Logic & Fallacies in Genealogy

Logic & Fallacies in Genealogy - That sounds like a complex problem. You may be asking - "What do I know about logic and how does it effect my view of the genealogy research that I do?" Well, I have been thinking the same thing lately. How are the conclusions that I make driven by the records I find versus the preconceived notions I have? Am I understanding the full value of everything that a record tells me or am I inferring something that isn't actually there? And how would I know if I have done that?

Logic in genealogy empowers researchers to distinguish truth from tradition using structured thinking. Understanding logical validity (how conclusions follow from premises) vs truth (what reflects reality) is key. Deductive reasoning applies general principles to specific cases; inductive reasoning builds generalizations from data. Common fallacies, like confirmation bias or post hoc reasoning, can skew genealogical analysis. Clear logic helps us write responsible, credible reports and builds stronger ancestral narratives. Does this sound like something you vaguely remember from a college class but have forgotten over the years? Don't feel bad, most genealogists will fall into at least one of the traps I will outline below sometime during their research. Understanding the causes and how they impact your research is the first step in avoiding them.

Why does logic matter in genealogy?

• It helps us avoid the temptation of wishful thinking in ancestral discovery.
• Logical rigor strengthens the credibility of our research and improves our ability to tell the story.

Have you ever experienced a case where sloppy reasoning led to a faulty family connection? Maybe you took a family story and then forced a record to fit that narrative. Maybe you found a family where the individuals were similar to the family you were researching and forced the record to fit your expectations. Or, maybe you accepted a hint from your favorite website and added it without fully vetting the information. I believe that we have all made mistakes in our research at some time.

What determines truth versus falsehood in research?

• The source of the information is important. Is the source original, derivative, or authored? Is the information from that source primary, secondary or undetermined?
• How reliable is the record? The age, proximity, bias, or transcription of the record can all add or detract from the reliability of the record.
• Is it truth or a consensus? Just because 30 online trees say the same thing doesn't make it true. 

Here is a real-life example of something I ran across this week. I was researching a man named John Fischer, born in Germany in 1826 who had immigrated to Ohio. The majority of family trees on Ancestry, MyHeritage, and FamilySearch have him as part of a family from Marienfeld, Westphalia. The family has 8 other children between 1815 and 1834. All of the children have exactly one source attached, the church baptismal records from FamilySearch, but no images of those records are available on FamilySearch. The only child without a baptism record attached was John Fischer. What evidence is there for this person to be a child in this family? Absolutely none! But he is carried over in dozens of family trees across multiple platforms.

Logical Validity versus Actual Truth

Can something be logically valid but not actually true? The simple answer is Yes. Logical validity is a conclusion that follows the premises. In your research you may find a census record that indicates a person was born in 1892. Upon further research you find his memorial on FindAGrave and it has 1892 carved in stone. You now have two sources that support the conclusion that he was born in 1892. But was he? How many additional sources do you need to find the truth? 

Let's look at my great-grandfather, Ray Westerheide. I have at least 16 sources for his birth. 

• There is a county birth register that lists his birth as 12 December 1894.
• This record is attached as a source twice because it is in DGS #005328962 and #004017413. Are these two sources or one? Obviously it is only one source but it has two citations for the source. 
• How accurate is this record? It was produced near the time of the event. We hope it was provided by a responsible representative, maybe the parents or the doctor/midwife who delivered the baby. However, almost every entry on the page is written in the same hand which means these are not the original report. An error could have been made when transferring information to the county register.
• His birth certificate states his birth date as 12 December 1894.
• That is the same date as the county birth register. However, we need to examine this record closely. It is a certified copy of the birth certificate and is dated 18 September 1962. That means it was produced by referring to another record, likely the county birth register. 
• This record also provides an additional clue. The date when the original record was recorded was 31 March 1895, over 3 months after the birth date on the record. This adds some room for doubt for this record because it was written after the event and transcribed from a record that was not an original.
• His baptismal record states his birth was 4 December 1894 and he was baptized on 12 December 1894.
• The baptism date on this record matches the birth date on the county birth register.
• The birth date matches the date given on his headstone, death certificate, and obituary but are those actually three independent sources? They are likely all provided by the same source so can't be considered independent.
• One additional thing to note. The baptism record was provided on 12 September 1962.
• His WW I draft registration states his birth date as 4 December 1895. 
• Who supplied this information? We would assume that he supplied it since he signed the document.
• Why is the birth year 1895 when his birth record and baptism record say 1894?
• The 1920 census gives his age as 25, which infers his birth about 1895.
• The 1930 census gives an age of 34, which infers his birth about 1896.
• The 1940 census says he is 43, which infers a birth around 1897. 
• We know that his wife provided this information since she has the (x) next to her name.
• He registered for the WW II draft in April 1942 and listed his age as 46 with a birth date of 4 December 1896. 
• He signed this document so we assume that he provided the information. But why is it one year off from what he stated in the WW I draft card and two years off from his birth records?
• The 1950 census lists his age as 54, which infers a birth about 1896.
• FindAGrave and BillionGraves have his birth date as 4 December 1894 since that is the date carved on his headstone. 
• This date is exactly one year earlier than the WW I draft registration, two years earlier than the WW II draft registration, and the same month and year as the county birth register.
• His death certificate, obituary, and Social Security Death Index agree with the 4 December 1894 birth date.
• The informant for the death certificate was Laura Westerheide, his 84 year old wife.

