Wednesday, September 23, 2026

FamilySearch News: Registration Opens for RootsTech 2027, the World’s Premier Family History Event

I received this information from FamilySearch today:

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 Registration Opens for RootsTech 2027, the World’s Premier Family History Event

FamilySearch announces genetic genealogy expert CeCe Moore and actress and philanthropist Jane Seymour as keynote speakers for RootsTech 2027, held 4–6 March 2027, online and in Salt Lake City, with the theme “Celebrate!”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, 23 September 2026—Registration is now open for RootsTech 2027, the world’s premier family history event, taking place 4–6 March 2027, both online and in person in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by FamilySearch International, RootsTech invites people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate family connections, discover their heritage, and learn new ways to preserve and share family stories. This announcement can be found and shared in the FamilySearch Newsroom.

The theme for RootsTech 2027—“Celebrate!”—encourages participants to see family history as a living celebration of people, cultures, and stories that connect generations. 

 

RootsTech 2027 at a Glance

  • Event: RootsTech 2027, hosted by FamilySearch International
  • Dates: 4–6 March 2027
  • Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, and online worldwide
  • Theme: “Celebrate!”
  • Keynote speakers: CeCe Moore, Jane Seymour, and others to be announced
  • Cost: Free to attend online; early bird pricing now available for in-person registration
  • Registration: Open at RootsTech.org

RootsTech has announced the first two keynote speakers who will take the stage in Salt Lake City, Utah: 

CeCe Moore


An internationally recognized DNA investigative expert, educator, and pioneer in genetic genealogy, CeCe Moore has helped transform the way people use DNA to discover family connections and solve longstanding mysteries. Her work has been featured in thousands of articles and television programs worldwide, and she has served 13 seasons as the genetic genealogist on the PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. 

Moore’s groundbreaking work has demonstrated the remarkable impact of family history research and DNA analysis, helping establish genetic genealogy as an essential tool for learning more about our ancestors. 

Jane Seymour


Award-winning actress, author, and philanthropist Jane Seymour has inspired audiences for more than five decades across television, film, stage, and literature. Best known to many for her Golden Globe-winning role in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Seymour’s work extends beyond entertainment through her dedication to philanthropic causes and family-centered storytelling. 

In 2010, she founded the Open Hearts Foundation, inspired by the philosophy of resilience and selfless giving passed down by her mother. Today, the foundation supports nonprofits that help individuals transform adversity into opportunity, and it has provided grants to organizations throughout the United States.

Discover What Else Is Coming to RootsTech 2027

RootsTech 2027 attendees can participate in hundreds of classes and interactive experiences designed for both beginners and family history enthusiasts. The event will also feature an in-person and virtual expo hall, opportunities to connect with relatives and friends around the world, and expert-led sessions exploring the latest innovations in genealogy and family discovery. 

“We invite attendees to see family history as a living celebration of the past, present, and future,” said Jonathan Wing, director of events for FamilySearch International. “We celebrate the heritage that grounds us, the cultures that enrich us, the stories that connect us, and the relationships that continue to grow across generations.”

Registration for the RootsTech 2027 online experience is free for all participants. Early bird pricing is now available for those attending in person in Salt Lake City, Utah.

To learn more or to register, visit RootsTech.org. 

About RootsTech

RootsTech is the world’s premier family history and genealogy conference, hosted annually by FamilySearch International. Held in person in Salt Lake City, Utah, and online for a global audience, RootsTech brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to learn, share, and celebrate family connections. The conference features hundreds of classes, forums, keynote speakers, an in-person and virtual expo hall, and interactive experiences designed for beginners and lifelong researchers alike. Learn more at RootsTech.org.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 125 years. People access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 6,500 FamilySearch centers in 129 countries, including the main FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Disclosure: I was a RootsTech 2026 "Influencer" (and one from 2012 to 2026) and will probably be one for 2027. I anticipate being an online participant in 2027 because of my health issues.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/09/familysearch-news-registration-opens.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

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Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 17 to 23 September 2026

 Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight some of the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across my desktop since the last issue.




1) Upcoming Conferences and Institutes:

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view seminars, conferences and institutes.


