We had a GREAT day Saturday with 4 very informative and entertaining sessions presented by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak. 110 people (± 2) heard talks about Reverse Genealogy, DNA, the story of Annie Moore – the first immigrant ashore at Ellis Island, and Cases that made Megan’s Brain Hurt – now as I noted, she has some genealogical brain, so if her brain hurt imagine how we’d have done.
Start of the First Session on Saturday
Got Ancestors?! 2010 is underway. Megan arrived in Grand Rapids this afternoon, and after a quick trip downtown to have “Michigan’s Best Burger” and a stop by the Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum and his final resting place beside the Grand River, it was off to the Prince Conference Center at Calvin College for Megan to relax a little (she’d got up at 4AM to come to Grand Rapids) and me to make sure last minute details were all in place before tonight’s presentation of Michelle Obama’s Roots“.
It was a GREAT presentation – if you weren’t there you surely missed a great story – special because it’s about the first person (and her mother and daughters) who are descended of slaves to live in the White House, but that aside fascinating as a story of research into people in different parts of “the South” that descend from slaves and their migrations after emancipation.
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak presents "Michelle Obama's Roots"
A picture gallery follows… (more…)
Well we’re in the final countdown to Got Ancestors?! Are They Who You Think They Are? on Friday night and Saturday with Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak.
It’s still not too late to register for either event – we still have space available. Please use the online registration system to let us know that you’re coming, and if possible pay by PayPal. If you want to pay by cheque or cash, by all means choose that option on the payment page, but please DO NOT mail your cheque – instead bring it with you on Friday if you’re coming to Friday evening’s Michelle Obama’s Roots session or on Saturday if you’re only coming to Are They Who You Think They Are?.
tick tock tick tock tick tock…
Don and Roger appeared on eightWest this morning to talk to Terri and Rachael about genealogy and our upcoming Got Ancestors?! Are They Who You Think They Are? Seminar.
The video of this is below – Enjoy 
We forgot to mention that Friday night’s presentation of Michelle Obama’s Roots is in association with the Southwest Michigan Black Heritage Society
Here’s a post written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak that appeared on The Huffington Post website today.
“Born twenty years to the day after John Lennon and married the day before 9/11, I need no calendars or tickler systems to remind me of the milestone birthdays and anniversaries in my life. The media does it for me. So I was well aware of the approach of my half-century mark. Still, I had made no special plans for that particular day, which is probably just as well since I found myself attending a funeral.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Maybe she’ll explain more about why she has 2 same last names at the upcoming Seminar – click the link to the right to register online now.
You can view Megan’s Huffington Post profile here
Today is our Speaker Megan’s Birthday.
♩ Happy Birthday To You
♫ Happy Birthday To You
♬ Happy Birthday Dear Megan
♪ Happy Birthday To You
See you on 5th and 6th November
The video here is from the CBS Early Show on 8 October 2009. Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak appeared with Harry Smith discussing the just published article in The New York Times discussing Michelle Obama’s Roots. This is the basis of what we will be hearing on Friday evening 6 November.
Enjoy.
See you on 5 and 6 November!!
An update on what Megan Smolenyak Smolyenak is doing in these weeks prior to coming to west Michigan to speak at our Annual Seminar in November.
She’s one of five world-class speakers that have been lined up for the 6th Annual Genealogy Conference and Cruise starting tomorrow, September 18th. This week-long conference hosted by Wholly Genes, Inc. (publishers of the computer programme - The Master Genealogist) has earned the reputation as the largest family history conference on the seas and is nearly always sold out. Someday I want to go!
Megan is presenting some lectures during the cruise that sound interesting: “Neglected History” and “Cold Cases: Genealogists, Coroners and the FBI”. For more information, you can read about the conference at the Wholly Genes website – www.whollygenes.com.
Good luck to Megan and we hope you rest well on your Caribbean cruise and don’t work too hard. We are looking forward to your visit in Michigan in November! www.gotancestors.com
And remember – it’s neither too soon nor too late to register to attend our Annual Seminar – click here or the link on the right “Click Here to Register“.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
Michelle Obama’s Roots Researcher Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak Comes to West Michigan
August 27, 2010 – Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Western Michigan Genealogical Society (WMGS) announces its GotAncestors?! Annual Seminar for 2010 entitled Are They Who You Think They Are? The seminar is Friday and Saturday, November 5th and 6th at the Prince Conference Center in Grand Rapids. Featured speaker is nationally known lecturer, author and researcher Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak in her first public appearance in Michigan. She presents Michelle Obama’s Roots on Friday evening. Megan will give four additional talks on Saturday including the discovery of the “real” Annie Moore, the first immigrant to come through Ellis Island.
The cost for the Michelle Obama’s Roots event on Friday is $15.00. Seminar Registration is $49.00 for Saturday only or $59.00 for the two-day program if registered by October 8th. Space is limited. Detailed information and online registration is available at www.gotancestors.com.
This is the third consecutive year the WMGS GotAncestors?! Seminar will be at the Prince Conference Center, 1800 East Beltline SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan on the campus of Calvin College. The facility is handicap accessible and smoke-free.
The online registration system for Got Ancestors?! Are They Who You Think They Are? is now up and running. Click here to register for this highly anticipated event.
A Seminar flyer and registration form can be downloaded from here (but please register online even if you’re going to mail a cheque as it makes things easier for us).
