Shymanski Genealogy Research

digging up your roots

Shymanski Genealogy Research

Presentations

Connecting with our Roots: How Family Stories Shape our Lives – NEW
Generations of stories shape our lives. We learn these stories from our living relatives, both young and old. We can also learn ancestors’ stories through research. This session will explore the importance of discovering family stories and how these stories shape us.  Learn tips for listening to family stories, talking to relatives, and researching stories of deceased ancestors.

Finding Clues and Facts in Historical Documents – NEW
Analyzing records can be fun. Genealogists examine historical documents that reveal facts, and clues that lead to more documents. Sharpen your detective skills in this session as we determine the facts and evaluate the clues to decide where to search next. We’ll decide what information in each documents is likely true and which should be proven with another document. As we move through the records, we’ll discuss how to uncover which records exist and where to find them. We’ll also look at what information is most likely true in each document and what should be proven with another one.

8 Tips for Beginner Genealogists
Are you interested in becoming skilled at genealogy fundamentals? Do you want to know how to decide if that record is your ancestor? Following these 8 tips will help you  trace your family tree proficiently and accurately.

Genealogy Resources for the Canadian Prairies – NEW
A look at the usual websites and unexpected resources for finding your family on the Canadian Prairies. Discover where to find data and social history.

Analyzing Census Records Using Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets make analysing census records easier. Learn to create a spreadsheet and manipulate data to reveal actual and implied information from census records.

How to Find North American Passenger Lists 
Our ancestors came to North America by ship but finding them on passenger lists can be difficult. I’ll give you some tips on how to discover when they came to North America and look at different record collections that may contain your ancestor on the ship they took to come to Canada and United States.

From Census to Civil and Church Records 
Learn how to gather the information found on census records, analyze it, and then find other records that that prove or disprove those facts.  Extracting information on census records is vital to finding more records. Learn how to calculate birth, marriage, and death dates, how to infer information and how to create a database to organize facts. Discover where to look to find government and church records that will have more accurate facts on your family. Follow the Franklin family from the 1921 Canada census in Saskatchewan to Ontario to England as you learn to use census, civil and church records to complete your family tree.

The Art of Slow Genealogy 
Are you a genealogy tortoise or a hare? The hare rushes to find new documents, but genealogy tortoises create more accurate and thorough family trees by using a detailed research log. This step-by-step method suggests ways to slow down, cite your sources, and read and analyze records. This process results in a more accurate family history.

Genealogy Basics
Learn to do genealogy like a seasoned researcher. Follow these basic tips and you’ll research your family confidently and efficiently. Are you interested in becoming skilled at genealogy fundamentals such as: organizing the facts and sources, finding records, and evaluating the documents you found? This presentation will teach you the how to be proficient at tracking your family.

Genealogy from Home
We get in the rut of searching only our favorite websites. But there are many digitized records on the internet on various websites. This lecture will examine sites in Canada, Britain, and United States that contain online records. As well, we’ll look at websites that teach genealogists where to find even more records on the internet.

Breaking that Brick Wall
You found your ancestors but can’t determine where they came from. This information packed presentation offers a methodical approach that results in thoroughly reviewing and analyzing your documents, and looking at records that may help break through that brick wall. We’ll explore various techniques and strategies organize and carry out research. Following this system results in a more accurate family history, will help you break down your genealogical barriers and may take you back another generation

Using Canadian Land Records for Genealogy Research
Genealogists don’t always realize the value of land records. They were kept from the beginning of settlement in Canada and many still exist. This lecture will examine why you want to look at land records, what genealogy information can be gleaned from them and where they are found. We will look at actual land records to discover information of value to family historians. We’ll also look at different sites and databases that contain these records. I will explain the intricacies in finding some of the records and go over the new online database for Ontario land record.

Finding Records on FamilySearch
Have you ever tried browsing through records on the FamilySearch website?  How do you know what’s available and how to find them?  Searching the indexed records is the easiest way to look for ancestors. But there are thousands of digitized records that haven’t been indexed. Taking the time to browse or scroll through them is worth the effort. You’ll learn where to find them and tips on making the browsing a bit easier.  This lecture will look at how to find both indexed and non-indexed records to make the best use of the FamilySearch website

Using Social Media for Genealogy
Social media can be intimidating for some of us, but the lure of connecting online with living relatives is tempting. Learn the value of social media; what it is, what platforms are available and how they work; and what a great tool it is for family historians.