*  APG 2026 Virtual Professional Management Conference (members only) ($$, Virtual) -- 14 to 17 October 2026.


*  2026 Heritage Books Genealogical Conference & Cruise with Angie Bush, Blaine Bettinger, and Craig Scott ($$, In-person, Cruise from Miami, Florida) -- 6 to 17 November 2026.

*  RootsTech 2027 ($$ in-person, Free virtual) -- 4 to 6 March 2027.

2 ) Upcoming Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view seminars, webinars and classes.

* FamilySearch MonthlyWebinars (Free)

* RootsTech 2019-2026 On-Demand Sessions (Free) 

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Wednesday, 23 September, 11:30 a.m.: Visual Phasing and Genetic Recombination: A 7-Generation Study by Jerome Spears.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Wednesday, 30 September, 7 a.m.: The Widow Won, the Barkeep Lost: Using Historical Context and the FAN Club to Enrich Your Family Stories Method by Candace Marx.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Wednesday, 30 September, 8:30 a.m.: Manuscripts and Timelines: Finding Ancestors in Personal Papers by J. Mark Lowe.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Wednesday, 30 September, 10 a.m.: Taming Same-Name Research by Jenny Haqnsen.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Wednesday, 30 September, 11:30 a.m.:  UNreasonably Exhaustive Research: Finding a Mother & a Father for a Man of Common Name, Born c1788, Virginia by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinar -- Friday, 2 October, 11 a.m.:  Migration Pathways Between Canada and the United States You Haven’t Considered by Kathryn Lake Hogan.

3) Recent Podcasts:

* Ancestors and Algorithms: Ep. 56: Negative Evidence: Dating a Death in Czech Texas


*  Family Tree Talk:  Elijah and the Minotaur

*  Lisa Louise Cookes Genealogy Gems:  Give that Boring Ancestor a Makeover! Episode 311



4) Recent YouTube Videos:
















*  Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  Irish Research: What's In A Name

*  Kentucky Tennessee Research Associates:  Discovering Stories in my Family Research
*  Kentucky Tennessee Research Associates:  Its County Fair Time How did your Family Participate


*  Marcia Philbrick:  The 1880 Kansas Farmer




*  Talking Family History:  Ancestry unpacked News 2026 09 18


5) Did you miss the last post in this series -- Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 10 to 16  September 2026?

Read past Genealogy Education Bytes here.

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NOTE: If I missed an upcoming conference or webinar, or a useful podcast or video, in this time period, please let me know in a comment or an email.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/09/genealogy-education-bytes-week-of-17-to.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

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Life Memoir of Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen (1820-1895) of Norfolk County, Ontario

 I wrote an AI-assisted ABC biography for  my 3rd great-grandmother Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen in ABC Biography of #63 Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen (1820-1895) of New York and Ontario, based on my genealogical research over 38 years. 

I wondered what Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen might have told her grandchildren in a life memoir in 1901. I requested Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6 to "Please write a life memoir for Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen based on the attached biography, as she might tell her grandchildren in early 1895." 

(AI Gemini Notebook Infographic for Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen's life memoir)

The AI Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6 memoir (edited for accuracy and completeness) is:  


Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen's Memoir

As told to her grandchildren in early 1895

My dear grandchildren, you ask me to tell you about my life, and though my body is weary and my years are many, I am grateful to have these stories to pass along to you. Come, sit near me. Let me tell you of the life I have lived—for it is a long one, and I want you to know where you come from.

Early Life

I was born on the first day of January in 1820, in Wayne, New York. Yes, the very first day of the new year! My mother, Sarah (Martin) Putman, always said it was a sign that I would have a long life, and perhaps she was right. I was the first daughter, and the fourth child of eight—five brothers and sisters besides myself. My parents, John Pieterse Putman and Sarah Martin, had married about 1810, and we were a large, happy family in those days.

New York was still very much a frontier when I was a girl. My father worked hard, and we knew the simple life of early America. But my most vivid memories are of the day Father gathered us all together and told us we were going to move to Upper Canada. I was perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old. Canada! It seemed like the edge of the world to us then. But families were moving north in those days, seeking new land and new opportunities, and so the Putmans joined that great migration.

