2015-09-03
Journalists, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events. For a shorter version please show the main speaker and topic, give the UVTAGG websites, and say there are classes at all levels of genealogy. If you need further information, please email me. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu
[UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning, 12 Sep 2015, Provo
The next meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group) will be on Saturday, 12 Sep 2015, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. This is the regular second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting. Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org . On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted the week before the meetings.
The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be by Laurie Castillo on LDS MISSIONARY RECORDS: LOCATING THE RECORDS OF OUR LDS MISSIONARY ANCESTORS. Find out what additional information may be available about your missionary ancestors in official LDS missionary records (1830–1979), ward records, and other LDS collections. Learn which of them can be searched online and where to locate them. Learn what other types of records may mention missionaries and their experiences. Laurie Werner Castillo is the 1st Vice President of UVTAGG and is a professional genealogist who has done historical background research for books, as well as family research for private clients. She has written articles for publication and presented at numerous conferences, national, state and local, including, FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies), UGA (Utah Genealogical Association), and BYU. She has worked with the UGA in several positions and for many years has been a Family History Missionary, Consultant, and teacher at the BYU Family History Library, the Senior Missionary Training Center, a Stake Family Records Extraction Director, and a Ward Consultant. She specializes in research in continental Europe and Scandinavia, especially Germany, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands. She has researched most everywhere in the U.S. and particularly enjoys New England, Midwest, and the “Western Frontier”. Besides all this she is a U.S. Census specialist and is well-versed in Early LDS Research. Laurie was born in Santa Monica, California and raised in West Los Angeles. In high school she participated in musical groups and was a point guard on the girls basketball team. She attended BYU where she met and married Jerry Castillo from San Antonio, Texas. Jerry also works with the UVTAGG. Laurie graduated from BYU with a BS in Family and Consumer Economics and the Castillo's live in Orem where Laurie has been a Community Emergency Response Team trainer for the City of Orem and does Earthquake Preparedness presentations. They have two grown children and 4 grandchildren.
After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled. See our website for last minute changes and additions.
(1) Early Newspapers With LDS Information, by Laurie Castillo
(2) Fast Accurate Research Using FamilySearch and the FamilySearch Wiki
(3) Ask an Expert (Personal Help, including questions on Legacy, and for this month, also on Ancestral Quest), by Don Engstrom and Don Reynolds
(4) Video of last month's main presentation, The Best Things in Life Are Free: Freeware for Family History, by Donald R. Snow and Linda Snow Westover
(5) RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee
[Note: The Ancestral Quest classes will resume next month.]
Notice that there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise. This includes youth, those just getting interested in genealogy, long-time genealogists, and ward family history consultants. All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public, whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings, including many family history consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson and Rick Klemetson, Webmasters. Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes. Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter TAGGology via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes. Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and family history consultants. Membership is on a calendar year basis. See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and how to join the Group on the websites above. You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at gengal@comcast.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.
Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu
