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The Role of Education in Becoming a Better Genealogist

Over the Halloween weekend, I spent several days at NERGC (New England Regional Genealogical Consortium/Conference). I’ve never been able to go before due to my job. Now that I’m retired and a full-time professional genealogist, it’s important for me to take advantage of any educational opportunities that come my way. But education isn’t just for professionals. Anyone interested in becoming a better researcher must keep learning, keep growing.

In this blog post, I’ll tell you about my time at NERGC and how you can plan for a genealogy conference so that you, too, can grow in your genealogy skills.

letter blocks spelling "Learn" representing genealogy education

Since COVID, many genealogy conferences and institutions are offered virtually, but some are in-person only – like NERGC. There’s a lot to be said for networking and sitting in class with like-minded people.

NERGC 2025

NERGC 2025 was held in Manchester, New Hampshire, a great central location for those of us coming from across the six New England states. This was the 18th conference with the theme, “New Englanders – Here, There, and Everywhere.” There were 71 total sessions to choose from, ranging from beginner classes to advanced. Some were hands-on workshops where you could put your newfound knowledge into practice.

What Stood Out to Me

Range of Content

In years past, sessions were 60 minutes. Suggestions were made for more time. So this year, classes were 90 minutes with plenty of time for Q&A. This extra time allowed instructors to give more content than ever before. That, along with a robust syllabus, made for an excellent conference.

From case studies to learning about underused records, I walked away with tools I’m already planning to bring into client work and blog content.

Here are the classes I took:

To Indian Territory and Back Again: A Case Study of a New England Family – Sara E. Campbell
Following Ancestral Migrations: Three Case Studies – Annette Burke Lyttle
Uncovering Pre-1900 New England Church Records for Genealogy – Bonnie Wade Mucia
Turn Family History Facts into Stories You Can Share – Annette Burke Lyttle
Locating Places Where Our Ancestors Lived and Worked – Karen A. Forten
New England Probate Research – Michael Brophy
Tax Tracks: Navigating Federal Tax Records for Genealogical Research – Michael Brophy
Locating Revolutionary War Veterans in Your Family Tree – David Allen Lambert
Accessing & Using FamilySearch Image-Only Records – Jill Morelli

The classes were not recorded, so it was important for me to pick the ones I needed now, both for my work and my personal research.

Connection & Community

Walking into the Exhibit Hall or simply sharing a meal with other genealogists reminded me of why I love this work. As someone who helps clients and loves genealogy, it was a special time to be with those I already know, and to meet new people.
There’s something about being surrounded by a sea of people who get the thrill of uncovering that “needle in the haystack” document, and it re-energized me.

Inspiration For My Business & Blog

Since I am both a practicing genealogist and a content creator, this conference wasn’t just about learning for me—it was about growing my business.

I came home with several ideas for blog posts and other ways to help my clients. I also came up with new business-minded ideas.
I saw new tools and service providers I might partner with, and I met people exploring platforms I hadn’t yet dug into.
And, perhaps most importantly, I renewed my sense of purpose: helping busy people uncover their heritage without having to do all the work themselves.

Challenges & Take-aways

No event is perfect, and a few things stood out to me:

Sometimes it’s hard to choose which class to go to. With multiple tracks happening at once, I sometimes felt torn: “If only I could be in both rooms.” My choice was mainly about the topic, but a few times, it was the speaker.
The in-person only format means no virtual fallback—if you missed a session, you had to rely on the syllabus. Don’t get me wrong, it’s over an inch thick, so I’m sure it will be rich with information.
Products and services in the Exhibit Hall were amazing. Several friends of mine had booths to advertise their businesses. Also, the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) and NEAPG (New England Chapter of APG) had a booth and also held personal research sessions to help anyone who asked.

How You Can Choose A Genealogy Conference To Attend

If you’ve ever thought about going to a genealogy conference, now’s a great time to start planning. Conferences are one of the best ways to sharpen your research skills, discover new tools, and meet others who share your love of family history.

The next New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC) will be held in April 2027 in Portland, Maine, and I couldn’t be more excited to have it right here in my home state. Whether you’re just starting out or have been researching for years, you’ll find sessions that fit your interests.