So, when was Ray born? Logically, depending on which record I had found, any of those dates would be valid. But truthfully, only one can be correct. Which one would you choose and why?

Deductive versus Inductive Reasoning in Genealogy

Deductive reasoning takes a general rule and produces a specific conclusion. An example of deductive reasoning is that naming conventions are found in many countries. The children are often named after their grandparents. Knowing this general rule, you might consider that the oldest son is named after one of the grandfathers and the oldest daughter is named after a grandmother. But is this always the case? Could it lead you down the wrong research path?

Inductive reasoning uses specific examples to produce a general conclusion. An example of inductive reasoning occurs when you are doing census research and find several families on adjacent pages with the same last name. You might conclude that these families are related. You haven't decided how they are related but it might be worth further research.

Other Common Logical Fallacies

Ad hoc reasoning is when you make up an explanation to suit the evidence. Have you ever decided that even though the record has conflicts it must be your family. The conflicts can easily be dismissed because the record keeper just made a mistake or maybe the neighbor provided the information. One example I find often is based on German church records. The child may be named Johann Heinrich in the baptism record but later you find a marriage record for Johann Frederick who would have been born the same year in the same town. That's close enough, right? It must be the same person so let's add him to the tree. I spend hours searching for the records, attaching them to individuals, and untangling families that were created on FamilySearch based on this type of assumption.

Another common fallacy is appealing to tradition. "That is how it has always been told." Have you ever let the family lore drive your research? Did you discover that it was not fully based on truth? My wife had a family story that one of her ancestors was English nobility. She left England because she was supposed to marry a Russian prince but she didn't want to marry him. She ran away from home and ended up marrying a French sea captain. That's a great story but the truth was a little less dramatic. The truth was that her parents died when she was a minor. She ended up living with her brother and his wife who had also taken in the wife's siblings. She married one of the wife's brothers. One of her sisters also married another of the wife's brothers. 

• How did we get the nobility part of the story? We believe it was because her brother was elected to the House of Commons and served for several terms. 
• How did we get the French sea captain? Her husband was a ship captain from the Channel Islands. They were a shipping family with a long history of maritime occupations.
• How did we get the Russian prince? We have no idea.

Post hoc fallacy is caused by assuming cause just because it came before. One common example is frequently stated for Irish immigrants from the mid-19th century. The Irish Famine occurred between 1845 to 1852. Many Irish immigrants came to the United States during the 1850s. Some, but not all, came because of the famine. Attributing their immigration to the famine without supporting evidence is an example of post hoc fallacy. They may have come over as part of a chain migration to join family already in the US. They may have arrived as indentured laborers. They may have emigrated on their own volition. Or maybe we don't know the actual reason.

The last type of logical fallacy that I will present today is confirmation bias. Have you ever selectively chosen to weigh one record above another because it supported your theory? Cherry-picking evidence or skipping over records because they don't fit your expectations is an example of confirmation bias. You can avoid this by writing down alternative possibilities, not just your favored theories and see how the records support the theories.

To avoid these logical fallacies when doing your research you should:

• state assumptions clearly,
• acknowledge uncertainties,
• avoid conclusive language when the evidence is incomplete,
• use footnotes to explain reasoning,
• and include alternative interpretations when applicable.

In conclusion, genealogy isn't just name-chasing - it is detective work with discipline. Knowing where and how logical fallacies can occur in your research is the first step in addressing them and improving your overall research success.

I hope to write at least one more post on logic and fallacies in genealogy in the near future. I am working with AI in my research. The AI frequently comes to conclusions without the supporting date. As these conclusions occur, I am cataloging them and developing ways to resolve or reduce their frequency. I hope to put this together as a blog post in the near future. Until then, I wish you luck in your research.

Is It True? How Published Genealogies Can Lead You Astray

Hello everyone, it has been a couple months since my last post and I have been very busy. Our client projects have taken off for our company, OurAncestories Genealogy and I have been actively involved with The Family History Guide and the Association of Professional Genealogists Southeast Chapter.

Last night I was preparing for a NGSQ Study Group where we are discussing a recent article by Thomas W. Jones titled "History of a Genealogical Error: The Misattributed Parentage of Atlanta Pioneers, Meredith and Merrell Collier." (1) This article focused on how a published genealogy has mislead genealogists for nearly 140 years. In 1887, George Brown Goode published his original work in a volume titled Virginia Cousins which included 6 pages on the Collier family. (2) This book tentatively identified the parents of Meredith and Merrell Collier as Joseph Collier of South Carolina. In 1911, Stella Picket Hardy published Colonial Families of the Southern States of America. (3) Hardy's book used information from Goode's book but stated more definitively that Joseph was the father of Meredith and Merrell. Now we have two sources that support this conclusion (not really since one relied on the other for the information). Hundreds of online trees and applications to DAR, SAR, and other lineage societies have used these sources to confirm their lineage, spreading the disinformation far and wide. I suggest that you read Thomas Jones' article to see how he unraveled this family and found a more likely lineage for the two men.

