VGS News & Events: 13 August 2017 - 19 August 2017

Reminder:

Monday: August 14, 2017

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Patriot Room at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center

Gen News & Announcements:

IGGP Conference Report—July 2017:

Bernie Guenther - German SIG Coordinator

The first International German Genealogical Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 28-30, was a stupendous success, with more the 700 attendees from the USA and several other countries.  For me personally it was a special treat to meet and socialize with representatives from Germany, Brazil and Australia, where I have several first cousins.  There were six of us Villagers in attendance.  Running over three days, it featured 70 seminars.  With sometimes five in each time slot, the choices were difficult, but with my daughter joining me from Michigan, we were able to take in just about every one that was important to us.

The Marriott Hotel at Brooklyn Park was an excellent venue with spacious suites, seminar rooms, and ample space for vendors. A hospitality suite was also available, giving me the opportunity to deepen my connections with other leaders.

I came away with these overwhelming impressions:

1. The intellect and dedication of all those working in genealogy, especially those affiliated with the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. There were 11 presentations given by such renowned researchers as Dr. Fritz Juengling, Dr. Roger Minert, Baerbel Johnson and Nathan Machula. They constantly bring new resources to light.  For example, Dr Minert’s recently published book, German Census Records 1816-1916, reveals the existence of census records in every German state of that era, hidden under misleading headings such as “Population” or “House Lists.” Not even German genealogists knew they existed. He’s now working on a book about German Residential Registrations that were required in nearly every state.

We were also introduced to an amazing lady, Mary Rainey, by Dr. Juengling. Without knowing German, together with a young computer whiz, Brad Coleman, she brought the early well-known 20th Century gazeteer, Meyer’s Orts, into the 21st Century by providing a map link and some translations that save researchers much time.  Most amazingly of all, this will be available to the public, for free, forever. 

2. The stampeding advance of genealogical sources in Germany, e.g. Archion, the online website for Protestant Church Records, is adding new parishes constantly. One can search for free if a parish is available, but must pay to actually look that record up.  Another source is genealogy.net, or Verein für Computergenealogie (Society for Computer Genealogy) which is always adding new services and sources, which are free to access. It is also Germany’s largest genealogical society with more than 2,500 members.

3. The superb organization and implementation by the host society, Germanic Genealogy Society of Minnesota. Despite the fact that this was a first ever conference, it went off without a hitch, actually turning a profit, 25% of which will be turned over for the next conference that has already been announced for Sacramento, California in July 2019. The Californians will have a hard act to follow.

4. Last, but not least, was an amazing spirit personified by the enthusiastic worldwide ambassador for German genealogy, Dirk Weissleder, the leader of the German umbrella group of 64 different genealogical societies, who is currently on an around the world promotional trip. There is definitely a rekindling of pride in German heritage and ancestry, something that had been perverted by the Nazi nightmare. 

a. In fact, within the genealogical community there has been talk of this effort serving as a template for other ethnic groups, think Italian and Polish, which have also had significant immigrants to various countries of the world.

Were Your Ancestors American Pioneers? Here’s How to Track Them Down Online:

Family History Daily
"If you’re wondering where to start, what to search, or how to separate fact from fiction – here are some basic facts and solid sources to help you on the way to success."
Continue reading...

50 Free Genealogy Sites to Search Today:

Family History Daily
"Looking for a list of free genealogy sites to search? Here are 50 no-cost family history resources where you will find birth, marriage and death records, obituaries, cemetery listings, newspaper articles, biographies, research tips and so much more."
Continue reading...

5 Common Genealogy Research Questions and Answers for Beginners:

Crestleaf
"Are you new to genealogy? If so, then you probably have a lot of genealogy research questions!

• What is the difference between genealogy and family history?
• What is the name of my ancestor in this old photo?
• Where can I find the best family tree software?

These questions and others will certainly arise as you begin to research your family’s history."
Continue reading...

You Got Your DNA Results. Now You Need To Know What They Mean:

Are You My Cousin
"I cannot stress this enough.  Traditional paper genealogy and DNA testing work together to solve genealogy mysteries."
Continue reading...

Criminal and Prison Records from Chester County, Pennsylvania:

Ancestry
"Does your family tree have roots in colonial Pennsylvania? If it does, you may want to check out an index of Chester County criminal and prison records that Ancestry recently acquired. The collection includes five databases of records that have long been available on Chester County’s website. Some records date back to 1681, one year prior to Chester County’s founding by William Penn."
Continue reading...

6 Tips for a Successful Family History Road Trip:

Ancestry
"As summer winds down, many of us will be hitting the road for one last trip. For some, the family vacation will also include some family history research. Here are some tips to help you make the most of it."
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Tech:

10 Free Genealogy Apps to Help You With Your Research:

Family History Daily
"Whether you want untethered access to resources while you’re conducting in-person research, when you’re sorting through hard copies of documents in an archive, or you simply want to use the time you’re waiting in line for coffee to keep looking for your ancestors these 10 genealogy apps are a great choice."
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Education:

Remembering Pets in Your Family History:

Ancestral Findings
"People have been living with pets for a long time, and they deserve to be included in your family history narrative. On today’s episode, I'll show how to do it."
Listen now... 4.31 minutes

Upcoming Webinars:

Analyzing Probate Records of Slaveholders to Identify Enslaved Ancestors:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"This webinar will provide an overview of the probate process, the genealogical information that can be found in a slaveholding estate, and related records that a probate proceeding may point to."
Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Finding Your Ancestors in German Directories:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"In Germany, more and more directories are online. This presentation will tell you where to find them, how to work with them and how to interpret the information typical for German directories."
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Luana Darby
Learn more or Register for this webinar...