And the ROOTSTECH WINNER Is.....

There were a comfortable 28 entries in this year's Renee's Genealogy Blog contest for a FREE RootsTech 2018 4-day pass.  I recognized several names on the result form spreadsheet.  To ensure absolute fairness I used the "True Random Number Generator" widget to pick a spreadsheet number.

The Winner is #12

           

I am happy to see Doris Bateman as this years RootsTech winner. Her answer to ...

How would attending RootsTech this year help you?

"I am just recovering from health problems and no longer have cutting edge knowledge of what is happening in the Genealogy world. I need to catch up!"

RootsTech is just the place you need. Congratulations Doris!! You're going to RootsTech 2018. 

See ya tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!

Cyber Monday Special—RootsTech 2018

Register today for a 4-day RootsTech pass for only $169! Regularly priced at $279, that’s a savings of over $100. Use promotional code CYBER18. This promotion ends at 11:59 p.m. MST tonight. Register Today Promotional discount cannot be applied to prior registrations.   View the Full Schedule With over 300 breakout sessions for all skill levels, there’s something for YOU at RootsTech. See the full schedule.

Win a Free RootsTech 2018 4 Day Pass!

WAHOO!! As an Official RootsTech Ambassador, I have one RootsTech 2018 4-day pass to give away to a very lucky reader (a $279 value). This is the largest Genealogy Conference in the World.

RootsTech will be held February 28 - March 3, 2018

 in the Salt Place Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

This is good for one FREE RootsTech Pass 2018. It includes the registration fee for over 300+ classes, Keynote General Sessions, Innovation Showcase, Expo Hall, and evening events. This registration does not include travel, hotel, meals, labs or any other compensation. The Getting Started and free Family Discovery Day Pass are not included, and must be added on separately. Enter only if you plan on attending. Only one entry per person will be valid. Selection made by random drawing.

This contest will end on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 11:59 p.m (MT). The winner will be contacted by email the following morning. By entering this contest you agree to give Renee feedback on your RootsTech 2018 experience, along with a photograph of yourself attending the event.

Direct link to entry form -  http://tinyurl.com/rootstech2018free

Elder and Sister Oaks Speaking at RootsTech Family Discovery Day 2018

Elder and Sister Oaks to Speak at Family Discovery Day RootsTech is pleased to announce Elder and Sister Oaks as featured speakers at the popular Family Discovery Day, happening Saturday, March 3, 2018. Family Discovery Day is a FREE one-day event for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Learn More In addition to hearing from Elder and Sister Oaks, you will: Hear inspiring messages and performances from special guests, including popular LDS speaker Hank Smith, America’s Got Talentfinalist Evie Clair, popular singer Kenya Clark, and prominent Latin American artist, Alex Melecio. Experience the interactive expo hall, where families and friends can create a visual family tree, recreate family history photographs, and more. Enjoy the RootsTech closing event, My Family, Mi Herencia, featuring Luz de Las Naciones. Attend a selection of classes designed to teach you how to find family names, prepare them for temple blessings, and teach others how to do the same. Invite your family, friends, ward, and stake to RootsTech Family Discovery Day 2018  As someone planning to attend RootsTech Family Discovery Day 2018, we invite you to extend the invitation to your family, friends, ward, and stake to join you at an event that promises to inspire all who attend to discover, connect, and share family stories. Experience more at RootsTech 2018  RootsTech, the world’s largest family history conference, is happening February 28–March 3, 2018, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. With inspiring keynote speakers, including Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, award-winning photographer and storyteller Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York, a gigantic expo hall, informative sessions, and entertaining events, RootsTech has something for everyone. Passes start at just $69. Registration is required for both Family Discovery Day and RootsTech. Visit RootsTech.org to register. Light Keepers: A Family History Experience for Women  If you’re interested in learning more at RootsTech, consider attending Light Keepers: A Family History Experience for Women. This hands-on experience will take place during RootsTech on Thursday, March 1, 2018. You’ll be introduced to the basics of family history by passionate and energetic experts, and you’ll learn simple, fun ways to incorporate it into your life. Registration for this special event is $159. Visit RootsTech.org/lightkeepers to register.

Submit your Photo+Story for a chance to win great prizes at RootsTech!

Photo+Story Competition at RootsTech! Do you have an eye for photography and an ear for a great story? Don’t pass up this exciting opportunity to enter RootsTech’s first ever Photo+Story competition for the chance to win great prizes and have your work displayed in the RootsTech gallery throughout the four-day conference. Enter Here

The following is from FamilySearch.

FamilySearch Free Sign-in Offers Greater Subscriber Experiences and Benefits

Beginning December 13, 2017, patrons visiting FamilySearch.org will see a prompt to register for a free FamilySearch account or sign in to their existing account to continue enjoying all the free expanded benefits FamilySearch has to offer.  Since its launch in 1999, FamilySearch has added millions of users, billions of various historical records, and many fun, new features like Family Tree, Memories, mobile apps, digital books, and dynamic help.  In order to accommodate continued growth of these and future free services, FamilySearch must assure all its partners that its content is offered in a safe and secure online environment. Patrons creating a free account and signing in fulfills that need.   

Patron sign in will also enable FamilySearch to satisfy the ongoing need for user authentication. This authentication can deliver rich, personalized discovery, collaboration, and help experiences. Simply put, signed-in visitors can access more searchable content and enjoy more personalized services.  

“A large percentage of our current site visitors are not benefiting from much of what FamilySearch has to offer because they don’t realize the need to simply sign in with their free account to do so,” said Steve Rockwood, FamilySearch CEO. “They are basically arriving in the parking lot but not coming inside for the main event,” he said about website visitors who do not sign in. 

