DALLAS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

Mesquite Historical & Genealogical Society Meeting
2025-03-13 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Virtual

Speaker: Emily Coffman Richardson

Topic: Expanding Horizons: Local to International Genealogical Learning

Most individuals for whom genealogy is a hobby utilize their local genealogy society as place to go for education. However, even before the Zoom phenomenon, there were opportunities for learning from regional, state, national and international genealogical societies. This presentation will (re)introduce the participant to the multitude of learning experiences that are each uniquely designed and available to both the hobbyist and the professional genealogist.

Meet and greet at 6:00 pm with short business meeting at 6:30 pm then the program. The meeting is free to all but you must register in advance.

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Cedar Hill Genealogy Society Monthly Program
2025-03-13 18:30 - 20:30 | TX
Topic: Tracing Your Family History on the US Census

Location: New Library: 450 Pioneer Trail in Cedar Hill (lower-level event room)

Help for those just starting their family history research and a refresher for the rest of us. This class will get you started using the US Census — the go to source for finding family. We will start with a short lesson on US Census basics, then we will go to the computers for some real-world researchBring your family information on paper, laptop (encouraged) or flash drive to our meeting and one of our genealogy detectives will work with you. Don’t have anything at all? We’ll give you a free USB memory stick containing our Genealogy Society starter kit, and help you start filling it.

This event is made possible through our partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library. The program begins at 7:00pm and socializing starts at 6:30 PM for free genealogy help, and snacks. Admission is free and guests are always welcome. Learn More

DPL: Organizing and Identifying Photograph Collections
2025-03-19 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person

We all have mounds of old unidentified family photos sitting in boxes. This lecture will offer step-by-step direction in organizing, preserving and cataloguing these precious collections for future generations. Learn how to identify, digitize in Dallas Public Library’s Creative Spaces: Heritage Lab and share collections using family trees and social media.

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GPGS Lock-In
2025-03-21 18:00 - 22:00 | Grand Prarie Memorial Library, 901 Conover Drive, Grand Prarie, TX, 75051, United States

Arlington Texas Stake Family History Seminar
2025-03-22 09:00 - 15:00 | TX
The Arlington Texas Family History Seminar is designed for local genealogists and researchers. This event promises to be an informative and engaging experience, with expert speakers sharing their knowledge on various aspects of family history research.

Location: 3809 Curt Dr., Arlington, TX 76016

Featured Speakers:

Our lineup includes experienced genealogists who will present on a range of topics, including:

Accessing the Records in the FamilySearch Research Wikis

Google for Genealogy

Family History Through Reunions and Vacations

Genealogy Resources In The Ft. Worth History Center Library

The Power of the Neighborhood For Gathering Information

Registration:

To secure your spot at this exciting event, please register by March 8, 2025. Although registration is not required, we would love to know who you are so we can prepare a seminar packet with all the handouts ahead of time.

MORE INFO

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DPL: Block by Block: Women, Quilts and Family History
2025-03-22 13:00 - 15:00 | 5th Floor – Hamon Room, J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young, Dallas, TX-Texas, 75201, United States
In-person Only

Throughout American history, women have used quilting to express their support for different political and social causes. They have quilted their beliefs, block by block, into their quilts. These quilts have been used to keep those fighting wars warm, to guide those traveling on the Underground Railroad, and to memorialize those we have lost. This Women’s History Month, Dallas quilter and lecturer Denise Bartosh will help us explore women’s quilting history and vintage quilts.

Bring a 5″ x 5″ block or square of fabric to make a community quilt to be displayed in the Fine Arts Unit.

This program is brought to you, in part, by genealogy funding through the Friends of the Dallas Public Library and the Gen. Levi Casey Chapter, NSDAR.

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DPL: Recording Family Stories with the Vivid-Pix Memory Station
2025-04-09 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person

Tell your family story the way YOU remember it! Dallas Public Library’s mobile Vivid-Pix Memory Station is a place to scan, record and share your family memories. This station has new software which allows you to seamlessly scan or upload multiple images quickly, restore them, and record a story to play over each photo in a digital video. Learn how to integrate this great technology into your photo and oral history preservation process.

