Seven Highlights from RootsTechConnect 2021

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Last year I attended my first genealogy conference. While RootsTech has sponsored annual conferences since 2011, I did not begin my family history research until late 2018.

The conference is typically held in Salt Lake City, home of the world's largest genealogical center: The Family History Library. When not attending breakout sessions, participants can walk two blocks to the library and research elusive relatives.

Salt Lake City also offered me the added bonus of reconnecting with my best friend from high school. Adrienne and I have the rare ability to maintain a close friendship across the years as well as the miles. When we do meet in person, it is as if we were never apart.

In February 2020, I was ignorant of any deadly virus. We saw a few people wearing masks in the SLC airport, but we thought nothing of it. How life changed over the next couple of weeks.

This year RootsTech took their conference online. They not only added hundreds of new breakout sessions, but they also made the conference FREE for anyone worldwide to attend. I'm not gonna lie... I questioned whether the servers would handle the 500,000 registered participants, but I never experienced a single technical glitch the entire three days.

In addition, RootsTech will also make these sessions available on-demand for the rest of 2021! As a life-long learner and education junkie, this is genealogy nirvana. Not only can I attend a session anytime ... but I can also savor each session and digest the information before I continue my education.

So in an effort to reflect on what I learned, and how I plan to use that information going forward, I thought I would summarize the highlights of my second RootsTech experience.

Highlights of RootsTech 2021

I found my Tribe

  • Every session I attended focused on a love for family stories. These people are passionate about connecting with the past to enrich the present and inspire hope for the future (the old Creative Memories mission statement that I still hold close to my heart). 
  • Everyone I met online, either as an instructor or in a chat session, loves analyzing records to glean every nugget of information. They are detail-oriented foragers. They easily get lost in the weeds and enjoy every minute.
  • While they enjoy the thrill of the hunt and collect vital documents like rare coins, they also care deeply about sharing the stories. They understand good writing helps the reader appreciate the narrative. They work hard at crafting complex, believable characters that come alive on the page. They work on story structure to maintain interest and tension. They give thoughtful consideration to the overarching theme.
  • They utilize curiosity to dig deeper. Finally, my annoying habit of asking too many questions can be put to good use.

I found my Life's Purpose
  • It's tempting to ask, Why did I wait so long to start this genealogy exploration? But I know I wasn't ready. I was too busy raising my family, taking care of Mom, teaching full-time. However, I do know all my life experiences brought me to this point. 
  • Creative Memories helped me organize my photos and appreciate the beauty of everyday snapshots. I learned that pictures only tell half the story. 
  • Teaching high school English honed my own writing skills. As the old saying goes, if you want to learn something, teach it.
  • Retirement gave me the freedom to find a new passion. And the time to pursue it with abandon. I love waking up knowing what I'm going to work on. I love creating a daily objective, researching the answer, analyzing the results, and synthesizing it into a cohesive story. And then repeating the same routine all over again.
  • I used to think my genealogy efforts were for my children. I wanted to leave them our family legacy. Later I realized genealogy was also for me. Insight into family history helps me understand my place in this world. Now I know genealogy also allows me to be the voice for the silent. My parents have a story to share, and I am the only one left to tell it.

FamilySearch.org is a fabulous resource
  • I began my genealogy research, as many do, with Ancestry.com I took advantage of the free trial ... dipped my toe in the waters with a basic subscription ... and now I utilize an All-Access pass. I know how to use the shaky-leaf hints, and I've attached a number of documents, newspaper articles, and family stories to hundreds of relatives. 
  • But FamilySearch.org offers the genealogist SO MUCH more than just documentation. I desperately want to learn the site in order to take full advantage of its resources. First items on the list:
    • Research Wiki ... the genealogist version of Wikipedia. EXCELLENT tips for research as well as valuable insight into thousands of topics (you do not need to be a subscriber to utilize this resource)
    • Memories ... not only can I add photos and family stories to enhance my family tree, but these documents will also be available to others to use in their family tree. I love the idea of contributing to a collaborative effort. 
    • In addition, the Memories powerful search tool helps discover useful information for social history context. For example, a simple search of the keyword "Recipe" yields hundreds of hand-written family recipes from other subscribers (you must be a member, but registration is free)
    • Community Center ... where genealogists help one another. I recently joined the Italian Community and already someone reached out to welcome me to the group. Since most Italian birth records are held at the local church parish (and not written in English), I know I can use some assistance (you must be a member, but registration is free)

