When this week’s theme of “Musical” appeared on my screen, I drew a blank. Where were the musicians in my family tree? The band members? The piano players? Then it struck me—this entire year has been a symphony of genealogical discovery, with distinct movements, crescendos, and harmonies that came together in unexpected ways. What I didn’t realize at first was that this post would become my genealogy year in review—a reflection on how 2025 unfolded as a symphony of learning, discovery, and growth. So instead of writing about ancestors who made music, I’m celebrating the rhythm and melody of my 2025 genealogy journey.
The Opening Movement: From Pajamas to Conference Halls
The year began with a familiar refrain—RootsTech 2025, my fifth year attending virtually. In 2025, I’ve completed many classes through RootsTech, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and various regional genealogical society conferences, absorbing wisdom from genealogy legends while working from my home office.
In April, I returned to the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky—I’ve been attending OGS in person since 2023. This year’s workshops with Dr. Leah Larkin (aka “The DNA Geek”) on DNA analysis and Drew Smith on AI tools were particularly enlightening.
But May brought a new milestone: my first National Genealogical Society Conference in Louisville, Kentucky—my first major in-person NGS experience. Walking through those exhibit halls, I felt like a fan at a rock concert. There was Amy Johnson Crow, creator of the #52Ancestors challenge that’s guided my weekly writing! Jen Shaffer, The Formidable Genealogist! I spotted master genealogist Tom Jones but couldn’t work up the courage to introduce myself. And Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist herself, was right there!
It was exactly like that scene from Wayne’s World when they meet Alice Cooper: “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” But I was there, learning from the best, attending methodology sessions that challenged me to assess my skills. Based on Jill Morelli’s framework, I can now confidently call myself a “lower Level 2” genealogist—not bad for someone who started this journey with a simple curiosity about Swedish roots.
The Second Movement: Research Discoveries in Four-Part Harmony
My 2025 research sang in four distinct voices, each family line contributing its own melody to the year’s composition:
Twins!
The Slovak and Irish Twin Stories (See “Four Sets of Twins: Two Families, Remarkable Stories, and Missing Records“) brought tales of multiple births across two families. In Pennsylvania, I confirmed two sets of twins: Eva and Adam Marcisak (1911), and Paul and Pauline Marcisak (1922). Pauline’s death at just two days old from complications of premature birth became documented tragedy. A possible third set remains unconfirmed, lost somewhere in the 1913–1920 gap where records were spotty. On my Irish line, Bernard and James Plunkett arrived in Brooklyn in 1851—another set of twins whose story required piecing together scattered New York records.
My Irish Ancestors
The Irish Brooklyn Chorus provided breakthrough harmonies. Finding Letitia Plunkett (see “Finding the Lost Daughter: The Search for Letitia Plunkett“), who seemed to vanish after 1910, required following melodic lines through her siblings’ obituaries. “Mrs. Lotty Drady” appeared in one brother’s 1915 obituary, “Mrs. Lottie Stenders” in another’s from 1927. Those small mentions unlocked fifty years of her life across three surnames. My deep dive into the FAN (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) network revealed extraordinary family cooperation across generations.
Mysteries in Sweden
The Swedish Mysterioso continued its complex arrangement. I’m still working through Swedish parish records, building my vocabulary word by word. The language barrier adds difficulty, but each decoded oäkta (illegitimate) or förlikning (settlement) brings me closer to understanding the story. My research suggests Sven Mattisson is my great-great-grandfather—the man my grandfather never knew about. Those Swedish church records from the 1860s documented a paternity hearing and settlement that could finally answer our family’s longest-standing question.
See “Chasing my Swedish Roots“, “Chasing my Swedish Roots – Part II – Breaking Through the Brick Wall“, and “Language – Decoding My Swedish Ancestry“.
Life in Galicia
The Polish Immigrant Narrative (See “Life Before America: Farming, Famine, and the Roots of Emigration“) explored harsh realities of rural life before emigration. Paul Dubnianski and Julianna Knysz fled Austrian Galicia, where deliberate policies kept peasants impoverished. Understanding their pre-immigration lives revealed why they risked everything for America.
