I am continually telling myself that I’ve got to jump on here and at least say I’m alive and well… because mostly I am. But I’m also not as focused or as able to hop back onto the computer (after a day at work on a computer) as I used to be… at least not consistently. All that said, baby steps…

Also, it’s easier to talk about someone else sometimes to get started so… my home library, Capital Area District Libraries, is putting on a genealogy series starting March 5th featuring a group of presenters I respect and really enjoy listening to. Please consider checking it out!

Corner of CADL pdf from 2021 Genealogy Series flyer. Reads: Capital Area District Libraries, Everything... right here.

Virtual Family History Open House Series

Celebrate Genealogy Day during the entire month of March! Join us for a series of presentations that will help you discover your family’s story. 

Registration required; call 517-367-6350 or click on “Register.” Email required.

Registrants will be emailed a link to our Zoom meeting a few days before.

Saturdays • 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EST

March 5: Genealogy 101 with Ginger Ogilvie

Ginger Ogilvie is a professional genealogist and loves connecting people to their roots. Learning about our ancestors can help us better understand our stories. This workshop will share genealogical best practices and step by step strategies for people who are new to family history research. We’ll cover basic terms and traditional tools.

March 12: Introduction to Military Records Research with Katherine Willson

Professional Genealogist Katherine Willson will discuss how you can determine which major military conflict your ancestor might have served in, which records may have been generated during that time, and where they are held.  We’ll learn about the various places we might look to determine whether an ancestor served in the military and what we might expect to find in his or her military records.

March 19: Understanding the Ethnic Ancestry in Your DNA Test with Richard Hill

Richard Hill was the first adoptee to identify his birth family through genetic genealogy DNA tests. He shared his story in an award-winning book, Finding Family: My Search for Roots and Secrets in My DNA. Richard’s presentation will focus on the ethnicity reports included with many of the DNA tests. He will explain why results often don’t match expectations, why different testing companies yield different results, and why Native American DNA is so rare. As an example, he will show and compare the results where the same person did eight different tests.

CADL Lansing Libraries