Ogden Utah FamilySearch Center 2015 Conference presenter biography

= 2015 Ogden FamilySearch Library Conference = for link to the root Conference Wiki page click HERE

Presenter Biographicals (listed in alphabetical order) with class titles
Scott Allen Scott has a MS degree in Instructional Technology and is an Instructional Technologist at Ogden-Weber Tech College. During his spare time, Scott enjoys learning about his family history and using technology to share information online and make connections with living relatives. Scott and his family reside in West Point, Utah. Presentation Title: 55. Working with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch Family Tree 

Amy Archibald Amy Archibald is a family historian and reunion organizer with a passion for teaching others. She has spent 30 years researching her own family and 20 years teaching others. She lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Presentation Titles: 7. Piecing Together the Evidence 22. Facebook for Family History 43. Overwhelmed …. Paralyzed? Time to get Organized! 59. Linking the Generations: Sharing Eternal Family Keepsakes

Roland Astorga A penchant for genealogy began at age of around 10 years old for Roland Astorga when he discovered that the family name originated from Spain. His affinity for documenting history continued via stories, photographs and video. Utilizing the synergies of high-speed digitizing equipment, Google and genealogy webpages Roland established My Family Online, a full-service genealogy company. Today the company assists families and organizations around the world to preserve, publish, research and expand their family trees through their network of over 1,000 professionals. Subscribers benefit from a full-suite of services including research, digitalization, translation, transcription, publishing, photograph touch-up, and other services. Roland and Polly are the parents of 6 children and 7 grandchildren. Presentation Title: 27. Genealogy Tips and Tricks

Doris Bateman Doris Bateman graduated from Davis High, attended WSU and graduated from BYU with a degree in Sociology and Psychology. She has worked in various social service work positions. She has been actively working in and teaching family history for the last twenty plus years, and has been a Stake Family History consultant. Currently she is a Family History Consultant in her ward and serves on the staff of the Ogden Family History Center where she has taught classes in Roots Magic, FamilySearch, and documentation. She is married to Douglas G. Bateman and has 6 children and 9 grandchildren. Presentation Titles: 1. How Do I Start My Family History? 30. Documentation Made Easy—It’s All About Sources!

Brooke Bedke I am a junior at Weber High School. Some of my hobbies are playing the piano and horse back riding! I got started into family search because I wanted to take names to the temple and perform the ordinances there. I was then called to be a youth family history consultant in my ward, where I have learned so much from others and have really loved making connections with my ancestors. I hope that you can all find the same interest and love for it as I do! Presentation Title: 14. YOUTH LDS Family History Consultants

Mike Booth Michael T. Booth is vice-president of RootsMagic, Inc. He is an accomplished trainer, having given hands-on entertaining presentations to thousands of individuals. With over 35 years of computer programming experience, Michael's latest creations are "Personal Historian" and "Family Atlas". He is also a developer of the popular RootsMagic genealogy software. Michael lives in Ogden, Utah with his wife, Sandy and their six children. Presentation Titles: 37. Personal Historian: Software to Bring Life to Your Life Stories 52. What’s New in RootsMagic 7 65. RootsMagic: FamilySearch Made Easy

Kathleen Buckmaster Kathleen Buckmaster works at the Ogden FamilySearch Library, helping patrons one-on-one and teaching a popular FamilySearch Family Tree Basic class. She has worked extensively adding sources and correcting problems in her own family tree as well as that of her husband and a neighbor. She enjoys helping people see how mastering FamilySearch Family Tree can enrich their lives and extend their families. Presentation Title: 26. LAB FamilySearch for Beginners 67. Repeat LAB FamilySearch for Beginners

Mckenna Cooper Mckenna Cooper is a senior at Brigham Young University, graduating in Anthropology and Family History. She currently works for the Nauvoo Community Project at BYU as a researcher and recently completed an internship at the FamilySearch Library as a Czech specialist. Presentation Title: 16. Early LDS newspapers: an underutilized resource

Courtney Connolly Courtney Connolly has been with FamilySearch for three years, spreading the word to help others discover the joy of family history. She manages the global marketing communications for indexing and oversees the worldwide indexing events. Presentation Title: 57. Indexing: Fuel the Find for Members Around the World

