Inspire Your Audience to Discover Their Roots

Finding Those Elusive Fathers - U.S. Research Before 1850

Learn initial steps and strategies to identify the fathers of those born around the beginning of the 19th century. How do you begin to find a father when you have no census or other record to indicate a relationship? What record groups can provide the answers you seek? Discover the answers to these questions and more. You can find those elusive fathers!

My Most Used Ancestry.com Tricks

When you work in Ancestry every day, you learn where the real power is hiding and pick up a few tricks. In this presentation, Aimee shares the Ancestry tools, shortcuts, and search strategies she relies on most. From major time-savers to smarter searching techniques, you'll learn practical ways to build your family tree more efficiently, and uncover features many users never realize exist - my professional secrets.

Ask Me Anything

This is a fun, interactive session driven by attendee questions. Bring your genealogy questions and curiosities! We can cover everything from research roadblocks and best practices to useful records and resources. Aimee is also happy to discuss her journey into YouTube and what she's learned along the way.

Note: This session does not include a handout.

Gathering Family Stories and Pictures

Too often, we realize the importance of family stories and photographs only after the chance to collect them has passed. Aimee fills this session with strategies for successfully capturing oral histories, including questions to spark rich, meaningful conversations, and tips for preserving interviews. She'll also touch on best practices for handling and safeguarding family photographs, so you can protect your family's memories before they're lost. Don't wait until the opportunity has passed to discover and preserve your family story.

Wicked Mother-in-Law or Murderous Daughter-in-Law?

It's the details that help us learn more about our ancestors and solve the mysteries we encounter. This surprising case study will illustrate the hurdles a good genealogy detective must overcome to win the day with the motto, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

This case study is continued in Deeds, Deaths & Details if you desire a two-part program.

Deeds, Deaths & Details: Brick Walls, Back Doors & Breakthroughs

Stuck? Don't give up - go around! This research journey will illustrate how digging deeper into records many avoid can produce clues that break those brick walls, or at the very least help you better understand your ancestors, providing clues into their lives. Records such as deeds and pension files can be genealogy gold, revealing family relationships, unexpected connections, and personal details, details often missed. These records are more work, both in getting them and understanding them, but they are worth it.