Now, I want to focus on how this relates to my client research. Our clients have signed contracts giving us permission to use parts of the research in educational materials including blog posts and presentations.

One of our recent projects had a research goal to find the parents of Elisabeth Franklin, married to Jacob Tomlin, Revolutionary War patriot. The Tomlin Genealogy is laid out in a book written by Charles Tomlin in 1932. (4) Page 6 of this book states that Jacob Tomlin, son of Matthew Tomlin, Jr., married Elisabeth Franklin and had two sons, James and Jacob. It also states that "Jacob is the Revolutionary patriot who is buried at Somerset, N. J., who when honorably discharged attempted to walk home after the surrender of Cornwallis. Information of him and his is desired. He was a private in the Gloucester Co. Militia and N. J. State Troops." This all seems like important information when doing genealogy research.

On page 26 it repeats an entry for Jacob Tomlin, son of Matthew Tomlin, Jr. This entry states he had two sons, James and Jacob, and that he was "A soldier in the Revolutionary War. After the surrender of Cornwallis, Jacob, receiving an honorable discharge, proceeded to walk home, but weakened from service and exposure he died on the way and was buried by his companions in the forest at Somerset, N. J. We think his wife was Elizabeth Ware."

We have two entries for the same person, only 20 pages apart, with contradictory information. One states his wife was Elizabeth Franklin, the other says Elizabeth Ware. We also have slightly differing accounts of his death. Both agree that it was after Cornwallis' surrender which occurred on 19 October 1781 and both agree that his sons were James and Jacob. Several online trees have taken this to mean that he died about 1781-1782. We need to read these entries carefully and notice several red flags. Note that one says "Information of him and his is desired" and the other states "We think his wife was Elizabeth Ware." How definitive are these statements. Similar to the statements that Thomas Jones noted in Goode's book, these statements leave room for doubt. However, many online trees have repeated this information over and over until it has become accepted truth.

A third entry occurs on page 21 of the Tomlin Genealogy. This page states that Elizabeth Franklin was the daughter of Jeremiah Franklin and _______ Zane. According to this entry, Elizabeth married Francis Tomlin and had three children; James, Jacob, and Drucilla. She then married John West and had a child James West. Then she married James Colatly. There are some significant differences in this entry for Elizabeth Franklin which raise serious concerns but it hasn't stopped people from adding this information to their online trees and combining it with Elisabeth Franklin, the wife of Jacob Tomlin.

1. Is this the same Elizabeth Franklin that was previously listed as the wife of Jacob Tomlin? 
2. What evidence is there that Jeremiah Franklin is her father?
3. Who specifically are the other husbands?

A reasonably exhaustive look at the records leads me to the conclusion that this set of entries has significant errors that need to be addressed. I will try to lay out the evidence below in a manner that hopefully explains the problems and provides solutions.

1. Who did Jacob Tomlin marry? The following records confirm that Jacob Tomlin married Elizabeth Franklin.
1. We found a marriage record from Trinity Episcopal Church dated 7 February 1771 for the marriage of Jacob Tomlin and Elizabeth Franklin of Gloucester County. (5)
2. In 1795, Elizabeth filed for her widows pension. Her application includes an affidavit signed by Jeremiah Franklin and his wife Martha Franklin which states "they saw Elizabeth Franklin married to Jacob Tomlin by the Rev. John Wicksell." (6)
2. When did Jacob Tomlin die?
1. Elizabeth's widows pension application include several affidavits to Jacob Tomlin's death. These state that he died on 4 March 1777. (6)
2. An abstract of the Will for Matthew Tomlin [Sr.], of Greenwich, Gloucester Co., New Jersey, dated 8 June 1782, identifies his great-grandson, James Tomlin, as the son of his grandson Jacob Tomlin. It also states "If great-grandson, James, dies under 21, then I give his land to his brother, Jacob." (7) This information is consistent with the family described in the Tomlin Genealogy - father Jacob, sons James and Jacob. Note that Jacob Tomlin, the grandson, didn't receive an inheritance in this Will. That is likely because he is deceased.

We now have direct evidence for the marriage of Jacob Tomlin, the death of Jacob Tomlin, and the names of his two sons.

Let's now turn our focus to Elisabeth's second husband, Jacob Collatter. There are two documents which identify Jacob Collatter or Collatta as the second husband of Elisabeth.

