Sunny Jane Morton Named Editor of NGS Magazine

25 April 2025—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is delighted to announce the appointment of genealogy educator, researcher, writer, and editor Sunny Jane Morton as the new editor of NGS Magazine. Her first issue will be the October-December 2025 issue. Morton takes over the reins from long-time editor Deb Cyprych, who is retiring after nine years of exceptional leadership.

Morton is currently the content director at Your DNA Guide and a contributing editor at Family Tree Magazine. She is a past editor of the Ohio Genealogy News, where she also succeeded Cyprych. With Harold Henderson, CG, she coauthored How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records, which received a book award from NGS. Her book Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy is now in its second edition. Her forthcoming book, a guide for researching Catholic nuns and sisters in the United States, received research travel support from the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame. Her article "Delayed Birth Records in the United States" with Jeanette Sheliga appeared in NGS Magazine, Vol. 50, Number 1 (January-March 2024). She was also a contributor to the FamilySearch Blog from 2018-2023.

In addition to her extensive writing and editing, Morton is an instructor at NGS's GRIP Genealogy Institute 2025 (Practical Family History Writing) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy Spring Virtual 2025 (Researching Women from 1850-1960).

Morton is a longstanding member of NGS and the Ohio Genealogical Society and an associate member of Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious. She has a double B.A. from Brigham Young University in History and Humanities. Morton is a frequent speaker and lecturer at national, state, regional, and local genealogy events.

Expressing her enthusiasm about her new position, Morton said, "My role is to reach out into the community and bring expert voices and unknown resources into reach for readers. I look forward to building on Deb Cyprych's legacy, supporting authors and finding exciting and timely topics for NGS Magazine, while contributing to the growth of our family history community."

Executive Director Matt Menashes, CAE, shared his excitement about Morton's appointment, stating, "We are so glad to have Sunny as the next editor of NGS Magazine. Her experience will serve readers well. Working with feature authors and regular columnists, Sunny will continue our tradition of exceptional writing on methodology, technology, DNA, reference resources, genealogical societies' needs, and more."

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 Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society inspires, connects, and leads the family history community by fostering collaboration and best practices in advocacy, education, preservation, and research. We enable people, cultures, and organizations to discover the past and create a lasting legacy. The Virginia-based nonpro?t is the premier national society for everyone, from beginners to the most advanced family historians. NGS Magazine has a circulation of approximately 8,000 individuals and over 500 organizations, including libraries nationwide.

Your Family History Getaway: Road Trip from Chicago to Louisville for NGS 2025!

 

Map image courtesy Google Maps

 Looking for an escape to have some fun? Make this Memorial Day weekend unforgettable with a road trip to Louisville for the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference. Coming from Chicago and Northwest Indiana, traveling along I-65 South through Indiana, the journey is under five hours nonstop, but why rush? Make it a fun road trip, with tunes playing on the radio (or maybe a good genealogy podcast to set the mood).

Indiana Crossroads of America

If your family history has some Indiana roots, it’s possible that they traveled through Kentucky to get to Indiana. In the NGS Research in the States Guide: Indiana, author Dawne Slater reminds us, “The earliest settlers [of Indiana Territory and state] were from the Upland South; they moved from Virginia and North Carolina into Tennessee and Kentucky and then north into southern Indiana….Many of these immigrants from the South followed Daniel Boone’s trace from the Upper Tennessee Valley through the Cumberland Gap in to Kentucky, and northward into Indiana.” (And you can learn more about these types of migrations at the conference!)

I-65 will also take you to Indianapolis, which has three exceptional repositories with valuable resources for anyone whose ancestors lived in the state or earlier in the Northwest Territory—spanning most of present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

·         The William Henry Smith Memorial Library of the Indiana Historical Society has expansive collections of material on Indiana and the Northwest Territory. They also currently have several exhibits, including one on The Electric Railway and its impact on developing the region at the turn of the last century.

·         The Indiana State Archives houses records from the colonial period to today including court, land, military, and naturalization records, the 1805 Clark County Slave Register, and more.

·         The Indiana State Library maintains a genealogy collection of cemetery and county records, court and church records, family histories, federal censuses, passenger lists, and military pension files covering Indiana and bordering states.

Fun and Friends in Louisville

Once you arrive in Louisville, you’ll enjoy meeting and networking with genealogists from around the country who share your love for family history. Join us at the historic Galt House in downtown Louisville from 23-26 May. We have an amazing program planned for you.

·         Sign up for a pre-conference tour, workshop, or FOCUS workshops for society delegates, volunteers, and leaders on Friday, 23 May.

