Advanced Strategies Using FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 6:30 pm – Windsor Park Branch of APL, 5833 Westminster Dr, Austin 78723. Hybrid.
FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search is transforming how we uncover hidden genealogical gems by allowing us to search the actual text of historical records rather than just indexed details. You may have already stumbled across a few exciting finds using this groundbreaking tool, but there is so much more beneath the surface waiting to be discovered.
In this session, we will dive into advanced strategies to get more out of your searches. You will learn how to distinguish between simple and advanced searches, effectively utilize operators and wildcards to narrow your focus, and properly interpret the various icons and symbols you encounter along the way. We will also address current coverage limitations, so you know which records are fully searchable right now—and what to expect as more collections come online. Whether you are looking to build on early successes or break down stubborn brick walls, this talk will give you the confidence to search smarter.
Our speaker will be presenting in-person.
About our Speaker:
Mary Stephens Scrudder grew up in Tennessee but made her way to Austin, Texas, as quickly as she could. Her family-history research has focused primarily on Virginia and the Carolinas. She has spent countless hours working in courthouses, state archives, the Family History Library, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, local libraries, and interviewing relatives. She has found FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search to be one of the best tools of all time.
December – no meeting; see you January 26, 2027!
Now is the time to renew your membership with AGS in 2027. Our memberships are based on the calendar year: January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027.
Annual dues remain the same as last year:
$35 – Individual Membership
$50 – Family Membership (two people residing in the same household) ,br.
$500 – Lifetime Membership
Benefits of membership include:
- Monthly newsletter filled with helpful tips.
- Access to the AGS website’s
- Members-Only Portal
- Meeting presentation videos
- Select speaker handouts
- AGS Board Minutes, plus much more!
Need more reasons to join? Check out a sampling of some of the last years of presentations, many recorded and available behind the member wall!
July 2025 – Revolutionary Choices: Exploring Loyalist and Patriot Roots at 250 Years – Kathryn Lake Hogan
June 2025 – Translating, Transcribing and Summarizing Documents Using AI – Thomas MacEntee
April 2025 – Organizing Your Ancestors: From Ancestral Mess to Historical Success – Jennifer Lava
March 2025 – Genealogical Ephemera – Jenna Cooper
January 2025 – From Hobby to Profession -Teresa Devine
November 2024 – Facts & Fables: Crafting Your Family Narrative – Kate Penney Howard
October 2024 – Researching Your Family History at the Clayton Library – Carl Smith
September 2024 – DNA Doe Project – Rhonda Kevorkian
June/July 2024 -WikiTree Basics pt I & II – Sarah Kroh
April 2024 – AI & Genealogy: Trouble Ahead? – Thomas MacEntee
March 2024 – Roll Call! Researching Your Veteran Ancestors: Civil War, WWI and WWII – Melanie McComb
February 2024 – European Immigrant Ancestors – Nancy Loe
January 2024 – It Might Be Time…To Write That Book – Shirley Salzmann Meyer
And so much more!
The Austin Genealogical Society gives you the tools to be a better genealogist.
• SIGs: AGS had several special interest groups (SIGs) that met regularly, and we launch new ones as our members want them. You can find notifications of DNA North at their Facebook page, Capital Area DNA SIG. If you are interested in others, or want to help with starting one, let us know!
• Monthly Membership Meetings: We showcase an expert on genealogical research methods and new technology. All presentations are designed to help our members become better genealogists.
Meetings are typically held on the 4th Tuesday evening of each month.
We are currently meeting in a hybrid model, with rotating locations around Austin and via Zoom.
• Research Trips: Further your research by visiting genealogy libraries and archives across the US. We had a successful trip to the Clayton (Family History Research Center at the Clayton Library Campus) in Houston on a Saturday in July 2025 and made a trip to the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, Utah from October 11-17, 2026. We look forward to more trips in the future!
• Seminars: We bring in known experts for an extended seminar. In October 2025, we welcomed Blaine Bettinger for a hybrid full-day seminar and are currently thinking about our next event in 2027.
Visitors are always welcome at any of our meetings. So please come, and bring a friend!