Message from the President
Hello, Dear Family,
This year marks our first participation in RootsTech, March 5-7, 2026, at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Society Pavilion as a booth member. We hope to make this a yearly event and invite you to join us in Salt Lake City, Utah, as we come “together” as a Taylor Family Association. “Together” is the theme this year for RootsTech, and I can’t think of a better way to honor it than to make this whole year a celebration of togetherness.
Many of our TFA Board members will be at our booth, Exhibitor #1704. We will be in the Vendor Expo Hall in the Society Pavilion area. See the maps below and to the right. We are right across from the Boston Tea Party Descendant booth.
If you are attending in person, we would love for you to stop by and bring the family, too. I am looking forward to visiting with you, discussing our plans for this year, and exploring how we can work “together” to make this a great Family Association.
We wanted to make sure everyone could be part of the fun—no matter where you live. That’s why we’ve also created a special welcome video for our online booth! If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch it on our YouTube page now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHy2Ig-FwaQ
The online Vendor Expo Hall is the ideal place to connect with us during the conference. Whether you’re joining from your living room or across the world, you can stop by our virtual booth, explore our family heritage on our website, and chat directly with Board members who will be monitoring live questions throughout the event. We’ll be there in real time to answer questions and help you feel part of the RootsTech excitement.
See you in a few weeks!
Roger Taylor Russell, President
🌟 RootsTech 2026 Highlights: What’s Coming This Year
Expertly Crafted Classes
RootsTech 2026 will feature 200+ genealogy classes for everyone—from beginners to seasoned professionals. The 2026 Class Preview is already available for those eager to explore upcoming sessions and plan their schedules.
Highlighted classes include:
- Beginner Focus: “3 Easy Strategies to Help with Family History When It Looks Like It’s All Done.”
- Technology & Innovation: “AI Meets Archives: Enhancing Historical Records Through AI.”
The full conference schedule has already been released on RootsTech.org, allowing you to build a personalized class plan that fits your research needs and interests.
Fun and Free Family Discovery Day
Join us in person for Family Discovery Day on Saturday, 7 March! This family-friendly event is packed with hands-on activities, games, and engaging classes that make family history fun for all ages.
Best of all— Saturday is completely free, and no RootsTech registration is required. Just bring your family and discover together!
🔗 Connect with Living Cousins Through Relatives at RootsTech
One of the most exciting parts of the RootsTech experience—whether you attend in person or online—is the chance to discover and connect with living cousins through the Relatives at RootsTech feature. This interactive tool matches you with other attendees by comparing the ancestors in your FamilySearch Family Tree, helping you see how you’re related and opening the door to meaningful new family connections.
How It Works
Relatives at RootsTech uses the collaborative, global FamilySearch Family Tree to identify shared ancestors. Once you sign in and join the experience, the system looks for living relatives who are also participating in RootsTech. If a connection is found, you’ll see how you’re related—often through a common deceased ancestor.
Why You Might Not See Many Results
Don’t worry if your list starts small. This can happen if:
- You haven’t joined Relatives at RootsTech yet.
- Your family tree doesn’t include enough generations.
- You need to add more relatives so the system can find connections
As you add more names to your tree, the tool can reveal additional cousin connections—sometimes hundreds of them!
📱 Getting Started with “Relatives at RootsTech.”
1. Register & Download the App
To participate, register for RootsTech (either in person or virtually) at RootsTech.org, then download the FamilySearch Family Tree App to your Apple or Android smartphone.
2. Make Sure Your Family Tree Is Entered
Relatives at RootsTech can only find cousin matches if your family information is entered in the FamilySearch Family Tree. Add at least a few generations—parents, grandparents, and beyond. As you enter relatives, FamilySearch automatically searches for matching ancestors already in the shared tree.
3. Turn On “Find Relatives at RootsTech.”
Open the Family Tree app and check the box at the top labeled Find Relatives at RootsTech. This enrolls you in the experience and enables others to match you.
4. View Your Living Cousins
Tap View Relatives to see your automatically generated list of living cousins attending RootsTech. You can message them through the app (depending on profile settings) and see exactly how you’re related via shared ancestors.
5. Explore by Location, Ancestor, or Family Line
Use the drop-down menus to filter your cousin matches:
- By Location – see attendees near you
- By Ancestor – view cousins descending from a specific ancestor
- By Family Line – sort by maternal or paternal branches
This feature helps you identify clusters of cousins, discover new branches, and build meaningful connections during (and after) the conference.
6. Explore Even More Connections
Return to the main screen to explore other RootsTech offerings—free online classes, in-person sessions, and past conference content you can add to your personal learning schedule.
7. Invite Friends & Check Surname Connections
You can also invite friends to see if you’re related or to explore how many RootsTech attendees share your last name. It’s a fun way to spark new discoveries and learn more about your surname’s origins.
8. View the Global Cousin Map
At the bottom of the experience, you’ll find a world map showing where your cousin matches are located—providing a visual snapshot of your living family network!
📂 “Gathering” Your Cousin Connections—How to Save Your Relatives at RootsTech List for Later
Relatives at RootsTech is available only for a limited time each year, but you can save your cousins’ names and contact information to reach out long after the conference ends. This year Relatives at RootsTech is open through mid-April 2026.
Here’s the simplified process for saving your list of Living Cousins:
1. Log In Online
Go to the RootsTech Connect link (listed in the app or on the FamilySearch site) and sign in.
2. Select “View Relatives.”
This shows your complete list of cousin connections.
3. Search by Ancestor
Use By Ancestor to see relatives who descend from a specific shared ancestor. Each ancestor shows the number of living relatives connected to them.
4. Copy the Cousin List
Scroll to the bottom of the list, highlight all names, then copy them (Ctrl + C).
5. Paste into a Spreadsheet
Open a new Google Sheet (or Excel file), click cell A1, and paste (Ctrl + V).
Name the file after the ancestor whose descendants you copied.
6. Start Reaching Out
You now have a permanent list of living cousins! Here’s what you can do:
- Reach out through the app’s Chat feature (while the feature is still active)
- Store cousins contact info for future reunions
- Use the information to update your genealogy software (Legacy Family Tree, RootsMagic, etc.)
- Strengthen family connections throughout the year
💬 Need Help?
If you’d like a visual walkthrough, we have two step-by-step videos:
📹 How to Use the FamilyTree App: https://youtu.be/FMrnojwrxnM?si=UXav7cydYZkDJtPK
📹 How to Save Cousin Lists to a Spreadsheet: https://youtu.be/WLCdIY-ym_0?si=V_Ni7d6XORPDSe9d
Feel free to reach out to any TFA Board Member if you’d like one-on-one help—we’re always happy to assist!