Advanced German Research Course at the Salt Lake Institute in January 2015

Do you have German ancestors? Would you like to find out how to effectively research your German heritage? This advanced methods course is designed for genealogists with basic church book experience who are ready to develop advanced skills. In addition, students have the opportunity to put their new found knowledge and skills to work researching in the German resources at the Family History Library

F. Warren Bittner, CG is the coordinator for this in-depth German course. He is joined by well-known instructors Baerbel Johnson, Michael Lacopo, Fritz Juengling, and Daniel Jones. They will provide their expertise covering the following topics over the course of the week:

• Historical Overview of Germany 
• German Territories, Maps and Jurisdictions 
• Meyers Gazetteer: Bible of German Research 
• Research in the 19 Century German States 
• Difficult Immigrant Examples 
• German Research in Eastern Areas 
• Methods for Identifying the German Origins of American Immigrants
• Proving Immigrant Identities: The Case of Dora Lühr 
• Social Levels and Occupations 
• German Marriage Laws and Customs 
• Reading for Historical Context 
• German Social History and Genealogical Research 
• Online Church Resources and Village Family Books 
• What’s New in German Internet Research 
• Guilds and Their Records 
• German Research and the Law 
• Complex Evidence: The Case of Balthasar Weber 
• Complex Evidence: The Gard family of Hesse 
• Beyond the Church Books 
• Onsite Research in German Archives 

Find additional information on SLIG at http://www.infouga.org/cpage.php?pt=42.

In SLIG 2015 Learn How to Transform Evidence

In SLIG's new course--"From Confusion to Conclusion," learn how to transform evidence into a coherent, understandable, written proof argument.

Coordinators Kimberly Powell and Harold Henderson, CG, along with instructors Bill Litchman and Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG; have developed a course to help genealogists learn how to transform the three-dimension complexity of evidence through lectures and case studies. The week will demonstrate how published authors analyze, correlate, resolve contradictions. Exercise will provide hands-on practice with a variety of tools and techniques for making data understandable in written form.

Lecture topics include:

• How Writing Makes Us Better Problem-Solvers

• Untangling the Knots: Practice with Analysis & Correlation

• Using Spreadsheets to Bring Evidence to Life

• Detachable Tools for Analysis and Correlation

• From Tools to Prose: Communicating Analysis

• Working with a Mind to Publication

• Writing Up and Indirect-Evidence Case with No Conflicts

• From Research to Final Product: Gathering Your Ancestor's Wits About You

• Tools and Strategies for Resolving Conflicts

• How an Almost-Unsolved Case Became an Award-Winning Article

• Practice in Resolving Conflicts

• Assembling and Structuring Your Argument for Logic and Understanding

• Tools for Organizing Your Research and Writing

• Writing Up Case Studies with Conflicts -- Sometimes Easier, Sometimes Not

• Making Your Point: Proof Argument Workshop Part 1

• Making Your Point: Proof Argument Workshop Part 2

• Making Decisions: What to Include and How to Present It

• Editing Proof Arguments, Your Own and Others'

• Summary, Wrap-Up, and Where to Go From Here

Registration opens Saturday, June 14th at 9:00 AM Mountain Time. For additional information on the course see http://ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=329. For information on SLIG refer to: http://www.infouga.org/cpage.php?pt=42. 

SLIG Offers a Comprehensive Military Records Course in 2015

As noted in the description of the course (http://www.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=339), "[w]ars by their nature create records, however records are created in the aftermath of war also. There is the pension application file(s) or a bounty land application file(s). But there is so much more in addition to these records. There is pension law, payment ledgers, payment vouchers, public and private claims, correspondence, state claims, soldiers homes, and burial records."

Coordinator Craig Scott and his team of expert instructors will be covering the following topics in this week-long, intensive course: 

• Pension Law 
• Pension Application Files 
• Payment Ledgers 
• Payment Vouchers, Last Payment Vouchers, Final Payment Vouchers
• Colonial Bounty Land 
• State Bounty Lands 
• Federal Bounty Lands 
• Homestead Act and the Military
• Public and Private Claims
• Post-war Correspondence 
• State Claims to the Federal Government
• Soldiers Homes
• Veteran’s Administration Records 
• Veterans Burial Records 
• Obtaining Military Records and Awards 
• Fraternal and Lineage Societies

This course will leave you with many ideas and resources to explore for your own ancestors after the week is over.

Join Craig Scott, CG; Debra Mieszala, CG; Rick Sayre, CG, CGL; and Michael Hall, CG in January 2015 for this in-depth military records course. Seating is limited, so be ready to enroll when registration opens at 9:00 AM Mountain Time on Saturday, June 14th! For more information: http://www.infouga.org/cpage.php?pt=42.