2025-07-09

Journalists and newsletter editors, please post this where you can. If you need more information, please see our website -- https://uvtagg.org and Press Release Blog https://blog.uvtagg.org/. If you have questions, please contact me. Thanks.

Gerhard Ruf - uvtagginfo@gmail.com

[Short Version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 12 Jul 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

10 am - 11 am MDT:   KATHRYN GRANT on DEMYSTIFYING AI IN FAMILY HISTORY

Details on UVTAGG.org and on the UVTAGG blog.

====================================.

[Long version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 14 Jun 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

Details and links to watch are on https://uvtagg.org and on the UVTAGG Facebook page.

10 am - 11 am MDT:  KATHRYN GRANT on DEMYSTIFYING AI IN FAMILY HISTORY

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:

Kathryn Grant shares ways to use AI tools in family history, along with common-sense precautions to take.

ABOUT KATHRYNN GRANT:

After years on the sidelines, Kathryn began doing family history. Somewhat to her surprise, she discovered that she loved it! Her specialty is helping new family historians find success and maybe even avoid some of the mistakes she's made. Kathryn teaches Sunday classes at the BYU Family History Library and presents at other family history events. Her column on family history ran in the Nauvoo Times for about a year and is still available online. In addition, she's a regular contributor to the FamilySearch blog. Kathryn works as a technical writer and instructional designer with a focus on usability and process improvement. Her current work assignment includes developing training used on mobile devices. Besides family history, she loves uplifting music, thought-provoking books, and fresh raspberries.

All meetings of the UVTAGG group are open to the public and have the goal of helping people use technology to further their family and personal history. The Group is in its 35th year and was first called the Utah Valley PAF Users Group. On the blog is a way for anyone to receive the press releases via email. Members of the group ($15/year), besides being able to interact with presenters on ZOOM, receive the monthly email newsletter, TAGGology, and have access to the more than 650 videos of past presentations and classes. TAGGology contains a wealth of information about genealogy, including information for Temple and Family History Consultants. Request a free sample copy of the Newsletter by emailing to uvtagginfo@gmail.com.

Officers of UVTAGG are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; 2nd VP (Vacant); Beccy Martin, Secretary; Jerry Castillo, Membership Officer, TAGGology Newsletter Editor (Vacant); Rayanne Melick, Treasurer; Librarian (Vacant); Carol Hill, Social Media Publicist; Chris Stevenson, Brent Nelson, Jerry Castillo, and Dawn Brimhall, Broadcast and Website Specialists. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at uvtagginfo@gmail.com (801-602-5048), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at gengal@comcast.net.

Gerhard Ruf, President

2025-06-03

Journalists and newsletter editors, please post this where you can. If you need more information, please see our website -- https://uvtagg.org and Press Release Blog https://blog.uvtagg.org/. If you have questions, please contact me. Thanks.

Gerhard Ruf - uvtagginfo@gmail.com

[Short Version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 14 Jun 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

10 am - 11 am MDT:  LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO on LOST TOWNS & CITIES: HOW TO RESEARCH PLACES THAT MAY NO LONGER EXIST

Details on UVTAGG.org and on the UVTAGG blog.

====================================.

[Long version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 14 Jun 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

Details and links to watch are on https://uvtagg.org and on the UVTAGG Facebook page.

10 am - 11 am MDT:  LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO on LOST TOWNS & CITIES: HOW TO RESEARCH PLACES THAT MAY NO LONGER EXIST

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:

Locating the towns inhabited by our ancestors can be difficult. Many of them have not survived. Some have had several names over the course of time and may be hiding in plain sight. The presentation will cover best practices for locating and Identifying ancestral towns, in general. There will also be discussion of "lost towns," why they no longer exist and where to find their records.

ABOUT LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO:

Laurie Werner Castillo was born in Santa Monica and raised in West Los Angeles with beagles and land tortoises for pets and playmates. She played on the girls basketball team for two years in high school and also loved participating in tennis, volleyball and basketball. She misses the palm trees in her front yard and the smell of the ocean every day. After a really great educational experience in Los Angeles, she attended BYU, earning an AA in Communications and Fine Arts and a BS in Consumer Economics. She met Jerry Castillo, from San Antonio, Texas, in Utah and they have 2 children and 7 grandchildren. Laurie is currently first vice president of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group; She is former Vice President, Executive Secretary and Board Member, of the Utah Genealogical Association; She has been a BYU FH Library consultant, tour guide and teacher for 32+ years; She has been a professional researcher and writer 34+ years; She has presented at many conferences including: RootsTech 2016-2020, BYU FH Conference 2014-2019, and BYU Education Week 2016-2017, We Are Cousins Conferences 2-7 (2021-2024); She is a former Red Cross Instructor, Girl Scout Troop Leader, Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor and Chihuahua breeder. Her research specialties include: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and Hispanic Research; And New England, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain States and Pacific Frontier regions of the US. Her interests include: history, mystery, geography and genetics. Add those up and you have family history.

