The recording of Wednesday's webinar by Robyn Smith, "Proving Identity: Not Matching Names" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

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About the presenter

Robyn Smith has been researching her family and others for over 25 years. An engineer by day, Robyn applies those research and problem-solving skills to the field of genealogy. She specializes in Maryland, Court Records, African American and Slavery research. From 2008-2012, Robyn taught an Advanced African American Genealogy class at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD.

Robyn has lectured widely at regional and national conferences, and has taught at the Maryland Genealogical Society, the Maryland State Archives, and the Reginald Lewis Museum.

Robyn writes extensively and for more than ten years has authored a popular genealogy teaching blog called Reclaiming Kin (www.reclaimingkin.com).

In 2015, Ms. Smith published the book version of her blog, The Best of Reclaiming Kin, which was recommended in the syllabus at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. She recently published part 2 of that volume in PDF format.

In addition to writing and teaching, Robyn also has a special passion for documenting the histories of communities and promoting adherence to genealogical standards.

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, January 11, 2023 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 Tal Erlichman, "MyHeritage’s Latest Photo Innovations" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free.

Test Your Webinar Connection

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Can't make it to the live event?

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About the presenter

Tal is a Director of Product Management at MyHeritage and is responsible for MyHeritage's core genealogy service including the family tree, matching technologies and the historical records search engine. He leads a talented team of developers, QA engineers, product and project managers that work tirelessly to create the best family history research experience. From creating the best search tools, through publishing new historical record collections from all around the world, to building innovative features that create meaningful discoveries for our users on a daily basis. Tal is passionate about his family and family history in particular. He comes from a computer science background specializing in mobile security and was part of the LetMobile team acquired by Ivanti in 2012.

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, January 10, 2023 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 Melvin J. Collier, "How Three Types of DNA and Genealogy Uncovered the Long-Lost Enslaved Father" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Happy New Year! It's that time of the year when many people consider how they want this year to be different than the last. That contemplation usually involves making some goals to improve oneself. One professional genealogist has suggested an idea about what you can do differently this year.

The genealogy community has a history of kindness, both as organized groups and as individuals. I know I have benefitted from those whose kindness to me has extended to conducting a lookup at a library, taking a photo at a cemetery, or teaching me something about a record. We all have benefited from the help of others, whether an individual or a group. The work of groups of volunteers, such as Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness and the US GenWeb has benefitted those of us who have sought help. Even if we don't have a lot of time to volunteer, we can support the work of individuals helping others like Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi's List or Tami Mize of Conference Keeper. Melanie McComb's idea of daily genealogical kindness is something to consider.

So how can you start passing along genealogical kindness? Even if a daily act is too much, you can do one thing this year that will help another family historian. It doesn't have to be a significant undertaking; it can be something simple. Melanie provides some ideas for ways to help in her Facebook post. Other possibilities include the following:

• Joining a Facebook group for the place you live or a genealogical topic and adding your expertise
• Volunteering for a genealogy or historical society
• Posting information you have gathered in your research
• Transcribing or indexing records
• Offering to do lookups at a library or archive
• Taking part in a genealogically related project
• Conducting oral history interviews
• Passing on copies of photos or records to other family members

It comes down to doing something that you see is needed. Many of you probably are doing something, but maybe it's time to do something new to help the genealogical community or, at the very least, a friend or fellow society member. Remember that your passion or interest in a genealogical subject will help someone.

If you are currently spreading #GenealogyKindness, thank you. Your work may not get a lot of accolades, but it does make a difference. Thank you, Melanie for reminding us to start the year by considering kindness.

Have you benefitted from the kindness of others? Tell me about it in the comments below, and let's acknowledge those whose kindness extends beyond their genealogical research.

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

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Can't make it to the live event?

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About the presenter

A native of Canton, Mississippi, Melvin J. Collier is the author of:

• Mississippi to Africa, A Journey of Discovery (see www.mississippitoafrica.com)
• 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended (see www.150yearslater.com)
• Ealy Family Heritage: Documenting Our Legacy

His books have been used by genealogical and historical scholars as great reference sources for genealogical methodologies.

Melvin is a former civil engineer in corporate America for nearly 10 years. His passion for African-American history and historical preservation led to a major and fulfilling career change in the Archivist profession. He is a former archivist at the Archives Research Center of the Robert W. Woodruff Library – Atlanta University Center, where he has worked on the Morehouse College Dr. Martin Luther King Papers, the Maynard Jackson Administrative Papers and Photographs, the Dr. Asa Hilliard III Papers, and other collections, 2006-2013. Currently employed by the federal government, Melvin has been conducting historical and genealogical research for over 20 years, starting at the age of 19. He has given numerous workshops and presentations on historical and genealogical subjects. He appeared on the NBC show, Who Do You Think You Are, as one of the expert genealogists on the Spike Lee episode (2010). Melvin maintains a genealogy blog, Roots Revealed, at www.rootsrevealed.com. He earned a Master of Arts degree in African-American Studies, Clark Atlanta University, in 2008, with additional graduate coursework in Archival Studies from Clayton State University, 2010-2012. He was the recipient of the 2012 Marsha M. Greenlee History Award by the National Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS).

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, January 6, 2023 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 Diahan Southard, "The 5 steps to organizing your DNA in 2023" 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?

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About the presenter

Diahan Southard knows firsthand what a difference it can make to know where you came from. What started off as an educational and career interest in genetic genealogy became deeply personal when she used DNA to discover her mom’s birth parents and connect with new relatives. Now she has 20+ years of genetic genealogy experience. She built her company, Your DNA Guide, to show that learning DNA doesn’t have to be intimidating, frustrating, or require a college degree in biology. Her goal is to teach you to “Do the DNA”–and feel confident and have fun in the process! Diahan teaches internationally, writes for popular magazines, authored Your DNA Guide–The Book, and produces Your DNA Guide–the Academy, an online learning experience.

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, January 4, 2023 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!

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!