VGS News & Events: 12 August 2018 through 18 August 2018

Meeting Reminders:

Monday: August 13, 2018

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

Has been cancelled... See you on September 10th

Coming Soon...

Wednesday, October 24

Fall Virtual Seminar On Immigration Records

9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Online Virtual Conference

This all-day seminar is offered free to our members as part of our celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Villages Genealogical Society.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be no in-person meeting this month. We will attend the presentations via our own computers or devices at whatever location is convenient for us. (That doesn’t mean you can’t get together with other genealogy buddies for a watch party at somebody’s house, though!)

You MUST register for the presentations in order to get the link to join the seminar on the 24th.
Registration is now open at:  Register HERE...

Download the event flyer here...

Gen News and Announcements:

Documenting Ourselves:

The Legal Genealogist
"And so, dutifully, we open up that pedigree chart or that relational database and we enter ourselves in box 1… and, in so many cases, immediately move on.
But wait a munute here..."
Continue reading...

New Historical Records for July 30, 2018

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch expands its free online archives this week with new records and images from France, United Kingdom, and the United States (Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington)."
Search now...

Are You Making the Direct-Line Mistake in Your Family Tree?

Family History Daily
"One of the most common research mistakes that family historians make when building their tree (especially for the first time) is also one of the most limiting and potentially detrimental. We like to call it the Direct-Line Mistake, and its effect on your research outcomes is pretty huge."
Continue reading...

When The DNA Says Your Parents Are Related:

Kitty Cooper
"One of the first things I do when helping someone with their DNA results is to check if their parents are related. This can explain unusual patterns of matches, for example, all seemingly from one side."
Continue reading...

Explore the Past With These 3 Free Newspaper Archives:

Family History Daily
"We’ve gathered together a list of three of our favorite places to find free access to old newspapers. Each is worth checking out since they all have their own collections and dates of publication to offer (with some overlap). Of course, there are many good paid services that offer newspaper records as well but we have focused on including resources below that require no payment for access."
Continue reading...

An Endogamous Success Story:

Kitty Cooper
"It is difficult to solve adoption cases in endogamous communities because everyone will share the same 4th and 5th grandparents, often multiple times, so the methodology for finding a birth parent from 3rd and 4th cousin matches just does not work. You have to wait for a few second cousin or closer matches."
Continue reading...

The Massive Free Genealogy Resource You’ve Probably Never Heard Of:

Family History Daily
"What if I could show you a free online family history resource with over 13 million digitized books, magazines and other types of materials? Would you be interested? What about a continually growing service with free access and downloads to high-resolution scans, PDF documents and plain text? How much would this benefit your family research?"
Continue reading...

Technology:

Why Is My Internet So Slow?

How-to-Geek
"There are many reasons your Internet connection might appear slow. It could be a problem with your modem or router, Wi-Fi signal, signal strength on your cable line, devices on your network saturating your bandwidth, or even a slow DNS server. These troubleshooting steps will help you pin down the cause."
Continue reading...

Education:

DNA Ethnicity Results Aren't What You Think:

Family Historical Fanatics
"Four different DNA companies have four different ethnicity results? Why! Andy Lee's DNA hasn't changed. So what gives? Learn more in this video. Your results might be wrong."
Continue reading...

Webinars:

Everything you need to know about Genealogical Charts and Reports:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Charts and reports are an excellent way to organize and share your discoveries. In this webinar, you will learn about the wide selection of charts and reports available, when to use each type, how to create them and more."
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: MyHeritage Webinars
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Untangle the Web of German Websites:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"The internet is offering more and more quality information for Germanic researchers. This talk will focus on collections of free digitized German materials and indexes available on the internet. Most websites presented are based in Germany, so tips and tricks for navigating them will be included. This webinar will help you expand beyond church records for your German research."
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Sharecropping or Tenant Farming? The System and Its Records

Florida State Genealogical Society
16 Aug 2018 – Margo Fariss Brewer
Note: Margo will be our November guest speaker

• Webinar Abstract: Was your ancestor a farmer without land? Maybe he was a sharecropper or tenant farmer. Learn how this system worked and where the records are.
• Presenter: Margo Fariss Brewer is an active lecturer, consultant, instructor and the co-leader of genealogy research trips to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City which she finds strengthens her research and teaching skills. Her genealogy courses include beginning through advanced methodology, writing your family history narrative so it will be read, a genealogy computer lab and DNA testing for genealogy; her courses are offered through Duke University's OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute where she has been on the faculty since 2004. Her lecture specialties include methodology, writing an enjoyable family history narrative with historical context, using DNA in genealogy, historical occupations, and military and land records; she focuses on records within the United States. Margo is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogical Speakers Guild (president), National Genealogical Society (2016 Conference vice-chair), Virginia Genealogical Society and several other local and state genealogical societies.
• Website: http://www.genealogist4u.com
• Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5255796808953191681

