VGS Latest News & Tips: 15 Aug 2016

How Many Ancestors Do We Have?
Legacy Family Tree
"If we double the number of ancestors in each generation, 2 parents, 4 grandparents, and so on, we can see that by the time we are back 10 generations, we have the potential for 1024 ancestors. If we were to go back to the time of Charlemagne, we would find we had the potential for 281 trillion ancestors all living at that one moment in history. But this is statistically impossible!"
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History Of Nursing Captured In New Nursing Registers:
Ancestry
"Janet Davies, Royal College of Nursing Chief Executive and General Secretary, explores the new nursing register collection and shines a spotlight on the record of one of the RCN’s founders, Sarah Swift."
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The Family Historian’s Holiday:

Ancestry
"August is a time for holidays. Assuming your family haven’t agreed to holiday in the National Archive like you wanted, then most likely it’s a holiday away from your computer and the big pile of records sitting on your desk."
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Tracing Your Ancestor’s Education:
Ancestry Guide
"Whether you’re looking for a valedictorian or a class clown, education records can open a priceless window into someone’s younger years. You might get a look at their academic endeavors, extracurricular interests, athletic achievements, bosom buddies—maybe even a glimpse of their prom date. So where do you find these pearls of insight (and possible incrimination)?"
Download the Guide...

Chilling Mountaintop Find May Confirm Dark Greek Legend:
Boston Globe
"ATHENS — At the top of a mountain once worshipped as the birthplace of the god Zeus, archeologists have made a sinister discovery that might corroborate one of the darkest legends of antiquity."
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Reminder! Your Evernote Plan Changes Soon:

Evernote

"Are you an Evernote user? The Evernote Free Basic plan will soon only sync your notes on 2 devices, unless you upgrade to one of their paid plans."

Learn more...

How to Run Windows Programs on a Mac With Wine:
How-to-Geek
"Wine is an open source program for running Windows software on non-Windows operating systems. While it’s most often used on Linux, Wine can run Windows software directly on a Mac, too–without requiring a Windows license or needing Windows running in the background."
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This Day In History: 15 August
1914: The Panama Canal opens to traffic.
1935: American comedian and “cowboy philosopher” Will Rogers dies in an airplane accident, along with American aviation pioneer Wiley Post.
1942: The Japanese submarine I-25 departs Japan with a floatplane in its hold which will be assembled upon arriving off the West Coast of the United States, and used to bomb U.S. forests.
1769 Birthday: Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France (1804-1815) and military leader.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Alaska:
1784: First white settlement started in Three Saints Bay
1799: Russian-American Company started and Russia established a post in Old Sitka area
1818: Russian Navy took control of Alaska

VGS Reminders: 18-22 July 2016

There Are No VGS Meetings This Coming Week.

Ruth Wible exhibit at the 2010 VGS Family History Expo

This week would be a good time to start working on your exhibit for the upcoming VGS Family History Expo. Join other members displaying some of their research, history, artifacts, books or charts. It's been six years since our last expo and we are looking forward to this exciting event.

Start to prepare now! The event will be held on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 11:30 to 3:30 PM in the Scarlett O’Hara Theater at the Savannah Regional Recreation Center. If you want to participate, you need to reserve a table now. Download a  table reservation form...

Free Webinar: DPLA Genealogy and Family History Workshop:
Digital Public Library of America
"In this hour-long workshop webinar, DPLA Community Reps and experienced genealogists Tamika Maddox Strong and Amy Johnson Crow will introduce DPLA as a resource for family historians, genealogists, and anyone interested in learning about new research skills and cool collections in DPLA. You will leave this workshop with new tips for searching for family names in DPLA and exploring resources in your family’s hometown or region. We’ll also take a peek at some of the collections that may prove invaluable for your family research: yearbooks, letters, newspapers, military records, family Bibles and more! With content from 2,000 libraries, archives, and museums across the country, DPLA also offers a unique opportunity to dig deeper and add context to the lives of our ancestors. The workshop is free and open to all so whether you are new to DPLA, new to genealogy, or highly experienced, the workshop will have something for you."
When: July 26, 2016 at 3:00PM
Register HERE...

