SL Virtual Genealogical Society

Join us for our February 2026 meeting, where well-known genealogy speaker Miles Meyer will share “Who’s Leo? – an unknown relative, census records, and the FAN method.”

Description:

If you have been researching genealogy for a while you may have heard of the FAN method. FAN stands for Friends, Acquaintances and Neighbors. This technique looks at those living nearby on the census, investigating associated people on various records, and who is listed on other records.

This presentation traces the research of an unknown family member through various records demonstrating how the information in census records may be misleading, why it is necessary to fully evaluate information in multiple record types, and why it is important to look at nearby families to resolve family mysteries. It will focus on one individual and how a detailed investigation of the information led to multiple discoveries resolving how that person was related to the family in question. Problems that will be discussed include detailed census evaluation, poor enumeration data, poor indexing, the FAN method, multiple marriages, cemetery and newspaper research, and resolving the missing 1890 census. (This presentation will be given at RootsTech 2026 in Salt Lake City.)

WHEN: Sunday, 15 February 2026 – NOTE DATE CHANGE
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The Barn  SLurl

A brief business meeting will be held before the speaker’s presentation.

Genealogists of all levels are welcome at our meetings. You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to attend, but we’d love it if you’d join!

About The Speaker

Miles Meyer is a scientist by training and has been active in genealogy for over 25 years in a variety of ways. His expertise revolves around new technologies, internet research, and FamilySearch.

He is the principal researcher for OurAncestories Genealogy, a Family History Consultant, and the current Family History Lead in St. Cloud, Florida. He is also the Director of Education for The Family History Guide (www.thefhguide.com). He has presented at a variety of international genealogy conferences, including RootsTech Salt Lake (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026), RootsTech London (2019), The Genealogy Show UK (Spring, Summer and Winter 2022), The Society of One Place Studies Conference UK (2023), Society of Genealogists London (2024), and the One World One Family Conference in Toronto (2021).

Miles is currently a panel member on Mondays with Myrt, which is livestreamed every other week on YouTube. Additionally, Miles has been a beta tester for several genealogy companies, and when he has time, he manages several blogs on genealogy-related activities.

Join us for our first meeting of 2026, where professional genealogist Dawn Carlisle will teach us a few Tips for Deciphering Old Handwriting.

Description:

Deciphering that fancy (or terrible) handwriting, that bleeds through the page, the bad spelling, faint ink, and extraneous ink and pencil marks, are issues we frequently encounter reading records in the courthouse, on microfilm or digital images, and in old diaries and letters. Tips and tools for getting around these issues will be discussed.

WHEN: Sunday, 11 January 2026
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The Barn  SLurl

A brief business meeting will be held before the speaker’s presentation.

Genealogists of all levels are welcome at our meetings. You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to attend, but we’d love it if you’d join!

About The Speaker

Dawn Carlile is a professional genealogist, educator, and lecturer who enjoys teaching others about researching their families as much as she does about researching her own and the families of others.

After many years of helping others with their research, Dawn started Genealogy Roots and Branches in 2021. She has completed courses at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, GRIP Genealogy Institute, Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, and Genealogical Institute on Federal Records.

Dawn is the current president and an instructor for the Oregon Genealogical Society, a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and several other state and county genealogical societies.

Join us for our July 2025 meeting, where we will have the honor of hearing from the amazing Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy!

Dr. Murphy will be sharing an important, but often neglected topic, “Physical and Emotional Health: Understanding Your Family Health History.” Her talk will include

• Examples of how one’s ancestry can impact physical and emotional health
• Practical advice for Exploring Your Family Health History.
• Tools and support for navigating your discoveries
• Community building tips to share and learn from others’ experiences

WHEN: Sunday, 13 July 2025
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The Barn  SLurl

A brief business meeting will be held before the speaker’s presentation.

Genealogists of all levels are welcome at our meetings. You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to attend, but we’d love it if you’d join!