VGS News & Events: 26 November 2017 through 2 December 2017

Coming Events:
Monday: November 27, 2017
Technology SIG Meeting:
10:00 AM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Topic: Google Pictures, How to create a Christmas genealogy gift for the grandchildren. A review of features that may reside in your genealogy software and some photoshop tips.
Tuesday: November 28, 2017
Midwest SIG Meeting:
2:00 PM in the Clearwater Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: Presentation on the history of Midwestern settlement and a discussion of the group's goals, expectations, and suggestions for future programs.
Friday: December 1, 2017

British Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Courageous Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center
Topic: "Transferring your FamilySearch Results to a Spreadsheet" Pat Rand

Register For Our Next VGS Live Webinar:

VGS
On December 4th at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain, 5 p.m. Pacific) we'll have Blaine Bettinger, the Genetic Genealogist, presenting "Introduction to DNA." Blaine is also going to be one of our speakers on the 2019 VGS genealogy cruise, so if you’re not familiar with him, this is a great way to become so. The webinar will be open to everyone who is a member of VGS, but you do have to register using this link:

"In addition to learning about Y-DNA and mtDNA, we’ll learn about the newest tool available to genealogists, autosomal DNA.  Genealogists can use these tools together with traditional research to explore their ancient ancestry, find genetic relatives, and break through brick walls."

FREE! DNA Buying Guide:

Genealogy Bargains
"My brand new book, DNA Buying Guide - Holiday 2017 Edition, is a MUST READ before you make any upcoming DNA test kit purchase. I've researched all the available DNA tests from the major DNA testing companies and this new guide answers almost every question you may have."
Offer good through Monday, November 27, 2017
Continue reading...

Black Friday: 50% Off Ancestry Gift Subscriptions, DNA Kits as Low as $49 and More!

FamilyHistoryDaily
"If you’ve been waiting for some amazing Black Friday and Cyber Monday genealogy deals to come along, the time has  come. Top companies are offering big savings this weekend so grab them while you can. Most of these deals end on Cyber Monday or shortly after."
Continue reading...

Gen News & Announcements:

Ancestry Product Update: Person Page Changes:

Ancestry
"We recently released a couple changes to the Fact and Lifestory pages and wanted to share how you can benefit from this update:"
Continue reading...

Don't Get Caught In The Trap Of Believing All The Records You Need Are Online:

Legacy News
"Do you have a brick wall that you can’t break through? Maybe this is the reason. Online records are great and I love being able to sit back in my office and go click click click with my mouse but I also do old fashioned research at courthouses, archives, and libraries."
Continue reading...

Free genealogy is alive and well:

AncestorNews Genealogy
"When I first launched my book 52 Weeks of Genealogy, I saw several comments from people who felt that the era of free genealogy was over.  I think many people have the notion that Ancestry.com is the only game in town and without a subscription you can’t really climb the family tree. For me, it’s quite the contrary. Here’s my thinking:"
Continue reading...

4 Fabulous Ways to Use the Library of Congress for Genealogy:

Lisa Louise Cook
"The Library of Congress (LOC) is a dream destination for many U.S. genealogy researchers, but most of us can’t get there in person. Here are 4 ways–all online–to access the mega-resources of the Library of Congress for genealogy.
Continue reading...

Spreadsheet Magic - Importing Data From Ancestry.com

Mary Kircher Roddy
"Did you know you can import results from an Ancestry.com search directly into an Excel spreadsheet?  Think of the many ways you could use this technique to create a data set and then manipulate it to see patterns in the data.  A spreadsheet could be a great tool to study and correlate you ancestor's FAN club - their Friends, Associates and Neighbors."
Continue reading...

10 Disturbing Things In Your Family’s Genealogy, Part 1

Living with Beth
"I’ve been tracing my family’s history for decades. It’s an enthralling, fascinating hobby, but genealogy isn’t all moonlight and roses. As mentioned in my post about genealogy myths, our ancestors probably didn’t lead simple, idyllic lives. There were no “good old days.”
Continue reading...

10 Disturbing Things In Your Family’s Genealogy, Part 2

Living with Beth
"This is part two of a two-part post regarding things you might find disturbing about researching your family’s genealogy."
Continue reading...

New Historic Records on FamilySearch: Week of November 20, 2017

FamilySearch
"Five historic Denmark Censuses, 1835 to 1855, were added on FamilySearch and millions of civil registration records  from Uruguay. Many more records from Brazil, Great Britain, Peru, and Portugal were also published."
Search these new free records...

Technology:

Things To Do on Your iPhone to Stop Government Spying:

Lifewire
"In an increasingly chaotic and frightening world, more people than ever are concerned about the government surveillance. Surveillance is probably easier than ever before thanks to the wealth of data captured and stored on devices like the iPhone.
Luckily, they also contain features that help us protect our digital privacy and prevent government spying."
Continue reading...

What The “KRACK Attacks” Mean To You:

Ask Leo
"Earlier this week, a vulnerability was disclosed in the WPA2 security protocol that, in the worst case, could allow an attacker to potentially gain access to some or all of the encrypted information transmitted over a Wi-Fi connection.
This isn’t a bug, and it’s not a failure of one manufacturer or another. This is a weakness in the protocol itself.
If you use Wi-Fi on any device, it’s worth understanding how big of a risk this might be, and what steps, if any, you might want to take."
Continue reading...