Which DNA Test Is Right For Me?
FamilyTree U
"DNA Testing is confusing and can leave even a professional genealogist wondering, “Is a DNA test worth the trouble?” Not only can the words used to by scientific websites online sound like a whole other language, but with hundreds of test provider options to pick from, it’s hard to know where to even start. That’s why we have put together this free eBook, Which DNA Test Is Right For Me? You have a unique family tree, which unique brick walls you need to break through to find your ancestors, and not every DNA test will help you do that. Save time and money by downloading Which DNA Test Is Right For Me? and find out how new science can help your family tree grow."
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The Genealogical Society: Revise or Demise?
The Golden Egg Genealogist
"Genealogy is emerging, growing, thriving. So why do we hear rumors of the impending death of the local genealogical society? Is it “revise or demise” for these once-vital pillars of family history research?"
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How Much DNA Do We Share? It Depends
DNAeXplained
"I was curious how testing the same two people at the 3 different vendors, then uploading the results from those different vendors to GedMatch and repeating the matching process there would affect the amount of DNA reported as matching."
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How to Migrate from Evernote to OneNote:
How-to-Geek
"Evernote is going to be limiting their free plans and increasing the prices of paid plans. If you’ve ever thought about switching to Microsoft’s OneNote instead, now is probably a good time. Thankfully, Microsoft has released an official tool for migrating your Evernote data into OneNote."
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This Day In History: 16 July
1779: American troops under General Anthony Wayne capture Stony Point, N.Y.
1882: Mary Todd Lincoln, the widow of Abraham Lincoln, dies of a stroke.
1918: Czar Nicholas and his family are murdered by Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg, Russia.
1911 Birthday: Ginger Rogers, actress and dancer.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Pennsylvania
1788-1798: Severe outbreaks of Diphtheria, measles and yellow fever
1800: Capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.
1811: First steamboat from Pittsburgh to New Orleans

VGS Latest News & Tips: 13 July 2016

The new Genealogy Writers SIG held their first meeting, yesterday, July 12, 2016
It was an organizational meeting. Regular meetings begin in August.

Tomorrow: Thursday: July 14, 2016

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Reliance Room at the Late Miona Recreation Center
Relative Finder: One Big Family of Cousins:
FamilySearch
"I’ve always believed, with a certain perverse pride, that I come from plain folks, neither rich nor famous. I’ve confirmed it. To my knowledge, I am not a direct descendent of anyone famous; however, James Madison, signer of the U.S. Constitution and fourth president of the United States, is my second cousin, six generations removed. I am also second cousin 11 to 13 times removed from several members of the Mayflower Company, but none of them are direct ancestors. Henry VIII of England is my 14th great uncle, and his daughter Mary is my third cousin, 12 times removed. I am related to no famous Europeans and only distantly related to any famous Americans past or present."
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Searching Findmypast: A Guide
FindMyPast
"We have recently launched the beta version of our new navigation, something we've been working on for several months. I am so grateful to those of you who have already filled in the survey. There are so many responses, but I am reading each and every one of them. I can see a few common questions, so I thought it would be good to answer them here."
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Birth, Marriage and Death Records: A Beginner’s Guide
FindMyPast
"Birth, Marriage and Death Records (BMDs) are the first kind of records you'll discover when starting your family history research. The BMDs provide an incredible resource for tracing important events in your family's history, and are often the key to growing your family tree.
But what are they, exactly? And how can they help you?
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Evernote Clampdown Causes Anger:
BBC
"Evernote has restricted the use of the free version of its note-taking app and raised prices for the paid-for ones."
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How to Use SmartThings to Automatically Turn on Lights When Entering a Room:
How-to-Geek
"If you’re sick of having to find and fumble with the light switch every time you enter a dark room, you can use SmartThings to automate that process and have the lights turn on automatically when you enter."
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This Day In History: 13 July

1585: A group of 108 English colonists, led by Sir Richard Grenville, reaches Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

1754: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to the French, leaving them in control of the Ohio Valley.