The Scherzo: Methodological Mastery and New Tools
This year’s playful, fast-paced movement came from mastering new research techniques. I tackled the genealogical nightmare of same-name ancestors—distinguishing between multiple Thomas Dowlings (See “The Case of the Two Thomas Dowlings: A Genealogical Mix-Up“) and several William Dowlings across four generations (See “Same Name Genealogy Challenge: Four Generations Deep“). City directories became my new favorite instrument, and I learned to “browse first” rather than search, uncovering neighbors, business partners, and residential patterns that transformed my understanding of ancestors’ lives.
AI tools entered the orchestra this year. While I remain cautiously optimistic about these technologies, Drew Smith’s OGS workshop showed me practical applications: AI-powered transcription for challenging handwritten documents, research plan generation (something I admittedly need to improve!), and timeline creation from scattered information. I have been very impressed with NotebookLM and found a great tool to transcribe handwritten documents with Leo (https://www.tryleo.ai/dashboard). And of course, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity have been very helpful. The tools are promising, but I firmly believe in combining them with solid traditional methodology.
The Crescendo: Learning Never Stops
My Airtable base tells the story better than words—and it serves double duty as both my conference tracking system and my research log. Dozens of new conference session entries fill the database alongside research logs documenting my ongoing investigations. Digital folders stuffed with handouts, methodologies learned, and an ever-growing to-do list. The meticulous tracking serves dual purposes—documenting my learning journey and building credentials for future professional certification.
My 2025 genealogy education calendar was impressively full. In addition to this year’s intensive OGS and NGS conferences, I have continued with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer’s Research Like a Pro with DNA course (still battling through Lesson 9, but I’m determined to finish in 2026!), completed an Evidence Explained study group with Cari Taplin, and completed the sessions in Jill Morelli’s Certification Discussion Group where I learned a lot about the Certified Genealogist process.
Looking back
Looking back, this genealogy year in review isn’t just about the number of conferences attended or classes completed—it’s about how each experience sharpened my research skills and reshaped the way I approach family history.
Now I’m enjoying a well-deserved break before diving back into learning in January. I’m already signed up for RootsTech 2026 (virtually), OGS (in person—it’s going to be very close to me in Cincinnati this year), and the NGS Advanced Skills in Genealogy Course, as well as the Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Documents and Reading Old Handwriting courses. I think that’s a nice, full plate for 2026. And of course I’ll still be taking some Legacy webinars (who can beat the $49.95 annual price?! It’s a no-brainer).
The Final Movement: Looking Ahead to 2026
As this year’s symphony draws to a close, I’m already hearing themes for next year. My 2026 plans include expanding the educational content on this blog—sharing not just family stories but the methodology behind them. The #52Ancestors challenge will continue as my weekly metronome, keeping me focused and productive.
Major brick walls remain my persistent leitmotifs: the “Mysterious Mr. Max” (See “The Mysterious Mr. Max” and “Genetic Breadcrumbs: Following DNA to Find the Mysterious Mr. Max“) case that DNA might finally crack, and continuing to validate the Sven Mattisson connection through Swedish descendants and DNA matches.
But here’s what this musical year taught me: genealogy isn’t a solo performance. It’s a symphony. Each conference connection, each shared discovery, each conversation with fellow researchers adds depth to the composition. Every ancestor deserves to have their story told, and every story requires multiple instruments—census records, DNA, newspapers, city directories, church records—playing together in harmony.
Reflecting on the Rhythm
Writing this Week 51 post feels like the perfect moment for a genealogy year in review, bringing together the discoveries, challenges, and milestones that shaped my research throughout 2025.
As I reflect on how far this journey has taken me, I’m struck by the growth. From that early mistake of researching the wrong Thomas Dowling to confidently navigating Evidence Explained citation templates; from simple curiosity about Swedish roots to sophisticated DNA analysis techniques; from virtual conferences in pajamas to starstruck encounters with genealogy celebrities in Louisville exhibit halls.
The rhythm of weekly blog posts kept me accountable. The harmony of multiple research lines kept me engaged. The crescendo of conference learning pushed me forward. And the melody? That’s the stories themselves—immigrants fleeing poverty, families cooperating across generations, women disappearing into name changes, twins arriving across two families, ancestors building lives in new lands.
What will 2026’s symphony sound like? I can’t wait to find out, but I’ll give you a sneak peek of what I’ll be working on next week. For now, I’m grateful for every note of this remarkable year.
YOUR TURN!
Have you felt the rhythm of genealogical discovery in your own research? What “movements” defined your 2025? I’d love to hear about your year in family history—share in the comments below!
Leave a Reply