Georgia Genealogical Society
Quarterly Educational Series
Saturday, March 21, 2026
11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
Researching the Kinfolks in the South: An Exploration of Methodology
Join us on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm (Eastern Time) virtually via Zoom for the First Education Workshop of 2026 sponsored by the Georgia Genealogical Society (GGS). This fully virtual workshop will feature professional genealogist and educator, J. Mark Lowe as the keynote speaker. Mr. Lowe describes himself as “born to be curious..” Specializing in original records and manuscripts throughout the South, Mr. Lowe will walk us through the methodology to locate our kinfolks in the South.
Virtual Event
Schedule for the day (All times are Eastern Time)
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Registration
12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Welcome & Introductions
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Research in the South and Everywhere Else: Review, Prepare and Plan
Major concepts to consider with your family research project include migration, settlement patterns, religion, land, and geography. Learn how to find available resources and develop a strategy to find ancestors.
1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Break
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Farmers, Plantations, and the Neighborhood: Shaping a profile for Rural Ancestors
Farming is a proud and honorable occupation. With the excellent series of available records we will develop a rich profile of your farming ancestor and their community.
2:30 p.m. –3:45 p.m. – Lunch
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Finding Your Landless Ancestors, Renters or Sharecroppers
Since land is the key in many ancestral discoveries, tracking those individuals who did not own land often becomes a daunting task. Learn to use Trust Deed Chattels and Tax Release Books to help locate those individuals without deeds and estates (including African Americans.)
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Break
5:00 p.m. – 6: 00 p.m. – Why Collect & Document Stories of Distant or Non-Family Members ?
Genealogists and historians often reflect on the stories of individuals who lived long ago and far away. When we document those stories, we provide evidentiary footing for every storyteller that follows our pathway or looks into our files. Our Research Makes a Difference.
Georgia Genealogical Society
Virtual Event via Zoom.
J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
J. Mark Lowe describes himself as “born to be curious.” He is a professional genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark enjoys opportunities to share what he has learned over the years through YouTube, Webinars, and Institutes. He served as the Course Coordinator for ‘Research in the South’ at IGHR (Georgia), SLIG (Utah), and TIGR (Texas), does Webinars for Legacy Family Tree Webinars and has worked on several genealogical television series including Follow Your Past, African American Lives 2, Who Do You Think You Are? and UnXplained Events, and podcasts, including Twice Removed and Blast From My Past. Mark has published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ), National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), FGS’ FORUM. The Longhunter (So. Ky. Genealogical Society), Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society Quarterly, North Carolina Genealogical Quarterly, and other society publications. He is a Past President of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), and Past President of the Southern Kentucky Genealogical Society Mark is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society and was awarded the Graham T. Smallwood award and Lifetime Membership award by the Association of Professional Genealogists.