1787: Congress, under the Articles of Confederation, enacts the Northwest Ordinance, establishing rules for governing the Northwest Territory, for admitting new states to the Union and limiting the expansion of slavery.

1886 Birthday: Edward J. Flanagan, Catholic priest, founder of Boys’ Town.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Pennsylvania:
1720: Western Pennsylvania settled
1729: 6,000 immigrants arrive from Europe
1732: Maryland boundary disputed

VGS Latest News & Tips: 3 June 2016

Registration for FGS 2016 Now Open:
FGS
"Join fellow genealogists and family historians Aug. 31—Sep. 3, 2016, at the FGS 2016 National Conference, “Time Travel: Centuries of Memories,” designed to inspire you and enrich your family history.
Hosted by the Federation of Genealogical Societies with local host Illinois State Genealogical Society in Springfield, IL, FGS 2016 brings you sessions with a wide array of offerings from many of the nation's leading family history experts, along with top international speakers from Scotland and Australia. Each day of the conference is full of sessions aimed at strengthening your research skills no matter what your level or area of expertise might be.
7 Reasons You Should Attend FGS 2016:
1. Discover new ways to help you solve your genealogy research problems with over 160 expert-led sessions and workshops designed for all skill levels — beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
2. Get a handle on DNA for genealogy with our DNA track and sessions led by the foremost experts in the field.
3. With leading U.K. and Australia experts in our British Isles & Commonwealth track, finally tackle those overseas ancestral questions you have and expand your family tree.
4. Learn how to unravel your ethnic ancestors’ stories with our in-depth continental European ethnic track.
5. Take your family history research further with tracks covering military resources, religious resources, occupation resources, Midwest regional resources, migration patterns, and more to solve genealogy problems and to put your ancestors into context.
6. Meet society leaders and organizations in the Society Showcase located in the Exhibit Hall and learn how their organizations can help you with your family history.
7. Meet and have fun with other genealogists and family historians just like you with our built-in networking events and Springfield’s historic sites.
More information & Registration...

AncestryDNA: Improving Accuracy of New Ancestor Discoveries:
Ancestry
"In 2015, we introduced New Ancestor Discoveries which connects AncestryDNA users with potential new ancestors or relatives— someone that may not be in your family tree previously. A New Ancestor Discovery appears if you share significant amounts of DNA with multiple members of an AncestryDNA Circle—which means you might also be related to the ancestor that..."
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The Irish Genealogical Research Project:
“Did you know that something made of oak is the traditional gift to give a couple on their 80th wedding anniversary to celebrate a long life live together?  So, what better way to celebrate the Society’s 80th anniversary this year than by asking you all to explore the branches of your family trees, pick your favourite Irish-born ancestor or relative and tell their story.  We have launched a special project to create an archive of these personal stories which we will publish on-line as a valuable genealogical resource.  You can find details of the project on a dedicated web page at http://www.irishancestors.ie/?page_id=7271  – be sure to take a look at Dennis Manning’s story as an example to help fire your imagination.  Also, please take some time to make yourself familiar with the Rules of Submission which you can find at http://www.irishancestors.ie/?page_id=7368
The project is not restricted to Society members, so please feel free to spread the word to anyone else you know who may have an interesting story to tell about an Irish-born ancestor.  We look forward to receiving your submissions and hope to achieve at least 80 great stories to celebrate our “Quercine” anniversary.”

Evernote and Google Drive Join Forces:
Evernote
Over half of all Evernote users have a Google Account—coming together was the natural next step. Now, you can access your Google Drive files directly from Evernote.
Learn more...

