VGS News & Events: July 5 through July 11, 2020

Practice Social-Distancing

Due to Covid-19, no Rec Center meetings this coming week. Some SIG's are having virtual meetings. Be on the lookout for emails announcing the meetings and how to connect to them.  That list is very fluid. Check the "Coming Events" section of the website as event news becomes available.

All remaining regular Monthly Meetings for 2020 will be virtual meetings.

Coming Events:

Monday, July 6

RootsMagic Special Interest Group Zoom Meeting

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Online Zoom Webinar
Val Harris Co-Ordinator

"Using List Reports in RootsMagic 7" - Ken Macomber

Contact the Coordinator for a Meeting Link...

Tuesday, July 7
Adoption & Mystery Kin SIG Meeting

9:30 am

Online Webinar

Anne Berg & Marcella Zorn, Co-coordinators

Guest Speaker is Lisa Freeman

Presentation: Lisa will discuss Search Angels: who they are and what they do, how to use the service, free and paid searches, and the materials the Search Angels need from us to begin our search.  She will also give basic and intermediate research tips on using Ancestry to find birth relatives as well as mystery kin. 

Presenter's Bio: Lisa Freeman is a genetic genealogist who works with the nonprofit SearchAngels.org. Lisa specializes in finding the birth parents of adoptees, as well as solving mysteries on family trees. She has approximately 10 years of genealogy experience and five years of genetics experience. Lisa is a wife, a mother of two, and teaches high school math in northern Virginia. 

Please register for the webinar at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/238868209548383502

Wednesday, July 8

Genetic Genealogy SIG Zoom Bonus Meeting

7:00 pm

Online Zoom Meeting

Sherry Bean and Diann LaRosa, coordinators

Topic:  "How 23andMe’s DNA Test Helped Me Unravel a Secret Family"

Dave Johnston, blogger for howtogeek.com will be joining the Genetic SIG for a Special Zoom Meeting.

Description: He will give a short talked related to his article. He then will answer questions.

Read his article HERE...
Contact the coordinator for meeting login information

Friday, July 10

Genetic Genealogy SIG Zoom Meeting

10:00 am to 11:50 am

Online Zoom Meeting

Sherry Bean and Diann LaRosa, coordinators

Topic:  Basic:   "Using Ancestry colored dots" 

Topic:  Advanced:  "Ancestry colored dots using tags and filtering."
Contact the coordinator for login information

Monday, July 13

“Anatomy of a Case Study: Steps Used to Write for Yourself or for Publication” 

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Online Webinar
Please register for the webinar at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/511879143025381388

Gen News and Announcements:

Latest News from The Villages Recreation Department.

All recreation sponsored events (Camp Villages, Socials etc.) and Resident Lifestyle Volunteer Groups have been postponed until further notice.  All current openings and activities will remain the same (arts & crafts, fitness clubs, court sports and swimming pools).

580 Free Mid West States Online Historical Newspaper Titles Added:

The Ancestor Hunt
"580 new and updated Free Online Historical Newspaper Links have been added to the Mid West States' free "newspaper link lists": These were all updated in June, 2020, and represent additions from the past 6 months. There is a total of 12,315 historical newspapers available to search for free from the Mid West."
Continue reading...

570 Free Mid Atlantic States Online Photo Archives Available:

The Ancestor Hunt
"An old proverb states that "the eyes are the windows into the soul." A genealogy corollary is that "a photo is a window into the lives of your ancestors."
Continue reading...

French Traditions and Culture:

FamilySearch
"Understanding French culture and traditions can help you better understand your family heritage if you have French ancestors. Discover where you’re from and more about your ancestors with the help of FamilySearch Discoveries."
Continue reading...

Best Genealogy Sites for Irish Research:

Donna Moughty
"I decided to write on what I thought were the Best Genealogy Sites for Irish Research. This will be a continuing series checking out one or two sites each week. If you haven't identified a locality in Ireland, you need to do that before most of these sites will be helpful."
Continue reading...

Celtic Connections Virtual Conference

CO-HOSTED BY: The Irish Genealogical Society International (IGSI)  & The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA)
31 July - 31 August 2020
Cost: $99.00
Learn more here...

Technology:

What’s the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?

