2022-2023 Speaker Series - Speaker Bios

Plan now to join us online for these outstanding presentations by top genealogy speakers and local Concho Valley historians!
 
September 3: J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
J. Mark Lowe describes himself as “born to be curious.” He is a professional genealogist and educator who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. He coordinates “Research in the South” courses at IGHR, SLIG, and TIGR, worked on several TV series, hosts a YouTube channel, and does webinars. Mark is a past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Southern Kentucky Genealogical Society. He is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society and was awarded the Graham T. Smallwood Award and Lifetime Membership award by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
 
 
October 1 – No meeting is scheduled. Watch for events celebrating Family History Month!
 
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November 12: James Hays, MD, Col. Ret., Texas National Guard
Dr. Hays is retired medical doctor and a retired colonel with the Texas National Guard. He is a member of the Runnels County Historical Commission. As a youth growing up South of Ballinger, he was convinced that nothing interesting happened in Ballinger or Runnels County. Since retiring, he has spent the last 15 years proving himself wrong. His research begins in the 1840s, when Texas was still a Republic ,and continues through the 1870s when the last white man was killed during a conflict with Native Americans in Runnels County. He also researched Ike Mullins, who helped organize Tom Green County.
 
December 3: Lisa Mahler
Lisa Dennis Mahler has deep Tom Green County roots. Two sets of maternal great grandparents arrived in the late 1870s. One set, JJ Austin and Arminta DeLong, chose the county because Arminta’s brothers raved about the opportunities they experienced. The other set, Howard R. Rowland and Charlotte Parker, became stranded on Frary Hill when their horses were stolen and had to make San Angelo their home. Lisa’s grandmother and mother were born in San Angelo and both became storytellers of the people that shaped the town. Dorothy, Lisa’s mother, mentioned on many occasions when visiting with her parents that San Angelo was just not the same once the old homes were being razed to make room for parking lots, government buildings and businesses.
Lisa is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a major in history. She was raised on a sheep ranch, the Flying D, in Borden County. She has served as the head of the historical commission in her home county for eleven years and has learned the pioneer stories of Borden that included successes and failures of the people that tried to tame the unforgiving nature of the area.
 
January 7: Katherine Schober
Katherine Schober is a German-English translator, author, and speaker. Her passion lies in helping people discover the fascinating lives of their German ancestors. She has a Master’s degree in German and lived in Austria where she met her husband. She has authored several books and teaches online courses on reading old German handwriting and German for genealogists.
 
February 4: Hannah Kubacak, Genealogy Librarian
Hannah Kubacak is a genealogy reference librarian with a passion for unraveling the intricacies of family history. She has worked at the Waco-McLennan County Library since 2015. Her journey into genealogy was born out of a lifelong fascination with family stories. She has shared her expertise by teaching genealogy continuing education classes at the Waco Genealogy Center, McLennan Community College, and for various genealogical societies across Texas. She began her genealogy career while working for the for the Chickasaw Nation's Holisso Research Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma. She specializes in the genealogy of the Five Civilized Tribes, Texas, and the Southeastern United States, although, her work as a reference librarian has made her well versed in assisting individuals in researching diverse locations, time periods, and ethnic groups. She also has expertise in using Google Maps and Google Earth for genealogy.
 
March 4: Susan E. Ball, President SAGHS
A genealogist for over 30 years, Susan Ball is TxSGS president, co-editor of Stirpes, and president of the San Angelo Genealogical and Historical Society. A strong supporter of records abstraction and publication, Susan has compiled four books of genealogical records, three of which have won TSGS book awards including the coveted grand prize. She also serves her local society as editor of the SAGHS Newsletter and assistant editor of Stalkin’ Kin of Old West Texas, the SAGHS biannual journal. Having received a master’s degree in electrical engineering, Susan worked as a project engineer for a defense contractor, as a patent engineer, and as CEO of her own database development company. In addition to giving presentations and seminars to numerous societies and the TxSGS Annual Conference, Susan has been the workshop speaker for the Amarillo Genealogical Society, the Permian Basin Genealogical Society, and twice for the Kerrville Genealogical Society.
 
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April 1: Dr. Robert Aguero
Dr. Robert Aguero is a respected figure in the world of sheep and goat shearing particularly in Central Texas. Having spent considerable time in the shearing sheds, he brings both personal experience and insights from interviews with industry experts. His book, “Shearing Sheep and Angora Goats the Texas Way: A Legacy of Pride,” not only documents this disappearing way of life but also pays homage to the proud tradition of wool and mohair production in the region.
 
 
May 6: To be announced.