2015 OGS Conference, Columbus, Ohio

Greetings from Columbus, Ohio! I am here to attend the 2015 Ohio Genealogical Conference, “Ohio, Your Genealogical Cornerstone.” The society’s 54th annual conference is being held 8-11 April at the Sheraton at Capitol Square. Miriam, my genealogy friend and traveling companion, and I have been here since Wednesday evening.

Wednesday was quite a busy day. I left home at the crack of dawn, headed to the Vera Bradley outlet sale in Fort Wayne. By the end of the day I was meeting up with genealogy friends here in Columbus. I have been on the go ever since.

OGS never fails to put on a first class conference and this year is no exception. Some of the nation’s best genealogy speakers are here and I look forward to hearing and learning more today and tomorrow.

Thursday I learned about Ohio’s early laws and history, researching school records, forensic genealogy, circumstantial evidence, and organizing DNA matches. Each of those sessions was excellent and I can’t wait to hear and learn more tomorrow.

Below are a few photos from this year’s conference.

2015 OGS Conference theme.

2015 OGS Conference theme.

Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL, aka The Legal Genealogist, was the keynote speaker. She makes the law very interesting.

Judy Russell, 2015 OGS keynote speaker.

Judy Russell, 2015 OGS keynote speaker.

Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG, before her session about school records.

Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG.

Peggy Clemens Lauritzen

Sisters Betsy Potts and Cindy Freed. Cindy is holding her new book, Ancestors in a Nation Divided.

Betsy Potts & Cindy Freed, with Cindy's book, "Ancestors in a Nation Divided."

Betsy Potts & Cindy Freed, with Cindy’s book, “Ancestors in a Nation Divided.”

2015 program chair Shelley Bishop did a great job planning the program and scheduling the speakers.

Shelley Bishop, 2015 OGS Program Chair.

Shelley Bishop, 2015 OGS Program Chair.

The exhibit hall. I always enjoy looking through the books and seeing new products and services.

Exhibit Hall, 2015 OGS Conference.

Exhibit Hall, 2015 OGS Conference.

Friday concluded with a social hour, “A Brick Wall Busting Good Time,” that included live music by Steve Brown and friend.

Friday evening entertainment.

Friday evening entertainment.

I am looking forward to two more days of learning, getting together with old friends, and making new ones.

Thanks to everyone who worked to make this conference a success.

 

 

4 comments

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    • Peggy Lauritzen on April 10, 2015 at 6:59 pm
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    Karen, what a wonderful recap! Gosh, I don’t look half bad in this photo. What kind of camera are you using? Mine is about ready to die, so I’ve been looking for a new one.

    I agree with you about the speakers. They are so wonderful to be around and to learn from. And, I feel the same way about the attendees. I have had many of them chase me down to share something with me, or bring me a photo of something I mentioned in an earlier class. They are true gems.

    What a nice blog post!

    1. Thank you so much for your nice comments, Peggy. Your photo turned out very well, but then you always look so nice. I used a small point & shoot, a Panasonic Lumix. I like it because it fits into my purse easily and I always carry it with me. After all, you never know when you might stop at a cemetery… This is a great conference and I enjoyed your school records talk very much.

  1. Karen,
    Thank you for including Betsy and myself in your post about OGS2015. What an honor to be mentioned in the same post with the Who’s Who of genealogy today!
    We really enjoyed the conference too. I learned so much and appreciate all the hard work that goes into putting on such a large scale event.
    Now to process all that I learned into my family research! 🙂
    Thanks again,
    Cindy

    1. You are very welcome, Cindy. It was so nice seeing you and Betsy at the conference. It was a very good conference and I also picked up a lot of good information that I cannot wait to use.

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