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Cedar Hill Genealogy Society Monthly Program
2025-04-10 18:30 - 20:30 | TX
Topic: Brick Wall Victories: How I finally found that relative who just wouldn’t be found

Location: New Library: 450 Pioneer Trail in Cedar Hill (lower-level event room)

We’ve all had them — the ancestor or cousin you could not find. It was like you hit a brick wall! And now, you know the joy and satisfaction you felt when you “finally caught them.” During our program, members of the Cedar Hill Genealogical Society will share with us how they finally found them and what they did to catch them. If you have a research victory to tell us about, we will have a computer and projector available to display any pictures (jpg, bmp, tiff or png, please) notes, charts or diagrams (Docs, Sheets or Slides etc)

This event is made possible through our partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library. The program begins at 7:00pm and socializing starts at 6:30 PM for free genealogy help, and snacks. Admission is free and guests are always welcome. Learn More

Cedar Hill Genealogy Society Monthly Program
2025-05-08 18:30 - 20:00 | TX
Speaker: Patti Gillespie

Topic: Birth to Death and In-Between: Finding, Using, and Integrating Religious Records in the US

Location: New Library: 450 Pioneer Trail in Cedar Hill (lower-level event room)

So much information and so little time! Religious records are another document group that sometimes seems complicated to find and use.

In this presentation, Patti will give us:

an overview with specific examples

why we want to look for religious records

what sorts of records might be found

who might be included in them

where to look for these documents

This presentation will simplify your religious records search experience.

This event is made possible through our partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library. The program begins at 7:00pm and socializing starts at 6:30 PM for free genealogy help, and snacks. Admission is free and guests are always welcome. Learn More

Patti brings energy and humor to her classes. She is a believer in lifetime learning and inclusive presenting. An avid hobby genealogist for 30 years, Patti formed Family Lines & Stories, her own research company, 9 years ago. She stays busy researching for clients and speaking to groups, small and large, in and out of Texas. She continues as 5th term president of Wise County Genealogical Society while waiting for a willing soul to step up. A former teacher of French & English, Patti very much enjoys presenting.

DPL: Researching your Arab American Family
2025-04-23 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person

April is Arab American History Month! Genealogy & History Manager Stephanie Bennett is a second generation Arab American and has been research her Arab American roots for over 10 years. Learn how to get started finding more information in U.S. records and repositories about your immigrant ancestors who came from Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East.

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Van Zandt County Monthly Meeting
2025-04-26 14:00 - 16:00 | TX
Speaker: Mic Barnette

Topic: Extend Your Direct Maternal Lineage: Take an mtDNA Test

Location: Main County Library, 317 First Monday Lane, Canton

Mic Barnette, will show what mtDNA is. (Hint: It’s more specialized than the ordinary DNA test most genealogists begin with.) He will also show how family researchers can use mtDNA to improve their family study, because mtDNA measures the matrilineal (mother) line. Mr. Barnette, a professional genealogist who is a library associate at the Dallas Public Library Genealogy Department, wrote a historical-genealogical column in the Houston Chronicle for many years. He lectures widely on family research, with particular specialization in DNA matters.

As with most of the Society’s events, the meeting is free, membership is not required, and refreshments will be served.

DPL: Using Cemetery Research to Find Your Ancestors
2025-05-07 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person Only

May is a month for memorializing those who have passed away, particularly U.S. military personnel who died in service. Learn all about cemetery records, specialized databases, and how to locate where a person is buried.

Special guests from the Dallas Genealogical Society will be available to answer questions about Dallas County cemetery research during the question and answer portion of the program.

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Cedar Hill Genealogy Society Monthly Program
2025-05-08 18:30 - 20:00 | TX
Speaker: Patti Gillespie

Topic: Birth to Death and In-Between: Finding, Using, and Integrating Religious Records in the United States

Location: New Library: 450 Pioneer Trail in Cedar Hill (lower-level event room)

So much information and so little time! Religious records are another document group that sometimes seems complicated to find and use.

In this presentation, Patti will give us:

an overview with specific examples

why we want to look for religious records

what sorts of records might be found

who might be included in them

where to look for these documents

This presentation will simplify your religious records search experience.

This event is made possible through our partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library. Admission is always free.

Patti brings energy and humor to her classes. She is a believer in lifetime learning and inclusive presenting. An avid hobby genealogist for 30 years, Patti formed Family Lines & Stories, her own research company, 9 years ago. She stays busy researching for clients and speaking to groups, small and large, in and out of Texas. She continues as 5th term president of Wise County Genealogical Society while waiting for a willing soul to step up. A former teacher of French & English, Patti very much enjoys presenting.

DPL: Preserving your Family Archives
2025-05-10 13:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
In-person Only

Stacks of old photos. Mounds of loose paper. That one vase that belonged to your great aunt Winifred. We all have old things that we’ve kept throughout the years that belonged to our loved ones. Yet, through those years, information has been lost, photos are crumbling and memories have faded. Get advice about caring for YOUR family archives from DPL’s Family Archives Librarian Samantha Diaz. Participate in interactive activities to rediscover your family treasures and stories. Attendees will get a take-home kit of archival materials so they can get started preserving their family collections at home.

