VGS News & Events: 25 August 2019 through 31 August 2019

Coming Events:

Tuesday: August 27, 2019

Midwest SIG Meeting:

2:00 PM in the Clearwater Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Wednesday: August 28, 2019

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Topic: “Probate Records: Wills and a Whole Lot More.”

Gen News and Announcements:

Federation of Genealogical Societies to merge with the National Genealogical Society.

FGS
"Today is a landmark day in the history of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. We are excited to tell you that this morning, at our national conference in Washington D. C., we announced our intent to merge with the National Genealogical Society."
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New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 12 August 2019

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added new, free, historical records this week from Australia, French Polynesia, Germany, Honduras, Netherlands, South Africa, and the United States, including Arkansas, Rhode Island, Missouri, Kansas, New York, Ohio, and the Veterans Administration Master Index."
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New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 19 August 2019

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added over 7 million U.S. World War II draft registration cards this week. More historical records from Canada, England, France, Peru, South Africa and all over the United States."
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Mail-in DNA Test Results Bring Surprises About Family History For Many Users:

Fact Tank
"When asked about their reasons for using a mail-in DNA testing service, the vast majority of those who have done so (87%) say they wanted to learn more about where their family came from."
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How Ancestry.com’s Find A Grave Encourages Bad Actors and Bad Data:

OneZero
"Call them the digital undertakers — a motley crew of Find A Grave superusers who have made a competition out of racking up as many memorials as possible."
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Genealogy Made Easy: 16 Ideas under 20 Minutes:

FamilySearch
"Want to do genealogy but don’t have a lot of time? No problem! Genealogy is made easy with these quick activities. Learn more about yourself and your family history in just a few minutes."
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Technology:

How to Use All of Windows 10’s Backup and Recovery Tools:

How-To Geek
"Windows 10 includes several different types of backup and recovery tools. And we’re going to take a look at all of them."
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Education:

What You Need to Know About French Surnames:

Ancestral Findings
"Here are the four most common categories of French surnames, and what they mean. This information can help you a lot in your genealogical quest for your French ancestors."
Listen now... 8.00 minutes

Webinars:

Using Teams with your Genealogy:

Legacy Family Tree
"Have you heard of Microsoft Teams? Whether for an individual, your genealogy business, or any type of group effort (family history or specialized studies), Microsoft Teams might just be the communication and collaboration tool you have been looking for. Come learn how to use it with your genealogy."
Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Tessa Keough
Learn more or Register for this webinar...