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Pauline Waters: Documenting A Life

April 14, 2015Written by Robyn

Yesterday would have been the 100th birthday of my grandmother Pauline Celeste Waters. She was born April 13th, 1915 in the sleepy town of Stillpond, Maryland on the Eastern Shore. Her death in 1997 is the event that started my journey into family history research. Biography Like many beloved grandmothers, she had a tremendous impact […]

General Research, My Family Research

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Matilda: Back Another Generation

June 6, 2013Written by Robyn

I have been having some tremendous breakthroughs in this year. With every new name, a piece of me and and my history slides into place. Into memory. Searching for Matilda’s Roots My search for my great-grandmother Matilda’s roots is a wonderful example of the value of cluster research. For many years, I knew nothing about […]

Census Records, Evaluating Evidence, General Research, My Family Research, Vital Records

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I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 .

I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. There are 15 tables, blank and editable for you to populate, as well as samples of using each. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here.

At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! My Vimeo ON Demand video page lists six videos you can choose from to watch for 3 months ($15 each):

-Finding the Last Slaveowner: Guidance and Case Studies

-Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People

-Using Deed Records to Uncover Your Family

-Do You Have an Artificial Brick Wall?

-Putting it All Together: Making Sense of All the Research You've Done and

-More Than Just a Name: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research

Just go to my Vimeo page and make your selection. The poster on each page *provides the link to the handout* for that lecture, so be sure to copy it.

I have gotten so many requests over the years from those who couldn't make the live webinars so I hope you enjoy this new feature.

Join my mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars.

20 August 2022, 1-3:30 pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Join me for a two-hour lecture and workshop on Using Deed Records. The second hour is hands-on, and I want you to bring the deeds you've found along with your questions. I'll illustrate transcribing deeds, show you how to find your county deed records on FamilySearch, and you will receive my PDF Beginner's Guide to Using Deed Records, a $12 value! This event is $20. See flier here. CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT!

13 March 2022, 1-2:30pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Can’t find some of your ancestors in the census? Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? is for you. Join me as I present this NEW webinar that covers why we miss our ancestors in these records and presents numerous strategies to assist in finding every clue in census records. This event is $12. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

30 January 2022, [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Join special guest genealogist Taneya Y. Koonce and I as we present our joint Zoom webinar, Organize Your Genealogy! Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. See flier for more details. This event is $25. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

26 September 2021 [PAST EVENT]: Acclaimed genealogist Melvin Collier and I will be presenting an all-new 2-hour lecture titled More Than Just Names: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research from 1:00-3:30 EST (please note it is Eastern Standard Time). See flier for details; cost of this event is $25. Register now! Seating is limited.

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I love to hear from my readers. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

"While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers.

For descendants, I would add the substantial emotional impact of seeing an ancestor's name attached to a dollar value, or being valued in a list with silverware and cattle. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy is recovering the stories of those caught in its grasp who could not in their own time leave their own witness."

-Robyn

Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-2

Washington FHC Annual Conference, May 2011

Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017-2

International Black Genealogy Summit, September 2016-2

Carroll County Genealogical Society Dinner, June 2018

Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017

Reginald Lewis Museum, September 2011-2.jpg

Maryland State Archives Family History Festival, October 2014-2

Central Maryland AAHGS Meeting, March 2013

Robyn, Vonda, Andrea and Glenn, NGS Conf., May 2014

Robyn and cousin Chris

Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-1

Howard Comm. College, Advanced AA Gen Class, September 2011

AAHGS Annual Genealogy Conference, November 2008

Howard Comm. College Advanced AA Gen. Class, November 2012

Robyn, Aaron, Karen, Katherine and Michael, October 2014

Tim Pinnick and Robyn, October 2016

African-American Family History Conference, February 2015

African-American Genealogy Group Conference, October 2016

Central Maryland AAHGS, with Alice Harris, September 2015

Howard Comm. College, Advanced AA Gen. Class, September 2009

Reginald Lewis Museum, September 2011

Robyn and Aaron Dorsey, September 2016

Alice, Robyn and Lajoye, CM AAHGS, September 2017

Carole and Robyn, February 2016

Robyn and Cherie, October 2015

Robyn and Andrea, NGS Conference, May 2014

"The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past."
-William Faulkner

"Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one"
- Jane Howard

"Friends are God's apologies for relations."
-Hugh Kingsmill

"No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?"
-Elbert Hubbard

"Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts."
-Unknown

"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!"
-Unknown

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)"
-George Burns

"Where does the family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. No superior alternative has yet been found."
-Winston Churchill

"The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never ever introduce yourself to had life not done it for you."
-Kendall Hailey

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people."
-Thich Nhat Hanh