Going to Fort Wayne

©Art Explosion

You may know by now, but there is a big family history conference in the Midwestern United States sponsored by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). This year it is in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2009 I had been there while teaching for the International Black Genealogy Summit. I am greatly honored to be a guest teacher with a handful of FGS workshops this year. This is a special event for me because I am bringing my  mother—and I'm not asking her to work for me (well, unless she insists!).

Recently, I was a guest in Sweden for a fascinating show produced by Sveriges Television called Allt För Sverige. In America it is known as the Great Swedish Adventure. It will air in October, 2013. When I returned from Sweden, I brought home a beautiful, priceless gift of missing family history on my mother's side. Although my experience was both wonderful and painful, I came back home with priceless genealogical information.

My mother is a second-generation Swedish American (100%). She and her family lost touch with relatives after her grandfather died. Regarding family, up until I arrived in Sweden, no one in America had any idea of who or what was in Sweden. So now, when we go to this conference, we take on the full force of a way of life: Genealogy.

Although I'll be very busy teaching and meeting folks at the conference, my mother will be busy learning more about the methods of compiling research for family history.