VGS News & Events: 24 June 2018 through 30 June 2018

L-R: Pat Harchar & Peg Williams working on the Florida Pioneer Project
Learn more about the project HERE...

Coming Events:

Tuesday: January 23, 2018

Midwest SIG Meeting:

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

Wednesday: September 27, 2018

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Wednesday: September 27, 2018

General Monthly Meeting

9:30 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center (Note Time Change)

Presentation: "Filling Our Family Tree without Breaking the Bank"

A live webinar with Katherine R. Willson"

If you are unable to the meeting, you can view the webinar online .
You need to register to attend online...

Register HERE

The webinar will also be placed on our website for 90 days following the live presentation. You do not need to register if attending in person.

Gen News and Announcements:

Pioneer Scanning Project Update:

Pat Rand: Project Coordinator
Thanks to all of you who have continued to volunteer over the summer. There are so many who want to help that we still haven't been able to get everyone scheduled. It appears that we are probably over the half-way mark, as we are finished with the H-Ls and are working on M.

It's now 2 months into the project and we have done:517 applications this month, for a total of 1,05022,099 pages scanned, for a total of 37,500 (and remember, it is really DOUBLE that as each application is scanned twice).

The following volunteers have helped this month: Pat Adams, Bob Boerst, Mary Frances Gerace, Nancy Goodpasture, Barb Gunther, Pat Harchar, Cindy Hineman, Peg Hoskins, Bar Kelly, Scrib Kelly, Donna Koeppel, Carol Mrak, Al Paul, Mary Todd, Marge Watkins, Ruth Wible, and Bruce and Peg Williams.

We really appreciate all the help, and besides, it's been a lot of fun getting to know some of our members.

15 Ways to Solve Your Family History Mystery Once and for All:

Family History Daily
"This article is an excerpt from our online genealogy research course, The Genealogy Journey. The lesson here is part of an in-depth section on breaking down genealogical brick walls – which includes an additional 8 step, highly detailed strategy for solving even the toughest family mysteries."
Continue reading...

Summer Genealogy Inspiration:

The Occasional Genealogist
"Does summer have you avoiding or missing out on genealogy? It might be the weather or maybe it's your summer schedule. No matter the reason, summer can either be a great time to accomplish some genealogy or a genealogical waste-land (that you often don't even understand)."
Continue reading...

Courthouse Research Tips For Genealogists:

Lisa Louise Cooke
"Got a research trip coming up soon? These courthouse research tips for genealogists from The Archive Lady, Melissa Barker, will help you get organized before you hit the road. That way, you’ll be prepared to use your time well at your ancestor’s courthouse–to explore all those original records that may reveal your family history."
Continue reading...

Weigh In On DNA Standards:

The Legal Genealogist
"The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) has made it clear that it intends to more fully incorporate genetic evidence into Genealogy Standards. A committee tasked with reviewing the issue has proposed new and amended standards, and the Board is inviting public comment on the proposals."
Continue reading...

Finding Records From the War to End All Wars: Thinking “Outside-The-Box”

Genealogists.com

"This article highlights some “thinking-outside-the-box” records (a vital component of successful genealogical research!) at these sites."

Continue reading...

The FREE DNA Tool You Need to Know: Gedmatch

The Occasional Genealogist
"Are you interested in genetic genealogy? That’s genealogy using DNA testing. There is a great free tool you need to make sure you’re using."
Continue reading...

Family Legends: Fact or Fiction

The Sunburned Penguin
"We all have them. Family stories told by our grandparents about their grandparents. Tales of heroism, derring-do or just black sheep. As genealogists, we want to investigate these stories to determine how much of the story is actually true. Let’s look at four family legend case studies!"
Continue reading...

Technology:

Apple Claims iOS 12 Will Speed Up Old Devices:

How-to-Geek
"Updates often slow down your iPhone, but Apple says this update will speed your phone up. iOS 12 will speed up everything from your app launches to your keyboard and camera."
Continue reading...

Siri is Getting Custom Voice Actions in iOS 12:

How-to-Geek
"Siri is about to get a lot more powerful. Custom voice commands for any app will allow you to say “Hey Siri, I lost my keys” to instantly launch an app that will help you find them."
Continue reading...

Education:

Irish Immigration Wave: The Emerald Isle Comes to America:

Ancestral Findings
"Millions of Irish immigrants came to America in the mid-19th century to escape the horrors of the potato famine. Here, they faced new struggles. Learn more now."
Listen now...  5.16 minutes

Webinars:

Lightroom or Photoshop? What should I use for my photo editing?

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Many people just don't understand what tools they have available to them when it comes to editing photos. Within Adobe's Creative Suite, there are two programs designed specifically with photographers in mind: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. At first glance, these two programs might appear redundant, as they're both made with the goal of editing photographs of all kinds. But the truth is,  each program is designed with a different purpose in mind, and each offers a distinct post-production photography workflow. My webinar will breakdown why you should choose one over the other and why both of them are important to know and use."
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Jared Hodges
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Reminders: 22 - 26 May 20, 2017

Reminders:

Monday: May 22, 2017

Technology SIG Meeting:

10:00 AM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
The topics will be "Protecting your Computer' followed by a discussion on where is your "Gold Standard genealogy file."