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DPL: The Quiet Strength of Resilience with Ron Schwarz, a Second Generation Holocaust Survivor
2025-05-21 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person Only

Author Ron Schwarz will discuss his book, The Quiet Strength of Resilience: A Holocaust Story Spanning Four Generations. It tells the life story of the author’s father, Holocaust survivor Charles Schwarz.

Charles Schwarz survived the Holocaust by constantly hiding and moving to avoid the fate of so many millions of his fellow Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Drawing on research spanning thousands of pages from archives all around Europe, along with hours of interviews with his father, Schwarz paints a compelling picture of resilience and endurance in the face of the greatest adversity while providing us a glimpse into the darkest days of world history through a child’s eyes.

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National Genealogical Society Annual Conference
2025-05-23 00:00 - 2025-05-26 23:59 | TX
Ready to take your family history research to the next level? Tales & Trails, the NGS 2025 Family History Conference, brings you leading speakers, essential education, and amazing networking opportunities with 1000+ friends and colleagues in Louisville, Kentucky.

Join fellow family historians and genealogy organization leaders from across the country for four energizing days of shared discoveries and fresh perspectives. Connect with passionate researchers like yourself while gaining new skills and insights to help you uncover, preserve, and share your ancestors’ stories.

Pre-conference tours, workshops, and genealogy organization activities are on 23 May. The main conference begins the evening of 23 May with the Expo Hall opening reception and continues through evening events on Sunday, 25 May. Stay through Monday to join us for a special Memorial Day event on 26 May.

As genealogists, we seek to understand those who came before us. We learn about our ancestors’ lives, the opportunities they had, and the sacrifices they made. We travel, both literally and figuratively, the trails they left behind. The NGS 2025 Family History Conference, Tales and Trails, connects us with stories of the people and places we come from.

The NGS Family History Conference welcomes all who are passionate about family history. Whether you are taking your first steps into genealogy, pushing through challenging research barriers, exploring professional opportunities, or leading a genealogy organization, you will find valuable insights here. Our sessions deliver the knowledge you need to succeed, from AI-powered research tools to advance your research to proven strategies for building vibrant genealogy communities.

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TIGR: Texas Institute of Genealogical Research
2025-06-16 08:00 - 2025-06-20 17:00 | TX
Registration for the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) is open. Held virtually this year, TIGR 2025 takes place June 16-20, 2025.

TIGR promotes learning in an instructional classroom atmosphere, taking each attendee’s skills to another level. A course coordinator and instructors lead students for five days in the same virtual classroom on a progression of topics on the same subject. This format provides a hands-on learning experience during the week along with great discussions with your instructors and classmates. Learn more about TIGR here.

TIGR 2025 offers five courses that create a unique learning experience for those researching ancestors.

Course 1 – “Research in the Lone Star State,” led by Kelvin L. Meyers

Course 2 – “Building Communities Across the South” led by J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

Course 3 – “Legally Texas: Advanced Legal Research in the Lone Star State” led by Judy G. Russell, CG®, CGL(sm), JD, FUGA

Course 4 – “Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Genealogical Research and Writing” led by Nicole Elder Dyer

Course 5 – “Beyond the Battlefield: Advanced Military Research Analysis and Methodology” led by Michael L. Strauss, AG®

Each of these courses includes sessions taught by nationally-recognized faculty who are experts in their genealogical fields.

To learn more, see the TIGR 2025 course descriptions, which includes links to the course schedules and faculty.

Van Zandt County Monthly Meeting
2025-08-23 14:00 - 16:00 | TX
Speaker: Thomas MacEntee

Topic: Genealogy Do Over

Location: Van Zandt County Sarah Norman Library, 317 First Monday Lane, Canton

Do you need a Genealogy Do Over? Then join us for this presentation.

As with most of the Society’s events, the meeting is free, membership is not required, and refreshments will be served.

Grand Prairie Genealogical Society Meeting
2025-09-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Grand Prarie Memorial Library, 901 Conover Drive, Grand Prarie, TX, 75051, United States
In-person & Virtual Event

Speaker: Barbara Coakley

Program: Branching Out: Researching Collateral Ancestors

Records exist for siblings, cousins, and in-laws that can help fill in gaps in records for direct line ancestors. Case studies demonstrate expanding research to other family members to answer research questions.

Location: Inspire Room at the Grand Prairie Memorial Library

Barbara Coakley’s interest in family history began over 30 years ago when she was given an envelope of family papers. Her journey to discover the stories of her ancestors has taken her to homelands across the US and Europe. Barbara is President of Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries and volunteers for TxSGS and the Dallas Genealogical Society. She is an alumnus of ProGen, IGHR, TIGR, GRIP, SLIG and GenFed. Barbara taught genealogy continuing education classes at Collin College from 2008 to 2021.