How-to Geek
"Everyone loses data at some point in their lives. Your computer’s hard drive could fail tomorrow, ransomware could hold your files hostage, or a software bug could delete your important files. If you’re not regularly backing up your computer, you could lose those files forever."
Continue reading...

Education:

8 Fresh Genealogy Tips for Building Your Family Tree:

Ancestral Findings
"Do you need some new ideas for discovering information on your ancestors? Try these eight fresh tips."
Listen now...  5:07 minutes

Webinars:

Turning Dry Facts Into Exciting Narrative:

Legacy Family Tree
"The literary world condemns most family histories as ‘fact-driven and tedious’ because they are usually little more than prose timelines. Yet the phrase ‘family history’ communicates the three ingredients needed to produce a piece of prose that is interesting to read: ‘family’ (the facts about the family), ‘history’ (the historical context) and ‘story’. This seminar focuses on the first two ingredients and shows how we can weave our facts together in such a way that the reader is keen to keep on reading."
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Carol Baxter
Learn more or Register for this event...

VGS News & E vents: 13 October through 19 October, 2019

Coming Events:

Monday: October 14, 2019

Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Tuesday: October 15, 2019

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Patriot Room at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center
Topic: "What's New in FTM 2019?"

Thursday: October 17, 2019

New England Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Friday: October 18, 2019

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Gen News and Announcements:

The Daughters of the American Revolution: A Treasure for Genealogical Research

D. Joshua Taylor
"The DAR holds the most authoritative and exhaustive database of Revolutionary War soldiers and their descendants. They have safeguarded the lineage of America’s founders, identifying more than 144,000 Patriot ancestors in the past 125 years."
Continue reading...

5 Secrets for Searching Old Digitized Newspapers:

The Ancestor Hunt
"I have often heard researchers say "I can't find a single article about my ancestor, even though I have searched for hours!" Here are 5 secrets to success:
Continue reading...

France Rejects Bill To Legalize Consumer DNA Tests:

Genealogy à la carte
"Genealogists who hoped to one day soon see a big increase in the number of DNA matches in France had their hopes dashed Friday when members of France’s National Assembly rejected all amendments in a bill to legalize consumer DNA tests."
Continue reading...

New Records Added in the Second Half of September:

My Heritage
"40.1 million new records have been added in the second half of September. These new records include an update to the existing collection Netherlands, Population Registers, and two new collections: United States and Canada, Index of Obituaries, and the Denmark, Copenhagen Police Registrations."
Continue reading...

27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information:

The Ancestor Hunt
"When researching our ancestors, one of the most important events is obviously their birth (otherwise they wouldn't be ancestors - but I digress). Determining the date and location of birth is important as we document the major events in their lives."
Continue reading...

Technology:

Do You Need an Antivirus on a Mac?

How-To Geek
"No software is immune to attack, including macOS. The rising popularity of Apple computers has made them a prime target for malware. And security companies are increasingly offering antivirus for Macs, but do you really need it?"
Continue reading...

Education:

Meet the 18-year-old genealogy wiz uniting long-lost relatives all over the U.S.

CBS This Morning
"It’s estimated more than 26 million people around the world have dug into their family histories with the help of at-home DNA kits. But finding your ancestors often requires much more than just submitting your DNA. In this growing field of ancestry amateurs, we discovered an unlikely pro and he’s only 18. Michelle Miller reports."
Listen now... 5:49 minutes

Webinars:

Civil Law Records in Genealogical Research: Notarial Records

Legacy Family Tree
"(Live webinar only, will not be recorded.) Civil law notarial records are among the most valuable genealogical resources available. In civil law societies like France, Spain, Italy, (French) Canada, and many other countries, notaries function much like contract lawyers, creating legally binding "authentic acts" (also called contracts or protocols) that regulate private relationships among individuals."
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Claire Bettag, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Italian Civil Registration (Stato Civile): Going Beyond the Basics

Legacy Family Tree
"This lecture discusses some of the more advanced records within Italian civil registration: Allegati [birth, death, and marriage supplements/attachments], Cittadinanza [citizenship records] and Atti Diversi [Diverse Acts]. Students will learn how these records can help to fill in the details of an Italian families’ history as well as track them across Italy. and around the world."
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Melanie D. Holtz, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 5 May 2017

Reminders:
Today: May 5, 2017

British Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Gen News:

Thank You, Indexers!

