Dead Men DO Tell Tales

Join us for a day exploring some of the genealogy resources available around the death of our ancestors.  Whether you're digging into military records, uncovering treasures at the Library of Congress, or tapping into Midwest repositories, this conference is packed with tips, strategies, and new discoveries for your family history research.

Our presenter, Kimberly Alberg, will join us in-person for four hybrid sessions, available in-person and via Zoom.  She is the owner of Jigsaw Genealogy  in the Kansas City Missouri area. Bitten by the genealogy bug in her early childhood, Kim blends her lifelong passions for family research and jigsaw puzzles with nearly 40 years of classroom instruction at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels plus an additional eight years spent "educating" and assisting customers at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri.  

The following sessions will be provided:

 Paper Trails to You, Until we Meet Again 

In Session 1, we'll discuss a variety of both civil and religious records that were often generated at the time of an ancestor's passing, reflecting on the genealogical data that can be extracted from these records.  

 We Heard It Through the Grapevine 

This session will focus on record-generating ways family members might have chosen to spread the word of an ancestor's death.  While significant attention will be given to information found in newspapers, we will also address the need to include city directories, church and organizational bulletins, personal letters, diaries and more in our lists of "grapevine" resources.

When the River Meets the Sea

From sextant records to tombstone iconography, this session will review key "burial breadcrumbs" left by our ancestors and their survivors in cemeteries and other final resting places.

 Let's Play the Feud

The final presentation will include a smorgasbord of additional death records of genealogical significance, presented in an interactive, game-show format.  While no prizes - other than bragging rights - will be awarded, this format will offer participants an entertaining way to engage with the content while picking up still more tips and topical research ideas.

Join the conference in-person at the IGS Library & Research Center in the East Village of Des Moines or join virtually on Zoom.

All sessions will be recorded and available to all registrants for a limited time after the conference.