AGS Fall Conference 2026

Saturday, October 17, 2026, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our Fall Conference will be held as a Zoom Webinar. You can attend from the comfort of home or share the experience with other like-minded genealogy enthusiasts by attending a Watch Party in your area (see below).

Registration opens July 27, 2026

Can’t attend live? No problem! All registrants will receive a link to access the video for 30 days.

Morning Speaker — Mark Lowe

J. Mark Lowe,  FUGA, has been researching families for more than 55 years. He grew up in Tennessee with extensive family roots in Kentucky. He has traveled extensively in both states and enjoys sharing his love of genealogy and the joy of research with others, including some historic reenacting.

As a researcher and lecturer, Lowe enjoys working with Genealogical groups and professional organizations. He was a former President of the Association of Professional Genealogists, former Vice President and Secretary of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, 

 In the process of teaching others, Mark builds his own skills and insight for research. His experience as a Classroom Teacher, Principal and Professional Researcher provides a different perspective for each research problem.  Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee, which lies in Northern Middle Tennessee along the Kentucky border. With family history in both states, a knowledge of the interaction of citizens along borders helps Mark resolve difficult issues using often overlooked records. As a national and regional speaker, he has brought these areas of expertise, along with his unique humor and southern style, to many diverse audiences.  He is the Coordinator for the IGHR (GGS- Athens GA)  Research in the South track, SLIG (UGA) Southern Research (mid-South, Gulf-South) and was awarded the Grahame T. Smallwood Jr. Award by APG in 2007, and a Lifetime Membership Award in 2019.. 

Mark has published articles and reviews in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ), SPEAK! (Genealogical Speakers Guild newsletter), The National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), The North Carolina Genealogical Society Quarterly, The Longhunter (Southern Ky. Genealogical Society), The Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society Quarterly, and other local society publications. His own publications include Robertson County Tennessee Marriage Book 2, 1859- 1873, and Pioneer Cemetery (Bowling Green, Ky.) He currently hosts a YouTube Channel.

Afternoon Speaker — Dr. Deborah Abbott

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD, a professional genealogist specializing in genealogical methodology, manuscript collections, and African American family research, is a member of the Cuyahoga County (OH) Archives Commission, the Lakeview Cemetery Community Outreach Committee (Cleveland, OH), 1st vice president of the African American Genealogical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, and a retired professor of Counseling from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Dr. Abbott coordinates the African American track at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR); teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR); and has articles published in the Ohio Genealogy News and FamilyTree magazines. She teaches African American genealogy in a segment entitled “Needles & Threads” on Ancestry Academy, a video course for Ancestry.com, and coordinates the “Genealogy and Family History Clinic” for the Cleveland Public Library.

Schedule

Saturday, October 17, 2026
8:30 am — Welcome screen and countdown timer
9:00 am — Opening Remarks
9:15 am — Session 1: Locating “hard to find” Family with New Tools and Old Tested Methods
10:15 am — break
10:30 am — Session 2: Famer, Rancher, or Sharecropper: Shaping a Profile for your Rural Ancestor
11:30 am — Lunch
12:30 pm — Session 3: Cluster Genealogy: Finding Your Lost Ancestor
1:30 pm — break
1:45 pm — Session 4: Using Manuscripts and Oral Collections in Your Genealogical Research
2:45 pm — break, instructions for Annual Meeting
3:00 pm — AGS Annual Meeting (for AGS members)

Topic Descriptions

Session 1: Locating “hard to find” Family with New Tools and Old Tested Methods — How exciting it is to find anything about those invisible, elusive characters who seem to hide intentionally. Practice your skills with some new tools like “FS Free Text Search,” Cross DB Searching, and old standards like Focused Reviews and Basic Searching. Hopefully, by implementing the tools, you can discover new records for your research.

Session 2: Famer, Rancher, or Sharecropper: Shaping a Profile for your Rural Ancestor — Shaping a profile for your Rural Ancestor Farming is a proud and honorable occupation. Develop a rich profile of your farming ancestor and community using available resources.

Session 3: Cluster Genealogy: Finding Your Lost Ancestor — Finding Your Lost Ancestor Using several case studies, this session will introduce the importance of researching ancestors by using extended family members, friends, and community. Learn how to develop techniques and strategies that will help increase the chances of locating that long-lost ancestor.

Session 4: Using Manuscripts and Oral Collections in Your Genealogical Research — Manuscripts are original records and are often overlooked sources. They serve as primary sources that provide first-hand documentation and evidence of events that shape the development of a society, community, and/or family. Because they are usually not completely indexed in the manner that we are accustomed to, it takes time and patience to sift through the various pieces of paper that you might find. Manuscripts can be found in a variety of repositories, from archives, public/private libraries, historical societies, and universities, etc. Knowing exactly where and what will be found in manuscript collections can be tricky, but when found, these records can create a gold mine of information pertaining to your ancestor(s) life.

Watch Parties

You may prefer to watch the conference in the company of other genealogy enthusiasts. Your registration and $25.00 fee allow you to attend from the comfort of your own home or at a Watch Party in the company of others. Here is the list of Watch Parties open to the public. Check back frequently as we add more Watch Parties.

Would your organization like to sponsor a Watch Party? It is a great opportunity to socialize while enjoying the conference. All you need is a computer to run the Zoom session, a big screen for everyone to watch, speakers or a PA sound system, and a microphone to enable the audience to ask questions. A camera is encouraged, but not required. For more information or to register your party, click here.

Sponsors and Memorials

Sponsors — Support the conference by becoming a sponsor! As a sponsor, you or your company will be recognized on the AGS website, during the conference, and in the handouts. Following the conference, sponsors will also be listed in the Arkansas Family Historian, a quarterly publication distributed to numerous libraries and available on their shelves indefinitely. See this page to become a sponsor.

Memorials — Honor the memory of a loved one by making a contribution to the conference. Memorials will be displayed alongside the sponsors and in the same locations. See this page to create a memorial.