The Runner-Ups

11. An Additional 50 Websites Every Genealogist Should Know by Gena Philibert-Ortega

12. Mastering Digital Filing for Genealogists by Cyndi Ingle

13. Tracing migrating ancestors: Who, what, where, when, why and how by Myko Clelland

14. CensusGenie: Down to the Wire 1950 Census Prep by DearMYRTLE and Russ Worthington

15. One Man, Multiple Names: A DNA-Based Case Study by Dana Leeds

16. Wringing Every Drop out of Mitochondrial DNA by Roberta Estes, MS

17. Creating a DNA plan for Geoff’s brick wall by Diahan Southard

18. FamilySearch.org – 5 More Links You Have to Try by Devin Ashby

19. Simply using timelines will make a difference in your research! by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy

20. Structuring a Family History – class 1 of 4 by Carol Baxter

The 2nd Runner-Ups

21. The Top Ten DNA Do’s and Don’ts! by Michelle Leonard

22. How I survived a genealogy emergency by Geoff Rasmussen

23. Trendy Tech Tools for Your Research: Yay or Nay? by Cyndi Ingle

24. Using DNA To Solve Interlinked Mysteries by Michelle Leonard

25. Irish Emigration to North America: Before, during and after Famine by Paul Milner FUGA, MDiv

26. Finding Fayette’s Father: Autosomal DNA Reveals Misattributed Parentage by Jennifer Zinck, CG

27. Using Historical Fiction and Social History to Support Your Narrative by Beth A. Stahr, CG

28. Abstracting Documents: An Essential Skill for All Genealogists by Julie Miller, CG, CGL

29. Five Wives & A Feather Bed: Using Indirect and Negative Evidence to Resolve Conflicting Claims by Mark A. Wentling, MLS, CG

30. Negative Evidence: Making Something Out of Nothing by Denise E. Cross, MSLIS, CG

Geoff's Personal Favorites

Although I loved every ... single ... webinar this year, these five were my personal favorites:

• Creating a DNA plan for Geoff’s brick wall by Diahan Southard - although specific to my family, the step-by-steps Diahan outlined can be used by anyone. One of the highest-rated webinars of all time.
• One Man, Multiple Names: A DNA-Based Case Study by Dana Leeds - in the top-3 highest-rated webinars of all time. Dana was that good!
• Descendants of the Enslaved and Enslavers – Working Together to Discover Family by Cheri Hudson Passey and Sharon Batiste Gillins - this one I haven't viewed yet but Marian, who hosted the webinar, couldn't stop expressing how much she loved this one.
• Five Wives & A Feather Bed: Using Indirect and Negative Evidence to Resolve Conflicting Claims by Mark A. Wentling, MLS, CG - some webinars leave you with a feeling that you won't forget, and although I can't remember why I loved this one, I remember it as one of my personal all-time favorites
• McMasters’ Will: The Scheme That Made Us Virtually Free by Calvin Dark - one of the finest, most-engaging story-tellers I've ever heard

Many others deserve to be in this list, including some that I haven't yet watched (but have bookmarked for later). All 237 webinars in 2022 are certainly worth the replay.

Geoff's classes

They didn't make the top 30, but I really enjoyed presenting these classes this year:

• How a City Directory worked for me again
• How I Debunked an Online Tree Hint
• What’s New in the MyHeritage Photo World

Access to classes in the Legacy Family Tree Webinar library are available with an webinar membership. Not a member? Become one! Or watch one of our free classes here.

Here's to a fruitful 2023 - may we all make progress on our family trees!

MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars are pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 2023 Legacy Family Tree Webinars series, now in its 14th year. Choose from 177 classes from genealogy's leading educators on topics ranging from scanning old negatives to Microsoft PowerPoint, from the West Indies and Greece to Germany and Liverpool, from mtDNA and YDNA to the Erie Canal and the First Kansas/US Colored Troops 79th Regiment, from urban mapping tools to telling better family stories on MyHeritage, and from deciphering handwritten documents to turning witnesses into evidence. We are also introducing Webinar Shorts and bringing back genealogy's pioneer in problem-solving methodology, Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL for the brand new members-only series, "The Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills: Genealogy Problem Solving".

Click here to register (free).

The Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills: Genealogy Problem Solving

After hanging up the speaking mic in October 2021, Elizabeth Shown Mills, genealogy’s pioneer in problem-solving methodology, returns in 2023 with Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Join us each month as Elizabeth encores her top-12 most beloved classes, teaching us how to break down our genealogy problems and create solutions with innovative strategies and sound methods. The classes are pre-recorded for the live watch parties.

This series is accessible only with a webinar membership. Webinar members have access to the live events, the class replays, and the class syllabus materials. Visit https://familytreewebinars.com/esm for the lineup. Must be signed in as a member to register and attend.

Webinar Shorts - new in 2023!

When you have just a few minutes, but want to learn genealogy, turn to our new Webinar Shorts. Each how-to video helps you sharpen your genealogy skills in 20 minutes or less. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/webinar-shorts, or access from the new Webinar Shorts section on the home page. New short videos will appear throughout the year. We've also added the ability to sort webinars in the library by length.

