Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (yes, that's her real name) is a genealogical adventurer who loves pushing the boundaries of conventional genealogy. She is creator of RootsTelevision.com and founder of UnclaimedPersons.org, a volunteer group that assists coroners and medical examiners. Her most recent book is Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History.
Friday 1:30 p.m. FR-002. Cases that Made My Brain Hurt. How could brothers also be uncle and nephew? How could the 1853 death of a toddler in Scotland help solve a Civil War history-mystery? Could there be any families with a pair of centenarians who knew each other and lived in four centuries between the two of them? Come and hear! [All]
Saturday 5:00 p.m. SA-065. Neglected History. It’s remarkable how much of our history has been ignored or distorted. With a little patience and healthy dose of curiosity, we can ferret out the truth! What happened to Philip Reed, the one-time slave who placed the Freedom statue on the top of the US Capitol? How did DNA testing help the Haley family of Roots fame find their European cousins? Who would be king of America today if George Washington had been king instead of president? Come find out. [All]
Saturday 7:00 p.m. SA-D. The Search for Michelle Obama’s Roots. Megan shares how and why she researched the First Lady’s ancestry and what she discovered along the way. The talk highlights Mrs. Obama’s multi-cultural, seriously Southern (11 states), and Great Migration heritage, including the story of Dolphus T. Shields and his mother, Melvina McGruder. Additional fee required. [All]
Sunday 8:30 a.m. SU-073. Cold Cases: Genealogists, Coroners and the FBI. With over a decade’s experience working forensics cases for the U.S. Army, Megan realized that “reverse genealogy” techniques could be used to help others looking for living people associated with past events or deceased individuals. She contacted several coroners’ offices to volunteer her services. Hear how her individual efforts snowballed into the creation of Unclaimed Persons, a virtual, worldwide group of genealogists who cracked 84 cases in their first year. Peek behind the scenes at a couple of her most challenging cases. [All]