Education:

Was the First Thanksgiving Actually Held in Florida? An Interesting Historical Analysis:

Ancestral Findings

"Did the Pilgrims really have the first American Thanksgiving, or does the honor belong to someone else? It all depends on how you look at it.  Join me today on the Ancestral Findings Podcast to learn more."

Listen now... 8.52 minutes

Webinars:

Understanding Alabama:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Alabama presents the budding genealogist with both unique challenges and unique opportunities. Explore the records and repositories you'll need to consider. Learn Alabama's place in classic southern migratory patterns, and the reasons for it. Discover opportunities for African American research not found in other southern states."
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Rorey Cathcart
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Find Your Immigrant Ancestors AND their Relatives in the New York Passenger Arrival Records:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Until now, no organization has indexed the millions of additional names and relationships listed in the New York passenger arrival records which provide information about the arriving immigrant’s nearest friend or relative in his home country as well as information about a friend or relative in the USA. These additional names and relationships are now available in a searchable index for the first  time and can help genealogists find elusive passenger arrival records and solve difficult genealogical problems. This webinar will provide a brief history of passenger arrival records collected at the Port of New York and focus on using the newly updated and expanded index on MyHeritage to improve find ability in these important immigration records."
Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Mike Mansfield
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 12 November 2017 through 18 November 2017

Coming Events:

Monday: November 13, 2017

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

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

Tuesday: November 14, 2017

Adoption & Mystery Kin SIG Meeting

9:30 AM at the coordinators home.
Topic: "Mirror Trees" by Tami Brooks
Contact the coordinator for location and directions HERE

Tuesday: November 14, 2017

Genealogy Writers SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Presentation: "Grandpa Lurvey": An Ancestor in Historical Context." Guest speaker Dick Coffin

Wednesday: November 15, 2017

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

This meeting has been cancelled!

Wednesday: November 15, 2017

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM at the Savannah Center

Presentation: “Religious Records and Their Genealogical Use”

Guest Speaker: David McDonald, CG

Wednesday: November 15, 2017

Workshop

1:30 PM at the Savannah Center

Presentation: “Migration to the Midwest and Great Plains”

Guest Speaker: David McDonald, CG

You must register for this Workshop. Click HERE to register...

Thursday: November 16, 2017

New England Genealogy SIG Meeting

Noon in the New Smyrna Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Friday: November 17, 2017

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Clearwater Room Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Reminder: The VGS Annual All-Say Seminar Registration is now open.

February 28, 2018
Complete details and a registration packet HERE...

New: The Southwest Florida Germanic Genealogy Society Seminar

February 16, 2018 in Port Charlotte, Florida
Download a Registration form HERE...
Several members attended last February's seminar and found that the material provided was well-presented, detailed and very helpful.

Gen News & Announcements:

Did You Know That You Can Borrow Books From Internet Archive?

NGS

"I learned that you can “borrow” books for 14 days from the Internet Archive via its Books to Borrow page. In order to do this you must be registered with Internet Archive.  Here is a FAQs page on how you can borrow from the lending library.
Continue reading...

How ‘Photo Detectives’ Have Helped Reveal Irish History:

Atlas Obscura
"With approximately 5.2 million photographs dating from the 19th century on, the National Library of Ireland’s Photographic Archive is thought of as a sort of national family album. But time dulls historical memory, and a lot of information about the people captured in those images has been forgotten.
Continue reading...

Completing Tasks on the FamilySearch Tree Mobile App:

FamilySearch
"There’s a reason family history is so important—taking some time out of each day to turn your heart to your ancestors can enrich your life, establish your identity, and strengthen your family. Thanks to new and constantly advancing technologies that are available today, it has become easier than ever to integrate family history moments into your daily life in simple, rewarding ways."
Continue reading...

11 Tips For Reading Old Handwriting:

FindMyPast
"Paleography, or the study of old handwriting, is an art form, to say the least. Not only does paleography require many years of careful studying and analysis, it is also deeply rooted in history and the understanding of historical documents."
Continue reading...

How to Manage Your Family's Digital Assets:

Dick Eastman
"Now that we have all these digital devices, have we figured out what to do with the fruits of those devices—the mounds of digital files and sources we amass daily, weekly, monthly, yearly? What do we do with all our personal digital content that makes up our digital lives?"
Continue reading...

Your Genealogy Research Could Land Your DNA Results An A Criminal Investigation:

KIRO7 & Dick Eastman
"The article is a bit sensationalist, emphasizing one very small negative in what I believe to be a testing process that is filled with lots of positive stories. Nonetheless, you might want to think about this a bit before submitting a DNA sample."
Continue reading...

FREE ACCESS THIS WEEKEND AT FINDMYPAST! 

Get access to US and UK Military Records November 8-12, 2017

FindMyPast

"Don’t let your family’s military heroes be forgotten. Unearth their remarkable stories in original documents from the US, UK, Ireland and more. Together, we’ll keep their legacies alive."

Continue reading...

Your DNA Has A Story To Share. Now There’s A Better Way To Tell It.

