VGS News & Events: 8 October 2017 through 14 October 2017

Coming Events:

Monday: October 9, 2017

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

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

Tuesday: October 10, 2017

Adoption SIG Meeting
9:30 AM at the Coordinators Home

Contact Anne Berg for address & directions.

Tuesday: October 10, 2017

Genealogy Writers SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Wednesday: October 11, 2017

Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting

Due to room renovations this meeting has been cancelled.

Wednesday: October 11, 2017

New to Genealogy SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Neptune Beach Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Thursday: October 12, 2017

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Reliance Room at the Late Miona Recreation Center

Topics: "Blind Searches on Ancestry.com by Al Becker" with the addition of: "Attendees' Impressions of 1st IGGP Conference in July." 

Friday: October 13, 2017

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Rhett Butler Room at the Savannah Center
Topic: VGS member and Genetic Genealogy SIG regular, James Brown, will present: "Finding Smith - A Genetic Melodrama - How DNA Was Used to Trace the Identity of Unknown Ancestors With a Very Common Surname."

Saturday: October 14, 2017

Family History Fair:

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Leesburg Public Library - Meeting Room A&B

Latest News & Announcements:

DNA Testing for Genealogical Purposes: A Tale of Two Outcomes:

Genealogists.com
"This story began with a request to correct a spelling error in an article I’d written about a 1913 coal mine explosion in Dawson, New Mexico.  To Doug Simpleman the error was especially important to see corrected.  The misspelled name belonged to his great grandfather Roy Simpleman."
Continue reading...

Should You Take Ancestry’s Suggestions?

Amy Johnson Crow
"When you're looking at a specific record on Ancestry.com, you might have noticed a section of "Suggested Records." Here's what they are, how they got there, and whether or not you should listen to them."
Continue reading...

The DNA Angel Project™

Hound on the Hunt
"The DNA Angel Project™ is the creation of Ellen Thompson-Jennings, Family History Hound and owner of Shop the Hound.  The goal is to give the genealogy community the opportunity to pursue their genetic genealogy by offering free DNA material through draws that will take place every month. Draws will include DNA kits, DNA books, DNA quick guides, DNA consultations or DNA courses."
Continue reading...

Ordering Vital Records from State Agencies:

LegacyTree Genealogists
"So where do you find these records? The answer to that is tricky because every state (and country!) has a different answer. Some places only allow access to records for a certain time period. This can be for privacy issues or because they’ve only digitized or made available certain time frames."
Continue reading...

Finding Foundlings: Searching for Abandoned Children in Italy:

LegacyTree Genealogists
"I learned about foundlings – abandoned newborns – in Italy while tracing my own immigrant ancestor back to the province of Palermo in Sicily. My maiden name is Palumbo, but as I tried to move backwards from my immigrant ancestor, Salvatore Fortunato Palumbo, I discovered that Palumbo was not his original surname."
Continue reading...

What to Know About World War I Burial Files:

Ancestry
"A burial file was created for each service member who died while in service during the war. There are files for those killed in combat and those who died of influenza, or a form of flu or pneumonia, on the transport ships going to France from the U.S."
Continue reading...

DNA doesn’t lie! Or Does It?

Judy G. Russell The Legal Genealogist
"It’s one of the most-commonly-repeated statements in genetic genealogy: “DNA doesn’t lie.”
It’s usually coupled with: “Families do.”
And The Legal Genealogist isn’t going to take on either of those.
But — as with almost everything in genealogy — there’s more to the story.
Continue reading...

Technology:

What To Do Before Selling Your iPhone:

Lifewire
"One of the great things about having an iPhone is that old models generally retain a lot of value, so when you decide to upgrade to a new model you can usually sell your old phone for a decent amount of money. If that's your plan, though, there are some steps you must take—to protect yourself and your buyer—before selling your used iPhone."
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Recovering from Ransomware with an Online Backup:

Ask Leo
"People often cite ransomware as a reason to avoid automated online backups, thinking that those backups will be impacted. OneDrive provides an answer."
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Google's Vint Cerf Warns Of 'Digital Dark Age'

BBC
"Vint Cerf, a "father of the internet", says he is worried that all the images and documents we have been saving on computers will eventually be lost."
Continue reading...

Education:

How to Protect Your Genealogy Data:

Ancestral Findings
"Don't put all your many years' worth of precious genealogy data at risk. Join me on today’s Ancestral Findings Podcast and follow these common sense tips to keep it safe and always accessible to you."
Continue reading... 5.33 minutes

Upcoming Webinars:

Southern States Migration Patterns:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Why did people migrate from one location to another? What routes did they follow, and how can identifying migration trails help you find your ancestors? Learn from maps and historical details how to follow the trail of your ancestors into and out of the Southern states."
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: Presenter: Mary Hill, AG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Is Your Society Growing? Social Media May Be Your Saving Grace

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"It's all about selling the sizzle! Ask genealogists about the perceived value of joining a genealogy society, the will invariably say: networking with friends and colleagues great presenters access to "boots on the ground" experts This webinar discusses 10 ideas to pump new life into genealogy & historical societies and family associations. Based on this blog post: Do Conferences Need Bloggers http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2016/03/do-conferences-need-bloggers.html"
Friday, October 13, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Dear MYRTLE
Learn more or Register for this webinar...