Bonnie Mattson – The Family History Guide Blog

September 23, 2019

RootsTech 2020 is Just Around the Corner!

RootsTech 2020 is the 10th Anniversary of RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is in the Salt Palace again! It is such a fabulous venue and right in the heart of the city near Temple Square and the Family History Library, the flagship of the nearly 5000 other libraries worldwide. The 2020 dates are February 26-29! Yes, it is Leap Year! RootsTech is...

Family History Activities/FamilySearch/Learning/RootsTech/Social Media

September 16, 2019

Are You Giving The Gift Of Family History?

Years ago I went to my first BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference and one of the speakers said, “If you want to find your ancestors, do other people’s research!” There was a bit of a gasp from the audience! The thought ran through my mind, seriously? I can’t even do my own very well. This was probably a decade...

Case Studies/FamilySearch/Learning/Research/The Family History Guide Association/U.S. Research

September 9, 2019

Some Of My Favorite Things!

I love reading The Family History Guide when I have a few minutes to learn something new. I was reading Bob’s blog post from August 25th and remembered I had planned to watch Bob’s recent Webinar for the BYU Family History Library. I had forgotten to do it. So I stopped what I was doing and did it right away. I’m glad...

General/Learning/Technology/What is new at The FHG

September 2, 2019

Fostering Relationships From Generation To Generation

Recently I have had opportunities to talk with people about family history and many want to know more, but do not know where to begin. In the past few weeks, I have found that many people think of genealogy as being just pedigree charts and family groups sheets. The umbrella we call family history is so much more than just...

Families/Family History Activities/FamilySearch/General/Learning/Memories/Stories

August 12, 2019

Life, Death, and Meaningful Preparation

Ten weeks ago my husband’s mother passed away. She lived a full and active life for over 92 years. She was a widow for 29 years and lived in a modest home they have owned for 65 years. She kept it very well and Jim maintained it and updated it regularly. She believed in maintaining your assets. She was frugal...

Families/General/Memories/Stories

July 28, 2019

Do You Enjoy Visiting Cemeteries?

I received a very wonderful email this week about a great blog post on Billion Graves. Let me quote a few lines from the post here. In it, you will find 10 Cemeteries To See Before You Die. The pictures are amazing. “I can’t tell you how many people have said to us in hushed voices, as though sharing a...

Families/General/Memories/Stories

July 22, 2019

Are You Using Google for Family History and Genealogy?

Did you know that Google has only been around for 21 years? It is easy to forget what research was like in the old days, before the technology we enjoy today existed. It is such a joy to have so much instantaneous information at our fingertips. Google is the most used and best-loved search engine for almost everybody. There are...

FamilySearch/General/Learning/Research/RootsTech

July 14, 2019

Why Accuracy is so Important in Genealogy and Family History

Many visitors to The Family History Guide are new to genealogy and family history. There are a lot of misconceptions about why record sources and citations are so important. Some people feel that if a relative passed on a story it should be good enough. What we sometimes don’t consider is that those stories may not be accurate. Most people...

FamilySearch/FS Partners/General/Learning/Records/Research/Technology

May 27, 2019

Honoring the Fallen on Memorial Day

While the first commemorative Memorial Day events weren’t held in the United States until the late 19th century, the practice of honoring those who have fallen in battle dates back thousands of years. I enjoyed researching Memorial Day this week. Here is an article I found interesting about 8 things you may not know about Memorial Day. It began as Decoration Day in...

Country Research/Families/FamilySearch/Learning/Records/Research

May 19, 2019

The Best Way to Connect To Our Ancestors

This is my husband’s maternal grandfather, Andrew Ferrera. We are fortunate to have this old photo of him when he was young. It is in perfect condition and we all love it. He was quite the dapper young man, wasn’t he? I think the pinky ring is a nice touch and the fancy stockings! I love that we can have...

Families/FamilySearch/Memories/Stories

Author: Bonnie Mattson