Maps enhance family stories
  • Maps are not only useful resources, they are FUN and addictive!
  • I am currently researching the How, When, and Why my mother's ancestors left Alabama and Georgia to settle in Robertson County, Texas. In Google Maps, I can create a personal map that illustrates their migration route. I can enhance the map with personal addresses to pinpoint exact locations. I can add colorful outlines to distinguish county boundaries. And I can draw lines to identify the possible wagon trail. 
  • Switching to satellite view allows me to walk the streets of Mom's old neighborhood in Houston. 
  • Google Earth provides even more detailed information to investigate ancestor locations. In addition, it is possible to overlay a historic map on top of the present-day view to see what has changed (and what has remained the same). This is a skill I want to develop.

Genealogists are kind, considerate folk
  • They epitomize "paying it forward" Genealogists are willing to help answer a novice's questions without expecting anything in return. 
  • In addition, many love the challenge of helping others tackle a difficult brick wall. They love the thrill of the hunt. 
  • Genealogists like to share their information! Several write detailed blog posts that serve to educate as well as entertain. 
  • Genealogy websites abound with useful software programs to help with researching needs. I am excited to use Goldie May, a browser extension, that will allow me to create daily objectives, keep track of the sites I visit (since we all go down those long, windy rabbit trails), and develop a task list for future research endeavors. While the free version is powerful, I chose to pay $60 for the one-year subscription. And the developer encourages private emails to help address any questions.
  • Many genealogical societies, as well as specific businesses, offer a wealth of educational courses for a reasonable price. For example:
    • Evalogue taught a class on Storyboarding. I used to teach this method to my seventh graders as a way to brainstorm Fractured Fairy Tales. I love the idea of structuring family stories in the same way.
    • The Family History Guide taught a session on different ways to use maps in genealogy research. The class was an overview. Their website offers in-depth instruction that I plan to review later this week.
    • Genealogical Studies offers credited programs as well as individual classes on a wide variety of topics. The typical cost is about $89.00 for an eight-week course. I took advantage of the RootsTech special which allowed me to choose one of four classes for FREE. I'm looking forward to learning how to use Social Media Tools in my Genealogy Research.
Mom with her parents
about six months before her father passed

Deep Nostalgia Photo Animation
  • MyHeritage.com released a technological breakthrough in photograph restoration. They already offered photo enhancing and colorization software for their All Access subscribers. At RootsTech they revealed a revolutionary product.
  • Deep Nostalgia adds animation to portraits. While some found the final results to be a bit robotic (and creepy) most found the software awe-inspiring. I used the above photo to experiment. My grandfather died when my mother was just eight years old. Obviously, I never met the man... and this is the only close-up picture I have of Floyd. To see him come to life, if only for a few seconds, is a treasure. (Follow this link to see the results)
  • I think it is possible to overdo a good thing. I will not animate many of my heritage photos, but I have selected a few I think will benefit from this technology. It's adding one more piece to the family puzzle.

Relatives at RootsTech
  • Registering for the conference via The FamilySearch app puts you in direct contact with relatives attending the event. For example, I had over 300 relatives in attendance! Most are VERY distant relatives (6th cousin three times removed). It's a fun feature, however, and visually illustrates how we are all connected.
  • EXCEPT... I did notice one 3rd cousin at the top of the list. When I viewed our family line, I noticed he is the great-grandson of Adam Dowdy ... my grandmother's uncle (as you might recall, Adam lost his wife Beulah in 1924 while giving birth to their daughter and then lost his eight-year-old son in 1930 due to an accidental gunshot wound). I took a risk and sent a text message.
  • Not only did this 3rd cousin respond but... his mother is still alive (Adam Dowdy's granddaughter) and she is willing to talk to me about her family research! I am beyond excited to learn more about this family I never knew.


Next Year


While I missed the in-person events - and visiting with my dear friend - the online experience was definitely the next-best-thing to being there. The virtual format allowed for global participation. Availability of on-demand sessions allows for learning year-round. And FREE admission allowed anyone and everyone access to this premier genealogical conference.

I already have RootsTech 2022 on my calendar. Anyone else care to join me?




Comments

  1. RJ ThesmanMarch 3, 2021 at 10:08 AM

    What a fabulous conference! I'm so glad for all these highlights - especially meeting your relatives !

    ReplyDelete

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