Susan Goss Johnston

2015-2016 Presentations

• Breaking Down Brick Walls: An Introduction to the F.A.N. Club
  San Joaquin Genealogical Society, 21 April 2016
• Behind the Curtain: The Creation of Source Templates for the Master Genealogist
  Roots Users Group of Arlington, VA, Webinar, 9 April 2016
• An Introduction to American Military Records
  Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County, 7 April 2016 (Rescheduled from 7 January)
• Spreadsheets: The Wonderful Tool Genealogists Seldom Use (Workshop - Class is full! Waiting list only)
  California Genealogical Society and Oakland Family Search Library, 26 March 2016
• Fun with Genealogical Analysis: A Closer Look at the Third Element of the Genealogical Proof Standard
  Menlo Park Genealogy Club, 14 March 2016
• Finding Treasure in the Library of Congress and National Archives Websites (part of The Best Things in Life Are Free)
  San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society, 16 February 2016
• The Records Behind the World War I Draft Registration Cards: Can They Help Your Research?
  Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society, 14 January 2016
• An Introduction to American Military Records
  Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County, 7 January 2016 (Rescheduled!)
• Spreadsheets: The Wonderful Tool Genealogists Seldom Use (Workshop - Sold Out! Waiting list only)
  California Genealogical Society, 12 December 2015
• An Introduction to American Military Records
  Sun City Lincoln Hills Genealogy Club, 16 November 2015
• Adventures in Source Citations
  Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society, 9 November 2015
• Introducing State and Federal Land Records (Part of the Records Sets Series)
  California Genealogical Society, 24 October 2015
• Seeking City Slickers in Lesser-Known Records
  Mt. Diablo Genealogical Society, 16 October 2015
• An Introduction to American Military Records (Part of the Records Sets Series)
  California Genealogical Society, 12 September 2015
• Advancing Your Skills: Research Methodology & the Genealogical Proof Standard (Class is full - Registrations accepted for waiting list only)
  • Context and Evidence Analysis
  • Transcribe, Abstract, Think, and Plan
  • The Research Report and Proof Argument
  • Writing an Interesting Family History
  • Genealogy and the Law
  California Genealogical Society, Thursday evenings, 30 July - 27 August 2015

Meeting-length Presentations

These presentations are approximately 50 minutes in length. Mouse-over the presentation title for more information.

• Adventures in Source CitationsYes, source citation is a necessity, but it doesn't need to cause panic. When you learn these basic principles, you'll never need to wonder, "Where did that come from?" again!
• Assumption is the Mother of All Screw-ups!Genealogy research requires the creation of hypotheses, but those sneaky silent assumptions that creep into our work may result in maple branches being grafted on our oak trees. Once you understand these assumptions, you will be able to avoid them.
• Bounty Land and the War of 1812 SoldierSociologists and historians make frequent use of the many records created by the War of 1812 soldiers' quest for bounty land. Genealogists should do the same, but few know how to make their way through these valuable records. Learn more about the treasures that can be found by courageous researchers.
• Break Down Those Brick Walls!The records are gone - or they never existed - and you're about to give up on that impossible brick wall. It's time for cluster research. This presentation introduces the FAN method: search the Family, Associates, and Neighbors.
• Civil War Research: It's More than Pensions and the CMSRNo one doubts the value of military pensions in genealogical research, but infrequently used original records may contain unique treasures. Case histories illustrate how to find and use some of these records.
• "It Becomes My Painful Duty ...": Uncovering the Stories in Letters of CondolenceMore than 600,000 men died in the Civil War. The letters their families received may provide clues to records that will help uncover fascinating, but heart-breaking, stories about the soldiers and the ones they left behind.
• Making Sense of the 'Chicken-scratch' CensusesThose hard-to-read census schedules taken before 1850 seem to offer little information. With some creative analysis, though, they may be the key to solving a brick wall problem.
• "No Papers!" The Life of Uriah Stone - Revolutionary War PensionerYour ancestor's Revolutionary War pension files states simply, "No papers." What does this mean, and what records exist that might help fill in the blanks? Learn the answers in this case study recreating the life of a patriot forgotten by time.
• Online Research: Going Beyond AncestryLet's play a game. From one little clue, how much can you discover about a family using online sources? Use only the best records available. No online family trees allowed - and Ancestry is off-limits.
• Playing Hide-and-Seek in the U.S. CensusI can't find _____ anywhere!" If you've ever said these words, then this presentation is for you. Mini case studies illustrate the main reasons why researchers have difficulty locating individuals in the U.S. census and tips and tricks to overcome these problems.
• The Records Behind the World War I Draft Registration Cards: Can They Help Your Research?The 1973 fire in the National Personnel Records Center destroyed about 80% of World War I Army personnel records. Fill the gaps in your WWI soldier's military life with the records behind the World War I draft registration cards.
• Soldiers, Sailors, Privateers: Records from the War of 1812War of 1812 combatants comprise soldiers, sailors, privateers - even Native American tribes! Explore the many records that will help you reconstruct the life of your War of 1812 subject.
• Spreadsheets: Your Computer's Secret Genealogy Problem SolverDo you think that the only genealogy program you need is your genealogy software program? It's time to add another tool to your research toolbox. Spreadsheets will help you uncover patterns in documents and life events, identify problems in chronologies, and organize your records - and that's just the beginning!
• Writing Your Family History One Byte at a TimeWriting a family narrative is a great way to highlight conflicts and holes in your research; and a fascinating narrative will bring your family to life. If writing your family's story seems a daunting task, all you need to do is write it one byte at a time.

Course-length Presentations

These presentations are 90 to 115 minutes in length. Meeting-length editions may be available.

• American Military Records
• Context and Evidence Analysis
• Genealogy and the Law
• Immigration and Naturalization Records
• Seeking City Slickers: Maps, Directories, Tax Lists, and Other Fun Records
• Finding Country Cousins: Research in Land and Property Records

Seminar-length Presentations

• The Best Things in Life Are Free: Finding and Using Free Online Genealogy Resources
  First presented November 2009, this seminar includes three fifty-minute studies and an optional afternoon problem-solving workshop.
• American Military Research
  First presented August 2008, this seminar includes two fifty-minute presentations and an optional afternoon interactive workshop.
  Morning Presentations
  • "American Military Records - What's Available Online . . . And What's Not!"
  Afternoon Workshop
  • "Going Beyond the Obvious: Problem-solving with Online Military Records"