Carol Taylor

 

Carol Taylor is the former director of the Northeast Texas Genealogy Center located in Greenville, Texas. She is chairman of the Hunt County Historical Commission and has researched and written numerous historical markers applications for Hunt County.

Carol fuses a love of history and genealogy into her specialty: Merging Family History with Local History. In her presentations, she combines “How To” and interesting information about the times to help beginning and intermediate family historians know where and how to look for unique records for their research. Her primary topics include WWI, the Civil War (both war and Reconstruction records), and the Republic of Texas.  She feels that understanding the context of the times helps researchers have a better picture of who their ancestors were.

Carol began her family history at age twelve by interviewing relatives, some born in the 1890’s. For more than thirty years, genealogy has been her profession.  She has spoken to genealogy societies throughout North Texas and at the Angelina College Genealogy Conference in Lufkin where she is currently the Conference Coordinator.  Her special interest in preservation of historic cemeteries led to a program, “Nineteenth Century Cemetery Symbolism.”

Carol is co-author of The Devil’s Triangle: Ben Bickerstaff, Northeast Texas, and the War of Reconstruction. She recently wrote Greenville for the Images of America series published by Arcadia Publishing. She writes a weekly column for the Greenville Herald Banner, as well as a regular blog combining both local history and genealogy. Both cover a wide range of facts, stories and interesting tidbits about the Greenville and North Texas area. She is a member of APG, National Genealogical Society, Dallas Genealogical Society, and Hopkins County Genealogical Society.

Visit Carol’s website at www.carolctaylor.com and read her blog, “Tracing Old North Texas History,” at carolctaylor.wordpress.com.     


 

So You Want to Climb Your Family Tree?

 

Part One:  First Steps leads the beginning genealogists through where to start, what to expect, and such important matters as using charts, documentation and online resources.  This session covers basics vital to a successful adventure in family history. 

 

Part Two:  Spreading Out to places such as libraries, special collections, and courthouses.  Learn what you could find at each site, as well as what you won’t find.  Pick up the language genealogist use for records and documents.

 

Part Three:  Reach Even Farther Out by discovering what can be found at a Family History Center, in Salt Lake City, the Clayton Library in Houston, and the numerous Family History Fairs and Conferences held throughout the year.

 

Part Four:  Now Down to the Roots of Your Tree by visiting cemeteries, researching obituaries, finding death records and interpreting death paraphernalia.