Researching in Canada
This information packed presentation guides researchers through internet sources available for research in Canada. We’ll look at the Collections Canada website, different provincial archives, and Ancestry and FamilySearch websites. Attendees will learn what is available on each of these websites and how to easily and quickly find the information they want.

You can find me speaking here

2024
January 25 – Manitoba Genealogy Society, How to find North American Passenger Lists

2023
February 9 – Ontario Ancestors, Beginner Series, 8 Tips for Beginner Genealogists
March 4 –
Legacy Family Tree, 6 Clues Revealed in Census Records
April 22 – Red Deer Stake Genealogy Fair, The Art of Slow Genealogy, Finding Records on Family Search,  Facebook is Scary, Genealogy from Home
June 16 – Legacy Family Tree Webinars, Finding Ancestors in Canadian Land Records
September 23 –
Utah Genealogical Association Summit of Excellence, Using Social Media for Genealogy
November 10 – 11 – Texas State Genealogy Society Conference, Using Social Media for Genealogy
November 15 – The Genealogy Society of New Jersey, Finding Records on FamilySearch

2022
April 1 – The Genealogy Show, Using Spreadsheets to Analyze Census Records
May 18 – Southern California Genealogy Society, The Art of Slow Genealogy
June 24 – 26 – Ontario Ancestors Conference 2022, Genealogy Resources for the Canadian Prairies, The Art of Slow Genealogy
October 7 – North Star Genealogy Conference, Finding American Ancestors in Canadian Land Records
October 19 – Genealogy Society of New Jersey, Finding American Ancestors in Canadian Land Records

2021
Jan 9 – Southern California Lunch n Learn, Searching from Home
June 1 – Virtual Genealogy Association, The Art of Slow Genealogy
June 5 – Ontario Ancestors, North American Passenger Lists, Researching from Home
June 9 – West Parry Sound District Museum, Researching from Home
June 11 – 12 – Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Using Canadian Land Records to Find American Ancestors
Sept 2 – Ontario Ancestors Webinar, I Found them on the Census, Now What?
Sept 16 – Utah Genealogy Association, Using Canadian Land Records to Find American Ancestors

2020
Oct 23 – 24 – FamilyRoots, St. George, Utah – Genealogy Basics, How to Find North American Passenger Lists (virtual zoom meeting)
March 7 – Red Deer Family History Fair – Genealogy Basics, zoom webinar
March 14 – Alberta Family Histories Society, Calgary, Alberta – The Document Trail Workshop
April 16 – Carstairs Public Library – Genealogy Basics

2019
3rd Monday each month – Airdrie Public Library Genealogy Group Facilitator
April 26 – Calgary Retired Teachers Conference “Steppin’ Out”, Calgary – Other Great Websites
April 27 – 28 – Images Through Time, Edmonton – Digging up Dirt in Canadian Land Records, Genealogy Basics, Break Through that Brick Wall, Census Records in United States and United Kingdom

2018
3rd Monday each month – Airdrie Public Library Genealogy Group Facilitator
February 11 –  Airdrie Public Library – Genealogy Basics Workshop
Feburary 25 – Alberta Family Histories Society –  Genealogy Basics WorkshopApril 7 – Family History Fair 2018 – Digging up dirt, Canadian Land Records, Breaking Through Brick WallsApril 21 – Qualicum Beach Family History Society – All about Census RecordsExploring Canadian Records to find Ancestors
September 28 – 30 – Harvest your Family Tree, Kelowna – Slow Genealogy, Facebook is ScaryNovember 5 – Alberta Family Histories Society, Calgary – Canadian Census Records

2017
April 27 – Calgary Family History Centre; Digging in DirtSeptember 23 – Alberta Family Histories Society FamilyRoots 2017; Canadian Census Records
October 26 – Calgary Family History Centre; Breaking Down Brick Walls
Dec 14 – Cochrane Public Library; Genealogy Basics