·         On Saturday and Sunday (24-25 May) attend your choice of lectures on genealogy research, luncheons, and other special events. And, don’t worry, we know you won’t be able to attend all 50+ learning sessions in person. Attendees can view them on Whova through 15 July.

·         On Memorial Day, spend the day at Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum, exploring its gardens and historic monuments; then join us for a ceremony at the National Cemetery section.

Renew your passion for family history research and treat yourself to a truly special road trip.

Visit the Conference Website and Register Now

Whether diving into archives in Indianapolis, enjoying some quiet time on the road, or connecting with fellow genealogists at the conference, your getaway to Louisville promises both discovery and good times with good people. Come join us!

 

Get a Preview of the NGS 2025 Family History Conference

Are you curious about details of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2025 Family History Conference, Tales & Trails, in Louisville, Kentucky? Are you wondering if you will go? Watch a recording of the Conference Preview webinar to get your questions answered and learn more about what is planned for 23-26 May.

• Get highlights of the program agenda from the plenary to the more than fifty lectures that will help you build skills during and after the conference. You'll get valuable education by attending live sessions, and participating in Louisville gives you access to every lecture in the app through 15 July 2025.
• Find out how adding FOCUS: A Pathway to the Future for Genealogy and Family History Organizations or a workshop or a tour can enhance your experience.
• Learn about the special Memorial Day event at Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum.
• Discover opportunities to enjoy time with fellow genealogists and family history enthusiasts through other unique, fun, informative events including luncheons, dinners, expo hall activities, and more.

We hope to see you all in Louisville, Kentucky on 23-26 May. You can also find information and register at any time on the conference website.

Plan a Road Trip to Louisville for the NGS 2025 Family History Conference from Birmingham

Treat yourself to a special road trip this Memorial Day Weekend and learn more about your roots on the way to Louisville for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2025 Family History Conference, Tales & Trails.  

Like those on the northern end of I-65, those traveling from the south to the conference in Louisville have an easy drive. From Birmingham, Alabama, it's a straight shot on I-65N and can be done in less than six hours.  

As a bonus, you may be able to slip in some family history along the way. In the 1800s, as Tennessee and Kentucky farm soils became depleted, some wealthy planters opted to move to more fertile lands in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, so those of you with roots in these areas may well find a few missing ancestors in research opportunities as you travel to Louisville.1  

First Stop: Nashville, Tennessee 

If you are looking for an ancestor who lived or passed through Tennessee, you will want to research at the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) in Nashville. 

The TSLA is home to more than 10,000 family histories and over 100,000 microfilm reels of censuses, country records, land grants, newspapers, military records, etc. It also houses extensive genealogical collections of the Tennessee Historical Society and the state and national Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) societies.

The Nashville Public Library also has a substantial collection of genealogical records.

Second Stop: Bowling Green, Kentucky 

In the nineteenth century, steamboats and later railways contributed to Bowling Green's growth as an urban and commercial center. 

Western Kentucky University offers repositories of thousands of historical and vital records of interest to family historians. The university is home to the Kentucky Library and Museum, the Manuscripts and Folklife Archives, and the University Archives. 

Before embarking on your road trip, you may want to purchase and download a PDF of Research in Kentucky and Research in Tennessee in the NGS Store for reference.  

Louisville!

Once you arrive in Louisville, enjoy meeting and networking with genealogists from around the country who share your love for family history. Join us at the historic Galt House from 23-26 May for an amazing program and get access to audio recordings and slides from every session through 15 July 2025! 

Plus, there are plenty of research opportunities in Louisville. At the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, you’ll have access to its vast collections documenting not just Louisville but the entire Ohio River Valley, the Upper South, and beyond. Here you can access manuscripts, maps, diaries, correspondence, business and organizational records, newspapers, and more. Its microform collection also includes the Lyman Draper Manuscripts, which focuses on the history of the "Trans-Allegheny West," including regions like the Ohio River Valley, Virginia, the western Carolinas, and parts of the Mississippi Valley, primarily between the 1740s and 1830s. 

And let’s not forget about the treasures at our host society, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), whose library and museum is in Louisville. Their volunteers will be welcoming us to Louisville and they can help you connect with your Revolutionary War past just in time for America’s 250th celebration.   

Don't Miss the Conference and Related Events  

Go to the Registration and Pricing page for details, fees, and to sign up for the conference, luncheons, and special events. There are conference registration offers for Youth and NGS Organization Members.  

If you’ve already signed up, download a social media badge to share that you're going and invite people to join you for a road trip to remember. 

See you in Louisville! 

Visit the Conference Website and Register Now