Locating Ancestors in the Old Country: A Research Guide

Putting your ancestors back in the old country and making sure you have them in the correct place and time can be a challenge. This research guide takes you into the immigration, emigration process and the records created on both sides of the ocean. We also teach you to read gothic script and old-style English handwriting, developing research strategies, and how to locate and use the records to identify your ancestors. In-depth analysis, historical understanding, and using the correct jurisdictions are critical to your research success. How much data you extract from the records, how carefully you study that information, and your level of understanding of the records and the context of the facts they hold dictates your research success. This research guide will give you some great resources, strategies, and instruction helping you with your family history research questions.

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 trace their roots in today's ever-changing technological environment. Holly's titles include author, lecturer, editor and publisher. 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. Ruth Ellen Maness, AG: more than 35 years' experience in Germanic and Scandinavian records, former Senior Consultant at the Family History Library; Co-author, Passport to Paradise: The Copenhagen "Mormon" Passenger Lists, Legacy of Sacrifice; Lecturer at Brigham Young University Genealogy Conferences, Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conferences, National Genealogical Society annual conferences, regional & local conferences; former Instructor-Track Coordinator, Salt Lake Institute; Author, Scandinavia - Questions & Answers in Everton's Genealogical Helper; Field trip experience in Scandinavia & Europe, Germany, Poland, England, South Africa, and Eastern-Southern-Mid-Western United States of America. Arlene H. Eakle, Ph.D.: President and founder of The Genealogical Institute, Inc., Dr. Eakle is a professional genealogist with more than 30 years' experience in research, consulting, lecturing, and writing. An expert in tracing families from New York, Southern U.S., British Isles, Switzerland, and parts of Germany, she claims a 96% success rate. James L. Tanner: Is a retired attorney and business owner with over 33 years of experience in genealogical research. James was an intelligence officer during the Vietnam War, has a BA Degree in Spanish, a Masters' Degree in Linguistics from the University of Utah, and a JD Degree in Law from Arizona State University. He has nearly 40 years' experience as a trial attorney in Arizona with experience in both real estate and probate law among other areas of the law. He taught classes at the Mesa FamilySearch Library for 10 years. He is currently teaching from nine to eleven hours a week at the BYU FamilySearch Library.