The journey was difficult. I remember the cold, the uncertainty, and my mother's steady courage as we traveled northward with all our possessions. We settled in Norfolk County, Ontario, in a place called Windham Township. The land was rich and fertile, though untamed. There were forests to clear, land to work, and a community slowly building itself from the wilderness.

Alexander and Our Family

It was in Norfolk County that I met Alexander Sovereen. He was a young man, born in London District just a few years before me—December 22, 1814, in Upper Canada. His parents were Frederick Sovereen and Mary Jane Hutchison. When I was twenty years old, on the third day of March in 1840, Alexander and I were married. I became Elizabeth Sovereen, a farmer's wife, and I began my life's work in earnest.

Those early years of marriage were full of hope and hard work. Alexander was a good man—strong, industrious, and faithful. We built our home together on the farm in Windham. We were both baptized into the Baptist faith, and our church became the center of our lives. I threw myself into the work of the farm and the work of bearing and raising children.

My first child was Mary Jane, born on Christmas Eve in 1840—such a blessing to begin with a healthy baby girl! I remember holding her, thinking about all the years ahead. But children came quickly in those days. By 1844, we had three living children—though the birth of each new baby also brought the fear that, like so many babies we knew, they might not survive.

Motherhood in those days was not as it is for you now. Every pregnancy was a danger. Every birth was a trial. And far too often, the babies did not live. I buried my Frederick when he was just three years old—April 1846. He had been such a bright, beautiful boy. The pain of that loss... I cannot adequately describe it to you. I held him as he slipped away, and I wept as I never had before.

But I had to go on. That is what we did in those days—we grieved, we wept, but we went on. There were other children who needed me. There was work to be done. Life demanded it.

The years between 1840 and 1867 blur together now in my memory. Twenty-seven years of bearing children, twenty-seven years of watching over their cradles, of hoping and praying each one would live. In all, I gave birth to fourteen children. Fourteen times I felt the pain of labor. Fourteen times I hoped for a healthy child. But the Lord called home six of them—some lived only days, some only months. Rosella lived not even a full day. Little Amart Ann made it to two years old before a childhood illness took her. Rachel lasted only fifteen months.

I learned to love them even knowing they might be taken from me. That sounds strange to you, I know, but you must understand—when you hold your own child, whether they live for a day or for forty years, you love them completely. The grief never fully leaves you. Even now, at seventy-five, I think of those small graves in Delhi Cemetery, and my heart aches.

But seven of my children lived to adulthood, and for that I praise God. Mary Jane, my firstborn, married James Abraham Kemp and gave me five grandchildren. She died in 1874, far too young at thirty-three, and that loss struck me deeply—to lose a child who had reached womanhood and motherhood herself. Gertrude married John H. Cole, and Sarah Adelaide married Frederick Hugh Crabb. Nancy Amelia wed Robert Charles Wheeler. Hattie—my dear Hetty—married Flavius Josephus Gillett. And my younger sons, Alexander Blake and Wilbert Melvin, also married and gave me grandchildren.

The Farm

My work as a farm wife was never-ending. I churned butter—many pounds of it each week. I made cheese. I tended a large garden that provided vegetables for our table and for preserving. I raised poultry. I canned and preserved food for the long winters. I spun yarn and made cloth. I cooked three meals a day for a growing household—and later, when Alexander became an innkeeper as well as a farmer, I cooked for travelers too. I washed and cleaned. I did the laundry, drawing water from the well, heating it over the fire, scrubbing clothes on a washboard by hand.

This was women's work, and it was never finished. From dawn to dusk, there was always something that needed to be done. Some days I felt as though I might collapse from the exhaustion. But my hands kept working, and I kept going, because my family depended upon me.

Later In Life

The community of Windham Township became my home. The Baptist church was our center—Sunday services were sacred to us. We knew our neighbors, we helped one another in times of need, we worked together to build something lasting in this remote land. I remember when we first arrived, there was so little—just the forest and the sky and the promise of what we might build. Gradually, over the decades, it became a real community. Farms were established. A church was built. Roads were improved.