FamilySearch
"Thanks to indexers, it’s now easier and quicker to find information in an ever-growing number of these valuable resources. Over the past 10 years, more than 1 million volunteers have indexed over 5 billion names. The records in FamilySearch Historical Records that help you connect to your family are in that database because of indexers."
Continue reading...

Indexing Makes Records Searchable Online:

FamilySearch
"Everyone deserves to be remembered and you can help make this possible. No special skills or time commitments are required. Together, we can help people from around the world find and trace their ancestry for free."
Learn more...

New French Census Records Aid Family History Research:

FamilySearch
"If you have French heritage, you may be interested in six new census collections that were recently added to FamilySearch."

• France, Hérault, Census, 1906
• France, Hérault, Census, 1876
• France, Hérault, Census, 1891
• France, Nord, Census, 1906
• France, Côtes-d’Armor, Census, 1876
• France, Côtes-d’Armor, Census, 1906

Search now...

Tech:

Can My Internet Provider Really Sell My Data? How Can I Protect Myself?

How-to-Geek
"You may have heard a lot of news recently about internet service providers (ISPs) tracking your browsing history and selling all your data. What does this mean, and how can you best protect yourself?"
Continue reading...

Find Your AirPods:

Lifewire
"When Apple announced its truly wireless AirPods earbuds, many pundits declared that paying over US$150 for easy-to-lose gadgets was a bad idea. After all, with no wires and being small and light enough to fit in your ears, AirPods should be easy to lose."
Continue reading...

Education:

3 Photo Identification Tips You Never Knew:

Ancestral Findings Podcast
"Do you have old photos you can't identify? Most people do. Here are some sneaky genealogy tricks you can use to cause those photos to reveal their secrets."
Listen now... 5.23 minutes

VGS Latest News & Tips: 19 December 2016

AncestryDNA for Adoptees: Search Strategies:

Ancestry
"DNA testing has been a boon to adoptees searching for members of their birth family. When paper records don’t exist or are unavailable, DNA can still reveal family relationships and is often the best hope adoptees have of finding their biological family."
Download guide...

The DNA Era of Genealogy:

Blaine Bettinger
"When does DNA prove a relationship? When is a triangulation group sufficiently large enough to prove descent from an ancestral couple? When is a shared DNA segment large enough to prove someone is your first (or second/third/fourth, etc.) cousin? At what point does the DNA prove that I am descended from Samuel Snell? When does the DNA prove that you’ve found your great-grandmother’s biological parents?"
You may be surprised by the answer...
Continue reading...

Guide To Researching French Records:

Family Tree Tips
"The further you go back in your tree and the more branches you find, chances are you’ll find a French ancestor. Unfortunately with French research you need to know the exact place that person was born (Or get very lucky with a unique surname) to be sure you’re looking at the correct person."
Continue reading...

Lifetime Achievement Awards for Bennett Greenspan and Max Blankfeld:

DNAeXplained
"At the 2016 Family Tree DNA 12th Annual International Conference on Genetic Genealogy held in Houston, Texas in November, I was honored to present Lifetime Achievement Awards to both Bennett Greenspan and Max Blankfeld from the genetic genealogy community in the form of DNA double helix quilts."
Continue reading...

DNA Chromosome Map Poster for Grandkids:

Deb's Delvings
"Being a genetic genealogy nerd, I wanted to do something related to DNA for my grandkids for Christmas. Most of my grandkids do not have all four grandparents living. However, all of them have at least one maternal and one paternal grandparent living."
Continue reading...

How to Set Your Facebook Account to Delete or Memorialize You Upon Your Death:

How-to-Geek
"Many questions come about when one ponders their final days. Where will we go? Is there really an afterlife? What will happen to my Facebook account?"
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 19 December

1909: American socialist women denounce suffrage as a movement of the middle class.
1945: Congress confirms Eleanor Roosevelt as U.S. delegate to the United Nations.
1974: Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as vice president of the United states after a House of Representatives vote.
1959 Death: Reputed to be the last civil war veteran, Walter Williams, dies at 117 in Houston.

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Mississippi:
1699: Biloxi founded
1783: Great Britain ceded to the United States
1798: Mississippi Territory founded
1817: Admitted to the Union