Katy Bodenhorn Genealogy Research

11/26/2025

I learned in the last year that a lot of people don't know genealogy conferences are open to the public! In fact, they're designed for YOU! So here's your invitation:

Join me in greater Cincinnati next spring at the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference from April 29 through May 2! I'll be giving THREE talks! If you have Midwestern roots, this is not to be missed.

Exciting News!! Registration for the 2026 OGS Conference "Finding Genealogy Gems" officially opens this Friday (Nov 28th) at 10:00 AM Eastern time! Who will be the first person to register?

Quick summary:
Dates: April 29 to May 2, 2026
Location: Sharonville Convention Center, Sharonville, OH (just north of Cincinnati)
Keynote Speaker: Sandra Rumble

You can find more details and get registered to join us at https://www.ogs.org/2026-conference/.

We hope to see you there

11/24/2025

I'm excited to share that Legacy Webinars is having their massive Black Friday sale! You can get a full year of unlimited access to my webinars—plus over 2,500 other genealogy classes—for 50% off. That's just $24.98 for the entire year.

The sale ends Sunday, Nov 30th. Check it out at familytreewebinars.com and use the 'holiday2025' coupon code to get the deal:

Your annual membership will include: Unlimited, on-demand access to all webinars New webinars every week Access to chat logs and speakers’ handouts Advanced navigation of videos with playlists and chapters Exclusive section for all webinars you’ve registered for Option to bookmark your favorites...

11/23/2025

If you're in the Berks County, PA area and would like to say hi, I'll be vending at the Reading Liederkranz's Christkindlmarkt December 5, 6, and 7, helping James M. Beidler sell his new book (the second edition of his Family Tree Historical Atlas of Germany)! Two genealogists in one festive spot!

🎄✨ The Reading Liederkranz Christkindlmarkt is almost here! ✨🎄
If you’re looking to dive into some true German Christmas spirit right here in Berks County, this is one event you don’t want to miss!

Enjoy authentic German holiday food and drinks, plus 50+ vendors offering handmade crafts, baked goods, candies, gifts, and Pennsylvania-made wines and spirits. It’s the perfect way to kick off the Christmas season with friends and family! 🎁🍪🍷

📅 Event Hours:
• Friday, 12/5 — 3 PM to 9 PM
• Saturday, 12/6 — 12 PM to 9 PM
• Sunday, 12/7 — 12 PM to 5 PM

🎟 Admission:
• Ages 21–65: $5
• Free for all other ages + Military with ID

📍 Location:
Reading Liederkranz
143 Spook Lane, Reading, PA 19606

Bundle up, bring the family, and enjoy one of Reading’s most charming holiday traditions! ❄️🕯️🎶

11/18/2025

This is exciting news. They're still keeping it mum for now on which Pennsylvania and New Jersey titles will be included specifically, but hoping that'll be featured in one of their upcoming content updates sooner rather than later.

Gannett partners with Newspapers.com to digitize some of our readers' most requested titles. Learn more on our blog!

11/15/2025

A very educational weekend here at Kutztown University for the Pennsylvania German Futures conference!

11/14/2025

I watched the corn being harvested from my front porch this afternoon here in Pennsylvania. I can only imagine how much my ancestors would have loved a John Deere!

11/05/2025

New blog post is up! How can setting expectations about what's possible help us plan and enjoy genealogy research?

One of the skills genealogists must build is being able to differentiate between things that are provable, probable, possible, and unknowable. In a lot of cases, dissatisfaction and frustration with genealogy comes from having unrealistic expectations and spending tons of time and money chasing some...

11/04/2025

For (at least) the month of November, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from all new purchases to my food bank here in Pennsylvania.

It's a win-win: you get custom genealogy research and local families get help putting food on the table in these challenging times.

I know what it's like to come from a family--and a lineage, honestly--where there wasn't always enough. Let's be good neighbors and good ancestors ourselves.

11/01/2025

The clerks of yore were not exactly writing things down for the benefit of twenty-first-century genealogists. They had their own administrative reasons for the documents they created and the facts they chose to include (or not), and that can be a real pain in the neck. Sometimes, though, we do luck out when they chose to go the extra mile with including extraneous info.

An example from my research this week: a 1915 marriage record obtained from the Provincial Archives of Alberta (Canada). The form asked for the parents of the bride and groom, but only the groom's mother's maiden surname had been written. In this case, the clerk left a helpful explanation for the omission at the bottom of the page that gives us yet another clue about the groom's family circumstances. (Also...how sad is it that the guy lost his mom so young AND apparently no one ever spoke her given name in his presence again??)

10/31/2025

From one genealogist's closet skeletons to yours, happy Halloween! Got creepy or weird ancestors? Today's the day: share 'em in the comments. I will also accept pictures of your cute pets in their costumes!!

And if you don't know who your family's closet skeletons are, I can find them for you. :) https://kbgenealogy.com . Today is the LAST DAY of the fall sale! Any purchase of 10+ hours of research gets you 15% off. 🎃🎃🎃

10/27/2025

The updated Pennsylvania research guide I co-wrote with Jim Beidler is out in the latest issue of Family Tree Magazine! We literally could not fit all of the wonderful resources within the word count. Pennsylvania is such a rich state for history and heritage. Let me help you learn about your PA roots!
___

Final week of the KBGR fall sale is on! Now through 10/31, all projects of 10 hours or more are 15% off! Visit https://kbgenealogy.com to learn more.

10/27/2025

We are down to the final week of the fall sale! All commissioned research projects of 10 hours or more are 15% off (the graphic is wrong! It's definitely 15%)! Visit https://kbgenealogy.com to learn more and submit a query.

Must book by 10/31. Let me dig into the leaves from your family tree!