Wednesday: May 24, 2017

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Wednesday: May 24, 2017

General Monthly Meeting

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

Topic: Our guest speaker is Donna Bachowski "Forget Me Not: Preserving Legacies with EPOCH"

Gen News:

10 Free Historical Photo Sites for Finding Your Ancestors:

Crestleaf
"If you’re like us, you love flipping through old family photo albums to discover more about your family’s history. And if you've been fortunate enough to interview your elderly or extended family members, they've likely divulged some fun and interesting stories behind those photos that you've happily added to your family tree."
Continue reading...

Physical Characteristics Of An Ancestor-6 Steps To Discovery:

familytree.com
"Oh, how you wish sometimes you had some photo of an ancestor. You have gathered information about their life, but have no idea what they look like. Did they have a round face, were they tall, have blue eyes and is it possible you look like them?"
Continue reading...

Courthouse Research From Home:

familytree.com
"When I think of "probate records", I think of wills and estate files. If you are thinking the same way, you are likely missing out on a great deal of information!"
Continue reading...

Tech:

How to Figure Out What’s Preventing Your Mac From Sleeping:

How-to-Geek
"It’s bad enough that your kid never goes to sleep, but now your Mac is doing the same thing! Sure, it may not be crying, but your Mac just sits there, awake, without giving you any indication as to why. What’s going on?"
Continue reading...

How to Use Microsoft Paint 3D:

How-to-Geek
"Paint 3D is a new application included with Windows 10’s Creators Update. You can use it to work with 3D models and put together 3D scenes. Your work can be shared online or even printed on a 3D printer."
Continue reading...

Education:

The Top Three Reasons You Should Donate Your Genealogy Research to a Society:

Ancestral Findings
"Have you ever considered donating your genealogical collection to a society? Today on the Ancestral Findings Podcast, I’ll give you three reasons why you should, as well as how to choose the best one for your research and heirlooms."
Listen now... 5.47 minutes

Webinar:

WikiTree: Free for All without a Free-for-All:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"This presentation gives a general overview and introduction to the free collaborative family tree site, WikiTree. It will cover the site's mission and Honor Code, privacy versus open collaboration, genetic genealogy features, cousin bait, becoming a part of the community, and the benefits of membership."
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Eowyn Langholf
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 29 Oct 2015

Courthouse Genealogy Research 101:
Collecting Cousins:
"The first time I visited a courthouse for research, I had no idea what to expect and prior to arrival was quite intimidated. I quickly found that finding your way around is usually very straightforward and using the records is fairly consistent from locality to locality. Since some of the most valuable genealogical information available is sitting – in many cases undigitized – in courthouses, it is worth pushing through the fear factor."
Continue reading...

Ancestry Mexico Launches with More than 220 Million Searchable Mexican Historical Records:
Ancestry.com
"More than 220 million searchable historical records from Mexico, including new birth, marriage, and death records dating back to the 1500s are now available on the Ancestry site, many of them important historical records never before available online."
FREE ACCESS TO RECORDS: October 28th through November 2nd
Start searching...

Drought Causes 450-Year-Old Mexican Church To Emerge From Reservoir:
The Guardian
"The Temple of Quechula was built in 1564 but later abandoned and ultimately submerged by a dam. Now drought conditions in Chiapas have seen it rise again."
Continue reading...

Please, Don’t Write My Obituary!
Valarie
"This really seems like an odd request doesn’t it? If one is not written how else will people know when I leave this world? In most newspapers and even online they list the names of those who recently passed away and maybe a line or two telling a persons age and which funeral home will be handling the service. For me, this would be all I would want. Now the question may arise “WHY?”"
Continue reading...

That Time When Alexander Hamilton Almost Dueled James Monroe:
Smithsonian
"In the heat of July 1797, Monroe was not in the best mood, having just been recalled from his post as ambassador to France amidst attacks by Federalist opponents. Getting an angry letter from Hamilton regarding events that took place more than four years earlier did not improve his state of mind."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: October 29
1618: Sir Walter Raleigh is executed. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Raleigh’s enemies spread rumors that he was opposed the accession of King James.
1814: The Demologos, the first steam-powered warship, launched in New York City.
1901: Leon Czolgosz is electrocuted for the assassination of US President William McKinley. Czolgosz, an anarchist, shot McKinley on September 6 during a public reception at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, N.Y. Despite early hopes of recovery, McKinley died September 14, in Buffalo, NY.
1921 Birthday: Bill Maudlin, American cartoonist whose GI characters "Willie" and "Joe" appeared in Stars and Stripes newspapers during World War II.