Join us for Genealogy Best Computer Practices at the Austin Computer Labs.

Each participant will use one of the computers at the lab and work with an instructor through the lesson.  To learn more about the computer lab, click Austin Computer Labs above.

Seating is limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration is required and limited to AGS members. A Wait List will be created for participants, if needed. If you cannot attend, please contact Dianne Holley to open the seat to someone on the wait list.

Genealogy has gone digital.  Most genealogists are working online — to different degrees — and on their computers.  This class will look at the dominant research and some lesser-known but  valuable websites, along with types of software to help you hunt for your family and organize your data.

Instructor:  John Marostica

This class is free.  Please register in advance to save a seat and receive a handout.

Join us for Using GEDmatch to Find more DNA Family at the Austin Computer Labs.

A hands on workshop to learn about the basics of GEDmatch and what to do with YOUR matches. We’ll cover how to perform one-to-many matches, one-to-one matches, best practices for contacting matches, and what do those centimorgans mean anyway?

Prerequisites: To get the most of this session, you should have received your DNA results, created a GEDmatch account, and uploaded your raw DNA file to GEDmatch prior to the workshop.
If you need more details, visit this link: https://drive.google.com/open? id=1J8gL0oOnAzizDdqewBgsw_3nOk Rv7S9-

Seating is limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration is required and limited to AGS members. A Wait List will be created for participants, if needed. If you cannot attend, please contact Dianne Holley to open the seat to someone on the wait list.

So much data,  so little time.  To make the best use of your research, you need good organization and record-keeping so that you can retrieve and use what you find.  Most genealogists struggle with this!  Come learn four ways you need to be organized to keep your research moving.

Instructor:  Nancy Stevens

This class is free.  Please register in advance to save a seat and receive a handout.

Join us for ANCESTRY.COM COLLECTIONS – Discovering Sources to Build Your Family Tree at the Austin Computer Labs.

With nearly thirty-three thousand record collections, and millions of records, many of us have yet to tap the vast storehouse of information available through Ancestry.com. From vital records, to newspapers, to church records and more, these are records you won’t see from Ancestry’s front page or an “All Collections” search.

If you are an Ancestry.com subscriber, you’ll learn how its collections can help you discover more about your family and add to your tree.

If you aren’t already a subscriber, you’ll still learn. Create a free account (here’s a link: https://www.ancestry.com/secure/register/index/) and, before coming to class, add some people and make a tree. There are thousands of records that are searchable, even with a free account.

Join us to discover how to access Ancestry’s treasury of data. On-line registration is required and available now.

The Particulars:

CLASSTIME: 10:00 TO 12:30
LOCATION: The Computer Lab at Austin Groups for the Elderly, 3710 Cedar St., Austin, TX 78705 (but check out the following, please!)

ACCESS: The lab is not normally open on the weekends, the Cedar Street main door will be locked. Access will be from the back parking lot on HOME LANE, then up the ramp to the back door.

HOME LANE PARKING LOT: There is a small, free parking lot behind the building along Home Lane that can be accessed from an entrance (marked on the MAP BELOW in Orange) on 35th Street (between Home Lane and Cedar Street) Handicap spaces are at the far north end of the lot facing Home Lane.

STREET PARKING: The lot will likely not be full on Saturday. If the lot is full, or If you prefer, you can park in the neighborhood along Home Lane (west side) and along 35th Street (north side only),
HOME LANE ENTRANCE: From the parking lot facing the back of the building look left. There is a ramp up to the left and then right to the back entrance for the lab. Once you enter the building through the back door, the lab is to your left and left again (marked on the map in Yellow)

SOMEONE WILL MAN THE DOOR UNTIL 10:05. If you arrive late, class will have to be interrupted to let you in, so please arrive early – have a cup of coffee or tea and visit your fellow classmates. If you do arrive late, text the Instructor at 512-922-4541 to have someone come let you in.
See you there!

Seating is limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration is required and limited to AGS members. A Wait List will be created for participants, if needed. If you cannot attend, please contact Dianne Holley to open the seat to someone on the wait list.

Did you know that only about 30% of the records at FamilySearch are indexed?
That means that if you search the site only using the basic search, you are only looking at about 1/3 of all the available records on the site! What could you be missing?

Join us as we look at where to find these records; what is in them and how to search them.
We will also look at techniques for viewing, saving and downloading these records.

You will be amazed at the treasures you will discover and what you will learn!

Instructor:  John Marostica

This class is free.  Please register in advance to save a seat and receive a handout.

The April FOURTH SATURDAY CLASS (Co-sponsored by Austin Groups for the Elderly -AGE, and The Austin Genealogical Society – AGS) for AGS members only:

Family Tree Maker 2017 (Updated) – 101 – Navigation and Getting Started

Student expectations:

Basic computers skills that include: keyboard familiarity, mouse uses (both left and right-click buttons), and Windows 7 or newer navigation/software application interactions. General understanding of genealogy including understanding of terms such as “facts”, “sources”, and “media”.

