Biography:

Katherine R. Willson (Dexter, Michigan) has been passionate about family history since obtaining her “My Heritage” Girl Scout badge as an 8-year-old, and is now an engaging and dynamic educator at regional, national, and international genealogy events.

She founded the Virtual Genealogical Association, is past president of the Michigan Genealogical Council, past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the National Genealogical Society’s GRIP Institute.

Katherine’s research includes Michigan Territory’s pre-statehood settlers, 19th century social reform movements, and America’s westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Her website, SocialMediaGenealogy.com, provides free resources for family historians, including genealogy forms, oral history interview questions, and curated catalogs of genealogy-focused Facebook groups, YouTube channels, and podcasts.