Data on Midland  and  Odessa TX Programs

Midland Texas	Odessa Texas
Saturday April 26	April 28, 2008
MGS Annual Spring Seminar First Presbyterian Church 800 West Texas Street	Dick Brooks Presents: History Of STONEHENGE
John Phillip Colletta 4 Topics - 9:00AM,   4:00PM	25 YEARS OF  STONEHENGE Study & Has Taught 30 Years at Odessa High School
	Of his 38 years in Education
	14 Years Teaching Astronomy -*-
	Meeting: Monday Evening at 7:00 PM - - Lincoln Tower Ballroom
	Guests & Visitors WELCOME
	PLUS
Phil Rice                      Diana Ingram	NEW Data presented by Phil Rice and Diana Ingram Relating to our: Ector County Private Cemeteries HISTORICAL FACTS & IMAGES to be added to the web site soon

Midland's ANNUAL SPRING SEMINAR

April 26, 2008

First Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Texas, Midland, Texas
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p. m.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
$25 pre registration — $30 at the door  (Includes lunch plus morning and afternoon snacks)
Mail check to: MGS Seminar, 301 W. Missouri, Midland, TX 79701 

            This year’s seminar features John Phillip Colletta, a Washington, DC based genealogist who conducts workshops for the National Archives, teaches courses for the Smithsonian Institution, and lecturers nationally. He is a faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University (Birmingham, AL) Institute on Genealogical Research in Washington, DC. He has also been an instructor and course coordinator to the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America (Springfield, IL). 

            Publications include: They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Arrival Record and Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans, and numerous articles. His latest book is Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling For Tragedy and Its Aftermath. Dr. Colletta has appeared on local and national radio and television and is featured in “Ancestors” the KBYU television series. His PhD in Medieval French Literature is from The Catholic University of America.

The seminar will feature the following four lectures:

 Records of the Federal Courts:  Drama in you ancestors’ lives

            The records of the federal courts are woefully neglected by genealogists because utilizing them requires an investment of some time and effort. However, the dedicated family researcher who makes the investment will be rewarded in a big way, because federal court records contain all manner of information — facts found nowhere else! — about our ancestors:  their finances, business dealings, personal and family relationships, their homes and property, personalities, disputes, triumphs and defeats. You cannot know what prizes await discovery until you go hunting. The hunt itself is great fun; every case is another human drama. This lecture provides and overview in plain English of the federal court system from its founding in 1789 through 1911; describes the records created; strategies for searching those records; illustrates with examples the broad range of information they contain.

 Private Archives:  What they are and how to use them

            Private organizations, such as churches and synagogues, businesses, associations and societies, and educational institutions, create records regarding their activities and their membership. Over time these records accumulate and eventually many are segregated into archives for preservation and research. These archives may be retained in the custody of the creating agency or a successor company, placed in museums, university libraries of many other repositories. This lecture explores the various kinds of private archives that exist, when and why you might want to search for one, and how to find one that may further your research. Sample cases illustrate how using private archives contributed significantly to genealogical research.

 Using Original and Derivative Sources:  How to evaluate evidence

 Breaking Through Brick Walls:  Use your HEAD!

Park in Parking Lot S. of Building-
311 W. 4th Street

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