Ancestry
"As we’ve talked to customers about what you want from your AncestryDNA results, your comments and suggestions inspired us to make some changes. So we’ve integrated more of your DNA test data into a single experience we call your DNA Story."
Continue reading...

Technology:

How to Get Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update Now:

How-to-Geek
"Microsoft has started rolling out Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update, but it will be a few months before every PC gets it. If you don’t want to wait, you can download the Fall Creators Update from Microsoft right now."
Continue reading...

What’s new in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update:

Windows Blog
"The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is beginning to roll out to Windows 10 customers around the world, and we’re outlining all the great new features available in the update with this blog post and our special episode of This Week on Windows."
Continue reading...

Education:

What is a GEDCOM?

Ancestral Findings
"What is a GEDCOM? It is an important word you will come across a lot in online genealogy. Join me on today’s episode of the Ancestral Findings Podcast… now is the ideal time to learn."
Listen now... 5.37 minutes

Webinars:

British and Irish research: The Differences

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Ireland was England's oldest colony, so many assume the records will be the same. They are not precisely because the two country's histories and their relationship to each other were different. We all know about the terrible loss of Irish records, but there are great treasure troves of surviving records which don't exist in England - records about war, rebellion, security and land control. So while there are great obstacles (record loss, language, differing histories), there is a great wealth of resources rarely accessed by genealogists. This talk will examine these differences in records and research techniques between Britain and Ireland, why Irish records were created, or destroyed, and how they can be used to unlock your past."
Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Brian Donovan
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Reminders: 10 - 14 July 2017

Reminders:

Monday: July 10, 2017

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

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

Tuesday: July 11, 2017

Genealogy Writers SIG Meeting

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

Thursday: July 13, 2017

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Topic: No formal presentation.  Concentration will be on member success stories & brick walls plus updates on genealogical sites and methods.

Friday: July 14, 2017

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Rhett Butler Room at the Savannah Center

Topic: "Using Third Party Online Tools"

Gen News:

FamilySearch Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm:

FamilySearch
In case you missed this announcement...
"FamilySearch, a world genealogy leader and nonprofit, announced recently its plans to discontinue its 80-year-old microfilm distribution service. The transition is the result of significant progress made in FamilySearch’s microfilm digitization efforts and the obsolescence of microfilm technology."
Continue reading...

Why FamilySearch Is Ending Microfilm Rental & How to Get Genealogy Records Now:

FamilySearch
"For 80 years, the FamilySearch Family History Library (FHL) has made its enormous stash of microfilmed genealogy records available to researchers through an inexpensive rental service through local FamilySearch Centers. That's about to change:"
Continue reading...

New DNA Webinars Coming From Legacy Family Tree’s “Webinar Subscriber Summer Spectacular!”

The Genetic Genealogist
"Legacy Family Tree announced today their “2017 Webinar Subscriber Summer Spectacular!“, a summer-long release of 28 new webinars from six different genealogists in six different areas (researching in archives, DNA, Texas, U.S. census records, photo restoration, and the Revolutionary War). The first batch, from Melissa Barker, are going live today."
Continue reading...
Editor's Note: Have you used our special subscription offer to Legacy Webinars? If not ask for more details HERE. You must be a VGS member.

Tech:

How to Switch to VoIP and Ditch Your Home Phone Bill Forever:

How-to-Geek
"You can enjoy the convenience of a whole-house phone line without shelling out your hard earned money to your local telecommunications provider. Read on as we show you how to ditch the phone bill, keep the land line, and enjoy free local and long distance calling in the process."
Continue reading...

How to Turn Off (or Customize) Sound Effects in Windows:

How-to-Geek
"Windows plays a startup sound and other sound effects regularly, and they can get obnoxious. They’re especially annoying on Windows 7, where Windows plays a click sound every time you switch folders in Windows Explorer. You can disable them entirely—or even set custom sound effects, if you prefer."
Continue reading...

Education:

The War of 1812 and the Indian Wars: A Double Conflict:

Ancestral Findings
"Some military service records from the War of 1812 are for soldiers who did not actually fight the British at all. They were mainly southern soldiers who were fighting wars with the local Indians at the time. Yet, they received War of 1812 credit and pensions. Why was this the case?"
Continue reading...

Webinars:

Google Books: The Tool You Should Use Every Day!

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"25 million digitized and searchable free books are at your fingertips. Learn how to make the most of this goldmine chock full of historical data! "
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: Lisa Louise Cooke
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Tips for Snapping Pics: How to Take Perfect Family Photographs

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Make your next family portrait the one you will be proud to hang on the wall or mail for the holidays. Learn from professional photographer, Jared Hodges, how to compose and shoot the perfect shot. You will learn about proper lighting, the right poses, what to wear, and more."
Friday, July 14, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Jared Hodges
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Free Book Offer:

FREE DOWNLOAD: Preserving Your Family’s Oral History and Stories:

Thomas MacEntee
"Summertime and it is the season for FREEBIES! Lately I’ve been working on some digitization projects at home involving family history so I wanted to make one of my most popular books – Preserving Your Family’s Oral History and Stories – available for FREE!"
Continue reading...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 1 February 2017

Reminders:

Today: February 1, 2017

French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting:

9:00 AM in the Julio Iglesias Room at the La Hacienda Recreation Center

Tomorrow: February 2, 2017

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:

1:00 PM in the Daytona Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Gen News:

Researching City Dwelling Ancestors:

Ancestry
"Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG℠, is the president Board for Certification of Genealogists and a full-time professional researcher specializing in Chicago and Cook County research, forensic genealogy, problem-solving, and multi-generational family histories. Researching city-dwelling ancestors is different and perhaps more challenging than general family history research. Jeanne gave us some great tips for overcoming those challenges."
Continue reading...