Emma Lu Draper Emma Lu Draper is a wife, mother of seven, and grandmother. She is an author and lecturer. She enjoys writing histories, life events, articles for "Real Life Answers", "Primary in Zion", and "thisandthat3165", which is her personal blog. She takes pleasure in playing the piano and belongs to a piano guild, also she enjoys her Zen garden. She has served for a number of years at the Ogden Family Search Library and serves as a Family History Consultant. She holds a degree in English and Communication, also a Master Degree in Education and has taught literature, writing skills, and drama classes as a Junior High School teacher in the Davis School District. She and her husband have served together on four missions. Presentation Title: 32. How to Write Your Personal History

Linda Dursteler Linda has an M.Ed. in curriculum development. She has spent most of her life researching her own family and helping others find theirs. She currently serves as a missionary at the Ogden FamilySearch Library. She and her husband Bruce reside in North Ogden. Presentation Title: 13. LAB Descendancy Research in FamilySearch Family Tree 53. Repeat LAB Descendancy Research in FamilySearch Family Tree

Carolina Espinoza Carolina nació en Santiago de Chile. Actualmente, ella es voluntaria del CHF de Ogden y Lider de HF de su barrio, lo cual ayuda a muchas familias hacer su genealo gía. Su meta es lograr lo que Nuestro Padre Celestial le ha mandado, “hacer la obra vicaria por todos sus antepasados fallecidos”. Ella ama la obra del templo y dice que es un arduo, largo pero hermoso camino que las bendiciones vienen a diario en la vida cuando nuestro Padre Celestial nos da un gozo infinito e indescriptible. Las bendiciones están a la puerta y solo hay que tomarlas y trabajar juntos con el Señor. Carolina esta a cargo de la sociedad genealogica de los hispanos en Ogden Utah. Presentation Title: 39. SPANISH Tus Búsquedas de Antepasados en Registros Históricos de FamilySearch

Gaylon Findlay Gaylon Findlay is the president of Incline Software, the company that creates Ancestral Quest. Incline Software is based in South Jordan, Utah. Gaylon has been developing genealogy software since 1993, and is the primary author of both Ancestral Quest and Personal Ancestral File. Prior to his work in genealogy, he spent his high school years in Frankfurt, Germany, served an mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Finland, graduated from Brigham Young University and spent 12 years in the San Francisco Bay Area as a computer consultant. He is married to Gale Johnson of Westminster, California, and they are the parents of 5 children. Presentation Titles: 12. What’s New in Ancestral Quest 38. Ancestral Quest: Keeping Your AQ or PAF Data in Sync with FamilySearch

Holly T. Hansen Holly T. Hansen, President and Founder of Family History Expos, Inc. Has been instrumental in helping thousands understand the principles, strategies, and sources they can use to tract their roots in today's ever-changing technological environment. She is the mastermind behind more than 50 Family History Expos, held across the United States, and numerous Retreats at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and other repositories in diverse cities. She is dedicated to helping individuals and families, one-on-one, with their personal research needs. Currently, she is involved creating podcasts, webinars, and video presentations to help people move forward in their family history endeavors from the comforts of home. Holly's titles include author, lecturer, editor, and publisher. In 2015 she has co-authored and compiled eight research guides with James L. Tanner, Arlene, H. Eakle, and others. She has produced more than 100 unique syllabus and class handout books for Family History Expos attendees. She is a former editor of Everton's Genealogical Helper magazine, and editor of the 10th and 11th editions of The Handybook for Genealogists, with more than one million copies sold. She has also authored The Directory of North American Railroads, Trekking for Ancestors, and co-authored a series of 16 family history interview books entitled Celebrating and Capturing the Memories. Holly and her husband, Chris P. Hansen, have been married for 37 years and are the parents of five remarkable children. Holly received an Honors BA in History from Weber State University and continues to dedicate time to education on a daily basis. . Presentation Titles: 45. Deductive Reasoning and Logic 61. Introduction to the NEW FamilySearch Catalog: Use it like a Pro!