The 2,000th webinar

What began as an experiment has revolutionized genealogy education. Sometime this year we will reach our 2,000th webinar. We'll celebrate together in a one-of-a-kind webinar, Celebrating 2,000 Webinars! Plus 10 tips you can use today. Hope to see you there!

In addition to our weekly Webinar Wednesdays, we will continue to offer other unique classes.

We are proud to once again host the monthly webinar series for the Board for Certification of Genealogists where we will learn from board-certified genealogists Angela Packer McGhie, Meryl Schumacker, Dana Palmer, Rick Sayre, Judy G. Russell, Amy Larner Giroux, Margaret R. Fortier, Sharon Hoyt, Karen Stanbary, Ann Staley, LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson and Nancy A. Peters. Click here for the entire lineup.

	And for the seventh year, we will be the host of the exclusive webinar series, MyHeritage Webinars, where we will learn from both leading genealogists about how they use MyHeritage and from MyHeritage Product Managers about what's new at MyHeritage. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The Down Under series continues into its fifth year! This series of webinars is designed for genealogists in Australia and New Zealand - at 12pm (noon) on the first Wednesday of each month (Sydney time). They'll have their very own Webinar Wednesday with convenient timing. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The African Diaspora series, in its third year, will broadcast live the first Friday of each month and will deliver educational webinars geared toward African-ancestored people in the United States and around the world. Speakers for the 2023 series include Melvin J. Collier, Bernice Bennett, Ari Wilkins, Renate Yarborough Sanders, Janice Lovelace, Nicka Smith, LaDonna Garner, Sharon Batiste Gillins, Shelley Viola Murphy, Diane Warmsley and Amy Bertsch. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The O Canada series, also in its third year, will broadcast live the third Friday of every other month and will present educational classes with a focus on the broad range of ancestries found in Canada. Speakers for the series include Dave Obee, Lianne Kruger, Tara Shymanski, Janice Nickerson and Kaye Prince-Hollenberg. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The Mexico research series, now in its second year, will broadcast live the third Friday, every other month, and will deliver educational webinars geared toward Mexican-ancestored people in the United States and around the world. Speakers for the 2023 series include Colleen Robledo Greene, Joy Oria and Lisa Medina. Click here for the entire lineup.
	Our 4th annual 24-Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon will be held April 13-14. More than 40,000 registered for last year's epic event. Click here for the entire lineup.

Closed Captioning

Every webinar recording will be captioned in English for the hearing impaired. We really are striving to serve the entire world!

How to register

Sign up (it's FREE!*) for one or for all of them today and you will receive a reminder email both one day and two hours prior to the live event. (*The "Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills" series is included free for webinar members.)

Webinar Brochure

Print the 2023 brochure to share with your friends, genealogy society, or Family History Center.

FamilyTreeWebinars.com memberships

All live webinars are free (except for the members-only "The Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills" series) and their recordings are free to watch for the first 7 days. With a webinar membership you get these additional benefits:

• Access to 1) all the existing 1,900+ classes in the library, 2) plus the 180+ webinars that will be added during the 2023 season, 3) plus any additional bonus members-only webinars (hundreds of these so far) – all available for the duration of your membership
• Access to all 7,100+ pages of instructors' handouts plus the new handouts of the 2023 season
• Chat logs from the live webinars
• Chance for a bonus subscribers-only door prize during each live webinar
• Advanced navigation of videos with playlists and chapters
• Exclusive section for all webinars you've registered for
• Option to bookmark your favorites
• Additional 5% off anything at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

It's just $49.95/year.

Learn more or join.

Nowhere else - on land, at sea, or online - will you find genealogy courses as comprehensive, diverse, or as numerous as you will find at FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

Add it to your Google Calendar

Click here to add the Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series to your Google Calendar.

2023 Speakers

Lots of brand new speakers join many of your favorites for 2023. One of them may be the one to help you break down your genealogical brick wall. Don't miss even one week! We welcome these new speakers to our webinar series:

• Amy Bertsch
• Bryna O'Sullivan
• Dana Palmer, CG, CGL
• Daniel Loftus
• David Dowell
• Diane Henriks
• Diane Warmsley
• Fran Kitto
• Gilad Katz
• Joy Oria
• Katharine Andrew
• Katherine Schober, MA
• Katie Gertz
• Kaye Prince-Hollenberg
• Kerry Farmer
• Kristy Love, PhD
• LaDonna Garner, M.A.
• Mia Bennett
• Michael D. Lacopo, DVM
• Rhonda Lauritzen
• Richard Hill
• Sharon Hoyt, CG
• Tara Shymanski
• Zbigniew Stettner

Click here to register.

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

Sharon D. Monson is a professional genealogist, creator of the Genealogy Kit, and author of Shortcut to Genealogy Sources. She is a frequent presenter at local, state and national conferences. Her extensive research experience in courthouses, repositories and the Family History Library spans 35+ years. Her blog at https://gensearchandmore.com features primary and secondary U. S. genealogical sources and skill-building research tips.