The Surprising Places Jewish Refugees Settled During World War II:

Ancestry
"The 1930s marked a dark time. Just as the Nazis were sweeping through Germany, countries were tightening their immigration policies in the wake of the Great Depression. The United States, for instance, kept strict quotas on immigrants’ country of origin. Only 124,000 German Jews were allowed to enter between 1938 and 1941. Thus, Jewish refugees with the resources to flee went to some places you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find Jewish communities."
Continue reading...

The Real Reason You Shouldn’t Reshelve Genealogy Books:

Ancestry
"If you’ve ever been in a library with a genealogy collection, you’ve probably seen signs that say, “Do Not Reshelve the Books.” There’s a good reason why you shouldn’t reshelve genealogy books… and it’s probably not the reason you think."
Continue reading...

Tech:

How to Download Files and Webpages Directly to Google Drive in Chrome:

How-to-Geek
"We’ve all downloaded files from the web to our computer. However, if you’d rather download files directly to your Google Drive account, there’s an extension for Google Chrome that allows you to do just that."
Continue reading...

Where Should I Sell My Old Stuff? eBay vs. Craigslist vs. Amazon:

How-to-Geek
"So you’ve unpacked a shiny new iPad (or laptop, or camera, or other gadget) and it’s time to get rid of the old one. Why not make a few bucks in the process?"
Continue reading...

Education:

Irish Genealogy - Part 4 - Websites With American Records

Finding Grandpa
"This is part 4 in a series of 9 videos called "Building the Bridge Back to Ireland". Using various websites to find documents that might show where in Ireland your ancestors are from, and where to look once you get "across the pond"."
Watch Video...  11.39 minutes

VGS Latest News & Tips: 20 Sep 2016

Tomorrow: September 21, 2016

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Defender Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

• Topics:
• Using the new Google Earth with David Rumsey's historical map collection.
• Information about Lisa Louise Cooke and her genealogy audio show.
• Discussions on our searches in the 8 States.

Tomorrow: September 21, 2016

New to Genealogy SIG Meeting
2:30 PM in the Chateaugay Room at the Chatham Recreation Center

Topic: "Getting Started on Your Genealogy"

3 Reasons German Research Is Easier Than You Think:
FamilySearch
"I have talked to many researchers tracing their families who are plodding right along, finding their ancestors in United States records with reasonable success, extending their family trees back generation by generation. Then something happens that brings them to a screeching halt—they reach a German immigrant ancestor. Many people seem to believe that once you come across a German in your family, it’s time to throw in the towel and switch to a different family line. German research is just too hard. Right?"
Continue reading...

Haplogroup X2b4 is European, Not Native American:
DNAeXplained
"Recently, I had reason to look at the results of one of Radegonde’s descendants again, and discovered that enough time has elapsed that new results are in, and based on full sequence matches and other evidence, it appears that X2b4 is indeed European and not Native."
Continue reading...

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke - Your Family History Show
Lisa Louise Cook
Episode 195: Listen now...  (1 Hour) or Learn more about this episode...

Research Genealogy – 6 Books to Help You!
The Genealogy Guide
"Genealogy, or family history, as the name suggests is the study of families and tracing people’s lineage. You may either be a beginner or have been researching your family’s ancestors for a while. It is therefore a good idea to have a book or two to show you how to research genealogy."
Continue reading...

How to Keep Windows 10’s Start Menu and Action Center Black While Using a Custom Accent Color:
How-to-Geek
"Annoyed that Windows 10 gives you only one setting to change the color of the taskbar, Start menu, and Action Center all at once? There’s no way to change each color individually, but we’ve got a quick Registry hack that will get you part of the way there."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 20 September
1784: Packet and Daily, the first daily publication in America, appears on the streets.
1806: Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark pass the French village of La Charette, the first white settlement they have seen in more than two years.
1952: Scientists confirm that DNA holds hereditary data.
1917 Birthday: Arnold “Red” Auerbach, second most wins basketball coach in history with 1,037 victories for the Boston Celtics.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Connecticut:
1638-37: Pequot War
1638" New Sweden colonists arrived and New Haven settled by colonists from Massachusetts & England
1713: Massachusetts Connecticut boundary estanlished

VGS Latest News & Tips: 20 July 2016

Foundations of Irish Genealogy by John Grenham Now Available:
GeneaWebinars
"For the first time, a comprehensive beginning Irish genealogy course is available online, worldwide, from the foremost Irish genealogy authority, John Grenham. He is the author of the definitive Irish genealogy guide Tracing Your Irish Ancestors. The six-class series introduces you to Irish genealogy and then progressively takes you through the major Irish records sources. Taught with humor and an authentic Irish accent, Grenham brings together Irish research in a way only the most knowledgeable Irish researcher can."
Continue reading...