You can also explore RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference, which takes place each year in Salt Lake City and is also offered online for free. It’s a great way to learn from top experts and connect with other genealogists from around the world without having to travel.

To find more events like these, visit ConferenceKeeper.org, a wonderful site that keeps an updated list of upcoming genealogy conferences, workshops, and webinars. You can search by topic, date, or location to find one that fits your goals.

Attending even one conference can reignite your passion for research.

Finally

If you’re reading this and wondering whether attending a genealogy education conference like NERGC is worth the time and investment, the answer is yes. The sense of shared purpose, the richness of the sessions, the energy in the halls—they all reminded me why I love this work.

You can never go wrong with more education. It comes in all forms…webinars, institutes, and conferences. For more on how to make your own education plan, read my blog post, “Become A Better Genealogist With A Smart Education Plan.”

Genealogy tip: When you get home from a conference, organize your material and notes right away. If you let too much time pass, you may be less likely to use the knowledge you gained.

I’d love to help you find your family. If you’re looking to extend your family tree, click below to get started. Your first 30 minutes are free.

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Learn With Me: How To Enhance Your Ancestor’s Story

Recently, I described the genealogy records that a beginner could use to start writing their ancestor’s story. They included census records and vital records. And from those records, you learned what clues could lead you to more interesting records to enhance their life story.

In this blog post, let’s take that extra step and find genealogy records that are fun to discover and valuable for learning who our ancestors really were. Facts are good, everyday details of their lives, even better.

We’ll continue to look at the life of James Rounds Lunt, born about 1830 in Maine and died 11 October 1891 in Portland, Maine. Let’s start with his obituary and see what clues we can find.

Obituary

James R. Lunt died on 11 October 1891 in Portland, Maine. In a previous post, we learned from census records that James was a druggist. His obituary says he received a medical degree from Bowdoin Medical School.

Just by Googling “Bowdoin Medical School,” I found out that the current Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, had a medical school from 1820 to 1920. Remember, Maine became a state in 1820, so this college was one of the first after statehood.

He practiced in Vermont, then moved back to Portland and set up a drugstore in Market Square. After a fire, he moved his business to Congress Street, “just below Oak.” He married Miss Cammett of Portland and had two sons.

Where do I look next?

I already knew about his marriage to Abby Ellen Cammett in 1856, but what about his business, which is mainly what his obituary was about?

More Newspaper Research

I searched for “James R. Lunt” from 1850-1880 and got over 300 hints, so I narrowed it down by year and then eventually by month and year. Here’s what I found:

Newspaper ads for his new store tell me he set up shop around March, 1857:

“Jos. L. Kelley & Co.,” Portland [Maine] Press Herald, 10 March 1857, page 2, column 6; digital image, *Newspapers.com* (www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 Nov 2025).

And in the same column I find:

Benjamin F. Lunt was James’ brother and they went into business together. He took out ads in the newspaper almost daily for months.

James and Benjamin stayed in business at this location until 4 July 1866 when a huge fire ripped through their part of Portland:

“Terrible Fire!,” *Portland* [Maine] *Daily Press*, 6 July 1866, page 1, column 1; digital image, *Newspapers.com* (www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 Nov 2025).

After the fire, they moved to 348 Congress Street and started advertising for that address:

Tell an ancestor's story through interesting records — “Business Cards,” *Portland* [Maine] *Press Herald*, 27 December 1866, page 1, column 4; digital image, *Newspapers.com* (www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 Nov 2025).

348 Congress Street is now Lincoln Park in front of the federal building in downtown Portland. So, I don’t have a picture of their old building on Congress Street, but I did find one of the building at 108 Middle Street. You can see that picture HERE (not shown in blog due to copyright).

Land Records

Well, all this research about James’ business is screaming for a look into land records. I go to FamilySearch and utilize their Full Text Search feature. I wrote a blog post how to use it. You can read it HERE. I search for “James R Lunt” and narrow it down to Maine in the 1850s.

While, I haven’t yet found the 108 Middle Street deed, I did discover where he lived in January 1854 in Vermont: St. Johnsbury.

Many times your research will take you on a journey. You may not find answers where you look first, but you may later in a different record set.

