[Genealogy] What Has Passed Down, Copyrighting a Maiden Name, Trips and Webinars
Michael John Neill
mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Sun Sep 13 10:49:38 CDT 2026
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Genealogy Update 13 Sept 2026
** What Has Passed Down
** FamilySearch Library Trip 2027
** Copyrighting a Maiden Name?
** Recorded Webinars
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What Has Passed Down
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It can be easy to lament the lack of family history items such as
photographs, bibles, letters, etc. that some families seem to have and
other do not. I understand the frustration of those who have no such items
in their family.
I also understand how it sometimes comes to be that these items do not get
passed down from one generation to the next. Some families never really
have these items in the first place for one reason or another. Other times
they are passed down in the family and for one reason or another either
leave the family, are unidentifiable, or are destroyed.
Having been involved in several post-death house or apartment cleanings it
is easy to see how this can sometimes happen. Sometimes these cleanings are
done under an extremely tight time frame and items are unceremoniously
thrown away. Sometimes these cleanings are highly emotional events where
remembering is painful and it’s easier to toss than to methodically go
through items one at a time. Sometimes these cleanings are done by someone
who is not a member of the family and is simply working to “prepare the
location for the next owner or tenant.”
Consequently, items can be thrown away, donated, incorrectly identified,
have their provenance lost, etc. It happens and, even if it has never
happened to you personally, it certainly is easier to see how it *could *happen
when you have been involved in it yourself.
So if you do have items passed down from long-dead family members–consider
yourself lucky. That item has survived and navigated its way to you over
time and place. If you have such items, work on ways to preserve them for
others.
Special Announcement
Join Michael at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah–the
nation’s largest genealogical library.
Our trip dates are 12 May through 19 May 2027.
Dates of our trip are:
- *12 May*–arrive in Salt Lake City. Orientation and meet and greet at
6:30 p.m. in Salt Lake City Crystal Inn and Suites. Library closes at 8 pm.
- *13 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
to be determined–an hour long). Shuttle to Library afterwards. Library
closes at 8 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours.
- *14 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
to be determined–an hour long). Shuttle to Library afterwards. Library
closes at 6 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours.
- *15 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
to be determined–an hour long). Shuttle to Library afterwards. Library
closes at 6 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours.
- *16 May*. Library is closed on Sunday. Consultations with Michael (as
needed) on Sunday afternoon in hotel.
- *17 May *Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am(topic to
be determined–an hour long). Shuttle to Library afterwards. Library closes
at 6 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours.
- *18 May.* Morning presentation in hotel 8:00 am until 8:50 am (topic
to be determined–an hour long). Shuttle to Library afterwards. Library
closes at 8 p.m. Consultations with Michael in library during open hours..
- *19 May.* No morning presentation. Shuttle to library to arrive at
library by 9. Consultations with Michael in Library until 12 noon. Library
closes at 8 p.m.
Presentations are 40 minutes will include–specific days and times will be
announced later:
- *Full-Text Searching at FamilySearch*—*done before trip*.
- *Fee-based databases and subscription services at the FamilySearch
Library*—*done before trip*.
Trip includes:
- assistance with pre-trip planning via a group email list–*place to ask
questions, get help before we leave, etc. *
- pre-trip planning session via Zoom–date to be determined.
- on-site consultations with Michael–*multiple ones if necessary–I’m
usually available for onsite consultations at least six/seven hours every
day the library is open*
- morning presentations–*topics decided based on participant interest*
- Travel, meals, lodging, research expenses, etc. are not covered
Other details:
Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, meals, etc.
This is not a “part of the herd” trip where everyone does everything
together every day. We have a short presentation every morning when the
library opens at 9 (and occasionally some people choose not to attend one
or so of these if there’s a “burning research” issue they just can’t wait
to get at). Participants can have multiple research consultations during
the trip–our limitation is trying to make certain that everyone gets ample
opportunity to ask questions. Our trip atmosphere is laid back.
There will be two online meetings to discuss trip preparation. Day and time
of these to be determined. They will be recorded. Participants are
encouraged to communicate with Michael about their problem as soon as
practical.
Our group is kept small (no more than 25) to ensure everyone gets the
assistance they want and need. We don’t have a full day of “scheduled group
social activities” because I simply am not a big fan of them (other than
optional group meals–not included in registration). People with a variety
of research skill levels join us on our trip–some because they want some
guidance their first time at the library, some want some help with their
research, and others want the structure of being part of a group. We are
flexible.
Participants are encouraged to communicate their problems with me as much
before the trip as possible. Pre-planning helps.
Lodging:
We have a group rate at the Crystal Inn and Suites in Salt Lake with
pre-tax rates of $139.
Registration:
Total registration is $375. No cancellation fee for cancellations before 15
February 2027. Cancellations between 15 February 2027 and 1 March are
subject to a $75 cancellation fee. No cancellation fee if someone else
takes your place.
- complete fee of $375 <https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/N7NZ68VHTDZHE>
- save your place with a $125 deposit
<https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/SSLXVMDDF66ZW>
--------------------
Copyrighting a Maiden Name
--------------------
Discovering Katharine Wickiser’s maiden name was Blain was a great find for
me. Once you’ve been researching for a while new names are not located as
frequently as they were in the early days of research.
Now…do I expect everyone to credit me with finding this? No. Would it be
nice, yes. However, I realize that this information will appear in GEDCOM
files and other online sites in the near future and I won’t be credited
with locating the information.
Can I copyright the maiden name of Katharine Wickiser? Especially if I
discovered it? The answer is no.
Katharine’s maiden name is a fact. Even if it took me twenty years and
twenty thousand dollars to find it (which it did not), the name still
remains a fact. Facts are not copyrightable. Otherwise, I’d simply
copyright 2+2 = 4 and charge banks for each time they used that fact when
computing balances.
If I write a paragraph on her maiden name that paragraph is copyrightable.
If I write a blog entry on how I cannot copyright her maiden name, that
blog entry is copyrightable. But the name itself: no.
And the word is copyright. Not copywrite. If you write your copy right, you
can copyright that copy. But even if you copy the fact right, you cannot
copyright the fact. Even if you copy something wrong, you can copyright
that. Why you would want to copyright something that was not copied right
is beyond me, but who knows?
--------------------
Webinars
--------------------
Ready-to-Go Webinars from Michael–download immediate:
-
Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Events
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/>
-
Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/>
-
DeedMapper webinars
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/>
-
FamilySearch Catalog
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/02/19/using-the-familysearch-catalog-webinar/>
-
Farming Ancestor webinars–landowner and non-landowner versions
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/>
-
Full-Text Search at FamilySearch
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/05/updated-familysearch-full-text-search-webinar/>
-
Full-Text Search at FamilySearch with Common Names
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/>
-
How Errors Get in Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/how-errors-get-in-records-webinar/>
-
Illinois Genealogy Research
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/03/10/genealogy-research-in-illinois-webinar/>
-
Unburying Funeral Home Records
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/unburying-funeral-home-records/>
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17
Henderson, IL 61439
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