By Ann G., Crossroads Discovery Center Assistant Manager
The month of October has a lot going for it! Comfortable temperatures, beautiful autumnal colors, candy, and it’s Family History Month.
Landstrom Family about 1908-1090, from the collection of A Grilliot
I love family history, my own, yours, the good parts, the terrible parts. It brings context to historical events and a personal perspective. There is also the thrill of digging through historical documents to find the bits and pieces of evidence that document your ancestors and help tell their stories. Hey, don’t forget – if your family rolls their eyes when you tell them all about finding that breakthrough document that you’ve been searching for on great-great-grandmother Maude, feel free to visit us here at the Crossroads Discovery Center, and we’ll celebrate with you!
To help with that discovery process, we are once again hosting Family History Day, a genealogy conference, on Saturday, October 11 from 12:45pm-4pm at the Noblesville Library. Enjoy an afternoon of classes and networking with fellow genealogists! Professional genealogists and archivists will present programs for family history researchers at all levels on forensic genealogy, military records, Indiana archives, and more. Historical and genealogical groups will be here to answer questions and provide more information on their work throughout the event.
Conference Schedule
We have a great lineup of speakers. Check-in will begin at 12:30 PM, and our keynote speaker, Suzanne Hoffman, “The Genealogy Maven” will kick things off at 1 PM to speak about her career as a forensic genealogist. Hoffman is the current President of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a professional Forensic Genealogist, the Secretary of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, and a volunteer at the Wilmette FamilySearch Center. Genealogy is her passion.
Session Options at 2 PM
Genealogy Resources at the Indiana State Archives presented by Vicki Casteel
Join Vicki Casteel, Director of Patron Services at the Indiana State Archives and Record Administration, for an overview of the collections genealogists love, as well as records one might not think of as family history treasures. We’ll discuss the Research Indiana Index, partnerships with Family Search and Ancestry, and how to request and access records.
Early American Military Research with Theresa Green
Theresa Green, Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution State Registrar, will showcase ways to research military veterans from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Learn the types of genealogical information found in pension records and how to request them. Build a mini-timeline on a veteran and cite your sources to keep organized.
Break at 3 PM
From 3pm to 3:30pm, we’ll take a break, refreshments provided, and have the opportunity to learn more about local history and genealogy organizations, including the Hamilton County Historical Society, the Indiana Genealogical Society, and the Noblesville Preservation Alliance.
We’ll also have a drawing for five awesome prizes:
2 – One year memberships to Family Tree Webinars
1 – 12 month “Everything” Subscription to FindMyPast
1 – One year subscription to OldNews from MyHeritage
1 – One year subscription to the MyHeritage PhotoPlan
Then, we’ll jump back into learning with two more sessions.
Session Options at 3:30 PM
Help! I Don’t Speak the Language! Tips & Trick of Deciphering Foreign Language Documents presented by Katherine Schober
Learn the must-know tips and tricks that will make reading those foreign-language genealogical records much easier. From Microsoft Word hacks to invaluable online resources, discover the tools you need to make translating those foreign records much simpler – and much more fun. This speaker will present virtually, and attendees will watch in-person.
Dealing with Death Records presented by Jessica Layman
Cemeteries, funeral homes, death certificates, and more will be covered in this program all about records related to death. Learn where to look and how to interpret these records when searching for your ancestors.
I hope you can join us for Family History Day on Saturday, October 11! Don’t forget to register on our events calendar.
Please know that you are always welcome in the Crossroads Discovery Center, and we’d love to help and celebrate your genealogy discoveries year-round!