Looking Ahead to Day 4 Roots Tech (Sat. March 7) or Dallas Genealogical Society General Meeting?

 

Saturday keynote speaker will be available via this link:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/rootstech-2026-general-session-3-steve-young

Ari Wilkins is speaking on Saturday at 11 am CT at DGS but there will be NO replay.

Whether virtually or in person, join us "live".

“If you blink, you’ll miss it!” Did your ancestor come from a one-horse town or an unincorporated community? Learn about researching country ancestors! This lecture will discuss a variety of census records; land records; maps (including census enumeration, postal route and cadastral maps); rural directories; newspapers and other sources. It will also discuss methodology and state of the art tools for mapping and researching our rural ancestors.

https://dallasgenealogy.org/general-meeting/

Day 3 - RootsTech - Friday March 6

 

(1) Miss today's keynote session?

Watch replay at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/rootstech-2026-general-session-2-tara-roberts

Or, check Tara Robert's book website at: https://www.tararoberts.me/written-in-the-waters

(2) Trying to focus on which webinars to watch?

Go to RootsTech Schedule and filter by topics such as Breaking Through Brickwalls, Census, and Compiled Sources. You also can filter by Speaker and by Skill Level.

(3) Wishing you could see "In Person" only sessions as a virtual attendee?  

Click on those sessions and download handouts and/or slides.  Related Content may also provide previous videos to watch.

Day 2 - RootsTech - Thur March 5 - Online Expo is open!

 

Browse the multitude of offers now live on:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/

(1) Search by Company or Category (such as Charts, DNA, Storytelling, Records, Preservation, Technology, Association, Society, Library).

(2) You also can browse "All Offers". This is an excellent time of year for a discounted price for something new (or perhaps lower a rate if close to a renewal). 

(3) Try this vendor as an example - FamilyTreeDNA

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/familytreedna

Here you'll find that you can upload DNA data for free (along with other promotions).

Plus, this link takes you to:

CLASSES

PRODUCT DEMOS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (downloadable)

(4) Don't forget to check the Sponsors links since they usually announce "What's News?"

e.g., https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/familysearch

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/ancestry

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/myheritage

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/expohall/findmypast

Day 1 - RootsTech - Wed. March 4 (online)

 

RootsTech in person  is Thurs/Fri/Sat (March 5-7), but videos can be watched now.

Tips:

(1) Once you have registered for RootsTech (see previous post), create "My Schedule". 

When logged in, you can see your schedule in one place, so it's easy to play the videos.

(2) Look at your "Watch History" to see what you already viewed.

(3) For sessions with handouts, download them - helps with note-taking and for future reference.

(4) Don't forget to contact "Relatives at RootsTech" (see previous post). You might have a better likelihood of a response with many people online this week.

(5) Do you have favorite professional genealogists that you follow via social media or emails? Watch for their RootsTech insider tips and any special offers.  Some are in Salt Lake City in person, but many are online.

RootsTech with a Texas Focus

 

Discover the Innovative Genealogy and Archival Projects Shaping Texas

https://dallasgenealogy.org/texas-connect-2026/

CLICK on the "View Flyer" LINK so that you can see the many experts who will be speaking. Recordings will be available for anything you miss live.

RootsTech will be hosting their live Texas Connect virtual session on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 9:00 – 11:00 am CST. This event brings spotlights outstanding genealogical and archival projects as well as collaborative and innovative work that is happening across the Lone Star State.

This will be a virtual even host on Zoom. Participants will be able to join one of the 19 break-out rooms to hear a short presentation followed by a question & answer period. Transitions (opportunity to go to a different break-out room) will occur every 20 minutes.

• You can join the live event on the 7^th at  https://tinyurl.com/TXConnect2026
• You will be able to view recordings of this years event (and view recordings from previous years) at  https://tinyurl.com/TXConnectYouTube
• View the flyer for more information

Tony Hanson will be conducting one of the sessions, sharing information about how the DGS has integrated the digital images of their publications in the society website.

Those of you who are planning to be at the library for the March7 General Meeting can stop by the Stone Room (located just outside of the O’Hara room) and watch parts of the Texas Connect presentation beginning at 9:00.

RootsTech - Check All Sponsors (Boston Tea Party Descendants as an example)

 

If you’re looking for world-class family history products and services, you’ll want to see what RootsTech sponsors have to offer! With trusted solutions, innovative products, free samples, and incredible deals, they may have just what you need for the next step of your family history adventure.

RootsTech, the largest international genealogy conference, is available to attend in person or online. If you’re attending RootsTech in person in Salt Lake City, you can visit our sponsors in the RootsTech Expo Hall. If you’re attending online, you can visit the virtual Expo Hall, where you'll have access to many of our sponsors’ booths. You can even interact with them online and ask questions.

Register for RootsTech Today

Get to know our valued sponsors below. They are categorized by sponsor level—platinum, gold, silver, bronze, or society—and then listed alphabetically in each level. Be sure to visit their websites to learn more and to find out about any special RootsTech deals!

Here's one I want to learn more about during the conference:

Boston Tea Party Descendants Program

The Boston Tea Party Descendants® Program is dedicated to fostering interest in genealogical connections to the Boston Tea Party participants, their families, and those involved in the colonial rebellion in Boston. The program is a growing resource for descendants, researchers, and organizations, providing access to historical documents, guidance from American Ancestors’ genealogists, lesson plans, oral histories, digital exhibits, and more.