While I’m still searching for the land records for 108 Middle Street and 348 Congress Street, Full Text Search gave me images of James serving jury duty, of James being a witness to some other person’s life event, and of city directory listings. Here’s one of those from 1882:

I’ll have to go back to earlier Portland, Maine city directories to see when his business moved to 546 Congress Street. Will there be land records for that move?

Rabbit Hole?

You may think that all this jumping around is going down a rabbit hole, but it’s not. Here, I’m trying to show you what clues you can find from other records. I want to write my ancestor’s story in full, so that may take many different record sets.

I don’t want to jump from one to the other without fully analyzing the record I’ve found, transcribing it (if necessary) or at the very least, extracting vital information. If I find somewhere I may want to go next, it gets put on my future research list.

Other Records

Military

You must always think if your ancestor’s story involves military service. If James was born about 1830, he would have been of fighting age in the Civil War.

Ancestry has a record set, “Maine, U.S. Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918,” and James is there:

He fought for the Union in Company G, 7th Regiment Infantry of Maine Volunteers. Here is his entry in the roster:

He’s listed as 31 years old in June 1863 and married. That would put his birth somewhere around 1832. Notice in the card above, his birth is 1831. I still haven’t found birth information for him, so I’m good with 1830-1832.

Also, notice in the card above the enlistment date is different than the roster. That’s a piece of conflicting evidence I will have to work through. I have ordered James’ Civil War records, so I’ll see which is correct.

Charitable Work

Was your ancestor a volunteer or an appointee for some type of charitable work? In FamilySearch Full Text Search, I found records where James was appointed one of the Overseers of the Poor and Work House…

and he was one of four appoinments as Overseer of the House of Correction.

As a physician and druggist, he probably had a kind spirit and would have been perfect for this type of work.

Finally

When writing your ancestor’s story, it’s important to get the facts straight. But to write an interesting or compelling story, you have to go beyond the facts. Find out more about your ancestors outside of census and vital records. Go through land records and newspapers. Search the location your ancestor lived to find unique records to that place. Perhaps they are mentioned and perhaps they’re not. But it’s fun looking!

Genealogy tip: I have often mentioned how important writing is. If you find an interesting fact, write one or two paragraphs and include a short citation. When you add up the short stories, you may find a biography on your ancestor that is truly worth reading.

If you need a little help with these newer record sets, set up a coaching session. You can find out more under Services or give me a call. Click below to get started.

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Learn With Me: How To Empower Your Genealogy Knowledge

It’s important to teach the younger generation about family history. Those of us who are older won’t be around forever, and we need to know that others will carry on our work. In October 2025, I began mentoring an 8th-grader interested in genealogy. Talking with her has put me back in touch with the basics, reinforcing my love for genealogy.

In this blog post, we’ll go back to the beginning and use our knowledge to find more informative records. Painting a full picture of our ancestors’ lives is our goal and we do that by researching and writing about them one document at a time.

teach dice ornament on table - teach genealogy

The lessons A. has learned so far involve using the most basic records in genealogy: census records and vital records (birth, marriage, death). I’ve shown her examples, and we’ve talked about what they can and cannot tell you.

We’ll start there, and then I’ll mention more comprehensive records. Along the way, I’ll also tell you about specific blog posts I’ve written about each subject.

James Rounds Lunt

I’m going to use James Rounds Lunt as my example. He is found in many records that are useful to beginner genealogists. The websites I’ve used for this research are Ancestry and FamilySearch.

James was born about 1830 in Maine to James Lunt and Sarah Rounds. I have completed research to prove his parentage. To find out more about this, check out “Why It’s Important To Prove Parentage In Genealogy Research.”

Census Records

1850

In 1850 (the first census to name everyone in the household), James is living in Portland, Maine, in what appears to be a boarding house. He is a 20-year-old clerk with no real estate. His brother, Benjamin F. Lunt, also lives there.

As an aside – let me explain verb tense in genealogy:

Use the past tense for historical events, things that actually happened and are now in the past. Example: John R. Lunt was born about 1830.

Use the present tense when you’re talking about what a record states or shows because the record still exists and still says those words. Example: In 1850 James is living in Portland, Maine.

I know this is a bit confusing, and it will take a bit of time to remember to use the proper tense.