In this class you’ll learn the basics of Family Tree Maker and begin to familiarize yourself with the application. You’ll learn how to navigate, understand the file structure, start a Tree, identify and understand panels and tabs and their differences.

The Particulars:CLASSTIME:

10:00 TO 12:30
LOCATION: The Computer Lab at Austin Groups for the Elderly, 3710 Cedar St., Austin, TX 78705 (but check out the following, please!)

ACCESS: The lab is not normally open on the weekends, the Cedar Street main door will be locked. Access will be from the back parking lot on HOME LANE, then up the ramp to the back door.

HOME LANE PARKING LOT: There is a small, free parking lot behind the building along Home Lane that can be accessed from an entrance (marked on the MAP BELOW in Orange) on 35th Street (between Home Lane and Cedar Street) Handicap spaces are at the far north end of the lot facing Home Lane.

STREET PARKING: The lot will likely not be full on Saturday. If the lot is full, or If you prefer, you can park in the neighborhood along Home Lane (west side) and along 35th Street (north sideonly),

HOME LANE ENTRANCE: From the parking lot facing the back of the building look left. There is a ramp up to the left and then right to the back entrance for the lab. Once you enter the building through the back door, the lab is to your left and left again (marked on the map in Yellow)

SOMEONE WILL MAN THE DOOR UNTIL 10:05. If you arrive late, class will have to be interrupted to let you in, so please arrive early – have a cup of coffee or tea and visit your fellow classmates. If you do arrive late, text the Instructor at 512-922-4541 to have someone come let you in.
See you there!

Seating is limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration is required and limited to AGS members. A Wait List will be created for participants, if needed. If you cannot attend, please contact Dianne Holley to open the seat to someone on the wait list.

Join us for an overview of the U.S. Censuses from 1790 to 1940. We will look at each census in general, learning which questions were asked and what extra components may be included to help us with our family history research.

Instructor:  Debbe Tipping

This class is free.  Please register in advance to save a seat and receive a handout.

The May FOURTH SATURDAY CLASS (Co-sponsored by Austin Groups for the Elderly -AGE, and The Austin Genealogical Society – AGS) for AGS members only:

Family Tree Maker 2017 (Updated) – 102 – Adding Data

Student expectations:

Basic computers skills that include: keyboard familiarity, mouse uses (both left and right-click buttons), and Windows 7 or newer navigation/software application interactions. General understanding of genealogy including understanding of terms such as “facts”, “sources”, and “media”.

This class is a continuation of our first Family Tree Maker class. It will walk through the process of entering data into your family tree. It will focus only on entering facts, notes, media, and basic sources. The class will be using hands-on exercises to follow along with and learn the material. There is a pre-requisite expectation that those attending are comfortable navigating on a PC and hold a general understanding of genealogy including an understanding of terms such as “facts”, “sources”, and “media”.

The Particulars:CLASSTIME:

10:00 TO 12:30
LOCATION: The Computer Lab at Austin Groups for the Elderly, 3710 Cedar St., Austin, TX 78705 (but check out the following, please!)

ACCESS: The lab is not normally open on the weekends, the Cedar Street main door will be locked. Access will be from the back parking lot on HOME LANE, then up the ramp to the back door.

HOME LANE PARKING LOT: There is a small, free parking lot behind the building along Home Lane that can be accessed from an entrance (marked on the MAP BELOW in Orange) on 35th Street (between Home Lane and Cedar Street) Handicap spaces are at the far north end of the lot facing Home Lane.

STREET PARKING: The lot will likely not be full on Saturday. If the lot is full, or If you prefer, you can park in the neighborhood along Home Lane (west side) and along 35th Street (north sideonly),

HOME LANE ENTRANCE: From the parking lot facing the back of the building look left. There is a ramp up to the left and then right to the back entrance for the lab. Once you enter the building through the back door, the lab is to your left and left again (marked on the map in Yellow)

SOMEONE WILL MAN THE DOOR UNTIL 10:05. If you arrive late, class will have to be interrupted to let you in, so please arrive early – have a cup of coffee or tea and visit your fellow classmates. If you do arrive late, text the Instructor at 512-922-4541 to have someone come let you in.
See you there!

Seating is limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration is required and limited to AGS members. A Wait List will be created for participants, if needed. If you cannot attend, please contact Dianne Holley to open the seat to someone on the wait list.

Tips on doing research in the 11 southern states which formed the Confederacy: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Research in these states can differ from northern states because the southern states tended to be mainly agrarian with few large cities and the people tended to move more frequently, immigrating west and south with each generation. Research topics will include using census, probate, land, marriage bonds, church, civil, military records, etc. in areas where many records may have been destroyed. We will discuss how to find your ancestors who fought for the Confederacy and some of the myths about the south and slavery.

Millijon Crowell has been researching her own southern ancestors for over 40 years including five ancestors who fought for the Confederacy.

Instructor:  Millijon Crowell

This class is free.  Please register in advance to save a seat and receive a handout.