Join NGS, Vivid-Pix, and Family Search for a Special Symposium on Healthy Aging

Are you curious as to how the genealogy and family history community can improve healthy aging outcomes? Are you a caregiver for a family member with cognitive decline?

Join us for this special free symposium via Zoom on 22 May 2025, streaming live from Louisville, Kentucky.

In recognition of Mental Health Month, the National Genealogical Society, Vivid-Pix, and FamilySearch invite you to attend the Symposium on Healthy Aging and the Role of the Family History Community, on 22 May 2025 from 1:00 PM–5:00 PM ET with online access via Zoom.* The symposium tackles increasing challenges facing Americans as they age: social isolation, dementia, and mental health.

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“Family history activities are a pathway to good mental health and combat social isolation. The research, analysis, and writings associated with family history stimulate brain activity; storytelling, photos, and mementos bring back happy memories and intergenerational connection,” said Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Founder, Yeh Innovation, Past Chief Medical Officer, AARP. 

“We’ve witnessed firsthand how photo reminiscence therapy (pRT) can reduce social isolation, improve medication compliance, and enhance connection and cognitive performance with older adults. That’s why we’re dedicated to expanding its availability and making this therapy affordable to all who need it, as well as supporting others’ work to help our community,” said Rick Voight, CEO, Vivid-Pix.

Important topics include:

• Understanding the health and cognitive issues facing an aging American population.
• How aging, isolation, and loneliness affect cognition – and how to assist those impacted.
• How the family history community can help our communities and the aging population.
• Activities that individuals and organizations, such as genealogy societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs), are conducting to support healthy aging.

Panelists include leaders in aging health, genealogy, and technology:

• Charity Rouse, NGS Delegate Council secretary and Spartanburg County Public Libraries
• Crista Cowan, Corporate Genealogist, Ancestry
• Curt Witcher, Director, Special Collections & Manager, Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library
• David Rencher, NGS president and Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch  
• Debbie Gurtler, Assistant Director, FamilySearch Library
• Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Founder, Yeh Innovation & past Chief Medical Officer, AARP 
• Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, International African American Museum (IAAM)
• Ed Donakey, NGS board member and Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch
• Ellen Goodwin, Co-Founder, Artifcts
• Jake Rankin, Owner, Talem Home Care, Certified Senior Advisor 
• John Dougan, NGS board member and Missouri State Archivist  
• Matt Menashes, NGS executive director
• Matt Weismantel, NGS Delegate Council chair
• Rick Voight, CEO, Vivid-Pix
• Sheri Rose, CEO, Thrive Center 
• Theda Heiserman, Director of Training & Education, CERTUS Institute 

Uniquely suited to support activities that promote healthy aging and the family NGS, FamilySearch, and genealogy societies, libraries, archives, museums and companies help thousands of people daily with family history research. “The family history community  . . . helps people learn about their past through research, writing, and storytelling. These activities improve mental health and build strong relationships,” said David Rencher, NGS president and Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch. “We think our community is well-positioned to improve long-term outcomes for an aging population.”

“We’ve found that when helping people trace their roots, it can be transformative for a person’s mental health and perspective,” said Dr. Shelley Murphy of the Center for Family History at International African American Museum. “The people who come to programs at the museum come away with new energy, stronger connections to their past, and a newfound passion for family history research.”

Plan to join us online. Registration is free.

 

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Research in Hawaii

Polynesians settled in the archipelago now known as Hawaii more than 1,000 years ago. Over the centuries, it has been a kingdom, a republic, a territory, and in 1959 it became the fiftieth state of the United States. Non-Hawaiians began to settle in Hawaii in the late eighteenth century. Today, it is both multi-cultural and ethnically diverse. The population’s ancestry can be traced to Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, Polynesia, and other Pacific Islands. Family history researchers will discover resources that are distinct to Hawaii including rich oral genealogies (moʻokūʻauhau), written records with name variants, and nuanced land records for this state-land-state. Research in Hawaii author Darcie Hind Posz, CG, FASG, offers genealogists a comprehensive guide to the uniquely rewarding experience of discovering ancestors from the Aloha State.

Research in Hawaii provides genealogists with detailed information about valuable resources and repositories, including:

• Archives, Libraries, and Societies both centrally located in Honolulu and on each island with resources specific to ethnicity, occupation, region, and time period. Especially helpful is a glossary of Hawaiian words for birth, marriage, death, male, female, etc. found in vital records.

• Atlases, Gazetteers, and Maps including the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association Plantation Archives, a pivotal resource that offers maps of plantations and camps where workers resided.
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• Ethnic Records covering African American, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli), Japanese, Korean, Polynesian, and Portuguese. With more than a quarter of the population multiracial, the author notes that researchers should be prepared to follow several ethnic groups at once and should be aware of double names, reversed names, and other nuances.

