Presentations & Publications

Presentation Topics

I’d be happy to present to your library, genealogical society, historical association or other program. I offer both virtual and in-person presentations. Please contact me for more information or to schedule a presentation. 

Genealogy 101: Just the Basics

I will walk you through the first steps to learning more about your family history. I will explain how to start putting together a family tree, where to start looking for your roots at home, and some basic online tools to use when you’re ready to start researching. Th class is designed for those who have just started researching their family history.

Genealogical Records You Should Be Using

I will introduce you to different types of genealogical records that you should use in your family history research, including birth, marriage, and death records, census records, immigration records, and more. I will also briefly discuss where these kinds of records can be found. This workshop is for those who are just starting their journey into family history, or who would like a refresher on using common genealogical records.

Sharing the Stories of your Ancestors

A general overview of various options for sharing family stories, providing many examples of storytelling projects, and sharing the basics of storytelling structures. Topics include recording oral histories, live storytelling, family history writing, blogging, photo books, family heritage cookbooks, social media, and more. See the blog series on this topic here.

Organizing your Digital Genealogy Files

This presentation is about digital preservation for genealogists. I talk about how digital archiving is different than backing up your digital files, and the essential steps for digital archiving. My blog series on this topic can be found here!

DeKalb County Women in WWII

This program highlights the stories of DeKalb County female veterans from WWII. Women who volunteered in various organizations at home are also highlighted. This program was based on my research and blog series, “Hidden Heroes of WWII.” Learn more about the project here: DeKalb County Women of WWII.

Wish you were here! : DeKalb County in Postcards

See what DeKalb County looked like more than 100 years ago through vintage postcards! I will share some of my most interesting postcards, including local landmarks, businesses, and street scenes. I will also discuss methods for dating old postcards and how to collect postcards yourself.

---

---

Publications

“At the Front Lines and On the Home Front: DeKalb County Women of World War II,” Cornsilk, vol. 42, no. 1 (Spring 2023). (Blog post  //  Full project)

“The History of Pleasant Hill School and Cemetery,” Cornsilk, vol. 40, no. 3 (Fall 2021). (Full text  //  Blog post)

“How has the Census changed throughout the years?” Cornsilk, vol. 39, no. 3 (Fall 2020). (Full text)

“Hidden Heroes of WWII: DeKalb County Women on the Home Front,” Cornsilk, vol. 39, no. 1 (Spring 2020). (Full text  // Blog post)

“Hidden Heroes of WWII: An honor roll of DeKalb Co. women veterans,” Cornsilk, vol. 38, no. 4 (Winter 2019). (Full text  //  Blog post  //  Full project)

“1906: A New Minister at the Kingston Methodist Church,” Cornsilk, vol. 38, no. 2 (Summer 2019). (Full text  //  Blog post)

“Two Brothers Operate Tinning Shop,” Cornsilk, vol. 38, no. 1 (Spring 2019). (Full text  //  Blog post)

“Letters from a DeKalb Kaiser in the Great War,” Cornsilk, vol. 37, no. 4 (Winter 2018). (Full text  //  Blog post  //  Full project)

(The Cornsilk is the quarterly magazine of the DeKalb County Historical-Genealogical Society.)

---

---

Past Presentations

Mar. 2023: “Wish you were here! DeKalb County in Postcards” – Glidden Homestead & Historical Center, DeKalb, IL

Feb. 2023: “Genealogy 101: Just the Basics” – Wilmette Public Library, Wilmette, IL

Nov. 2021: “DeKalb County Women in WWII” – American Legion Auxiliary, Willard Aves Unit 1010, Kingston, IL

Aug. 2021: “Genealogical Records You Should Be Using” – Wilmette Public Library, Wilmette, IL

Nov. 2020: “DeKalb County Women in WWII” – DeKalb County Genealogical-Historical Society, Sycamore, IL (View recording here.)

Aug. 2019: “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” (Panel discussion) – Heartland Hospice, DeKalb County Farm Bureau, DeKalb, IL

Mar. 2019: “Organizing your Digital Genealogy Files” – Wilmette Public Library, Wilmette, IL

Oct. 2018: “Getting Started with Blogging for Family History (Q&A)” – DeKalb County Genealogical-Historical Society, Sycamore, IL

June 2018: “Sharing the Stories of Your Ancestors” – Wilmette Public Library, Wilmette, IL

April 2018: “The 450-year life of the Nobiliario genealógico de varias casas de España: A brief biography of a manuscript” – Poster presentation at the 2018  iSchool Master’s Student Research Showcase, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (View poster here.)

Jan. 2018: “Creation and use of heraldries in Early Modern Spain: An investigative case-study of Nobiliario genealógico de varias casas de España,” – 2018 Multidisciplinary Graduate Student Conference, Center for Renaissance Studies, Newberry Library, Chicago (View slides here.)

Nov. 2017: “The 450-year life of the Nobiliario genealógico de varias casas de España: A brief biography of a manuscript” – Poster presentation at the 2017 iSchool Research Showcase, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (View poster here.)

---

---