PSA: Don’t Shut Down Your Computer, Just Use Sleep (or Hibernation):
How-to-Geek
"In this day and age, there’s no reason to shut down your computer, then sit through the boot-up process when you want to use it. Save yourself time by putting your computer to sleep or hibernating it instead."
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This Day In History: 3 June
1539: Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain.
1888: The classic baseball poem “Casey at the Bat,” written by Ernest L. Thayer, is published in the San Francisco Examiner.
1923: In Italy, dictator Benito Mussolini grants women the right to vote.
1808 Birthday: Jefferson Davis, President of Confederate States of America.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Nebraska
1803: Became part of Louisiana Purchase
1812: Became part of Missouri Territory
1848: Fort Kearny established on the Oregon Trail, Nebraska Territory organized

VGS Latest News & Tips: 10 March 2016

Today: Thursday: March 10, 2016

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Tomorrow: Friday: March 11, 2016

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Recent Updated Records: U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847 - 2015.
Ancestry
This database is a compilation of cemetery and funeral home data published in U.S. newspapers, funeral homes and collected from various online sources. Records can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical
TOTAL RECORDS: 5,898,660   View this collection

You Think Digitizing Old Newspapers is Easy? Then Read This!
The Ancestor Hunt
A users view point of FamilySearch Family Tree
"I recently came across an article from the State Library of Victoria, Australia. It is all about the process that they go through to digitise old newspapers, in this case The Bendigo Independent, for the years 1902-1918."
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Erased From History: The Empty Place of Women On Our Family Tree:
Setareh Sabety
"After posting my grandfather’s picture I got several requests from family members to write more about our family history. The poor ancestors didn’t know who’d be writing their history. I’m not good at ancestor worship."
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The Pros and Cons of Windows 10’s “Fast Startup” Mode:
How-to-Geek
"Windows 10’s Fast Startup (called Fast Boot in Windows 8) works similarly to the hybrid sleep mode of previous versions of Windows. By saving the operating system state to a hibernation file, it can make your computer boot up even faster, saving valuable seconds every time you turn your machine on."
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Evernote Defends User Data Security and Transparency:
Evernote
We created Evernote to be your digital brain. Shortly after we set that as our goal, we wrote our 3 Laws of Data Protection to codify these principles:

• Your Data is Yours
• Your Data is Protected
• Your Data is Portable

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This Day In History: 10 March
1656: In the colony of Virginia, suffrage is extended to all free men regardless of their religion.
1785: Thomas Jefferson is appointed minister to France.
1848: The treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo is signed which ends the United States’ war with Mexico.
1845 Birthday: Hallie Quinn Brown, American educator, women’s rights leader.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 8 October 2015

Today: Thursday, October 8, 2015

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Citing Genealogical Sources Correctly: Why It’s Crucial to Your Research:
Crestleaf
"Researching your family history can be quite the eye-opening and rewarding experience. And it isn’t for the faint of heart, either! Whether you’re new to genealogy research or a seasoned family historian, you know how much time and dedication is needed to uncover the hidden mysteries of your family and fill in the branches of your family tree."
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University of Manitoba’s Digital Archives Contain Newspapers, Military, and Prairie History:
Genealogy à la carte
"If you have an ancestor who lived in Manitoba you should definitely explore the University of Manitoba’s UM Digital Collection that contains more than 75,000 digital materials, such as newspapers, correspondence, photos, books, and film."
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Manage your Research with Evernote and Tags:
MCG
"Evernote is an amazing tool for managing genealogical research. With Evernote you’ll not only have all your research with you wherever you go, but you can have any item of information in front of your eyes in just seconds."
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Rachel Dolezal isn't Alone – My Family History Proves Choosing a Racial Definition is Hard:
Theguardian
"How do you determine who is black? Is it simply a matter of inheritance – you are what your parents are? Does having a black grandparent make a person black? Must she have been raised as black, in a black community? Is one black ancestor, one drop of blood, enough?"
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This Day In History: 8 October
1871: The Great Chicago Fire begins in southwest Chicago, possibly in a barn owned by Patrick and Katherine O’Leary. Fanned by strong southwesterly winds, the flames raged for more than 24 hours, eventually leveling three and a half square miles and wiping out one-third of the city. Approximately 250 people were killed in the fire; 98,500 people were left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed.
1918: US Army corporal Alvin C. York kills 28 German soldiers and captures 132 in the Argonne Forest; promoted to sergeant and awarded US Medal of Honor and French Croix de Guerre.
1921: First live radio broadcast of a football game; Harold W. Arlin was the announcer when KDKA of Pittsburgh broadcast live from Forbes Field as the University of Pittsburgh beat West Virginia University 21–13.
1890 Birthday: Eddie Rickenbacker, U.S. fighter pilot in World War I, aviation pioneer.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 3 Apr 2015