Emil O. Hanson, Ph.D. Emil O. Hanson, PhD., is currently serving as the Director of the Ogden Family History Center. He has been an educator most of his adult life, retiring 18 years ago, as the Dean of Student Administrative Services at Weber State University. He is married and is the father of 6 adult children with many grand and great grandchildren. He is a convert to the Latter-day Saint faith and will testify of the importance of family history work. Presentation Titles: 3. Writing Your Personal History 31. Research Using the Ogden FamilySearch Library’s Website--Ogdenfsl.org

Joanne Hanson Joanne was born and raised in Salt lake city, Utah. She graduated from West high School and Business school in Salt Lake. She later graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She is married to Emil O. Hanson, Director of the Ogden Family History Center. She is the Mother of five boys plus one daughter and another daughter (a Niece) Grandmother and Great Grandmother of many special ‘beings’. She retired as teacher and coordinator at Head Start with Ogden City Schools. She has served with her husband as a missionary and a volunteer at the Ogden Family History Center for the past seventeen years. She has taught many courses at the center over that period of time and been a presenter at many family history conferences. She has been a co-creator of Teaching manuals and a CR for the center. She has been a lifelong volunteer in church activities and was a leader in the Cub Scouts program for over fourteen years. She is the third generation family history gatherer with a daughter coming along as the fourth generation. Presentation Title: 44. “I Didn’t Know That!”

Nicole Hepler Nicole Hepler is a family history enthusiast. She volunteers at the Ogden FamilySearch Library and teaches the Family History Consultant Training class at the Library each month. Nicole has seen the miracles that come to individuals who engage in family history. She has also witnessed the amazing blessings that come to families who participate together in family history work. Nicole, her husband Bryan and their three children have been actively involved in family history for the last 10 years: indexing, sourcing, researching, and participating in temple work for the ancestors of their family. Along with their three children, they have enjoyed learning about and understanding the lives of their ancestors. Presentation Title: 28. LDS Family History consultant &amp; Priesthood Leadership Training

Janet Hovorka Janet Hovorka owns Family ChartMasters, an award winning genealogy chart printing service and official printing service for most genealogy software and database companies. Janet has written the Zap The Grandma Gap books and workbooks and is an international speaker. She is past president of UGA and teaches genealogy at SLCC. Presentation Titles: 17. 6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet 33. Grandpa’s on my Ipad: Sharing Your Family History with your Family Using Social Networking 41. Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families and the Simple Tech of How to Do It

Matthew Hovorka Matthew was only 4 years old when his parents started the company Family ChartMasters and enveloped his life in genealogy. He is now 15 and has developed extensive knowledge about his rich family history. He is working on correctly sourcing the history that has already been researched in his family. Presentation Title: 4. YOUTH Get to Know Your Geezers

Peg A. Ivanyo Peg A Ivanyo serves as a ward family history consultant, member of the Board of Directors of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA), Director of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), and Conference Administrator for the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS). She served as an instructor and as a member of the training committee at the Springville FHC for over five years. She is owner of All Things Related, where she blends her love of genealogy with her career in the meeting planning industry. Presentation Titles: 29. Making a Case for Re-Proving Old Work 42. Getting Started on the Right Foot: Genealogy Standards for Beginners 58. Using Technology to See your Research More Clearly

Kelsee Jackson Currently a senior at Brigham Young University majoring in Family History, Kelsee has completed family history internships in Austria and England, researching in archives and churches throughout both countries. Her areas of emphasis include experience in both German and British records. Presentation Titles: 34. Getting Started with your German Family History 48. Identifying the German Hometown: Using Sources from Both Sides of the Ocean 62. Germans in American Church Records

Julie Judd Julie Judd has been climbing her own family tree for over 20 years and teaching others for the past 5 years. She is currently studying history at USU to better understand her ancestors’ world. She resides in Utah with her husband, four children, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and dog. Presentation Title: 59. Linking the Generations: Sharing Eternal Family Keepsakes

Fritz Juengling PhD, AG® Doctor Juengling did his Bachelor’s degrees in German studies and Secondary Education at Western Oregon University. He received his Master’s and Doctorate in Germanic Philology with minors in both English and Linguistics at the University of Minnesota. He is an Accredited Genealogist® in German research and is a German, Dutch, and Scandinavian Research Consultant at the FamilySearch Library. Presentation Titles: 2. Tips for Genealogical Research 36. Danish Probate Records

Don Koldewyn Don Koldewyn graduated from Weber High School, Weber State College and the University of Utah. After retiring fourteen years ago, he has been “anxiously engaged in a good cause,” which is family history research, specializing in the Netherlands. He is a ward Family History Consultant and a volunteer at the Ogden Family History Center, where he is always excited to help people learn how to use the online Netherlands databases. He also conducts the Netherlands Research Society meetings where those involved with Dutch Family History meet and help each other with research. Presentation Title: 6. Netherlands Research on Line