1. Elisabeth's widows pension application states several times that Elisabeth Franklin is the wife of Jacob Collatter and that they were married on 9 May 1780. One affidavit spells it out precisely "I do hereby certify that Jacob Collata and Elisabeth Tomlin late widow of Jacob Tomlin both of the County of Gloucester and State of New Jersey were on the Ninth day of May One thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty were lawfully married by me the Subscriber..." (6)
2. Jacob Collatter's pension application also identifies his wife as Elisabeth Franklin. It also provides us with her approximate birth and death dates. In a statement dated 10 July 1820, he states "My family consists of a wife Elisabeth aged 72...". Another document in the application, dated 19 March 1828, states "my wife has been dead about seven years..." (8)

These documents clearly identify Elisabeth Franklin as the widow of Jacob Tomlin and wife of Jacob Collatter.

We can now focus on Elisabeth's parents. Were they Jeremiah Franklin and _______ Zane?

1. Jeremiah Franklin and his wife Martha Franklin signed an affidavit stating they witnessed the marriage between Elisabeth Franklin and Jacob Tomlin. This affidavit is in Elisabeth's widows pension application. (6) 
2. A memorandum signed by Samuel F. Brink, Lt. Colonel, AF, NJANG, Adjutant General on 17 October 1957, provides background on the service record for Jacob Tomlin. In this memorandum, he states "Widow's petition shows affidavit by Jeremiah Franklin and his wife, Martha. While no relationship is indicated, it is presumed that they were her parents." (9)

It appears that this affidavit may be the source for some of the confusion about Elisabeth's parents but it doesn't completely explain why Jeremiah was thought to be her father. We still need to find out who Jeremiah's wife is with the last name Zane.

Further research leads to a different father for Elisabeth.

1. There is a Will for John Frankling (sic) dated 20 July 1774. This Will names family members including Mary Frankling (wife), John West (grandson), Elizabeth Tomlin (daughter), Ann Frankling (daughter), Joseph Frankling, James Frankling, Jeremiah Frankling, and John Frankling (sons). (10)
1. The mention of Elizabeth Tomlin as a daughter of John Frankling is an important piece of the puzzle. The timeline of 1774 fits neatly between the marriage date of 1771 and death date of 1777 for Jacob Tomlin.
2. Additionally, there is a grandson, John West, mentioned.
3. There are also some additional bits of information that will help us later. These are that John Franklin owned a gristmill and a sawmill and that his neighbor, Jacob Spicer is the Executor of his Will.
4. Another important piece of information is the value of Elizabeth's inheritance. She was provided ten pounds.
2. A Court Summons was issued to Jacob Spicer, the Executor for John Frankling's Will on 30 May 1776. The summons commanded Jacob Spicer to appear before the Court of Common Pleas to address a complaint filed by Jacob Tomlin “in case of a Debt to answer Jacob Tomlin For a Legacy Left Elizabeth Tomlin Wife to the Said Jacob Tomlin by the Last Will and Testament of John Franklin Deceased to the amount of Ten Pounds." (11)
1. This document not only links Elisabeth Franklin as the wife of Jacob Tomlin, it also firmly ties her to the ten pound inheritance as stated in John Frankling's Will.
3. There is one more set of documents that help define these relationships and provides another name that we need to address. 
1. John Franklin and Elizabeth Franklin, were plaintiffs in a legal case against John West in Gloucester County, New Jersey on 22 April 1767 for a debt of £40. (12) (13)
2. There is a court case where John West is accused of the crime of fornication with Elizabeth Franklin, a single woman on 21 July 1767 [this should be 1766]. (14) (15)
1. Documents in this file provide additional details. They state that the event occurred "in the dwelling house of John Franklin" of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County and that "John West is the only father of the said child." (16)
4. Looking back to the Will for John Frankling, we note that he has provided for his grandson, John West who is a young boy in 1774. This is likely the son of John West and Elisabeth Franklin Tomlin.

We can now go back and revisit Elizabeth Franklin, the supposed daughter of Jeremiah Franklin. As stated in the Tomlin Genealogy, Elizabeth was married three time. First, to Francis Tomlin - Could this have been Jacob Tomlin? Second, to John West with a child James West - Could this have been the affair with John West in 1766 which resulted in the birth of her son John West? Third, to James Colatly - Could this have been Jacob Collatter? Is she listed as the daughter of Jeremiah because he signed the affidavit to her marriage to Jacob Tomlin? These are all questions that need to be addressed to determine why Jeremiah is listed as the father of Elizabeth. However, the primary sources that have been gathered provide direct evidence that Elizabeth's father was actually John Franklin and that Jeremiah was most likely her brother.

Building a timeline of these events helps provide a better picture of Elisabeth's life.