FamilySearch is committed to patron privacy and does not share personal account information with any third party without a patron’s consent.  

See Registering to use FamilySearch.org for information about creating a free account.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Do I have to pay for a FamilySearch account?  

No. Your FamilySearch account is, and always will be, free.  

2. How do I create a free FamilySearch account?  

See Registering to use FamilySearch.org. The only information you will need is your first and last name, a username, a password, and an email or mobile phone number.  

3. What if I have forgotten my username or password?  

• See Recovering a forgotten username for signing in to FamilySearch.org. 
• See Recovering a forgotten password for signing in to FamilySearch.org. 

4. Will you sell my information?  

FamilySearch does not share your personal account information with any third party without your consent.  

5. How will my experience be enhanced?  

FamilySearch offers many services and experiences that are free but that require you to sign in as a subscriber to fully use. In addition to historical records and Family Tree access, signed-in subscribers receive personalized experiences, notifications, and other features (see above).  

6. Why do users need to log in to perform searches or to create a family tree?  

FamilySearch wants to provide you more access to records and a rich, personalized experience with more successful discoveries. By signing in, you allow the FamilySearch system to customize and deliver its best services to you.  

7. How will my contact information be used?  

• Your information is used in the FamilySearch system to facilitate collaboration between users (you control how much information is shared).  

• The Family Tree and Memories features display your username and any other contact information you approve when using select features.  
• Your information allows you to send in-system messages to other users without revealing your personal identity or email address.  
• FamilySearch will send you email and newsletters to keep you informed. You can specify how much email, if any, you receive.  
• Your contact information is accessed when you contact the support group for help.  

8. Is there anything I can do without signing in?  

Absolutely. There are still a number of things you can do on FamilySearch without signing in. You can search the catalog, digitized books, genealogies, the Wiki, and the learning center. You can also view user-contributed photos and stories.  

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The following is from FamilySearch.

New Historic Records on FamilySearch: Week of November 20, 2017

Summary

Five historic Denmark Censuses, 1835 to 1855, were added on FamilySearch and millions of civil registration records  from Uruguay. Many more records from Brazil, Great Britain, Peru, and Portugal were also published. Search these new free records at FamilySearch by clicking on the links in the interactive table below.

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration, 1875-2014	206,819	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Denmark Census, 1835	282,207	7,221	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1840	1,611,062	0	New indexed records collection
Denmark Census, 1845	1,671,252	61,743	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1850	1,301,602	52,051	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1855	1,733,541	99,773	New indexed records and images collection
Great Britain, War Office Registers, 1772-1935	21,642	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Cusco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997	99,218	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Portugal, Coimbra, Civil Registration, 1893-1980	53,179	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Uruguay, Civil Registration, 1900-1937	2,233,093	0	New indexed records collection

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the world's historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org/indexing.

About FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The following is from FamilySearch.

New Historic Records on FamilySearch: October 23 to November 13, 2017

Summary

Over 28 million new historic records were added on FamilySearch from Denmark, England, and the Netherlands, as well as millions more from BillionGraves, British Columbia, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,Ecuador, France, Germany, Honduras, Illinois, Iowa, Italy, Kentucky, Missouri, Namibia, New Jersey, Ohio, Peru, Poland,Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, United States, and Washington. Search these new free records at FamilySearch by clicking on the links in the interactive table below.

Collection	Indexed  Records	Digital Images	Comments
BillionGraves Index	335,665	335,665	Added indexed records and images to an existing collection
British Columbia, Victoria Times Birth, Marriage and Death Notices, 1901-1939	40,468	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices	2,635,047	135,129	New indexed records and images collection
Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922	33,222	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Croatia, Delnice Deanery Catholic Church Books, 1725-1926	42,236	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Czech Republic Church Books, 1552-1963	12,608	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Denmark Census, 1930	3,641,393	1,136,560	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Church Records, 1484-1941	18,657,995	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Denmark, Copenhagen City, Civil Marriages, 1739-1964, Index 1877-1964	44,815	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Ecuador, Catholic Church Records, 1565-2011	337,937	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Cambridgeshire Bishop's Transcripts, 1599-1860	129,438	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918	92,188	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1997	424,558	0	New indexed records collection
England, Hampshire Bishop's Transcripts 1680-1892	836,206	69,129	Added indexed records and images to an existing collection
England, Manchester, Parish Registers, 1603-1910	37,798	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
France, Saône-et-Loire, Census, 1876	98,675	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1800-1870	92,186	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968	91,302	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880	97,928	4,347	New indexed records and images collection
Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994	133,215	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998	142,415	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Italy, Benevento, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1810-1942	234,451	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Italy, Chieti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1930	339,924	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Italy, Padova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1621-1914	876	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1963	31,714	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946	47,646	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Namibia, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1904-1984	85,802	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Public Records	3,011,381	0	New indexed records collection
New Jersey State Census, 1895	983,354	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919	10,103	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Puno, Civil Registration, 1890-2005	248,821	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Poland, Lublin Roman Catholic Church Books, 1784-1964	72,498	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Poland, Radom Roman Catholic Church Books, 1587-1966	1,550	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books, 1592-1910	9,412	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive), 1690-2011	10,766	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Sweden, Kronoberg Church Records, 1589-1921; index 1612-1860	46,287	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
United States Mexican War Index and Service Records, 1846-1848	202,106	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783	832,876	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Washington, Soldier Home Records, 1891-1945	13,061	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the world's historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org/indexing.

About FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources for free at FamilySearch.org or through more than 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.