VGS News & Events: May 2 through May 8, 2021

UPCOMING SIG MEETINGS

Monday, May 3
Jewish Genealogy SIG
10:00am – 11:50am
Coordinator:  Herb Siegel
Programs:  Phil Goldsmith

Monday, May 3
Italian SIG
Zoom Meeting – 1:00pm
Coordinator:  Mary Frances Gerace

Monday, May 3
RootsMagic SIG
Meeting Time:  2:30pm – 4:20pm
Meeting Location:  New Smyrna Beach Room @ Seabreeze Rec Center
Coordinator:  George Zitterell

Tuesday, May 4
Adoption & Missing Kin SIG
Zoom Meeting – 9:30am
Coordinators:  Anne Berg & Marcella Zorn

Wednesday, May 5
French Canadian Genealogy SIG
Meeting Time:  10:00am – 12:00pm
Meeting Location:  La Hacienda – Carmen Miranda Room + Zoom
Coordinator:  Jean Coleman

Thursday, May 6
Eastern European Genealogy SIG
Zoom Meeting – 1:00pm – 2:50pm
Coordinators:  Carol Myers & Marie Musialek

Friday, May 7
British Genealogy SIG
Zoom Meeting – 9:30am – 11:20am
Coordinators:  Pay Adams & Phyllis Sample

Saturday, May 8
African American Genealogy SIG
Zoom Meeting – 2:30pm – 4:20pm
Coordinator:  Carol LaSalle

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Enter the #MomsInMyFamily Challenge for a Chance to Win!

blog.myheritage.com

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s time to celebrate our matriarchs with a new challenge! We want to see photos of the moms in your family, going as far back through the generations as you can. The winners will receive a free MyHeritage Complete plan! Continue reading …

WEBINARS

Comparing Australian Content on the Giant Genealogy Websites
Tuesday, May 4 @ 10:00pm (EDT)
Presenter:  Sunny Morton
What Australian records are available on different genealogy websites? See a comparative analysis of Australian historical record content and educational tools at MyHeritage, FamilySearch, Ancestry and Findmypast. This is a free FamilyTree webinar –– advance registration required –– click HERE.

Solving a Brick Wall with DNA – A Case Study
Wednesday, May 5 @ 2:00pm (EDT)
Presenter:  Larry W. Thomas
How I used both Mitochondrial and Autosomal DNA to prove a great grandmother’s maternal line. This is a free FamilyTree webinar –– advance registration required –– click HERE.

Researching the Descendants and Ancestors of the Weeping Time People
Friday, May 7 @ 2:00pm (EDT)
Presenter:  Brian Shelley
1859 bore witness to the largest single sale of human beings in the United States’ history. 440 people were sold over a 3 day period by Pierce Mease Butler to settle his enormous debts. This presentation covers the process in researching the descendants of the 400 souls who were sold, as well as the descendants of the 400+ enslaved people Pierce Mease Butler did not sell. This is a free FamilyTree webinar –– advance registration required –– click HERE.

EDUCATION

Upstairs, Downstairs

findmypast.com

Would you like to explore the history of the real Downton Abbey? Or perhaps Princess Diana’s childhood home? Choose a historical house to step back in time.

Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle)

Princess Diana’s Home (Althorp House)

RESEARCH

Is Accuracy Important in Genealogical Research?

genealogysstar.blogspot.com

You may wonder why I have to ask whether or not accuracy is important in genealogical research? The simple answer is that apparently there are a lot of people who simply ignore the fact that the information they enter into online family trees is not only inaccurate but entirely unsupported by a valid genealogical source document. Every item of information asserted in a family tree should be adequately supported by the historical record. In the case of almost all genealogy … continue reading