Heritage Seekers

DNA Oddities: Uncovering the Strange Truths of Genetic Research
2026-07-21 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual Meeting
Scott Lee

DNA and biological reproduction are more complex than most people realize. Misunderstandings about how DNA is inherited can lead to false assumptions and confusing, seemingly contradictory results. This presentation reveals fascinating and little-known facts about DNA that are crucial for interpreting unexpected genetic findings. Topics include: the importance of centimorgans, DNA crossovers, vanishing twin syndrome, chimeras, and the impact of endogamy. Technical details and jargon will be kept to a minimum, making these concepts accessible to all.

This is a Kitchen Roundtable presentation and discussion hosted by the Arkansas Genealogical Society. For more programs in this series, check the AGS website.

This evening’s presenter is Scott Lee, a retired software engineer who has researched his family history since 1979. He has served as an officer in several genealogical societies and lectures on genealogical topics. He is currently the 1st Vice President of the Arkansas Genealogical Society.

Scott grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, but his work took him to Indiana, Oregon, North Carolina, and New York City. In retirement, he and his wife, Deirdre, have returned to their families in Arkansas. His career included the medical field, engineering, computer graphics, and consulting focused on building reliable software. In retirement, he is working on the design of deep learning neural networks and software for genealogy. In his spare time, he enjoys writing science fiction, studying ancient calendars, developing open-source software, keeping up with the latest advances in physics and astronomy, and, of course, researching his family history.

Family History Research in Arkansas: An Introduction
2026-07-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Virtual Meeting
Russell Baker

Russell Baker has been active in Arkansas genealogical education for decades. He is retired from the Arkansas State Archives and recently stepped down as the long-time editor of the Arkansas Genealogical Society’s journal, The Arkansas Family Historian.

A Zoom link will be sent to members and mailing list subscribers the morning of the meeting.

The presenters retain the copyright to their presentations, including all images and other intellectual property. Copying, recording, taking screenshots, transcribing, AI note-taking, or redistributing any portion of these presentations in any form is strictly prohibited under penalty of law. The official recording of presentations will be available for a limited time in the members-only section of the Heritage Seekers website. Thank you for understanding and cooperating.

You Only Have a Death Announcement: Now What?
2026-08-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual Meeting
Deborah A. Abbott, Ph.D.

Dr. Deborah Abbott is a professional genealogist specializing in African American research, manuscript collections, and genealogy methodology. She is a Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Archives Advisory Commission member and serves on the Lake View (Ohio) Cemetery Outreach Committee. She is an associate with the Kentucky-Tennessee Associates based in Springfield, TN; past president of the African American Genealogical Society, Cleveland, OH; and a retired professor of Counseling from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. She holds both a BS and an M.Ed. from Tuskegee University in Alabama and a PhD from Kent State University in Ohio.

Dr. Abbott is an instructor and the coordinator for both the week-long African American tracts at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), held at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, and the Genealogy Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), held at LaRoche University in Pittsburgh, PA. She is also an instructor at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in Salt Lake City, UT. She presents lectures and workshops at national, state, and local genealogy conferences. She lectures at colleges, businesses & libraries. She has published in both the Ohio Genealogy News and Family Tree Magazine. Dr. Abbott can be seen teaching the African American research course “Needles & Threads” in an educational video on Ancestry Academy, available on Ancestry.com. She coordinates monthly classes for the Genealogy and Family History Clinic for the Cleveland Public Library.

A Cleveland, Ohio native, Dr. Abbott is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Tuskegee University National Alumni Association, and Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland.

A Zoom link will be sent to members and mailing list subscribers the morning of the meeting.

The presenters retain the copyright to their presentations, including all images and other intellectual property. Copying, recording, taking screenshots, transcribing, AI note-taking, or redistributing any portion of these presentations in any form is strictly prohibited under penalty of law. The official recording of presentations will be available for a limited time in the members-only section of the Heritage Seekers website. Thank you for understanding and cooperating.