Discovering Pocahontas: A family surprise
Genealogy Adventures
"I never get tired of saying that it’s been the women in my family tree who have revealed my most profound and memorable genealogy surprises. This shows no signs of abating. Yet another lady in my tree has revealed something remarkable."
Continue reading...

ARCHIVED: DNA with Blaine Bettinger

Dear Myrtle

"Thanks to our friend Blaine Bettinger for the informative discussion about DNA test results and the impact this can have in our genealogical paper-trail. We managed to discuss autosomal, yDNA and mtDNA testing; mirrored trees, triangulation, and a bit about ethical issues when sharing DNA results."

Continue reading...

Go directly to the webinar... (1hr 7 min)

Digitized Record Indexes Are Great, But They're Not Everything!

Family Sleuther

"A rainy 4th of July holiday may upset patriotic Americans with a hankering for outdoor BBQs and fireworks, but I was perfectly content to hole up inside and dive into genealogy. God Bless the USA, my internet connection, and digitized probate records!"

Continue reading...

WWI Draft Registration Cards:
Fold3
"Did you have any male family members living in the United States during 1917–18 who were born between 1872 and 1900? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll find them in Fold3’s WWI Draft Registration Cards (via the National Archives)."
Continue reading...

How to Stop Your iPhone from Tracking Your Frequent Locations:
How-to-Geek
"You probably know that your iPhone (and iPad) can track your location, which can be super helpful for things like marking where a photo was taken or letting friends and family know where you are. But you may not know that, by default, iOS keeps track of locations you visit frequently so that it can make better local suggestions and give you a more personalized Today view in your Notification Center."
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How to Set Up SIM Card Lock for a More Secure iPhone:
How-to-Geek
"Locking your iPhone’s SIM card adds yet another layer of security, meaning that even if someone can get into your phone, they still can’t use it to call, text, or access your data plan."
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This Day In History: 20 July
1881: Sioux chief Sitting Bull surrenders to the U.S. Army.
1942: The U.S. Army Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) begins its first training class at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
1969: Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon.
1591 Birthday: Anne Hutchinson, religious liberal, one of the founders of Rhode Island.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Rhode Island:
1729: Ship captains had to pay 50 pounds for each immigrant not from England, Ireland or the Channel Islands
1740: Population reaches 25,000
1747: Rhode Island gained Bristol, Tiverton, Little Compton, Warren & other towns in Bristol County from Massachusetts
1774: Slave importation outlawed

VGS Latest News & Tips: 28 June 2016

Ireland Says Slán to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden:
Ancestry
"On his sixth and final day in Ireland, the Vice President attended a lunch hosted by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Dublin’s Farmleigh House — the official Irish State guest home."
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Vice President Biden Answers Your Family History Questions:

Ancestry

"When the Vice President announced he was heading to the Emerald Isle to walk in the footsteps of some of his Irish ancestors, we put a call out for questions relating to his family history, noting he would be responding to several of them during the trip. His answers are noted in italic."

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Cemetery Crowdsourcing: A Guide to What It Is and Its Benefits:
FamilySearch
"Finding an excuse to stroll quietly through cemeteries, observing the final resting place of people once vibrant with life, and enjoying the silence of dew drops drying off of memorial stones just got easier."
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DPLA and FamilySearch Partner to Expand Access to Digitized Historic Books Online:
FamilySearch
"In concert with the American Library Association national conference in Orlando, Florida, this week, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and FamilySearch International, the largest genealogy organization in the world, have signed an agreement that will expand access to FamilySearch.org’s growing free digital historical book collection to DPLA’s broad audience of users including genealogists, researchers, family historians, students, and more."
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News For Those Interested In Indiana Genealogy:
IGS
"From School for the Deaf students to coal miners to prisoners to Odd Fellows -- there's a little bit for everyone in the newest databases on the IGS website."
Let's see what's new...

How to Rearrange or Hide the Extension Buttons on the Chrome Toolbar:
How-to-Geek
"Some Google Chrome extensions add a button to the right side of the toolbar, which usually provides access to the extension’s main features. These buttons are added in the order the extensions were installed, and that order may not be to your liking."
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This Day In History: June 28
1778: Mary “Molly Pitcher” Hays McCauley, wife of an American artilleryman, carries water to the soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth.
1874: The Freedmen’s Bank, created to assist former slaves in the United States, closes. Customers of the bank lose $3 million.
1884: Congress declares Labor Day a legal holiday.
1902 Birthday: Richard Rodgers, American composer.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Illinois:
1773: Land company purchased most of southern Illinois.
1774: Quebec annexed Illinois
1778: George Rogers Clark claimed Kalkaska & Cahokla for America.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 24 March 2016