She does presentations for libraries and genealogical societies throughout the U.S. and U.K. Recent presentations included the TxSGS 2023 Family History Conference, Utah Genealogical Association Summit of Excellence 2023, The Really Useful Family History Show, and a lecture for the Allen County Public Library.

Fort Worth Genealogical Society Fall Seminar
2025-09-06 09:30 - 15:30 | TX
Diana Elder, a professional genealogist with lots of accreditations will present four sessions including AI in Genealogy, Texas Land Grant System, Individuals of the Same Name and Burned Courthouses.

Arlington Genealogical Society
2025-09-09 18:00 - 20:00 | George W. Hawkes Arlington Public Library, 100 S. Center St., Arlington, Texas, 76010
Speaker: Shelley Gayler-Smith

Topic: Who Wore It Best, Dating Photographs from Clothing

DPL: Top Ten Websites for Genealogy
2025-09-10 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual & In-person

We all know that ONE website for genealogy (you know the one we’re talking about), but do you know ALL the other great genealogy resources out there?

Get your favorite Dallas Public Library Genealogy & History staff’s top ten websites and share your own that have helped you have a breakthrough in your research.

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Cedar Hill Genealogy Society Monthly Program
2025-09-11 18:30 - 20:00 | TX
Speaker: Virginia Ochoa Morrison

Topic: Finding Our Hispanic Ancestors

Location: New Library: 450 Pioneer Trail in Cedar Hill (lower-level event room)

What you need to know to begin researching your Hispanic family history. For the beginner and intermediate alike.

Our presenter: Virginia Ochoa Morrison is a first generation Mexican-American who has been working on her genealogy since 1989. Previously, she taught classes on Genealogy for Beginners at local libraries. Virginia has volunteered at the FamilySearch Center in Duncanville for several years helping visitors who are looking for their ancestorse.

This event is made possible through our partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library. Admission is always free.

Mesquite Historical & Genealogical Society September Meeting
2025-09-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Mesquite Main Library, 300 W Grubb Dr, Mesquite, TX, United States
Our meeting will be held both in person at the Mesquite Library (Main Branch) at 6:30 PM and also via Zoom.

We will first examine the status of the “Full Text Index” test environment in FamilySearch. Then Lisa Louise Cooke will (via prerecorded video) a short primer of key terms with respect to Artificial Intelligence.

Pre-register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hEPoacVpTOiIupsyVzpeaQ

DPL: Preserving your Family Archives
2025-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | 7th Floor – O’Hara Hall – J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States

2025 German-Texan Heritage Society Annual Conference
2025-09-19 09:30 - 2025-09-20 15:30 | St. Paul Lutheran Church, 3501 Red River Street, Austin, Texas, 78705, United States
This years’ annual conference will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Austin with a reception to follow at the German-Texan Heritage Society to celebrate the new staircase.

DPL: Scanning Family Memories
2025-09-24 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual and In-person

Do you have photos, scrapbooks, or slides that you want to digitize to share with family? Learn about the ins and outs of family history scanning and digitization with Genealogy & History staff. *In-person attendees will get a tour of the Heritage Lab – a space for DIY scanning & digitizing available for all J. Erik Jonsson Central Library visitors.

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Van Zandt County Monthly Meeting
2025-09-27 13:00 - 15:00 | TX
Speaker: Patty Huff Williams

Topic: Use your DNA results to accelerate your family history discoveries

Location: Van Zandt County Sarah Norman Library, 317 First Monday Lane, Canton

The cost is $40.00 per person. Pre-register by September 18, 2025, space is limited. Contact Van Zandt County Genealogy Society at 903-567-5012. Bring your laptops and see what secrets you may have. Lunch and refreshments are provided.

DPL: Researching in Languages You Don't Know
2025-10-08 14:00 - 15:00 | 8th Floor – Genealogy Section, J. Erik Jonnson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas, TX, 75201, United States
Virtual and In-person

Genealogy often takes us across borders—and into documents written in languages we can’t read.This program introduces powerful tools to help bridge the gap, from Google Lens for quick on-the-spot translations to platforms like Transkribus that can transcribe and interpret historical handwriting. Learn practical strategies for navigating unfamiliar scripts, deciphering records, and making sense of family history resources no matter the language.

Whether your research leads you to German church books, Spanish civil records, or handwritten letters in French, this session will equip you with accessible, user-friendly techniques to keep your discoveries moving forward.

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Collin County Genealogy Meeting
2025-10-08 18:00 - 20:30 | Haggard Library, 2501 Coit Road, Plano, TX, 75075, United States
In-person & Virtual Event

Speaker: Kate Penney

Topic: Filling in Those Pesky Blanks: Solving Maternal Surname Mysteries

Register in advance for the meeting.

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