Today: April 3, 2015:

British Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Help System at Family Tree DNA Updated:

Family Tree DNA writes:
"After reviewing several options to speed up e-mail response times and improve overall Customer Support efficiency, we are are putting a new system in place as of 10 am Central Time on, 2 April, 2015."
Read more...

Introducing a Breakthrough in DNA:
AncestryDNA is turning family history inside out with our latest innovation in DNA science and technology. Within your DNA, you carry a history that goes back hundreds, even thousands of years. Today, we are pleased to announce New Ancestor Discoveries, a revolutionary new way to discover, preserve and share your family history.
Read more...

Evernote Ideas: I know many of our members use Evernote or One Note for saving genealogy information. This article is on 12 ways to use Evernote the you may not have considered.
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Charting for Success: 
Visual aids are critical when working on your family history projects. Charts help you to visually understand relationships and identify holes in your research.  Here are a few types of charts to use and some info on how they can assist you:
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Getting Started in Genealogy:

Genealogy may seem daunting, but getting started is easy and rewarding. Join genealogy experts for advice on how to get started on your own family history. This is a 25 minute movie from BYUtv.
View movie...

This Day In History:
3 April 1996: Suspected "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski is arrested at his cabin in Montana, and United States.

3 April 1981: The Osborne 1, the 1st successful portable computer, is unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco.

3 April 1973: Martin Cooper of Motorola made the 1st handheld mobile phone call to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs, though it took 10 years for the DynaTAC 8000X to become the 1st such phone to be commercially released.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 24 Mar 2015

Meeting Reminder - Tomorrow, March 25:

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

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

Meeting Reminder - Tomorrow, March 25:

General Monthly Meeting
Gary Smith, guest speaker.

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

Collecting Sharing Information for Known Relationships:
Blaine Bettinger needs your help! He writes "I’m trying to gather data about the ranges of DNA shared by known relatives. How much DNA do you share with your sister? your brother? your second cousin? While it is possible to predict approximately how much DNA you share with a close relative, the actual numbers vary more than you might think."
Read more and to participate...

Use Evernote as a Read-It-Later Service: 

A Chrome Extension for Evernote, named Clearly, lets you read your favorite content on the Web distraction free. No ads!  A simple to use browser add-on for web browsers, Evernote Clearly removes unwanted advertisements, navigation bars, and other distractions with a single click, leaving only the content you care about in a clean, easy to read format. You can save it to Evernote and read it at your convenience. 
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Findmypast’s New Search Navigation:

They wrote: "It’s now much quicker and easier to search the family history records at Findmypast, thanks to improvements we’ve made to the search navigation. We’ve put together this handy guide to highlight the changes and help you get started."
Read more...

Irish Genealogical Records in the 17th-19th Centuries - free webinar by Judy Wight now online until March 25th.

Watch the webinar...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 11 Mar 2015

Meeting Reminder - Tomorrow, March 12:

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

How to Use Evernote for Genealogy and Family History: Handwriting, OCR, and Video and Upload Answers:

This 6 minute video features Lisa Louise Cooke and provides two tips for those who use the Evernote software program. Watch video…


New Orleans filmmaker cleared in cold-case murder; false positive highlights limitations of familial DNA searching: This is an important read for those who have taken a DNA test. As quoted from this article, “It’s not very common to see this sort of thing, and I frankly hope it doesn't become very common because an awful lot of people won’t bother testing” their DNA, said Judy G. Russell, a genealogist and attorney who writes The Legal Genealogist blog.
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