The end of the year is historically a time for reflection. The good and the bad. What goals we accomplished and where we fell just a little short. The challenges and obstacles we faced.

It’s also a time for making resolutions or setting goals for the coming year.

I’m still working on my goals for 2010, but as 2009 winds to a close, I find myself thinking about the highlights and accomplishments associated with my genealogical research. I decided to make a list of my ten most memorable moments for this past year.

Lisa’s Top Ten Genealogical Moments for 2009:

10. The publication of my 8th and 9th books: Cleveland Czechs and Cleveland Slovaks (Arcadia Publishing) with co-author John Sabol.

9. Gave four talks at the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International conference in Cleveland in October. I was delighted to have over 130 in attendance for my “Writing Your Family History” workshop. Re-elected to CGSI Board of Directors and named Vice-Chair for the Board.

8. Meeting new genealogical friends at conferences and workshops and through Facebook and GenealogyWise.

7. An invitation to speak at the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast for their 25th anniversary event. After the conference I visited New York City and toured Ellis Island (my 3rd visit there) and the Tenement Museum (my first visit) with fellow genealogists.

6. Delivered my first “remote” lecture to the Ontario Genealogical Society Toronto’s Branch in November.

5. Publication of articles in all of the North American print genealogical magazines.

4. Presented for the first time at Family History Expos (Loveland, CO and Sandy, UT) and the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree (Burbank, CA).

3. Discovering the circumstances behind the tragic deaths of two ancestors: Michael Sivak (maternal side) and Nicholas Masztiylak (paternal side). I successfully located coroner’s records, obituaries and death records for both men.

2. Learned the correct maiden name for my paternal great-grandmother, Borbola (Barbara) “Manyovszki” (“Manovsky”) and not “Meriorska” as recorded in family documents—further proving that information that’s recorded even in “official” records is not always correct.

And, my number one genealogical moment of 2009:

1. Connecting with an Alzo cousin whom I did not even know existed. She e-mailed me out of the blue and we determined that her grandfather and my grandfather were brothers! We’ve shared documents and photographs and hope to finally meet face to face in 2010 in Slovakia!

I hope that 2010 will bring even more great genealogical finds and successes.

To my fellow Geneabloggers: What were your top ten moments?