About The Speaker

An avid genealogist for over 30 years, Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, a.k.a. “familytreegirl,” was born and raised in Michigan, now living in central Virginia. She conducts genealogy workshops at local, state, and national conferences. Murphy is known for her inspiring & interactive “SO WHAT” with genealogical research, along with interesting problem-solving methodology lectures such as the use of Timelines.

Dr. Murphy serves on the Boards of the Library of Virginia and the Albemarle, Charlottesville, and Fluvanna Historical Societies.

She is the President, Coordinator, and Instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) and develops staff and public educational programs for the Center for Family History at the International African American Museum (opening Fall/22). She holds membership in AAHGS, NGS, APG, DAR, and local genealogy groups.

Currently working for the University of Virginia as the Descendant Project Researcher, seeking descendants of the enslaved laborers who built the university. Adjunct Professor at Averett University since 2009. Dr. Murphy’s personal research focuses on Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia/West Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Learn more at Dr. Murphy’s website, Family Tree Girl.

Join us for our October 2024 meeting, where we will meet artist, designer, and photographer Jonathan Gibson.

He will be sharing his innovative history and genealogy projects, LivingHistory.ai and TheAfterLife.ai, which allow you to “talk with” the dead.

If you like Second Life—or even if you don’t—you’ll love these projects!

Come see the future for experiencing the past!

WHEN: Sunday, 13 October 2024
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The Barn  SLurl

A brief business meeting will be held before the speaker’s presentation.

Genealogists of all levels are welcome at our meetings. You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to attend, but we’d love it if you’d join!

About The Speaker

Jonathan Gibson is an artist, designer, educator, and innovator. He received his BFA in Painting and Drawing from Brigham Young University and his MFA at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. His recent work revolves around digital AI projects that allow us to talk to dead people. He lives in Cincinnati, OH with his wife and 4 children.

Are you struggling to finish – or start – that genealogy writing project? Are your family history files a disorganized mess? Can’t make time to read that book or article?

The Genealogy Goal Getters can help!

The Genealogy Goal Getters is an accountability-type support group designed to help you find time to work on your genealogy projects.

How does it work? We will start each session by sharing our goals for what we plan to work on. Then we will all work individually on our stated projects. Finally, we will share how we did with our goals at the end of the work session.

You choose what you want to accomplish in a supportive environment with your fellow genealogists!

NEXT GOAL GETTERS SESSION

WHEN: Sunday, 26 May 2024
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The SLVGS Barn  SLurl

Join us at the SLVGS Barn on the 4th Sunday of the month at 4:30 p.m. SLT for virtual coffee and snacks and some quiet, focused work time.

You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to participate, but we’d love it if you’d join!

Join us for our May meeting, where we will meet author and “Genealogy Guy” Drew Smith, MA, MS. Drew will be talking about his newest book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy.

Description:

Drew Smith’s latest book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, results from his own experience over 30 years in reading and attempting to use countless beginners’ books, but finding something lacking. Learn what prompted Drew to identify a new way to approach basic genealogical research and what sets his beginners’ book apart from others.

WHEN: Sunday, 5 May 2024 – NOTE DATE CHANGE
TIME: 4:30 p.m. SLT (same as Pacific Time)
WHERE: The SLVGS Barn  SLurl

NOTE: The date of this meeting was changed to avoid conflicting with Mother’s Day.

A brief business meeting will be held before the speaker’s presentation.

Genealogists of all levels are welcome at our meetings. You do not need to be a member of the SLVGS to attend, but we’d love it if you’d join!

About The Speaker

Drew Smith is an associate librarian emeritus at the University of South Florida Libraries in Tampa, specializing in genealogical research. He is the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast and the host of the Genealogy Connection podcast. Drew is a founder and administrator of The Genealogy Squad Facebook Group, with over 46,000 active members. He writes a regular productivity column for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. Drew is co-author of the book Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques and author of the book Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher. His latest book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, was published in February 2023 by Genealogical Publishing Co.