1. Elisabeth was born about 1748 since her husband, Jacob Collatter, states she was 72 in 1820.
2. In 1766, she is involved with John West and he is accused of fornication.
3. In 1767, she is pregnant and the court recognizes John West as the father. A bond for £40 is posted by John West but he defaults. John Franklin and Elizabeth Franklin sue John West for default.
4. Elizabeth Franklin marries Jacob Tomlin in 1771.
5. John Franklin's Will in 1774 recognizes his daughter Elizabeth Tomlin and grandson John West.
6. Jacob joins the Gloucester Militia and fights in the Revolutionary war in 1776-1777.
7. Jacob Tomlin dies on 4 March 1777 on his way home after his military service.
8. Elizabeth marries Jacob Collatter, another Revolutionary War veteran, in 1780.
9. Elizabeth files for her widows pension as the widow of Jacob Tomlin, in 1795.
10. Elizabeth dies about 1821.

I know this has been a long read but I hope it gives you the encouragement to question published genealogies and look for the records yourself. Sometimes the actual story is better than the fiction.

RootsTech Pre-Show

Hello everyone, we are getting very close to the start of RootsTech. Are you ready? I spent the day walking around Salt Lake City and getting ready for the conference. There is a lot of activity in the Expo Hall and many of the exhibitors have started to get their booths ready. 

As I was walking around I ran into several genealogists including the following:

Connie Knox (GenealogyTV), Steve Little (Vibe Genealogy), Brian Rhinehart (Civil War Records), Pat Richley-Erikson (Dear Myrtle), Cheri Hudson Passey (Genealogy Girl), and Laura Hedgecock (Treasure Chest of Memories).

Tomorrow will be a busy day at the FamilySearch Library doing research. RootsTech badges will be ready tomorrow afternoon and we have the speaker and media dinner. I also have a tech check to make sure everything is ready for my presentations. 

I will try to post regularly during RootsTech to keep everyone informed about what happens during RootsTech.

RootsTech Final Countdown

We are approaching the final countdown to RootsTech 2026. There are only a little over 5 days until the first online events start beginning on Wednesday at 4:00pm MST. There will be a total of 510 new classes presented in several languages. The English language selections include 362 presentations with 246 in-person, 65 webinars, and 50 on demand topics. With all of these presentations available it is important to set a schedule for yourself so you can attend your favorite presentations. I will provide an example of my schedule for each day below but you will notice that some sessions I have more than one talk assigned. I won't be attending both presentations but it gives me an opportunity to see which one seems to interest me more at the time. Also, I have filled each session with at least one presentation but with everything that I need to do during RootsTech I will likely miss about half of those sessions. So, make a schedule but be flexible so you can enjoy the Expo Hall or anything else you encounter during RootsTech. 

Wednesday, March 4

The first keynote speakers, The Gardiner Brothers, world-renowned Irish dancers, will discuss their Irish roots live from Ireland at 4:30pm MST. At 7:00pm MST the second keynote speaker, José Hernández, will talk about his NASA experience and his migrant roots. And at 9:30pm the third virtual keynote speaker, Jessica Soho, will talk about her 40-year journalism career and uncovering her family history. There will also be a series of virtual talks every 30-minutes between 4:00pm and midnight. For more details on these presentations visit https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2026-03-04.

For me, this day will include getting my RootsTech badge, doing some research in the FamilySearch library, running through a tech check in the rooms I will be speaking in, setting up The Family History Guide booth, helping to set up the International Institute of Genealogical Studies booth, getting a guided tour of the Expo Hall, and attending the media and speakers events in the evening. 

Thursday, March 5

The in-person events will begin on Thursday, March 5 with 136 presentations online and in-person. Virtual sessions begin at midnight and run throughout the day while in-person sessions begin at 8:00am MST. There are generally about 20 in-person sessions each class period. 

My schedule for Thursday includes the following presentations:

• 8:00am - Power Hour: The Power of Process: From Clues to Conclusions
• 9:30am - AI-Powered Transcription of Handwritten Documents: What's New in 2026
• 11:00am - RootsTech 2026 General Session 1 - Marlee Matlin and Steve Rockwood
• 1:30pm - Civil and Parish Records in Italy: From the Council of Trent to the 20th Century
• 1:30pm - What’s New at Ancestry®
• 3:00pm - I will be presenting Discovering German Church Records in room 255BC  
• 4:30pm - Genealogy, Upgraded: AI and Smart Tools on MyHeritage
• The Expo Hall closes at 6:30pm.
• I will also have breakfast with one of the Platinum Sponsors and a meetup with the Association of Professional Genealogists.
• Each day I will also be performing my media responsibilities doing interviews, preparing social media content, and assisting at The Family History Guide booth.

The full schedule for Thursday can be found at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2026-03-05.

Friday, March 6

On Friday there will be 139 sessions online and in-person.

My schedule for Friday includes the following presentations:

• 8:00am - Digging Deeper into German Records
• 8:00am - Power Hour: The Power of Proof: Mastering the Five Steps of Record Evaluation
• 9:30am - Arriving at the Port of New York, 1890-1924
• 9:30am - RootsTech Innovation and Tech Forum 2026
• 11:00am - RootsTech 2026 General Session 2 - Tara Roberts
• 1:30pm - I will be presenting Location, Location, Location - Tracking Family History Through Land Records in room 250
• 3:00pm - AI-Powered Research Logs: From Chaos to Clarity in Your Genealogy Data
• 4:30pm - Beyond the Prompt: Take Your AI To The Next Level
• The Expo Hall closes at 6:00pm.
• Additionally, I will be participating in GeneaBlogger activities and attending a dinner with one of the Platinum Sponsors.