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, December 28, 2022 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. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. 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.
7. 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 by Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, "Designing with Canva for Your Genealogy, Society, or Business" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

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

Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, is an academic librarian, college educator, and tech nerd who has been researching her family history since 1997. She is the Digital Literacy Librarian at California State University, Fullerton, and also teaches an online graduate-level genealogical research methods course for San Jose State University. Colleen is a nationally recognized speaker and educator specializing in methodology, Mexican & Hispanic research, libraries and archives, and technology.

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, December 21, 2022 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. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. 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.
7. 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 by The Board for Certification of Genealogists and Stephanie O'Connell, CG, "Wayward Girls: A Context Case Study" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/BCG for free for a limited time.

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

Stephanie O’Connell, CG, is a genealogy researcher, and lecturer. She began looking into the secrets of her ancestors in 2010 and has been discovering their true stories ever since. She lectures frequently on various genealogical topics in the Seattle area and at conferences across the country. Her personal research has focused on her female ancestors and writing them into their rightful place in history.

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, December 20, 2022 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. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. 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.
7. 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 by Lianne Kruger, "How the West Was Won in Canada" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Years ago, I was a part of a genealogy society where we had a member who was passionate about one aspect of genealogy. She believed everyone should write their obituary. At every meeting, you could count on her standing up with a form reminding everyone of the importance of writing an obituary. It got to the point where some would roll their eyes because the lecture about obituaries was coming. As a young mother, the last thing on my mind was my obituary, but I admired her passion for the topic. Years later, when she passed away, the obituary that appeared in the local newspaper was one she crafted.

How Do I write My Obituary?

She was right. You are the best person to write your obituary. After all, you are the expert of your life. You know who you're related to, what you accomplished, and what organizations you belong to. Sure, there are some facts you may not know, like when and where your funeral will be held, but you know the majority of what needs to be written. As a genealogist, the benefit of writing your obituary is that it will be accurate for future genealogists (unless you embellish it).

So what should you write? After years of genealogical research, you probably know what you like and don't like in obituaries. You most likely have read dozens, if not hundreds. However, it can still be difficult to write an obituary, whether it's for you or someone else. A free resource that provides different types of obituary examples is Ever Loved. You can also find templates and guides online by searching "obituary template" or "how to write an obituary." Reading your local newspaper (the one you think the obituary will be placed in) will also give you some idea of what to include.

As you consider crafting your obituary, some possible facts to include:

• Full Name and Nickname (if appropriate)
• Post-nomials or titles held
• City of residence
• Spouse's name
• Parents names (and residence)
• Survivors (obviously, you don't know for sure, but the person who inherits this and is tasked with the estate can edit it)
• Membership organizations
• Hobbies
• Religious affiliation
• Causes that are important to you
• Occupation (years at that occupation)
• Military Service

Also, consider adding a sentence at the end for directions, such as "in lieu of flowers" or where donations can be sent. Pick out a headshot photograph that can be placed with the obituary (if finances allow).

Don't Forget

Along with your funeral arrangements, you should also set aside money for placing the obituary in newspaper(s). You might be surprised how much an obituary costs, and often it's the one thing that isn't "necessary," so it doesn't get published because of lack of funds. If you want your obituary in a specific newspaper, leave the money to pay for that (add a little extra, assuming the price will increase over time). Obituary cost is determined by word count and size of the obituary (how many lines it takes up). If you publish it in multiple papers, may those financial arrangements to ensure it happens. In many cases, it will cost at least $100 and more to place even a short obituary with no photo (and that's not one of the major city newspapers). Free options can exist, but they are few and far between. Take some time to contact the newspapers you're interested in to learn more about their obituary guidelines and fees.

Talk to a family member, close friend, or the executor of your estate who can place the obituary for you and let them know what you prefer. If you've already written the obituary and provided the financial means, all they need to add is the death date and funeral information.

Let's face it, two things are guaranteed in life. Death is not the easiest topic to think about, but as genealogists who rely on obituaries to learn more about our ancestors, we should consider our own obituary a priority.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

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

Lianne Kruger is a professional genealogist and speaker specializing in Canada, homesteading for U.S. and Canada, video recording family history, and using technology in all aspects of genealogy such as Google Maps, Google Drive and Evernote.

She is a member of the board for mitoYDNA.org. She is on the Ancestry.ca advisory board and is the webmaster, database and social media chair for Alberta Genealogical Society (AGS). She previously served six years as 1st VP of AGS and two years as President of Red Deer Branch. She earned the AGS President’s award in 2020. Lianne is a member of Associate of Professional Genealogists, AGS, Ontario Ancestors, and National Genealogical Society.

She earned a computer degree and has taught computer software courses since 1982. She recently earned a certificate and Associate degree in Family History from Brigham Young University Idaho.

Lianne is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars including RootsTech, NGS, Legacy FamilyTree Webinars, FamilyRoots, THE Genealogy Show (UK), Vivid-Pix, Ontario Ancestors, AGS, Ancestry, and BIFHSGO. She has published articles in BYU Studies Quarterly, FamilySearch, Ancestry, LDSTech, SK Translations, ISBGFH, and AGS Relatively Speaking.

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 Friday, December 16, 2022 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. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. 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.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!