It has been a few weeks since I last posted and about a week since Cousin Peter and I returned from the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2026 Family History Conference, held this year in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
This was only my second time attending NGS. The first was in Charleston, South Carolina, back in 2011. This year, however, I had the extraordinary honor of presenting not once, but twice. In addition to having a conference proposal accepted, I was invited to serve as the opening speaker for FOCUS Day, a pre-conference event.
In truth, I almost didn't submit a proposal at all. Having never spoken at a national conference, I wasn't sure I would be accepted. What convinced me to apply w
as NGS's call for 20-minute Spotlight Talks, which seemed like an ideal way to get my foot in the door. Of course, I also had another motivation: I wanted an excuse to visit the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library, home to the largest genealogy collection maintained by a public library in the United States. Even better, one of my former students, Elizabeth, now works there as a genealogy librarian, and seeing her was high on my list of reasons for making the trip.
My Spotlight Talk, "From Broken to Belonging: How Replacing Victor's Headstone Reconnected My Family," was presented on the final day of the conference, Saturday, May 30. The presentation explored my effort to replace the broken headstone of my third great-grandfather. What began as a restoration project evolved into a deeper investigation of family history, uncovering forgotten relatives, long-lost records, and the tragic story of my great-great-grandfather's murder-suicide involving his wife's cousin; to be clear, he was the murderer. Along the way, the project connected me with relatives across multiple generations, who shared stories, photographs, documents, and financial support that ultimately made a new headstone possible. More than anything, it demonstrated how preserving family history can strengthen connections, honor the past, and bring people together around a shared story.
Before the conference officially began, I also had the privilege of speaking at FOCUS Day. Formerly known as Librarians' Day, the event has evolved into a more inclusive gathering for professionals from libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other institutions that support genealogy research.
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| A "Groupie" of my audience at FOCUS |
My presentation, "Critical Thinking and Empathy: Preparing Librarians to Meet Genealogy Patrons' Needs," drew on my 10+ years of experience teaching pre-service librarians on how to assist genealogy researchers. I discussed the importance of approaching both resources and researchers with empathy, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the human stories behind the records. The attendees shared thoughtful perspectives and valuable feedback that will help me refine future iterations of the course.
I also attended about 17 other presentations. Some of my favorites included the opening plenary by Sunny Jane Morton, "How Learning about the Past Can Change the Future: Family Stories and Intergenerational Identity"; "Documenting LGBTQIA+ Parenting in Genealogy: Law, Love, and Legacy" by Stewart Traiman; and "Connections Cross Caste: My Grandfather and His Jewish Mentor" by Andre Kearns.
Sunny's presentation emphasized that family history research is more than simply searching for records; it is a resource for understanding who we are. The events our ancestors lived through shaped their attitudes and behaviors, and those influences affected the environments in which we grew up, helping to shape our own experiences, perspectives, behaviors, etc.
Stewart's presentation reinforced for me the reality that families, not just LGBTQIA+ families, but all families, are far more complex than genealogy software allows us to represent adequately. He drew my attention to a new software called Archoral that allows for my dynamic family representation.
Andre discussed his research into the life of his grandfather and the importance of expanding research beyond direct family members through the FAN Club principle (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors). The story of his African American grandfather and his Jewish mentor demonstrated how meaningful connections can create opportunities that reshape destinies for generations to come.