Bradley Marchant Bradley D. Marchant, AG is an accredited Swedish genealogist. Having spent over half of his life in the pursuit of genealogical research, he has a lot of expertise, excitement and enthusiasm. Currently an employee of Familysearch, he organizes and catalogs newly digitized family history records from around the world. He is known for his odd sense of humor and no-nonsense approach to research. When not spending his time in research, he is found renovating his house, chasing after his dog, or restoring antique furniture. He is also working on becoming a foster-adopt parent in the great state of Utah. Presentation Titles: 10. How to Think Logically for Beginners and Intermediate Researchers: Work Smarter, not Harder! 47. British Descendant Research Part A: 1837-1911 63. British Descendant Research Part B: One-name studies and Pre-1837 Research

Lisa McBride AG®  Lisa is an Accredited Genealogist ® in Mid-South US Research. She and her husband have 8 children and 17 grandchildren. Currently she is part of the FamilySearch Family History Center Services team managing relationships and communication with directors for FamilySearch centers in North America. She serves as the ICAPGen Corresponding Secretary. Presentation Title: 5.Great Internet Sites to Use for U.S. Family History: 15. Expanding your Family Tree through Descendancy Research

Kolten Nay My name is Kolten Nay, and I live in Pleasant View. I am a junior at Weber High School, where I play football. I have been called to be a FamilyHistory Youth Consultant in my ward. I index, and have started to get into using FamilySearch to find names to take to the temple. There's always more to learn, but I think I know enough and can learn more to able to pass some knowledge on to others through this opportunity to serve. Presentation Title: 14. YOUTH LDS Family History consultants

Mark Olsen Working as the Business Development Manager for MyHeritage and as Stake High Councilor over Family History, Mark is engaged in the work of Family History from morning until night and the weekend as well. Mark and Sara are the parents of 7, have one grandbaby and one daughter serving a mission in San Jose, CA. Presentation Title: 24. Making Magical Discoveries Using MyHeritage

Linda Poulter Linda Poulter is passionate about her callings as a stake indexing director and a foreign language missionary. Presentation Title: 40. LAB Indexing: Foreign Languages are Fun; Focus on Italian

Geoff Rasmussen Geoffrey D. Rasmussen is the father of four budding genealogists. He graduated with a degree in Genealogy and Family History from Brigham Young University and has served as director and vice-president of the Utah Genealogical Association. He is a dynamic genealogy speaker on all forms of genealogy technology, and as host of the Legacy Family Tree webinar series, has spoken virtually to nearly 100 different countries. He has authored books, videos, articles, and websites, and develops the Legacy Family Tree software program. On a personal note, Geoff enjoys playing the piano, organ, cello, basketball and bowling. His favorite places are cemeteries, the ocean, and hanging out with other genealogists. He met and proposed to his wife in a Family History Center. He is the author of the recently-released, Kindred Voices: Listening for our Ancestors, and the popular books Legacy Family Tree, Unlocked! and Digital Imaging Essentials book. Presentation Titles: 8. Genealogy Serendipity – Listening For Our Ancestors 21. Technology and Techniques for Differentiating Two People with the Same Name 51. Organizing, Researching and Sharing with Legacy Family Tree 66. Using Timelines to Locate our Ancestors

Edith Reeves Edith Reeves graduated from Davis High and Weber State College with a major in History and minor in Library Science. She selected both fields with the intent of researching family history. She served a mission in the Switzerland Zurich Mission. She married Ben Reeves a year after her return. They have 5 children and 7 grandchildren. Currently she is serving as Family History Consultant, and has recently been released as a church service missionary in Family Tree and Product Support. As a staff member at the Ogden FamilySearch Library, Edith teaches classes in FamilySearch Family Tree. Presentation Title: 56. Fixing Data in FamilySearch Family Tree

Marlo Schuldt Marlo Schuldt is President of LifeStory Productions, Inc., an Orem, Utah based company that develops family history software and provides assistance to individuals desiring to gather, prepare, print, and share family history. With BS and MS degrees from Brigham Young University, he recently patented the Heritage Collector Software. He is the father of five and the grandfather of twelve including twin grandsons. Presentation Titles: 11. Scanning for Better Results 23. Heritage Collector Software Demo 49. Creating Audio and Video Family History Stories: Creating/Recording, Enhancing, and Sharing 64. Ways to Use a Smart Phone in Family History