1860

In 1860, James is still in Portland, with an apparent wife and child. His occupation is a druggist, and he has a domestic servant living with him. His age is given as 59, a conflicting piece of information I must resolve. According to this document, he owns no real estate.

So, what other records can I look for from the information I gathered in this document?

Marriage record
Birth record of child
Business License
School Records

1870

The 1870 census finally gives James’s real estate and personal estate information. He owns $ 5,000 in real estate and $ 2,500 in personal belongings. Benjamin F. Lunt lives with him, along with his presumed wife and children, Abby E., James C., and Frank D. James and Benjamin work in an Apothecary.

The 1870 census still didn’t include relationships, so we don’t know how everyone is related. It’s why I used the word “presumed” above. Also, James’s age is more in line with a 1830 birth year.

What are the records to look for from this document? Land records, newspaper ads. James and Benjamin may own a house and a business property, as Benjamin’s real estate is valued at $10,000 (about 1/4 million today – not bad!)

1880

The 1880 census is the first to list relationships to the head of household, in this case, James R. Lunt. Abbie E. is his wife, and Frank D. and James C. are his sons. This gives me confirmation of the 1870 and 1860 household members.

James is a physician and druggist, and he lives at 31 State Street (the street name is up the side of the page, and his house number is 31). His brother, Benjamin F., continues to live with the family. He, too, is a druggist. We also learn that Harriet Wetherbee, who has been with the family for some time, is James’s sister-in-law.

What records can we add to our list? City Directories and Maps.

1890

There is no 1890 U.S. census for Maine (or most of the country, for that matter). In 1921, a fire at the Commerce Department building destroyed it. Some records were burned, but most were damaged by water in attempts to extinguish the fire. This census record year is sorely missed, but as genealogists, we persevere and use substitute records to make up for it.

For More On Census Records:

“Unique Census Questions Uncover More About Your Ancestors“

“Why Knowing The Informant In Genealogy Records Is Important“

“How To Find A “Missing” Ancestor In The Census“

Vital Records

Death

James died on 11 October 1891 in Portland at the age of 61.

Even though death records began in 1760 in Cumberland County, statewide compliance for births and deaths didn’t start until 1892. This information comes from the FamilySearch Wiki, one of my favorite sites, especially when researching in a new location. More on the wiki HERE.

What other records would I look for when I know someone died? Newspapers/obituaries, and probate records.

Marriage

If you go to Ancestry, you’ll find a copy of an old marriage record stating that James R. Lunt married Abby E. Cammett on 3 June 1856 in Portland. This image comes from a record set named “Maine, U.S., Marriage Records, 1713-1922.”

There is also a record set named “Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921.” This has no image, but it does include a film number to look up. More on what to do with that number HERE. But when I find the image, it’s exactly the one from above.

So, am I done? NO! I want to find an original record if I can…not a copy, and certainly not just an index. So I go to FamilySearch Catalog and find a record group named “Marriage Records 1786-1886.” It took a bit of searching, but I finally found this:

This is almost certainly a copy of the original record, as the handwriting is identical across all entries. But it’s better than a typed version or no version at all.

If I want more, how about searching for the minister who married them? What church was he affiliated with? Where was it located? These details can add a lot to James and Abby’s story.

Click HERE to find a blog post on Ancestry’s Card Catalog.

Birth

I do not have a birth or baptism record for James. I made notes of my negative searches so I don’t have to search for them again.

Finally

Genealogy research is all about starting with that first record. Analyze it, transcribe it, make notes about it, and understand it. Which direction will it send you in? Where will you look next? If you don’t have time to look now, keep a list.

In another post, I’ll show you the other genealogy records I found to add context to James’s life.

It’s important to write up what you find. I’ve told A. to jot down notes about each record and where she found it. Can you start a story about your ancestor from the clues in these genealogy documents? I bet you can. If you need more encouragement, read “7 Reasons To Stop Your Genealogy Research and Write.”

Genealogy tip: Remember to start with what you know and work backwards. It’s tempting to jump ahead, but you’ll be glad you didn’t.

If you’re just getting started and want some genealogy coaching, I’m game! Just click below for a 30-minute free consultation.

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