Alexander was a hard worker too. Beyond the farm, he became an innkeeper, which meant our home was open to travelers. That brought additional work for me, but it also connected us to the wider world. Travelers came through with news and stories from distant places. Our home became known as a place of hospitality.

Through it all, my faith sustained me. I believed that God had a plan, even when I could not understand it. Why did six of my babies die? Why did Mary Jane pass away before her time? These questions weighed upon me. But I trusted that my Heavenly Father knew what He was doing, and that one day I would understand. My Baptist faith taught me that this world is not all there is—that there is a better world beyond, where pain and loss are no more.

The censuses taken over the years capture glimpses of our life. In 1851, I was thirty with three children at home. By 1861, I was managing a household of nine people. By 1871, we had grandchildren coming along. And by 1891, Alexander was seventy-six years old, still farming with hired help, and I was seventy-two. We were blessed to live long lives and to see our grandchildren growing up.

Now I am at the end of my journey. My body is failing, and I can feel that the Lord is calling me home. I do not fear death—I have lived a full life, a hard life, a life full of both joy and sorrow. I have loved deeply, worked hard, and tried always to do right by my family and my God.

Remember This

I want you to remember this: Life is not easy. It never was, and I suspect it never will be. You will face hardship and loss. You will know grief that seems unbearable. But if you are faithful, if you work hard, if you love your family and serve your community, you will build something of lasting value. That is my legacy to you—not wealth or ease, but the example of a life lived with courage, faith, and love.

Take care of one another. Love your children, even when they break your heart. Be faithful to your God and to your community. Work honestly and with your whole heart. Preserve your family's stories, because where you come from matters. I am proud to be a Putman and a Sovereen, and I am proud to have brought so many of you into this world.

Now, come closer and let me hold your hand. Tell me your names again. I want to remember each one of you as I prepare to meet my Maker. You are my greatest treasure—not gold or land, but you, my children and grandchildren. That is what matters in the end.

I love you all. Remember me kindly.

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Elizabeth Putman Sovereen passed away on March 17, 1895, in Delhi, Ontario, and was buried in Delhi Cemetery alongside her beloved husband, Alexander, who followed her twelve years later.

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The Video Overview of Rebecca (Spangler) Carringer's life memoir, created by the Google Gemini Notebook AI tool, is on my YouTube channel, and below:   

This is historical fiction, based on my own genealogical research and family records. It is what Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen might have told her grandchildren in 1895.  

I edited the Claude memoir text to correct minor inconsistencies and errors. Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write. The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and inspiring, creating engaging text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail when requested.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/09/life-memoir-of-elizabeth-putman.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Randy and Linda In Stockholm, Sweden in 1999 -- (Not So) Wordless Wednesday #934

 This is a priceless (to me) image in my computer file folders from the Seaver family collection:


This photograph was taken in August 1999 in downtown Stockholm, Sweden.  We were at the first stop of our three-week Scandinavian tour.  From here we went to Tornio, Finland; Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Oslo Norway; Voss, Norway; and Bergen, Norway.  

That is Linda and I enjoying the sun, the breeze, the swcenery, and bottled water after our dinner at this outside restaurant. I have no memory of the name of this restaurant.  

NOTE:  I used the MyHeritage photo tools to sharpen and enhance this image.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.    I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Genealogy News Bytes -- Week of 16 to 22 September 2026

   Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy Research and Family History News Articles:








*  Pirates: A True (and Surprising) History [Family Tree Magazine]


*  Massachusetts Has First State Normal Schools [New England Historical Society]



2)  DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy

3)  Genealogy Book/Magazine Notices and Reviews:

*  Book Review: Echoes in the Blood [GenealogyAtHeart.com]

*  WDYTYA Magazine: October 2026 [Anglo-Celtic Connecti9ons]

4)  Genealogy Software/Web Apps/Mobile Apps

*  Field Notes - Mapping Tool #5 [Jason Duncan - webjmd]


5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:






*  325 online Canadian newspaper links added to The Ancestor Hunt [The Ancestor Hunt]

6)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 9 to 15 September 2026.


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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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