To the hosts and more of 2019
It isn’t really already…?
How can it be…?
Seriously…?
Can it really be the last day of 2019 — and the decade — already?
Already.
Looking back, it’s been yet another whirlwind year where I’ve had the chance to meet folks from a wide variety of backgrounds at a wide variety of institutes, conferences and genealogical societies — large and small — and I’ve simply had a ball.
I’ve learned from each and every one of them. I’ve had chances to laugh — and sometimes to share a tear.
I’ve been taught about resources I hadn’t seen before, and been given chances to advance my own research.
I’ve met cousins — some of whom I hadn’t even known I had.
It’s been a wonderful year. So it can’t end without a heartfelt thank you to so many people who’ve made it the year it’s been, including each and every single one of my 2019 hosts:
• Family Tree webinars, and hosts Geoff Rasmussen and Marian Pierre-Louis who make things easy
• Florida Genealogical Society-Tampa, webinar
• Illinois State Genealogical Society, webinar
• West Valley (Arizona) Genealogical Society
• Alabama Genealogical Society
• Williamson County (Texas) Genealogical Society
• The Villages (Florida) Genealogical Society
• Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Family History Conference
• Virginia Genealogical Society
• Alexandria (Virginia) Public Library, webinar
• Florida State Genealogical Society, webinar and virtual conference
• National Genealogical Society, St. Charles
• Wisconsin Historical Society
• Society of Australia Genealogists, webinar
• Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
• THE Genealogy Show, Birmingham, England
• Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, GRIP evening lecture
• Dallas (Texas) Genealogical Society
• Akron-Summit (Ohio) Public Library and Summit County Chapter, OGS
• Federation of Genealogical Societies, Washington, D.C.
• Board for Certification of Genealogists Reisinger Lectures
• Chester County (Pennsylvania) Historical Society
• APG Professional Management Conference, Salt Lake City
• Utah Genealogical Society, virtual confererence
• Germanic Genealogy Society of Minnesota, webinar
• Larimer County (Colorado) Genealogical Society, Conference for a Cause
• Wichita (Kansas) Genealogical Society
• Virtual Genealogical Association, Online Conference
• Old York (Pennsylvania) Genealogical Society
• Arkansas Genealogical Society
• Allen County Genealogical Society and The Allen County Public Library
• Center for Jewish History, New York City
• San Mateo County Genealogical Society
• North San Diego County Genealogical Society
• German Genealogy Group, NY
• U.S. National Archives, New York City
• Family History Society of Arizona, webinar
A huge thank-you also goes to the institutes where I was privileged to teach in 2018 2019 (darned fat fingers…), and to the students I was privileged to teach and to learn from. At the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), in January, I co-coordinated the “Family History Law Library” course with Rick Sayre. At the Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in July, I served as coordinator of the “Advanced Methodology & Evidence Analysis” course at the University of Georgia in Athens. In July, I coordinated the new “Understanding and Using Legal Documents for Genealogical Research” course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). And thanks to the other coordinators who let me come play in their classes at these institutes and at the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute in Fort Wayne, the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records at the National Archives, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia..
Now if I tried to list all the individuals who went out of their way to make things not just easy but wonderful and fun, I’d still be writing at the end of 2020. But I can’t end without singling out a couple of people in particular who went above and beyond — and then some.
• My friends and colleagues Ari Wilkins and Kelvin Meyers for making sure I got to do some of my own research, in the books, in the records and on the ground, in Texas.
• My friend and colleague Linda McCreary for personalized tour guide service in Arizona.
• Just about all the genealogists of Colorado who gave me hints and tips for a great driving trip from Utah to Colorado in between speaking gigs.
• And FGS national conference chair Pam Sayre for making sure I got go along on one of Dr. Deb Abbott’s guided tours of the heartbreakingly fabulous National Museum of African American History and Culture — and to Dr. Deb Abbott for her personal guidance.
To all of them, and to all of those who’ve made this year so special, my thanks.
And to you, the readers of this blog… what can I say but thank you? You’ve challenged me, taught me, laughed with me, cried with me.
Another good year here at The Legal Genealogist. With good friends — old and new, and good fun.
Thanks.
Onward… into the new decade.
Cite/link to this post: Judy G. Russell, “The Official TLG 2019 Thank You List,” The Legal Genealogist (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : posted 31 Dec 2019).
And thank you thank you thank you Judy for what YOU do to help all of us move forward with our understanding and research. And for your humor! All the best to you in the New Year!!
And to you Judy! There aren’t enough words to properly tell you how much you mean to each and every one of us in our close knit community as well as the world wide community. You are treasured and loved! Happy New Year and I’ll see you at SLIG!
Last day of the decade will be 31 December 2020, yes? 😉
It depends, of course. There are two methods of calculating, the ordinal and the cardinal. The cardinal is the most frequently used by real people in real life, and that says January 1, 2020, begins the new decade.
May you have another wonderful decade starting at midnight, Judy!! All best wishes.
Thank you, thank you for all the insights, teaching, sharing and humor you gift to us. Whenever I get the blessing of hearing you speak, I come away the better for it. Best wishes for a wonderful 2020.