• Land Records—all of which are at the state level, not Federal—including awards, land claims, and patents for formal land claims of both native people and foreigners.
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• Military Records from the Kingdom of Hawaii Military and Navy Department records (1852-1891) to US military records from World War I through the Vietnam War.
• Oral Histories, the longest surviving method of transmission of historical accounts of lineage.

The author also includes discussions of

• Business and Organizational Records
• Cemetery, Census, and Court Records
• Immigration and Naturalization Records
• Institutional, Internment, and Incarceration Records
• Maritime Records
• Newspapers, Directories
• School, Tax, Vital Records, and more.

Author Darcie Hind Posz says of this guide, "Each repository and family history society in Hawaii is discussed and their wonderful resources. Also, new sections not seen in the RIS states series before: horticulture, natural disasters, and oral histories. A focus on Hawaii-specific records such as the Kingdom of Hawaii and Aliʻi (chiefs), the Kūʻē Petition (anti-Annexation), and land records."

Readers will find the website address, physical address, and telephone number for each repository. This book can be purchased as a PDF or paper copy at the NGS website.

Special Offer: Are you living in a community with a large Asian American or Pacific Islander population? Darcie Hind Posz, the author of Research in Hawaii will donate a copy to your local library. Email her at here.

From Steel to Bourbon: Road Trip From/Through Pittsburgh to the NGS 2025 Conference

 

Make your drive to the NGS 2025 Family History Conference part of the fun with a history-filled road trip. Bring a friend for twice the adventure!

The Route: Pittsburgh to Louisville (388 miles)

Three states. Six hours (plus stops!). One epic journey through America’s family history corridor. The route from Pittsburgh—and points further north and east—winds from Pennsylvania’s steel valleys through Ohio’s heartland and into Kentucky bourbon country via I-70 West to Columbus, then I-71 South to Louisville.

Pittsburgh: Gateway to the West

Don’t just zip past Pittsburgh! Plan a stop at the Heinz History Center, a Smithsonian affiliate, where history and genealogy come together. Beyond the fantastic exhibits—from the acclaimed From Slavery to Freedom exhibition to Heinz ketchup and Mr. Rogers—their Detre Library & Archives holds thousands of photos, maps, and manuscript collections that might mention your ancestors. Warning: time evaporates quickly in this treasure trove. Open daily.

Standing where three mighty rivers meet in Point State Park, the Fort Pitt Museum tells the story of Western Pennsylvania’s pivotal role during the French & Indian War and American Revolution and life on the edge of the early frontier. Open daily.

Eastern Add-Ons: If you’re coming from further east (e.g., Philadelphia, Baltimore), consider bypassing Pittsburgh and adding an overnight to explore one or more of these historic treasures:

• Fort Necessity National Battlefield – Site of George Washington’s first battle in 1754 and another stamp for your National Parks Passport!
• West Overton Village – Preserved 19th-century Mennonite settlement
• Meadowcroft Rockshelter – North America’s oldest known site of human habitation

PIT STOP: Norwich, Ohio

As highway hypnosis threatens to set in, the National Road & Zane Grey Museum offers a respite. This three-in-one gem features a 136-foot diorama chronicling America’s first federally-funded highway—the same road your ancestors may have traveled west. The museum also spotlights Zane Grey, whose Western novels probably filled your grandparents’ bookshelves, and an extensive pottery collection. Open Wednesday through Sunday.

Columbus: Midway Mark

Columbus isn’t just a convenient halfway stop—it’s a research gold mine. The Archives & Library Research Room at the Ohio History Center houses an extensive collection of manuscript materials, newspapers, photos, books, maps, and government records. Consider making an appointment for a personalized research experience. Open Wednesday through Sunday.

Just south of downtown Columbus, the historic German Village showcases one of America’s most successful preservation efforts. Settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, the area features brick streets, preserved homes, and shops that reflect the community’s heritage. Walking tours run from April through October.

DECISION POINT: Choose Your Trail

Trail 1: The Direct Route via Cincinnati
Follow I-71 straight through to Louisville (114 miles)

Make Cincinnati your final stop before Louisville at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The center’s three pavilions represent courage, cooperation, and perseverance—the qualities that enabled so many to seek freedom. Interactive exhibits and firsthand accounts bring to life the history of the Underground Railroad networks that operated across the Ohio River region. Open Tuesday through Sunday.

Have Cincinnati roots? Don’t miss the Genealogy & Local History Department at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. Their collection includes extensive Cincinnati records, rare photos, digitized newspapers, family histories, and the Inland Rivers Library covering Ohio River boat traffic between Pittsburgh and Louisville. Open Monday through Saturday.

