Point of Origin
How to Find Your Ancestral Village
Presented by Lisa Vogele
Don’t know where overseas your family originated from? This presentation covers a variety of sources to explore to locate your ancestor's point of origin before arriving in the United States. Examples and strategies will be provided including: Resources for locating town of origin, strategies for name changes, tips for boundary changes, and overcoming handwriting & language challenges.
Lisa Vogele is a professional genealogist and Certified Travel Associate (CTA). She is the Chief Tree Climber at Travel Your Tree: Where Ancestry Meets Adventure, a European family history research, travel planning, custom tour & genealogy research tour operator specializing in Italy & Ireland. Lisa is passionate about traveling in the footsteps of your ancestors to make or re-establish connections of personal, historical significance. In Spring 2026 she is leading a Genealogy Research Tour to Dublin, Ireland.
In 2016, Lisa authored Food & Folklore: A Year of Italian Festivals, a guidebook to assist travelers with incorporating heritage festivals into their itineraries, get off the beaten path, and experience local culture through food and historic events. She earned a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2019 and a Certified Travel Associate (CTA) credential. Her travel tips have been featured in the Huffington Post, 1000TravelTips.com, and Dream of Italy. She holds a Master's degree from Clemson University, was raised in Connecticut, and resides in Colorado.
Follow Lisa’s travels and discoveries: @travelyourtree on Instagram and Facebook
