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Family History Month!

Deciphering and Analyzing Pre-1850 Census Records

Before 1850, U.S. census records listed household members using tick marks rather than names. During this program, Linda Debe will demonstrate how to identify individuals hidden behind the tick marks used in U.S. census records from 1790–1840. Learn how to collect and analyze census data using an automated Excel spreadsheet, compare findings with later census records, assign names to household members, reconstruct family groups, and verify your conclusions. Participants will receive a ready-to-use Excel tool designed to help uncover missing details and bridge gaps in their family history research.

Linda Debe is a genealogical lecturer, writer, and perpetual student with 40 years of research experience. Affectionately known as the Sleepless Genealogist, she specializes in the dynamics of using technology in genealogy research — and her guiding philosophy says it all: work smarter, not harder.

A Microsoft Office Certified professional in Access and Excel, Linda transforms complex research into elegant, data-driven systems. She holds an AAS in Electronics Technology from the U.S. Air Force, is a ProGen 54 alumna, and serves as Program Chair for the North Hills Genealogists in Pittsburgh.

Her lecture stage spans North America — from RootsTech to PaGE, the UGA Summit, IGHR, and Georgia's inaugural Native American Symposium. Linda doesn't just research family trees — she reimagines how the work gets done.