UGAGenealogy - Utah Genealogical Association

03/18/2026

03/13/2026

At some point in many genealogists' careers, writing for publication can be a strategic and rewarding part of your plan. Writing can be motivated by many factors, from experience and exposure at the outset, to pay (for experienced writers), to--later in a career--the satisfaction of sharing a lifetime's worth of knowledge (and possibly more pay). As a longtime Contributing Editor at Family Tree Magazine, past Editor of Ohio Genealogy News, and current Editor of NGS Magazine, Sunny Morton will walk you through the various options for why and where to publish, depending on your primary goals. While most options don't pay (or don't pay well), your published writing can serve as a self-built platform upon which you can build other elements of your career.

Check out our April Pro Talk with Sunny Morton at 6:00 pm MDT (8:00 EDT, 5:00 PDT) on April 7th! Everyone can participate live for free and UGA members can watch the recording later. Register at https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c_0l77EAT3S4HBJU3uCi6w #/registration

Sunny Morton is a career writer and editor. She received the NGS Newsletter Editor award in 2017 and the International Society of Family History Writers & Editors Newsletter Editing award in 2013. Sunny's third book, a guide to researching Catholic nuns and sisters, is currently at press.

03/05/2026

Now that we’re all at and sessions are underway, what are you looking forward to most? (Visiting at booth 211 maybe?) At the speakers and media event last night, we discussed highlighting all the contributors that make discovering your ancestors possible. Archivists, census takers, transcribers, journalists, and software designers all play a part in helping you bring family together. Who has helped you find your ancestors? Give them a shout out in the comments!

03/02/2026

Civil War soldiers often left a rich genealogical paper trail. Many of these records are tucked away at the National Archives in Washington DC. Learn what records are available for your ancestors only at the National Archives, what records are online already, and how to access all of them. These records may unlock some of the family stories that have been forgotten over time, as well as break down a brick wall or two!

Join us for this free webinar on March 19th at 7:00 pm MDT (9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific). Register at https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7eQrV-OvS1iIJEfyrydbhQ #/registration

Brian Rhinehart is a professional genealogist, speaker, and is owner of CivilWarRecords.com. He is a graduate of Boston University’s Certificate of Genealogy Research and a regular researcher for the television show Finding Your Roots. A direct descendant of eight Civil War soldiers, Brian specializes in research and record retrieval for Civil War and War of 1812 soldiers at the National Archives in Washington DC. He has retrieved military files for hundreds of clients there.

02/27/2026

https://mailchi.mp/ugagenealogy/utah-genealogical-association-march-newsletter-dys9goqfjc?e=c874d7dc12

The Veteran Bounty Land Records Campaign is raising $2.5 million over four years to support the preservation and digitization of records of early American veterans. These bounty land warrant application files, which include over 360,000 at-risk files at the National Archives, contain important infor...

02/17/2026

Using case studies to demonstrate various methodology tools can reach a great number of people who are not comfortable with bullet-point lists of steps. Humans are natural storytellers, according to Walter Fisher in his work on the Narrative Paradigm (https://www.communicationtheory.org/the-narrative-paradigm/). When considering the variety of genealogy tools, it is hypothesized that the use of stories (case studies) to illustrate ways of researching, developing, and sharing family history is likely to reach more people (students and/or family members) than simply providing a list or bibliography of resources.

You can participate in this webinar live and for free on March 3rd at 6:00 pm MST (8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific). Register at https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bqg_Ht-fQJmFUyXC8lQZtA #/registration

Jean Wilcox Hibben; PhD, MA, former So. Cal. college speech professor (MA – Speech Communication; PhD – Folklore), is a national speaker and author. She is the former director and current family history consultant for the Corona, CA FamilySearch Center, has worked on background research for two genealogy television programs, and was a host for podcasts on social history.

Jean is a former Board-Certified genealogist with over 45 years of research experience. She is a former board member of APG and past president of its So. Cal. Chapter. Jean is the current vice president of the Corona Genealogical Society, as well as webmaster for that same organization. Jean writes the “Aunty Jeff” column for the Informer, the newsletter of the Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society. Her website is circlemending.org.

02/17/2026

The Utah Genealogical Association is proud to support the National Genealogical Society in their efforts to preserve Bounty Land Warrant Application files from veterans of early American wars. The Veteran Bounty Land Records Project (VBLR) is digitizing and preserving records of early American veterans so that anyone will be able to access bounty land warrant applications on the National Archives website. UGA has committed to match up to $5,000 in member donations to support the VBLR at https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/donations/form/ to support the VBLR.