Trail 2: The Road Less Traveled
Add extra travel time but discover hidden historical gems

Head south from Columbus on US-23 to Serpent Mound near Peebles. This 1,348-foot-long prehistoric effigy mound is on a tentative list for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For genealogists researching Native American connections, the site offers context about the indigenous peoples who shaped the Ohio Valley long before European settlement. Open Tuesday through Sunday.

Next, continue south to the John Rankin House in Ripley overlooking the Ohio River. From this hilltop home, Presbyterian minister John Rankin and his family helped approximately 2,000 enslaved people escape to freedom. If your research includes African American heritage, standing on these floorboards connects you to courage that records alone can’t capture. Open Wednesday through Sunday.

Destination Louisville!

At the 2025 NGS Family History Conference, look forward to:

·         Cutting-edge tools in action—AI, digital storytelling, and mapping technologies

·         Insightful sessions  and tours featuring Kentucky records and Ohio Valley migration

·         Research tracks covering African American, Native American, and military records

·         Advanced skill-building through the BCG Education Fund workshop and Skillbuilding track

·         Fresh approaches to preserving and sharing family stories

·         Real-world case studies that show how genealogists solve complex research puzzles

And most importantly—your people. One of the greatest benefits of attending in person isn’t just the knowledge you’ll gain; it’s the community. Share breakthrough moments over coffee with researchers who understand your excitement, exchange research tips during lunch, and build your genealogy network during evening events. These connections often lead to collaborative research opportunities and friendships that last far beyond the conference.

Ready to hit the road?
Reserve your spot now— registration options include discounts for NGS members and NGS member organizations. Already signed up?  Grab a social media badge and let folks know you’re heading to Louisville!

Your ancestors took the hard road—you get the scenic route. See you in Louisville!

Plan a Road Trip to Louisville for the NGS 2025 Family History Conference via St. Louis

 It’s a beautiful time of year for a road trip! Those driving to the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2025 Family History Conference, from areas west of Louisville in the Kansas City or Columbia areas of Missouri, it’s a straight shot to Louisville via I-70 and I-64, which pass through St. Louis, providing a nice halfway point to stop and do some research.  

Regional Research Opportunities 

Before you hit St. Louis, in Columbia, Missouri, you might want to stop at the Columbia Research Center of the State Historical Society of Missouri. The Research Center is home to records from central and northern Missouri. Regional research centers are also located in Cape Girardeau, Kansas City, Rolla, Springfield, and St. Louis.  

St. Louis Research Opportunities 

The trip from Kansas City to St. Louis is around 4 hours, and there, research opportunities abound. 

• The St. Louis Research Center of the State Historical Society of Missouri is located on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus, and like the other regional research centers of the state historical society, it’s holdings cover the state of Missouri and the Midwest in general, with an emphasis on records of St. Louis and surrounding areas. Notable collections document labor groups, the African American experience in the area, and the LGBTQ community. 
• Not to be confused with the State Historical Society, the Missouri Historical Society was founded in St. Louis, and its Missouri History Museum Library & Research Center houses collections related to the state and city, as well as the Mississippi and Missouri Valleys, the Louisiana Purchase, and the nineteenth century American West.  
• The St. Louis County Library is home to the Emerson History and Genealogical Center, located on the second floor of the Clark Family Branch of the library. There you can access the National Genealogical Society’s Book Loan Collection, which includes more than 27,000 books for research in person or by interlibrary loan. Additional special collections include the collections of the St. Louis Genealogical Society and other organizations, German and Norwegian resources, religious denominational records, local histories, and expansive digital collection. 
• Also located at the St. Louis County Library is the Memory Lab, a “do-it-yourself digitization space” available by appointment for recording personal memories in a recording studio and digitizing family ephemera, like slides, negatives, photographs, and other documents. You can also transfer various tape mediums (VHS, cassettes, DVDs, etc.) into digital formats.  
• The St. Louis Public Library’s Genealogy Department and St. Louis Room are on the third floor of the Central Library and include archival and special collections unique to the area such as scrapbooks, portraits, clippings, obituaries, and many other items of interest. The library also offers access to a large number of online genealogical and historical databases.   
• National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) branch of the National Archives and Records Administration is the primary repository for military service records from WWI to the present. It is strongly recommended that you make an appointment ahead of your arrival to ensure access to the records you need. 

Back on the Road 

From St. Louis it’s an easy stretch of American countryside on the road to your destination in Louisville. Enjoy the spring scenery, crank up your favorite tunes, or load up your favorite podcast. If you’re looking for something on genealogy, ConferenceKeeper has you covered with a comprehensive list of genealogical podcasts that will make for great conversation starters as you meet and reconnect with genealogists from across the country and around the world at the NGS Conference. 

Once you arrive in Louisville, enjoy meeting and networking with genealogists from throughout the US 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! 

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. 

If you’re coming from the north or south, we also have you covered with articles on the road trip from Chicago, and from Birmingham. 

See you in Louisville! 

Visit the Conference Website and Register Now