"Why didn't I know about RootsTech sooner?" I asked myself after seeing a small poster on a cluttered bulletin board Sunday 2/6. I had stopped in my tracks while walking a twin baby. The conference was that week in the Salt Palace, attracting a large number of family-history exhibitors (including Dell, Microsoft and FamilySearch), gurus and genealogists. It was a real-life social networking opportunity. (Without using Facebook, I actually ran into some old friends I had not seen in years!)
Wearing running shoes at the free expo, I quickly gathered literature to read later (yeah, right -- like OCH). It was fascinating; and I loved the free candy (energy food) and the round-trip FrontRunner train ride -- my first!
A few samples:
A few samples:
"Do you share hidden talents with long-forgotten ancestors? / Why learn ...?"
-- ancestry.com (one of the largest, most impressive exhibits)
"What's Behind Your Brick Wall?" -- Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (in the Utah Genealogical Association)
-- ancestry.com (one of the largest, most impressive exhibits)
"What's Behind Your Brick Wall?" -- Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (in the Utah Genealogical Association)
"Nothing beats the original / Explore over 70 million historical documents"
-- footnote.com (and of course, their blog.footnote.com)
"Have You Been Digitized?" -- DMT Publishing (North Salt Lake, Utah) for preservation of priceless family histories and records; (several exhibitors recommended I visit DMT for eBook publishing, but they left early Friday.)
Only one exhibitor obviously didn't want to talk to me. I won't mention the company name -- young hired help, apparently waiting "for a good time."
"Discover your family tree / It's fun, easy, and free." (poetic!)
-- FamilySearch ("... digital images from over 100 countries. Free research help online and in 4,600 local family history centers worldwide ..."
-- familysearch.org
"Premium Family History Software, Products and Services Since 1994" /
"Family History Products to Help Organize - Find - Share - Preserve" / "Easy to share on gift CD/DVD" (I learned to create and label hot spots on photos!)
-- HeritageCollector.com
The whole time, I thought of our close friend Hayle, who is the ultimate
"action man" when it comes to family history and follow-up work. For decades he has tirelessly researched, and has published several hard-bound personal and family history books. Hayle was an ordinance worker in his 80's , and later was teaching others how to research and compile information on 130 computers at the Ogden Regional Family History Center. This avid mountain climber recently took a deserved break for a hip replacement. Hayle has regularly taken his grandchildren to do temple work (that which they are able to do) with large numbers of names. Their beloved ancestors have agency to accept or reject it; I have a feeling they've been eagerly waiting for a long time.
"action man" when it comes to family history and follow-up work. For decades he has tirelessly researched, and has published several hard-bound personal and family history books. Hayle was an ordinance worker in his 80's , and later was teaching others how to research and compile information on 130 computers at the Ogden Regional Family History Center. This avid mountain climber recently took a deserved break for a hip replacement. Hayle has regularly taken his grandchildren to do temple work (that which they are able to do) with large numbers of names. Their beloved ancestors have agency to accept or reject it; I have a feeling they've been eagerly waiting for a long time.
