Colorado Genealogical Society of Denver
with Ellen Kowitt

Sunday, April 12
11:00am
Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., 5th Floor Special Collections 

Registration: click here 
Members No Charge | Non Members $5

Is it the journey or the destination? Many enjoy the process and camaraderie that comes along with the act of doing genealogy research. Others have goals to answer a specific question, find a living relative, build a family tree, or publish a book. What happens when you move onto other pursuits or suddenly depart midstream before completion? End of life planning typically does not include instructions for hard-earned and meaningful genealogy research. How would loved ones or fellow landsman find and navigate your online passwords, final version of a family tree, photos, acquired documents, translations, instructions on next steps, or manuscript in process? Let’s explore big picture questions about setting expectations, create a planning checklist to ensure your intentions are honored, and start organizing today for tomorrow. This lecture will encourage participants to share best practices and engage with one another.

Ellen Kowitt Biography: Ellen is a past president of JGS Colorado and has served in many volunteer roles throughout the genealogy world since the mid-1990s. Currently, she is Director of the JewishGen USA Research Division. In this capacity, she manages volunteers who identify projects, and format, key, and upload data into a searchable database. Ellen serves JewishGen and the broader genealogy community as an expert on records about Jews in the United States along with other beginner and advanced topics. Her primary project has been launching Shul Records America, a first-of-its kind finding aid pointing users to over 150 repositories where synagogue record collections with genealogical significance are located. 

Ellen became a professional genealogist ten years ago and has published client books including America’s Alligator Family: The David Crystal Story(in 2023), From Scheinman to Simon (in 2024), and Beyond the Jaffa Gate: The Lizerbram Family Chronicle (in 2025). Ellen received a bachelor’s degree from Alfred University and spent twenty-five years working in marketing management and communications before transitioning into full-time research. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two college-age daughters. Her website is EllenKowitt.com.