The full schedule for Friday can be found at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2026-03-06. 

Saturday, March 7

On Saturday there will be 104 sessions online and in-person.

My schedule for Saturday includes the following presentations:

• 8:00am - I will be presenting Solving Family Mysteries with the FAN Method and Census Clues in room 255BC
• 9:30am - Find Your Relatives in NEW Ancestor Connector with 21,000 Individuals
• 9:30am - Genealogical Proof in Practice: Resolving Conflicts and Building Sound Conclusions
• 11:00am - RootsTech 2026 General Session 3 - Steve Young
• 1:30pm - Question Everything: Sharpen Evaluation, Avoid Assumptions, & Clarify Your Writing
• 3:00pm - Record-Breaking Records: MyHeritage’s Fastest-Growing Genealogy Record Collection
• This is take-down day and the Expo Hall closes at 3:00pm with the exhibitors taking down all of their displays immediately afterward.

The full schedule for Saturday can be found at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule?day=2026-03-07.

Sunday, March 8

There will be some early morning online events where RootsTech will replay some of the keynote speakers and church leadership talks. 

I will be getting some sleep, losing an hour because of the time change, and getting back to the airport to return home.

How does that sound for a few relaxing days at RootsTech? Just remember, you can set up your schedule any way you like. If you are attending in-person you could focus on the in-person only presentations and view the online presentations after you return home. Maybe you will spend more time in the Expo Hall talking to all of the exhibitors. Many of them have hourly classes at their booths along with raffles, gifts, and merchandise. Or maybe you will be networking and building friendships with the other attendees. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to make the most of your time and enjoy yourself as you attend the world's largest genealogy conference.

RootsTech Update and a Look Back on 2025

Good morning all. We are in the middle of a severe cold system here in Florida. It is getting down into the 20s and 30s at night and only in the 50s during the day. It's time to hunker down in the house and avoid going outside. I know you northerners think that is funny but we are cold! Since I won't be going out today, I figured I would try to get caught up on my blog a little.

Business has been good. OurAncestories Genealogy has picked up a couple new clients already this year and I have been preparing my presentations for RootsTech. As I mentioned previously, I will be presenting three talks during the conference. The schedule has been released and you can start looking over the classes you would like to attend either virtually or in person.

RootsTech

There will be about 500 classes in 14 languages offered during RootsTech. About half of those will be held in person in Salt Lake City and the rest will be available online for virtual attendees. Over seventy of the classes will be live streamed from the ballrooms and main stage. Additionally, there will be 4 to 5 live online webinars each class session. This means that online attendees can choose from 9 to 10 classes each class session from 8:00am-5:30pm Mountain Time. There will be 351 speakers covering a wide variety of topics suitable for all levels of genealogy enthusiasts. In person attendees will be able to choose from up to 19 presentations each class session. That is a lot of genealogy going on. But there is more. There will be over 100 exhibitors and many will have sponsored talks in the Expo Hall where you can sit in a small group and hear from the companies themselves. Imaging sitting with a group of 20 to 30 people listening to Crista Cowan talk about Ancestry or Daniel Horowitz talk about MyHeritage and being able to ask them questions directly or walking up and talking to the company representatives one-on-one. 

The emcee for the Main Stage will be Kirby Heyborne again. He has done a great job in the past. Additionally, there will be 11 global emcees presenting in a variety of languages including French, Spanish, and Japanese. In person keynote speakers will include Marlee Martin, Steve Young, and Tara Roberts. Virtual keynote speakers include astronaut Jose Hernandez, the Gardiner Brothers, Jessica Soho, and Brazilian footballer Zico.

Registration is currently $129 for all three days and the virtual registration is free. So register now if you haven't already done so. I hope to see you at RootsTech on March 5-7. Come up and say hi if you see me there.

Since we are a month into 2026, in addition to the update on RootsTech, I figured I would provide some statistics on how much the genealogy world has changed during 2025.

FamilySearch

During 2025 FamilySearch added 1.9 billion searchable names from historical records. Users connected 171 million new people and 466 million sources to the collaborative tree. Personally, I was able to add 1,350 people and 5,180 sources to the tree last year. This was actually one of my lowest years for contributions on FamilySearch. In addition to these great additions, the FamilySearch labs has released several products, not the least of which is the Full Text Search which uses AI to "read" documents and make them searchable much quicker than 

MyHeritage

MyHeritage introduced a treasure trove of new resources in 2025. They added 6.6 billion historical records which means they now have over 38 billion records for you to search. OldNews, their newspaper archive, now has over 400 million searchable newspaper pages from 25 countries. For DNA users, they increased the number of ethnicities from 42 to 79, added 40 DNA trait reports, and added full genome testing. MyHeritage now has over 9.6 million kits in their DNA database. LiveMemory was introduced at RootsTech. This product can produce short videos from you photographs. They also added audio recording and transcription to MyStories which helps people create stories of their lives based on weekly email prompts. you can read more about these and other MyHeritage updates on their blog.