All meetings of the UVTAGG group are open to the public and have the goal of helping people use technology to further their family and personal history. The Group is in its 35th year and previously was called the Utah Valley PAF Users Group. On the blog is a way for anyone to receive the press releases via email. Members of the group ($15/year), besides being able to interact with presenters on ZOOM, receive the monthly email newsletter, TAGGology, and have access to the more than 650 videos of past presentations and classes. TAGGology contains a wealth of information about genealogy, including information for Temple and Family History Consultants. Request a free sample copy of the Newsletter by emailing to uvtagginfo@gmail.com.

Officers of UVTAGG are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; 2nd VP (Vacant); Beccy Martin, Secretary; Jerry Castillo, Membership Officer, TAGGology Newsletter Editor (Vacant); Rayanne Melick, Treasurer; Librarian (Vacant); Carol Hill, Social Media Publicist; James Anderson, FamilySearch Coordinator; Chris Stevenson, Brent Nelson, Jerry Castillo, and Dawn Brimhall, Broadcast and Website Specialists. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at uvtagginfo@gmail.com (801-602-5048), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at gengal@comcast.net.

Gerhard Ruf, President

2025-04-8

Journalists and newsletter editors, please post this where you can. If you need more information, please see our website -- https://uvtagg.org and Press Release Blog https://blog.uvtagg.org/. If you have questions, please contact me. Thanks.
Gerhard

Gerhard Ruf - uvtagginfo@gmail.com

[Short Version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 12 Apr 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

10 am - 11 am MDT:  LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO on LOST TOWNS & CITIES: HOW TO RESEARCH PLACES THAT MAY NO LONGER EXIST

There will be no second class.

Details on UVTAGG.org and on the UVTAGG blog.

====================================.

[Long version]======================.

UVTAGG MEETING, Saturday Morning, 12 Apr 2025 on Zoom and Facebook

Details and links to watch are on https://uvtagg.org and on the UVTAGG Facebook page.

10 am - 11 am MDT:  LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO on LOST TOWNS & CITIES: HOW TO RESEARCH PLACES THAT MAY NO LONGER EXIST

There will be no second class.

Locating the towns inhabited by our ancestors can be difficult. Many of them have not survived. Some have had several names over the course of time and may be hiding in plain sight. The presentation will cover best practices for locating and Identifying ancestral towns, in general. There will also be discussion of "lost towns," why they no longer exist and where to find their records.

ABOUT LAURIE WERNER CASTILLO:

Laurie Werner Castillo was born in Santa Monica and raised in West Los Angeles with beagles and land tortoises for pets and playmates. She played on the girls basketball team for two years in high school and also loved participating in tennis, volleyball and basketball. She misses the palm trees in her front yard and the smell of the ocean every day. After a really great educational experience in Los Angeles, she attended BYU, earning an AA in Communications and Fine Arts and a BS in Consumer Economics. She met Jerry Castillo, from San Antonio, Texas, in Utah and they have 2 children and 7 grandchildren. Laurie is currently first vice president of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group; She is former Vice President, Executive Secretary and Board Member, of the Utah Genealogical Association; She has been a BYU FH Library consultant, tour guide and teacher for 32+ years; She has been a professional researcher and writer 34+ years; She has presented at many conferences including: RootsTech 2016-2020, BYU FH Conference 2014-2019, and BYU Education Week 2016-2017, We Are Cousins Conferences 2-7 (2021-2024); She is a former Red Cross Instructor, Girl Scout Troop Leader, Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor and Chihuahua breeder. Her research specialties include: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and Hispanic Research; And New England, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain States and Pacific Frontier regions of the US. Her interests include: history, mystery, geography and genetics. Add those up and you have family history

All meetings of the UVTAGG group are open to the public and have the goal of helping people use technology to further their family and personal history. The Group is in its 35th year and previously was called the Utah Valley PAF Users Group. On the blog is a way for anyone to receive the press releases via email. Members of the group ($15/year), besides being able to interact with presenters on ZOOM, receive the monthly email newsletter, TAGGology, and have access to the more than 650 videos of past presentations and classes. TAGGology contains a wealth of information about genealogy, including information for Temple and Family History Consultants. Free sample copies of the Newsletter can be requested by emailing uvtagginfo@gmail.com.

Officers of UVTAGG are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; 2nd VP (Vacant); Beccy Martin, Secretary; Jerry Castillo, Membership Officer, TAGGology Newsletter Editor (Vacant); Rayanne Melick, Treasurer; Librarian (Vacant); Carol Hill, Social Media Publicist; James Anderson, FamilySearch Coordinator; Chris Stevenson, Brent Nelson, Jerry Castillo, and Dawn Brimhall, Broadcast and Website Specialists. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at uvtagginfo@gmail.com (801-602-5048), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at gengal@comcast.net.

Gerhard Ruf, President