Gene A. Sessions Ph.D. Gene A. Sessions is Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of History at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. A native of Ogden, he received his Ph.D. degree from Florida State University in 1974. He is the author and editor of numerous works, including Mormon Thunder: A Documentary History of Jedediah Morgan Grant (1982, 2008), Latter-day Patriots: Nine Mormon Families and Their Revolutionary War Heritage (1975), Prophesying upon the Bones: J. Reuben Clark and the Foreign Debt Crisis, 1933-39 (1992), Camp Floyd and the Mormons: The Utah War (with Donald R. Moorman, 1992, 2005), The Search for Harmony: Essays on Science and Mormonism (with Craig J. Oberg, 1993), Utah International: A Biography of a Business (with Sterling D. Sessions, 2002, 2005), and Mormon Democrat: The Religious and Political Memoirs of James Henry Moyle (1975, 1998), for which he received the Mormon History Association’s annual award for best edited work. He has also been a consultant on documentaries and committees exploring the Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre and is past president of the Mountain Meadows Association. He and his wife Shantal have four children and seven grandsons. Presentation Title: 18. Storytellers Rule the World

Annie Strawn When Annie came to the U.S. years ago as a young bride who spoke only Danish, she found a job at the FamilySearch Library, where she worked for several years. She knows Denmark and Danish research from the point of view of a native and has taught these skills to others for many years. She serves on the staff of the Ogden FamilySearch Library and leads the Scandinavian research group at the library. Presentation Title: 20. Danish Research on the Internet

Jessica Taylor AG®  Jessica Taylor has loved history and genealogy for many years. She received her Bachelors in Anthropology at the University of Utah and her Masters in Medieval Studies at the University of York. She has been an employee of Ancestry.com for four years and performed genealogical research for the hit TV show, "Who Do You Think You Are?" She is an Accredited Genealogist and currently works for AncestryProGenealogists, a research company of professional genealogists. Jessica specializes in UK and Irish genealogy and enjoys helping people discover their past. Presentation Titles: 19. Researching in Great Britain 35. I’m Irish, now what? –A Beginner’s Guide to Tracing your Immigrant Ancestor back to Ireland

Jonathan Walker Jonathan Walker – Resides in Smithfield, Utah. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, many years ago. Where he learned the Spanish language and learned to love the people of Mexico. Jonathan has over 20 years of genealogical research experience doing his own research and helping others do theirs. He is also the Family History Consultant in his local Latter-day Saint Spanish Branch, in Smithfield. He has a great desire to help others find and be successful in finding their ancestors. Jonathan Walker – Reside en Smithfield, Utah. Sirvió en una misión en Hermosillo, Sonora, México, hace muchos años. En dónde aprendió el idioma español y aprendió a amar a la gente de México. Jonathan tiene más de 20 años de experiencia en la investigación genealógica haciendo su propia investigación y ayudar a otros a hacer las suyas. Él es también el consultor de historia familiar en su local de rama española, en Smithfield. Él tiene un gran deseo de ayudar a otros a encontrar y tener éxito en la búsqueda de sus antepasados. Presentation Titles: 25. SPANISH Investigación Genealógica Hispana 46. Latin American Research

Mitch Wasden Mitch is a seasoned business executive who left the corporate world to pursue his desire to help people with their family history efforts. His career involved training medical professionals and delivering keynote speeches to inspire higher levels of leadership and productivity. Presentation Title: 9. We Can Do Hard Things: FamilySearch is Easier Than Ever!

Johnny Willis Johnny Willis is a retired CPA. He now volunteers and instructs at the Ogden Family Search Center. He teaches; The Source - Generations Beginning - Organizing Your Papers, Computer, and Research. Presentation Title: 60. Making Documents While Researching

Chad Winks Chad Winks is Vice President of Product Development for Reflective Practices, a strategic partner in RootsBid. Chad is a 15-year veteran expert in product development and User Experience design, and has been instrumental in the design, development and success of RootsBid, an online community solution for helping one another overcome obstacles in family history. With a wide variety of successful products under his belt, Chad has become dedicated to studying the needs, obstacles, behaviors and experiences of those who are seeking to solve family history problems, and those that are willing to provide help. RootsBid is a growing solution that adapts itself to serving your family history needs, whether it is a hobby or a career. He is excited to share this as a significant tool that can assist users to succeed. Presentation Title: 50. RootsBid - overcoming family history obstacles worldwide, no matter where you are