These are just a few of the updates that we saw during 2025. Speakers at RootsTech will discuss some of these updates as well as give you a sneak peek at what we can expect to see during 2026. Keep up with the news and join me for the largest genealogy conference in the world on March 5-7. See you there. 

NotebookLM - a new AI tool for Genealogists?

I know it has been a while since I last posted here. I have only done three posts since we moved in June of last year. During that time we have been working on settling in, building our social network in the new area, starting a genealogy club for our community, doing research for clients, and preparing for RootsTech. This year I am doing three in-person talks at RootsTech. Unlike last year, these talks will not be available online.

1. Thursday, March 5 at 3:00pm MST in Room 255 BC - Discovering German Church Records
2. Friday, March 6 at 1:30pm MST in Room 150 - Location, Location, Location - Tracking family history through land records
3. Saturday, March 7 at 8:00am in Room 255 BC - Solving Family Mysteries with the FAN Method and Census Clues

In addition to my presentations, I will be doing my usual media posts during the event as well as manning The Family History Guide's booth and probably helping out at the International Institute for Genealogical Studies booth. So it will be a busy couple of days.

I am also now a regular panel member for Dear Myrtle's Mondays with Myrt. Archived sessions can be viewed on Dear Myrtle's YouTube page. New episodes will be livestreamed on Mondays at 12:00pm Eastern.

Now, let's get to the topic of this blog post. NotebookLM is a fairly new AI website. It is part of the Google suite of products and does some unique things compared to the other AI engines. I am just now starting to explore the possibilities of how NotebookLM can be used to enhance my family history research. So, let me provide an example of how I used it today.

Back in May 2016, I wrote a biography about Leo Kohnen on my other blog site OurAncestories. This page contains biographies about ancestors I have researched. Like this blog, it isn't updated as often as it should be, but it contains some interesting stories. One of those articles is about Leo Herman Kohnen, a mystery family member. The blog post explains how I eventually discovered how he was connected to my Westerheide family through various marriages and complicated research. This story will be presented at RootsTech during my Saturday session, so if you are at RootsTech stop by and listen in for the story of how FAN research and incorrect census information led to the eventual discovery of this connection. If you won't be at RootsTech you can read the original blog post to fast forward to the ending. But if you are interested in how AI can help tell the story, just stick around till the end here and you will see what NotebookLM has to say about the subject.

How does NotebookLM work?

NotebookLM is pretty simple to use. I uploaded the text from my blog post about Leo Kohnen and NotebookLM read the information and produced a fairly short summary of the information:

 

"The provided text chronicles a genealogical investigation into the identity of Leo Herman Kohnen and his complex family connections. By utilizing the FAN research method and scrutinizing various census records, the author corrects historical errors regarding a "mystery person" originally misidentified as George Homan. The narrative reveals that Leo was the grandson of Elisabeth Holthaus, who married Frank Westerheide after the death of her first husband. This research clarifies that the Westerheide family tree was complicated by several marriages and frequent surname misspellings in official documents. Ultimately, the source maps out the "lost link" between the Kohnen, Langenkamp, and Westerheide lineages through a detailed analysis of 19th-century records."

After the summary, NotebookLM provided a couple prompts to build upon. In this case, the prompts were:

• How did inaccurate census indexing complicate the research of Frank Westerheide's family history?
• How was the identity of Leo Kohnen linked to his biological parents?
• In what ways did remarriages create complex connections between the Kohnen and Westerheide families?

NotebookLM has a set of tools in its Studio which help bring stories to life. These tools are easy to use, just click on the tool and wait for it to produce the output. Some take longer than others, especially the Audio and Video tools.

Studio tools in NotebookLM.

 
Mind Map

One of the tools is Mind Map. Mind mapping provides a flowchart of the connections from the document that was provided. The tool was able to define family relationships, research methods, and identify the mystery in this research problem. 

NotebookLM Mind Map

Each of the bubbles can be expanded by clicking on the arrows or can be further explored by clicking on the bubble itself. One example of how the Mind Map is further explained comes from the Key Records bubble. Clicking on that bubble produced the following text:

"In the provided sources, marriage records serve as a critical tool for bridging gaps and verifying relationships that are often obscured by errors or omissions in other documents. While census records and obituaries provide the initial clues, marriage records are specifically utilized to reveal parental lineages and confirm family connections that might otherwise remain "mystery" links.