Explore the Boston Tea Party Descendants online portal to discover and contribute to this remarkable historical archive.

https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-descendants

One week to Go until RootsTech - MyHeritage

 

Consider following this blog about MyHeritage as they announce speakers at RootsTech, plus any special offers and other news.

https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/02/myheritage-heads-to-rootstech-2026/

MyHeritage team members will present lectures as part of the official conference program. Here is the schedule of a few of the RootsTech 2026 lectures.

NOTE:  Be sure to check the time zone listed (most show the Salt Lake City time).

Thursday, March 5, 2026

9:30 A.M. MT — Room 151
Obituaries as Priceless Genealogy Resources
Daniel Horowitz, Genealogy Expert at MyHeritage

3:00 P.M. MT — Room 150
Genealogy for the Non-Genealogist: How to Engage Family and Friends with Family History
Erica Edvi, Head of Global Brand, MyHeritage

4:30 P.M. MT — Ballroom B
Genealogy, Upgraded: AI and Smart Tools on MyHeritage
Daniel Horowitz, Genealogy Expert at MyHeritage

Friday, March 6, 2026

8:00 A.M. MT — Room 151
Your Genes, Your Story: Exploring MyHeritage DNA
Ran Snir, VP Product, MyHeritage

1:30 P.M. MT — Room 151
Session with Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage

Saturday, March 7, 2026

3:00 P.M. MT — Room 151
Record-Breaking Records: MyHeritage’s Fastest-Growing Genealogy Record Collection
Myko Clelland, Director of Content at MyHeritage

For updates during the conference, follow MyHeritage on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

It's Time for RootsTech 2026!

 

Find Relatives at Roots Tech is "live" now

https://www.familysearch.org/en/connect/8a37fa20-0398-41a6-b391-0b33657a9976/

If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so here:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/registration/online/

RootsTech - March 6-8, 2025

 

RootsTech, the largest genealogy conference, takes place March 6-8, and it is free to attend online. There are over 150 online sessions. If you haven't registered yet, use this link Register Here. Sessions are available after the conference ends in case you can't watch all the sessions you want to in one weekend. 

Relatives at RootsTech?

Are you participating in RootsTech this year, either in person or virtually? If so, you might enjoy this blog post by Roberta Estes - Relatives at RootsTech Reveals Cousins and Provides DNA Candidates. She shares how to find out if any of your relatives have also registered for RootsTech. There are several ways to sort through your list of participating relatives such as location, by ancestor, and family line. Roberta mentions to check back often because more people will be registering. The final day Relatives at RootsTech will be available is April 12th. 

I found out that Roberta and I are 10th cousins. These connections do need to be verified. For example, I have documented 6-7 generations back on that line but need to confirm beyond that. It's interesting to see the connections that pop up to other attendees, but it's even more exciting to be given a list of clues to follow that will hopefully lead to more confirmed ancestors.

 Genealogy News

Celebrate 18 years of Fold3 with a 40% discount! Buy now. Offer ends 27 January 2025.

The Names & Stories project at MyHeritage has been completed, adding 11.6 billion new records! These records were extracted from historical newspapers spanning all 50 U.S. states, as well as Canada, Australia, and the U.K. Read more about this historic achievement at the MyHeritage Blog.

The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook, by Thomas MacEntee, is available for free with Kindle Unlimited. Amazon link here.

Registration for Applied Genealogy Institute's Spring 2025 Session will open from January 15th - January 22nd, 2025! There will be five exciting classes held this session. You can review the dates, cost, and class outlines on the website: https://appliedgen.institute/spring-2025-classes/

American Ancestors is hosting a Virtual Open House Webinar on Wednesday, January 29th, from 3:00-4:00pm. During the open house you will learn how the databases, genealogists, and millions of unique collections at American Ancestors can help! This discussion will highlight the many benefits and services available to members. This will be a great way to find out if American Ancestors would be useful to your research. Learn More and Register.

Registration is open for the Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group with Cyndi Ingle. Saturdays, 4pm, Feb 15-March 29, 2025. $95. These Zoom sessions will be a beginner/low-intermediate level class to study the book “Mastering Genealogical Proof” by Thomas W. Jones. Click here for more information.

The Roundtable Recap - Land Records blog post in November shares information and links we discussed during the November Roundtable meeting. If you are interested in an additional live presentation concerning land records, The Mesquite Historical and Genealogical Society is hosting a seminar on the subject January 9, 2025. Genealogist Sara Cochran will be speaking about the value of State and Federal land records and the many ways they can be helpful in research. Click here to register for this Zoom meeting.

Find the Generation of Connection with Your Mystery DNA Matches is a free webinar being presented by YourDNAGuide on January 16, 2025. Register here to learn these helpful steps.

The National Genealogical Society is offering its Foundations in Family History course. Details can be found here. Also, if you purchase a new NGS gift membership through January 31, 2025, you will be entered into a drawing to win one of five valuable prizes to be given away on February 3, 2025. More information is available in the Upfront with NGS blog.

Registration is now open for more than 170 upcoming live webinars in 2025 at Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Many of these are free to view live and for the following 7 days.

FamilySearch celebrated its 130^th anniversary as an organization in 2024 along with the 25^th anniversary of their popular website, FamilySearch.org. Highlights of their year can be found in the FamilySearch Year in Review 2024 blog post.

MyHeritage celebrated their 20^th anniversary in 2024. The blog post, Wrapping Up 2024: MyHeritage Year in Review, has a month by month recap of their year and also includes interesting statistics such as 13 billion historical records added.

RootsTech will be held March 6^th – 8^th. Information about speakers, registration, in-person and online classes, and more can be found here.

Just in case you missed the holiday sale at Ancestry, they are currently offering 50% off 6-month memberships. The sales ends January 16^th.