Over 360,000 at-risk files at the National Archives contain important information about those who served in the US Military before 1850, including Native and Black soldiers. These soldiers were eligible to receive 160 acres of land in lieu of pay. The records contain family names, vital data, historical documents such as pages from family Bibles, hand-written testimonies, affidavits, regimental history, and more.

The campaign's goals are to preserve, index, and digitize all Veteran Bounty Land records to make them available to all. It is sponsored by the National Genealogical Society with support from FamilySearch, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and donors like you.

Matches are possible when donations are made through our website. Visit https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/donations/form/ to support the VBLR.

02/11/2026

This will give an introduction to Dutch records. Participate live on February 25th at 9:00 am MST (11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific, 5:00 pm Central European). Register for at https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rw49qbueTJWpmDy3JMfqkg #/registration

John is one of the few full-time genealogy professionals in the Netherlands with over 35 years of experience. After working in local government for more than 20 years, he established his business, called ‘Antecedentia | Genealogy in the Netherlands,’ in January 2015. His services include genealogical and historical research, document transcriptions and translations, heritage trips, advice and mentoring, and lectures and courses.

He studied Law at Tilburg University (LLM) and earned Professional Development and English Records certificates (PLCGS) from the International Institute for Genealogical Studies. He also holds a master's degree in Genealogical, Paleographic and Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde (MSc), with distinction. His articles about research in the Netherlands have been published in international magazines such as Family Tree Magazine UK, Family Tree Magazine US. Over the years, he has presented at numerous international events, both online and in person. He has worked with TV shows in the US, UK, and Australia. Currently, John serves as a director of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG). He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and several Dutch and US genealogical societies. In 2018, the King of the Netherlands appointed him as a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his longstanding volunteer work in society, especially in and local .

02/05/2026

Only a day or two left to register for Spring! Which class sounds the most interesting to you?

02/05/2026

The UGA is proud to present "Digitizing History and the Veterans Bounty Land Project with Rebecca Whitman Koford! Bounty land was the reward for service to veterans from the Revolution through the Mexican War. Applications for bounty land from veterans or their heirs are bursting with genealogical information, but researchers rarely see it because records for the War of 1812 onwards are only found at the National Archives. Learn about the value of these records, how to access them, and the project to digitize them and make them publicly available.

Participate in this free webinar on February 19th at 7:00 pm MST (9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific). Register at https://ugagenealogy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fhSNzk00QrKbtsYczAB1Jw #/registration

Rebecca Whitman Koford holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and as a Certified Genealogical Lecturer®. She focuses on research in Maryland, Upstate New York, Virginia, the District of Columbia, colonial records, military records from the Revolution through the Civil War, federal records at the National Archives (D.C.), and land records of all types. She has published articles in the NGS Magazine, APG Magazine, SAR Magazine, and the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal and is co-author of the NGS Research in the States series book on Maryland.

She is a graduate and former mentor of the ProGen Study Group and served as its Administrator from 2015–2020. She speaks at national conferences and regularly teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy ( ), the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR). She served as Executive Director of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® from 2018–2024. In 2021, she was named as Director of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) in Washington, D.C. Rebecca was elected as the vice-president of the National Genealogical Society in October 2024. She takes clients and runs her business under the name Rebecca Whitman Koford Genealogical Research, LLC.

02/04/2026

Only a few seats are left and classes start soon! Which one are you registered for?

Registration closes Friday, 6 February 2026, and once it’s closed, it’s closed. Seats are still available, but the window to claim one is getting very small.

If you have been meaning to sharpen your skills, dive deeper into records, or finally take that course you keep bookmarking, this is your moment. Spring Virtual is designed for focused learning with expert instructors and a community that takes research seriously.

Do not put this off for another minute. Visit our website, review the course lineup, and register before Friday. https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-spring-virtual-2026/

01/31/2026

The recipient of the Chapter Service Award is Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®, AGL™!

Julia A. Anderson is an Accredited Genealogist® and Accredited Genealogist Lecturer™ with expertise in the U.S. Gulf South Region. She received a bachelor’s degree in history and university honors from Brigham Young University in 1993 and a master’s degree in history and post-secondary education from Grand Canyon University in 2021. Julia works full time at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she is the manager of the United States and Canada Research Team. She also teaches online genealogy research and accreditation classes for Salt Lake Community College. Julia is the owner and managing member of Anderson Genealogical Research, LLC in Orem, Utah. She is very involved in the genealogy community and currently serves as a commissioner on the board of ICAPGen and as the Conference Chair for the Utah Genealogical Association. Julia and her husband, Scott, live in Orem, Utah. Together, they have nine children and soon-to-be eleven grandchildren.

Congratulations, Julia!