Monthly Archives: May 2017

ICAPGen member spotlights

Introducing Debbie Gurtler, AG®, accredited for research in Spain and U.S. Mid-South

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Debbie GurtlerDebbie graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s degree in Family History. She worked as an intern at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. She has also made research trips to Spain, Virginia, and North Carolina.

She is employed by FamilySearch where she is currently the supervisor of the Missionary Training team at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She is fluent in Spanish. She can also read genealogical documents in Portuguese, Italian, and French.

Debbie serves as a commissioner on the board for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists and her assignment is webmaster for the ICAPGen℠ website.

Debbie holds two AG® credentials. One is for the United States Mid-South region. She has done extensive research in North Carolina and Virginia. The other is for Spain where she has done research in various parts of the country.

We asked Debbie to share a little bit about her role as ICAPGen webmaster, and also about her areas of accreditation:

What is your role in ICAPGen, and how long have you been serving?

I am the webmaster and a commissioner.  I think I’ve been serving since 2012.

What are some of the responsibilities, opportunities, or challenges in your role?

Maintaining the website and keeping the information current.  Thankfully, I have some great helpers.

What motivated you to pursue accreditation?

I work at the Family History Library and it is required for my job.  I also appreciate that an accreditation acknowledges that I have studied and know what I’m doing.

What are some challenging or unique aspects to researching in your area of accreditation?

One of my accreditations is in the U.S. Mid-South region.  The challenges there are burned counties and changing jurisdictions, speaking specifically of South Carolina. I love reading land records which are vital to early research in this area. My other accreditation is in Spain and the challenges there involve record access. Many of the records for Spain are only accessible in Spain. I love to travel though. 🙂

What advice do you have for those pursuing accreditation?

It seems daunting but if you persevere you’ll make it. Just keep working and studying. Find a mentor to offer you advice and support.

What are some of your goals as a genealogist?

I’d like to create a website for researchers. I’d also like to write a book.

What research projects are you involved with now, or have planned for the future?

I have a couple of client projects I’m working on now. One of which is part of a book to be published for a family.

Debbie has given great service to ICAPGen as webmaster.  We appreciate all her hard work, and the excellent website that serves our organization so well.

Education, Family History, Genealogy, State resources, Websites

Mountain State Resources: Montana

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by Claire V. Brisson-Banks

This is the upper end of St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park in Montana, we have Ken Thomas for providing such a beautiful picture of this area. It looks so peaceful and inviting.

Historically, Montana was home to various indigenous peoples for thousands of years throughout the area. A map showing each of these tribes, their locations and locations to the their reservations is available on the American Indians in Montana website. This would be very helpful if any of your ancestry is from one of these tribes.

Montana territory was part of other states and territories as well as being disputed by the British. Carefully map out who owned what part of Montana and the matching dates to know where records may be located. We have Montana as part of the Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, United States and Washington Territory.

Between the homestead act, the desert land act, gold, railroads, farming and the wild life Montana had a lot to offer but still didn’t become a state until 1889 and became the 41st state in the union.

Land records from the US Bureau of Land Management can provide some great information on those who settled in this area through the land patents and tract books and counties have recorders who kept their records too.

According to the FamilySearch Research Wiki, 1878 is the earliest date for birth records and many vital records are available online on various websites.

Military records are a good source of information for those researching Montana. From wars with the Indians, like Custer’s last stand and many others, to all the wars throughout the years, there are enlistment records, casualty lists, pensions and  memorials for those who died in the war. Besides the Family Search Research Wiki one can also check out the New Horizons Genealogy and the National Archives.

There are many more records available to help you as you search for your Montana ancestors. Checking out the Montana Research Tips and Strategies to provide you with a lot of guidance as you continue your research in this beautiful state.

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