The annual Genealogy Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 21st from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library in Benton. 

Our presenter, Mark Lowe, will be discussing Cherokee Ancestors, Published Local Histories, Timelines and Manuscripts, and DNA Tests. 

Presenter: Mark Lowe

Mark Lowe describes himself as a lifelong genealogist. He is a full-time professional genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee, just north of Nashville near the Kentucky border. 

Mark serves as the Course Coordinator for ‘Research in the South’ at IGHR (Samford University), and also directs a Southern course for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). He has worked on several genealogical television series including African American Lives 2, Who Do You Think You Are, and UnXplained Events. 

Mark as published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and several other local society publications. He is the former President of the Association of Professional Genealogists, President for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and Vice President of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. 

Topics

Guion Miller and Your Ancestors Who Claimed to be Cherokee: Those Who Were and Those Who Weren’t
These records and applications detail the consideration of eligible funds under the treaties of 1835-36 and 1845 between the U.S., the Eastern Cherokee, and the Court of Claims. They typically include extensive family information. These are especially helpful with all families who migrated out of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas (including African American and those with no Cherokee connection). 

Before You Take a DNA Test, Do This
Consider what decisions will be needed before you choose to take a DNA test. Besides the ramifications, what steps should you take to make your testing process profitable for you? Are you willing to put in the extra research efforts often required to solve the questions a DNA test challenges?

Expanding Details from Published Local Histories
Using the basic tools of family history research, discover additional family information with these records and writings. Learn the importance of analyzing the information that you find and realizing how important collateral/cluster line research is in helping to move you toward success in the genealogical process.

Timelines and Manuscripts: A Personal Connection
Personal records and manuscripts about families which moved around, along with their neighbors are often elusive, but may hold hidden treasure for the pertinent researcher. Discover the people with whom they worked, prayed, fought, and married. 

To register for the Genealogy Workshop, click here.