still accepting registrations!
Join Michael for four days at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri, in 2026.
5-8 October 2026
Midwest Genealogy Center
Research Trip with Michael John Neill
Library Orientation/Tour on 4 October -evening–time to be announced. Lecture summaries are at bottom of page.
| Date | Time | Event |
| TBA–a month before trip | 7:30-8:30 pm central via Zoom | Lecture on Genealogy Problem Solving (Recorded for those who cannot attend live.) |
| TBA–a month before trip | 7:30-8:30 pm central via Zoom | Lecture on Full-Text Searching at FamilySearch (Recorded for those who cannot attend live. Mid-Continent is a FamilySearch affiliate library) |
| Monday 5 October | 10:00 am in Library | Lecture Female Ancestors |
| 11:00 am in Library | Lecture AI as a Research Companion | |
| noon-8:00 pm | Research and consultations in library | |
| Tuesday 6 October | 10:00 am in Library | Lecture Citing Your Sources |
| 11:00 am in Library | Lecture Civil War Pension Records | |
| noon-8:00 pm | Research and consultations in library | |
| Wednesday 7 October | 10:00 am in Library | Lecture Guest Lecture by Juli A. Jones: Topic to Be Determined |
| Lecture What Is Not Written? | ||
| noon-8:00 pm | Research and consultations in library | |
| Thursday 8 October | 10-8:00 pm | Optional Consultations in library |
Registration is $180—includes:
- Pre-trip Zoom meetings—they will be recorded
- Email submission of problem (1 or 2) and review by Michael with suggestions.
- Consultations at library (at least 2—more if time allows)
- Presentations at library
Travel, meals, other trip-related expenses not covered. View the Library’s page about the collection’s rules and policies.
Refunds will be given (less $50 cancellation fee) prior to 1 September 2026. There is no cancellation fee if you can find someone to take your place and the registration can simply be switched.
Registration can be processed here.
From the library’s website:
The Midwest Genealogy Center houses over 250,000 books and tens of thousands of pieces of microform. This collection includes local, national, and international materials such as family histories, city directories, phone books, yearbooks, state and county records, maps, and more.
Additional information about the library:
- Getting Started at the Library
- Materials Collection–includes Missouri county materials on microfilm (not in catalog), a significant city directory collection,
- Memory Lab
- Search their catalog
Lecture Topics:
Genealogy Problem Solving
This presentation discusses the four-step problem-solving process and applies it to genealogical research. We talk about all the aspects of understanding the research problem, developing a research approach to solve that problem, conducting the research, and evaluating the results and moving forward.
Full-Text Searching at FamilySearch
This session discusses how to best utilize the full-text searching at FamilySearch. This includes a discussion of name variants, determining a research strategy, terms and words for which to search, tracking search process, evaluation of results, determing what has actually been located, and citation approaches.
Female Ancestors
This presentation looks at challenges in researching female ancestors in the United States focusing on women’s property and inheritance rights. Most difficulties in tracing women come from those issues as well as the fact that women typically changed their name at marriage. We will see strategies to work around those problems–when possible.
AI as a Research Compnion
This presentation looks at ways to use AI as a research assistant in terms of performing repetitive tasks, having research conversations, and generating research plans.
Introduction to US Probate Records
This presentation looks at an overview of US probate records, focusing on a general overview probate records in the US, general structure and organization of records, records access, and interpretation and usage.
Federal Land Records
This session will provide an overview of the varying ways federal land could be obtained–including land warrants, cash sales, homestead claims, and other types of claims. The general land acquisition process and the records created will be discussed. Search strategies (including tract books) and record analysis will also be discussed.
Citing Your Sources
This session will take a layman’s approach to source citation and provide an overview of the reasons sources are cited, determining what’s needed for a complete citation, and distinguishing between two sources that may seem to be the same but are in fact different. Citing helps us evaluate the accuracy of a document…we’ll emphasize that as well.
Civil War Pension Records
This presentation will discuss accessing and interpreting US Civil War pension records. As the bulk of Civil War pension records are Union records, we will focus on these materials but will include a discussion of accessing Confederate pension records and what those generally contain as well.
What Is Not Written?
Documents often contain clues besides what is explicitly stated in the document. We will discuss in this presentation how to get the most out of these unwritten clues.
