To kick off the Holiday season, I am hosting a RootsTech Christmas Contest – starting now! You could win a full four-day pass to RootsTech 2020 – with the lucky winner being announced on Christmas Day! If you’re already sold on entering, please scroll down to the contest instructions to proceed.
Latest RootsTech News:
If you haven’t already noticed, RootsTech 2020 is fast approaching. And with the Holidays coming up, it will be here before we know it! After watching the Highlights from RootsTech London just a month ago, here are some things you should keep in mind:
1: The free recorded sessions are still up on the main RootsTech site – as are sessions from RootsTech past. Did you know you can still watch some sessions from RootsTech, all the way back to 2015?! You can find these videos in the video archive section. That’s a whole lot of learning going on!
2: Swag Alert – they debuted a new swag bag for attendees this year. RootsTech London attendees received a pink backpack – and for RootsTech 2020, we’ll be getting blue backpacks!
3: The first keynote speaker of the 2020 line-up has been announced: Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer, David Hume Kennerly – with more great speakers to be announced soon!
4: Even if you can’t make the conference in person, be sure to check out the premium pass options for a deeper roster of virtual sessions.
5: Reminder: 2020 is the 10th anniversary bash – if you’ve been waiting for a good time to attend RootsTech – your waiting is over – this is the one you cannot miss!
6: If you can’t make the full conference, there is a special discount going on right now that cuts the single day registration fee in half! The code when registering is GENFRIEND and is good through December 9th.
Contest Rules:
In order to win, you simply have to comment on this post, or on the corresponding posts in Twitter or Instagram – Telling me about your favorite genealogy find of 2019. Only one entry per reader, please! Each comment will be entered into a drawing with the winner selected on Christmas Day. Meaning, your deadline for entry is December 24th – all day, even up until midnight.
What You Could Win:
A full 4-day pass to RootsTech 2020 (on-site in Salt Lake City), held February 26-29, 2020 – a $299 value! Don’t worry, if you’ve already registered, winning this contest would get you a full refund of your purchase price.
Pass includes the following: • Over 300 classes • Keynote / General sessions • Expo Hall • Evening events. It does NOT include any travel costs, paid lunches, virtual pass, or paid labs.
Good Luck, Everyone!
My favorite genealogical find this year? Finding out my great grandma was a sheriff in Arkansas! Ocie Ola Carter Hardwicke
Hey Kathy! You are the lucky winner! Please e-mail me at [email protected] and I’ll send you the certificate information. See you in SLC!
My favorite find of 2019 was discovering I had done a lot of research already for my new project. Apparently I had started researching for this project in 2010 and then got distracted!! I had even started a Research Log which I completely forgot about!! Lesson: always look on your computer BEFORE embarking on a new project!!
I found photos of some relatives that I have never seen before!
Finding on Family Search that I had roots in Ireland was a fantastic find. Family members visited Ireland this year and wanted to know if we had a family connection. It is a long way back and now I plan to verify as much of the the information as I can.
I found the birth and death records of a great-grandmother’s twins that no one had ever heard about.
My favorite genealogy find of 2019 was when I visited St. Mary’s Church in Putney, Surrey, England, where many of my ancestors were baptized and married. Inside was a historical display describing the Putney Debates held in that church by Oliver Cromwell before the English Civil War in 1642-1651. It really made me see the history of the area through my ancestors’ eyes!
I found the maiden name of my fourth great-grandmother who was born and died in Russia!
One of my favorite things I learned this year was that one of my closest friends I’ve had for several years is my cousin!!! Had no idea. So fun to know we are family now ❤️
My favorite genealogy find was from my wife’s research. She has found new relatives (very close family members) with her DNA.
My favorite genealogy find was my 3rd great-grandparents. My second great-grandmother had been a brick wall for over 30 years. After having my DNA done, I found a match that seemed to be related through my Harris line with the person at the right distance to be descended from the same 3rd great-grandparents. When I looked at her tree, she had my 2nd great-grandmother listed as a sister to her ancestor along with other siblings and parents for them. I sent her a message and she was descended from the sister of my second great-grandmother. She asked me if I wanted pictures of my 3rd great-grandparents. I said I would love it. That day I not only broke down a brick wall, I saw the faces that were on the other side of that wall and reconnected family that had been separated since the mid-1800s. That is my favorite find!
My favorite find this year was finding my great, great grandmothers family records in Italy. We found out she had 2 sisters and 4 brothers. I am slowly receiving communication from some of the descendants, that do genealogy.
I found out the full name of the second wife of one of my uncles. It was a mystery that perplexed me for many years. A combination of research, research, research and some serendipity. Also got to meet one of the daughters of the said lady and find out more about my uncle and his life.
favorite genealogy find this year is a 3rd cousin. She’s married to a co-worker and figured it on on relative finder on Family Search.
My favorite find was finding social worker records that held daily life about my great grandparents and their family. What a treasure, since my great grandfather was killed in a mine explosion.
Great site! I found another village in West Prussia!!!!! Oh and went back a generation in West Prussia!!!
My greatest genealogy find was learning that I am a 6th cousin with John Glennthe astronaut and senator on my mother’s maternal side. How nice to be related to such a prestigious person.
My family was blessed to visit Ireland in November, and we were able to visit three gravesites for three of my husbands’s 2nd great grandparents and take photos. Even though I am only married into this family, it was a priceless experience for me.
My greatest 2019 genealogy find was finding that my great-great grandfather who immigrated with his parents from Germany to Hawaii, was married three times! Those marriages were kept hidden and no one in our family knew about it. I discovered this through published newspaper obituaries in the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Also, no one in my family knew the cause of his death or where he was buried, but the newspapers said it all! It was great letting everyone know of this discovery!
My genealogical find of 2019, was finding family in Germany. I always knew that I had family there, but never knew anyone who is still alve.
My favorite find in 2019: was to be found, so to speak! Last year my cousin was contacted because we had had her mom’s (my aunt’s) DNA testing done. She was contacted by a young man from Canada trying to find his biological mother’s family…he had been adopted. My aunt seemed to be a close match. We however, had little experience as did he and his wife and were unable to figure it out. This year through a DNA Angel, he and his wife’s hard work he found his mother’s information and connections. He found our cousin connections! Because of that he found us, here in SC And because he found his birth mother’s immediate family, we found and connected with new cousins we did not know. His grandfather was my dad’s first cousin. The family had just got separated by life so to speak and the younger generations had never met or known about each other….now we do!