VGS Latest News & Tips: 1 Jun 2015

Ancestry Anne’s Top Ten Ways to Use Newspapers.com to Gain Historical Perspective.
Ancestry.com by Anne Gillespie Mitchell
"We all know that newspapers can give us obits, marriage and birth announcements – but don’t stop there. Newspapers are the window into our ancestors lives. Have you ever read the newspaper they read?
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What Happened to the 1890 Census, and What You Can Use to Fill in Its Blanks.

AncestralFindings.com

"What happened to the 1890 census? It may be gone, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on 20 years of your ancestors' lives. Use these records instead... "
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FamilySearch Adds More Than 3.7 Million Indexed Records and Images for Belgium, England, Germany, the Philippines, and the United States.
FamilySearch
"The most notable collection updates include 2,807,806 indexed records from the England, London Electoral Registers, 1847–1913."
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UN says encryption “necessary for the exercise of the right to freedom”
But UN says government-ordered decryption is OK if done on a "case-by-case basis."
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This Day In History:
1938: The first issue of Action Comics, featuring Superman, was published.
1843: Henry Faulds, a Scottish physician and missionary was born. He developed fingerprinting. He died in 1930.
1831: James Clark Ross discovers the Magnetic North Pole.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 8 May 2015

Meeting Cancellation - Today: May 8:

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

5 Tragic Computer Accidents You Can Prevent:
Joe Keeley: makeuseof
"Computers are vulnerable devices and can often seem to screw up by themselves, but user error is a huge problem causer. There might be things you aren’t aware of being potential hazards and that ignorance could end up wrecking your system."
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5 Tips for Researching the Females in Your Tree:
Ask Ancestry Anne
"With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it might be a good time to focus on the female side of your tree.  But let’s face it, women can be harder to track because they didn’t leave as many records behind.  I have a few things I try with every female in my tree when I get stuck on maiden names and finding parents."
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Using the FamilySearch Catalog:
FamilyHistoryExpos.com
"The FamilySearch Catalog, previously known as the Family History Library Catalog, has additional functionality that you need to be aware of! The FamilySearch Catalog name changed when FamilySearch began to include catalog items from FamilySearch’s Family History Library (FHL)*, Family History Centers and FamilySearch Libraries around the world."
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4 Tips for Genealogy Research with Historical Newspapers:
Gene Philibert-Ortega: GenealogyBank.com
"Ok, so you have a weekend free. You decide to spend it on the hobby you love: family history research. You know you need to research in newspapers. But how do you start? Well before you sit down at the computer and start plugging in ancestor name after ancestor name, take a few minutes to plan out that research to make the most of the limited time you have."
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Save 25% on a gift membership this Mother’s Day:
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This Day in History:
1980: The eradication of smallpox is endorsed by the World Health Organization.
1945: V-E Day, combat ends in Europe. German forces agree in Rheims, France, to an unconditional surrender.
1541: Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Rio de Espiritu Santo.