7 Time Management Tips for Genealogy Researchers:
The Ancestor Hunter
"Finding time to research your family history is a challenge for many, even if one is retired. Family obligations and job/career obligations always seem to get in the way of the fun that is family history research."
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Researching Female Ancestors in NARA's Military Records
LegacyFamilyTree
"Americans traditionally think of men running the government and holding civic positions, as well as putting their lives on the line for freedom. As highlighted here, pertinent collections at the National Archives can provide more information about your female ancestor and how she contributed to the war effort."
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Your Ancestors’ Stories May Be Hiding in One of These Free Texts:
FamilyHistoryDaily
"One of the most exciting things about doing family history research is moving beyond names and dates to begin exploring the stories of our ancestors’ lives. There are many ways to do this."
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How to Add Safe Mode to the Windows 8 and 10 Boot Menu:
How-to-Geek
"Booting into Safe Mode has long been a staple when troubleshooting Windows computers. Safe Mode starts Windows with only a limited set of files and drivers so you can figure out what’s wrong with your PC. But for some reason, Windows 8 and 10 make Safe Mode hard to get to. Here’s a fix for that."
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This Day In History: 24 March
1765: Britain passes the Quartering Act, requiring the colonies to house 10,000 British troops in public and private buildings.
1900: Mayor Van Wyck of New York breaks ground for the New York subway tunnel that will link Manhattan and Brooklyn.
1947: Congress proposes limiting the presidency to two terms.
1874 Birthday: Harry Houdini, magician, escape artist.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 4 March 2016

Today: Friday: March 4, 2016

British Genealogy SIG Meeting
Webmaster John DeAngelo, Guest Speaker

9:30 AM in the Courageous Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

Hidden Treasures in Your State:
Ancestry
"Changing where you look for your ancestors can break through brick walls. Spend five minutes with Anne Gillespie Mitchell and learn how to find collections and records specific to the state where your ancestor lived."
View video... 4.51 minutes

Google Guide for Genealogy:
Barry J. Ewell
"1001 Ways to Search the Internet like a Genealogist. This is a comprehensive 508 page guide for genealogists and family historians to effectively use Google to deliver accurate and relevant search results in seconds. Find hundreds of examples of simple to advanced search queries that you can immediately use and modify. Learn about the skills you need, records you will find, and resources you can use to find available information."
Look Inside the Book...

Clues You Can Find in a Census Record!
Olive Tree Genealogy
"It is easy to overlook clues that are in a record. For instance ONE census record can often provide a great many new facts and clues to work on."
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Ireland Genealogy:
FamilySearch
"Guide to Ireland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 4 March

1634: Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
1766: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, the cause of bitter and violent opposition in the colonies.
1789: The first Congress of the United States meets in New York and declares that the Constitution is in effect.
1888 Birthday: Knute Rockne, football player and coach for Notre Dame.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 28 December 2015

MAN WANTED---Male Descendant of Jan Cornelisen Van Hoorn:
"I am seeking a direct line male descendant of Jan Cornelisen Van Hoorn.
This gentleman must have the Van Horne surname and be a descendant of Jan Cornelisen in the paternal line, In other words, the line cannot have been broken by a female birth.
I manage the Van Horne Surname DNA Project at Family Tree DNA. We have one male line descendant of Jan Cornelisen in the project. I would like to confirm that we have established the correct genetic pedigree for this family. To do that the project needs another direct line male Jan Cornelisen descendant to be tested and hopefully match the first project member for this family.
If you think you qualify or know someone who does, please write to me at msvnhrn@jps.net and include a list of your male line back to Jan Cornelisen.
Thanks, Marleen Van Horne

2015 top posts: DNA
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist
"Here we are, in the last days of 2015, so it’s time to stop for a moment, and reflect as part of a year-end review."
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For the 12 Days of Christmas: 12 Types of Newspaper Articles for Genealogy Research, Part I
Genealogy Bank
"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Well if you’re like most of us your family history gift would be finding more mentions (or perhaps just one mention) of your ancestry. Instead of geese a-laying or the partridge in a pear tree, you want to go straight to the genealogy happy dance where you celebrate finding that newspaper article about your family."
Part 1: Continue reading   Part 2: Continue reading...

Reuniting Taken Children With Their Biological Families:DNA TestingAdvisor.com
"New DNA databases are making it possible for taken children and their biological families to find each other.
Every year thousands of children are taken. Strangers kidnap some of them. Others disappear through parental abduction in custody disputes."
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More than 250,000 books on family history scanned through LDS Church:
Idaho State Journal
"POCATELLO — Jane Garner had been told several years ago that there was a book written about her elusive great-grandfather; however, she learned it was available only through interlibrary loan from a library in the Midwest.
Fast forward to today: The exciting news is that thousands upon thousands of books from around the world dealing with family history are just a finger touch away on your personal computer
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Cleaning house?!?! Soon to disappear Genealogy Tools and Services:
NGS
"It’s always hard to say “goodbye” to tools that one has used for a long time, and, on the other hand, change is inevitable."
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Add Events to Timelines...
Geni
"As relatives are added to the family tree, we will often enter the usual basic information, such as names, birth and death dates and location, etc. But did you know you can enhance your relatives’ profiles even further by adding life events to their Timelines? The Timeline is a great way to visualize the events that occur throughout a person’s life."
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Preserving the War of 1812 Pensions: An Update 
Ancestry
The Preserve the Pensions project is raising funds to digitize and preserve the 7.2 million pages of War of 1812 pension files. These files had never even been microfilmed. Each time someone requested a file from the National Archives, it required handling the paper file. All of that processing over the years has been hard…
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This Day In History: December 28
1846: Iowa is admitted as the 29th State of the Union.
1904: Farmers in Georgia burn two million bales of cotton to prop up falling prices.
1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt states, "The definite policy of the United States, from now on, is one opposed to armed intervention."
1856 Birthday: Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 22 October 2015