Within the larger context of key genealogical records, marriage records function in the following ways:

• Identifying Parental Links: When an obituary for Leo Kohnen failed to include his parents' names, the researcher turned to the marriage record of his sister, Mary Frances Kohnen. This specific record listed her parents as Ben Kohnen and Elizabeth Langenkamp, allowing the researcher to definitively link Leo to his biological parents.
• Navigating Re-marriages and Blended Families: Census records often provide ambiguous data regarding how long a couple has been married or how many children a woman has had. For instance, the 1910 census for Frank and Elisabeth Westerheide used the code "M2," indicating they had both been married twice. To understand the family's "convoluted connections," the researcher sought out the marriage record for Elisabeth’s first marriage to John Heinrich Langenkamp in 1853. This record was the "lost link" needed to connect the Langenkamp and Westerheide branches of the family.
• Supplementing Other Vital Records: Marriage records are often used in tandem with death certificates and cemetery records. For example, a death certificate provided the maiden name "Holthouse" for Elisabeth Westerheide, which then directed the search for a marriage record under that name to confirm her previous spouse.
• Verifying Census Data: While census records are helpful, they are prone to indexing errors and misspellings, such as "Sisterhiden" or "Wisterhier". Marriage records provide a more stable secondary source to verify the identities of individuals who appear as "step-sons" or "grandsons" in census listings, such as the confusion surrounding whether Leo Kohnen was a grandson or a step-son.

Ultimately, the sources illustrate that while census records offer a "snapshot" of a household, marriage records are essential for establishing the legal and biological framework of a family across multiple generations."

This is a very detailed description of how the various records were used to explore the problem and come to a final solution.

Infographics

Infographics are a powerful tool used to illustrate complex ideas. 

NotebookLM Infographic

This infographic, while esthetically pleasing and full of details, does have a couple errors that need to be highlighted. First, in the upper right corner it states that Frank marries Elizabeth 2 (1978). This is about 100 years too late. It should be 1878. Second, in the lower right corner the "tree" has Frank Westerheide marrying Margaret Langenkamp and being the father of Leo Kohnen. Frank should be married to Elisabeth Holthouse. But generally, this infographic does a good job at telling the story in a visual way.

Audio Overview

The audio overview was fantastic. It produces a podcast quality story told by two narrators in a compelling way which draws you in and makes you want to listen to the end. The podcast is about 15 minutes long and it keeps your attention throughout the entire story. You can click on this link to listen to the audio overview.

Video Overview

NotebookLM can also produce videos from your stories. The videos are narrated by AI voices and images are AI produced. The video it created from my story was a little over 7 minutes long and was very interesting. You can see it below. If this doesn't work, you can click on this link to view it on my YouTube channel.

Slide Deck

The slide deck was very impressive. I really liked the combination of images and text that it produced but it also has some small problems with spelling so you need to beware and not just use the slides as is. They may need some editing. I think I will use the slides as ideas for layout and design for future presentations.

NotebookLM Slide

Overall, I was very impressed by the capabilities of NotebookLM to provide engaging graphics and stories. These will be great ways to record your family history for future generations.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars Foreign Language Presentations

It is finally Fall here in Florida. The rainy season seems to have stopped and the temperatures have dropped into the low 70s in the morning and mid 80s in the afternoon. That means it is time to spend more time outside. Hopefully I will have opportunities to start scoping out the local cemeteries in my new hometown. However, I understand that some of our northern friends may be getting a bit colder and you might want to snuggle up by the fireplace to a good webinar. Legacy Family Tree Webinars has just announced that they will be providing a series of live genealogy webinars in French and Spanish with many of them being free!

The first three live French sessions (all free to attend) are:

• Filae : la maison des archives originales françaises with Yann Guillerm, Community Manager and Editor at Filae, Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
• Explorer vos racines en France : méthodes et ressources en ligne avec les collections de MyHeritage with Marie Cappart, historian and professional genealogist, Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
• Explorer vos racines au Luxembourg : archives locales et ressources MyHeritage with Liliane Hierro, professional genealogist and author, Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
• In addition to these live webinars, there will be more than 100 French presentations on demand!
• See the full French webinar schedule and register here.

The first 5 live Spanish sessions (all free to attend) are:

• Cómo utilizar la Nueva Búsquedas de Texto en FamilySearch with Francisco Javier Gomez, employed by FamilySearch, on Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
• ¿Qué busca un adoptado durante la búsqueda de orígenes? with Iván Gastañaga, the first Russian adopted in Spain, on Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 1 P.M. GMT / 9 A.M. EST
• Claves para localizar a nuestro primer antepasado de España with Antonio Alfaro de Prado, Spanish genealogist and researcher specializing in Hispanic genealogy, on Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 1 P.M. GMT / 9 A.M. EST
• Búsquedas eficaces en FamilySearch with Debbie Gurtler AG, employed by FamilySearch at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, on Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 1 P.M. GMT / 9 A.M. EST
• ¿Como se deletrea tu Apellido? with Sonia Meza, Graduate in Genealogy, Heraldry and Nobility, on Tue, Dec 9, 2025 at 1 P.M. GMT / 9 A.M. EST
• In addition to these live webinars, there will be more than 30 Spanish presentations on demand!
• See the full Spanish webinar schedule and register here

These are great opportunities to immerse yourself in the language as you learn more about researching these areas.