Why Native Americans are concerned about potential exploitation of their DNA:
GLP
"Until the advent of genetic genealogy, knowing your ancestry meant combing through old records, decoding the meaning of family heirlooms and listening to your parents and grandparents tell you about the ‘good old days’. For anthropologists and archaeologists interested in going back even further in time, the only reliable means of understanding human history were trying to interpret ruins or remnants of skeletons or other information uncovered at the site of remains."
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Google Books Project Ruled Legal by U.S. Appeals Court:
Reuters"A U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday that Google's massive effort to scan millions of books for an online library does not violate copyright law, rejecting claims from a group of authors that the project illegally deprives them of revenue."
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More Cemetery Walk Videos Online on Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel:
OliveTreeGenealogy
"Olive Tree Genealogy has put more Cemetery Walk Videos online over the past few days. You can view these Cemetery Walks on my Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel. The complete list of over 60 walks can be found here.

The Death of the Family Meal and Other Things That We Just Don't Do Anymore:
The Telegraph
"New research has found that fewer people than ever sit down to eat a family meal together. But what else has vanished from society?"
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Samford University Library and the Advisory Board of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) have announced the new host site for IGHR.
IGHR will be moving to Georgia in 2017. One of the four prestigious genealogical institutes in the United States and the only one with special emphasis on Southern research, IGHR will be moving from its home of more than 50 years at Samford University and the Samford University Library. Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. has grown immensely, and demands on its space and staff can no longer accommodate the week-long, intensive series of courses.
Continue reading...

This Day In History: October 22
1797: The first successful parachute descent is made by Andre-Jacqes Garnerin, who jumps from a balloon at some 2,200 feet over Paris.
1824: The Tennessee Legislature adjourns ending David "Davy" Crockett’s state political career.
1836: Sam Houston sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Texas.
1939 Birthday: Christopher Lloyd, actor; (Back to the Future Film series; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; won three Emmys, two of them for his role as Jim Ignatoski in Taxi TV series).

VGS Latest News & Tips: 20 Apr 2015

Meeting Reminder - Tomorrow, April 21:

Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Getting More From Your Autosomal DNA: Genetic Family Trees"

Origin Hunters
"For years, genealogists have been able to use Y-DNA to validate paternal pedigrees and sort surnames into family groups.  This has been a great advantage for the world of genealogy, but it has been restricted to men and paternal lines.  Autosomal DNA is more inclusive."
Read more...

Conquering William's DNA:

Origin Hunters
"One of my favorite aspects of y-DNA is that it’s used to prove or disprove that two men with the same last name are closely related. Two family lines with a similar surname can figure out if they have a common ancestor."
Read more...

Note: We have 5 male members of The VGS with the Williams surname.

Frustrated with Facebook? 5 Tips to Reclaim Your Sanity:

Briallyn Smith
"The real-world social implications of Facebook make it difficult to deal with frustrating online situations. Here are five tips to help you keep your Facebook feed drama-free."
Read more...

Free Historic Book Collection Online Hits 200,000th Milestone:

Familysearch.org
Imagine a free virtual online library of rare historic books from all over the world to help you discover rich, unknown details about the lives of your ancestors. What if the historic book collections held by significant public libraries and venerable societies were the sources of these contributed books? You’d have a dynamic, priceless online repository of some of the greatest hidden historic treasures predominantly unknown to man. International, and a growing host of partnering libraries and organizations and volunteers, have announced today that they’ve reached the milestone of publishing 200,000 historic volumes online for free at books.FamilySearch.org. The growing online collection, which began in 2007, is invaluable to genealogists and family historians in finding their ancestors.
Read more...

FamilySearch Adds More Than 2.3 Million Indexed Records and Images for the Czech Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Ukraine, and the United States:

Familysearch.org
"Notable collection updates include 771,097 images from the New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843–1998 collection; 417,808 indexed records and 417,808 images from the US, BillionGraves Index collection; and 411,325 indexed records from the Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Civil Registration, 1859–2000 collection."
See all updates...

This Day in History:

1912: The Boston Red Sox played their first game at Fenway Park. They beat the N.Y. Highlanders (who in 1913 would become known as the Yankees) 7-6.
1902: Marie and Pierre Curie isolated radium.
1841: The first detective story, Edgar Allen Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue" was published.