VGS News & Events: March 1 through March 7, 2020

February Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting

Coming Events:

Monday: March 2, 2020
Jewish Genealogy SIG Meeting:
10:00 AM in the MacArthur Room at the Eisenhower Recreation Center

Topic: "My Genealogical Journey - Real Stories from our Members"

Monday: March 2, 2020

Roots Magic SIG Meeting:
2:30 PM in the New Smyrna Room at the Recreation Center
Topic: "Preparing for RM8"

Tuesday: March 3, 2020

Adoption & Mystery KIN SIG Meeting

9:00 AM in the Tea Room at the Colony Recreation Center

Wednesday: March 4, 2020

French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting:

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

Thursday: March 5, 2020

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:

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

Friday: March 6, 2020

British Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Gen News and Announcements:

Did You Attend The Annual Seminar?  Did You Complete The Seminar Survey?

VGS
If you attended the seminar and did not receive an email with the seminar survey, you can complete the survey HERE.  The survey helps the Board of Directors to plan for future events.
It will only take two minutes of f time to complete the entire survey.  If you have already completed the survey, thank you.

Kinseekers To Hold First Seminar:

KGS Leesburg
"KINSEEKERS Genealogical Society in Leesburg is hosting a Family History & Genealogy Seminar on Saturday, 18 April at Lake-Sumter State College, Leesburg Campus,  The event features four presentations by Elissa Scalise Powell, Certified Genealogist© and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠.  Visit the KINSEEKERS website for class descriptions, speaker bio, and registration details: https://kinseekers.org ."
Download Flyer Here...

5 Best Places in Italy to Explore Your Heritage:

FamilySearch
"Italy is a country rich in history and culture. If you travel just about anywhere in Italy, you will experience its heritage, whether by exploring ancient ruins, savoring regional dishes, or gazing in awe at a breathtaking cathedral. Here are five of the best places to visit in Italy to celebrate and discover the country’s heritage."
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Optimizing Your Tree at Ancestry for More Hints & DNA ThruLines:

DNAeXplained
"Optimizing ancestors. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out, because I’ve spent some time during the first few weeks of the year setting myself up for success. So far, my approach has generated several more hints and additional ThruLines."
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New FamilySearch Feature “Unfinished Attachments” Brings New Discoveries to Your Tree:

FamilySearch
"You may have noticed that a new prompt, titled “Unfinished Attachments,” appears with some sources attached to people in your family tree. This prompt appears below these sources along with a description, “This source has not been attached to all people found in the record.”"
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Write Your Autobiography Easily with "A Life Untold"

The Ancestor Hunt
"For those of you who follow The Ancestor Hunt, you know that I rarely if ever promote products.  However, I do like to make you aware of new offerings that you might wish to explore."
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Data Protection Commission To Investigate Catholic Registers:

Irish Genealogy News

"On my first reading of that summary, alarm bells starting ringing. Could new restrictions be on the way for Irish genealogists?"

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Technology:

Why You Should Use Apple MFI Certified Lightning Cables:

Lifewire
"Apple MFI Certified Lightning cables aren't cheap, and affordable alternatives are all over the place. The temptation to save some money by using uncertified Lightning cables is very real, but the potentially disastrous consequences far outweigh the amount of money you stand to save."
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Education:

Are You a Hints Power User?

Ancestry 5 Minute Find
"Overwhelmed by your Ancestry.com hints? Spend five minutes with Anne Gillespie Mitchell and you'll learn how hints power users get the most of their hints."
Watch now...

Webinars:

3 Genealogy DNA Case Studies and How I Solved Them:

Legacy Family Tree
"Use autosomal DNA, various tools and techniques, sometimes with a combination of Y and mtDNA, to solve genealogical puzzles. Learn to apply knowledge and tools together to address specific types of problems."
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Roberta Estes
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 25 November 2018 through 1 December 2018

Coming Events:

Monday: November 26, 2018

Technology SIG Meeting:

10:00 AM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Tuesday: November 27, 2018

Midwest SIG Meeting:

Topic: "Small Group Discussion by State—bring information and questions on Midwestern resources"

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

Wednesday: November 28, 2018

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Savannah Rec. Center

Wednesday: November 28, 2018

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM in the Savannah Rec. Center
Topic: “Newspapers and Timelines: Mastering This Combination Can Expose Unanticipated Records” by Margo Ferris Brewer

Wednesday: November 28, 2018

Afternoon Workshop

1:30 PM in the Savannah Rec. Center
Topic: “A Family Narrative Your Family Will Want to Read”  by Margo Ferris Brewer

This afternoon session is limited to 100 attendee's and the "Preserving Family History SIG" had first preference. Remaining seats are now open to the general membership.  Register HERE to attend in person...

Coming Soon:

Friday, February 22, 2019 Our 19th Annual All-Day Seminar 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Savannah Regional Recreation Center Our guest speaker will be David E. Rencher, AG,CG,FIGRS,FUGA "David Rencher is FamilySearch International's chief genealogical officer. In his downtown office overlooking the meticulous flower gardens of the Mormon Church’s corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rencher has lost none of the passion for family history that started his career nearly four decades ago as a young Irish research reference consultant at the Family History Library just a block away. He is a diehard advocate for the family researcher, and avid proponent for the continual development of tools and tech advancements that raise the tide of quality genealogical research skills employed by the growing wave of family history beginners worldwide." familysearch profile Please note the date, day and place changes for this year's seminar. Download: Seminar Packet

Gen News and Announcements:

DNA Test Kit Sales

AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage Autosomal Test Kits are all on sale for $49.95.
The FamilyTreeDNA autosomal test kit is only $39.95.

How Can I Tell Matches From My Mother’s and Father’s Side Apart?

AncestryDNA
"We took a poll of questions AncestryDNA members had about their test results, and this one topped the list: How can I tell my paternal from my maternal matches? This is one area where testing multiple family members can help."
Continue reading...

The Great Thanksgiving Listen with StoryCorps:

Ancestry
"At Ancestry, we care deeply about keeping and preserving memories from our ancestors and loved ones. This year, we are honored to partner with StoryCorps, a wonderful non-profit organization that records and shares the stories of Americans from all different backgrounds. The stories are archived and select recordings are shared with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, books, and various other digital platforms."
Continue reading...

Ancestry Launches a New Take on Genetic Traits:

Ancestry
"We’re proud to introduce a fun and innovative way for you to further explore who you are and where you come from – AncestryDNA Traits. Using science and data to power ongoing journeys of discovery, Traits is a new interactive experience that allows you to discover traits and attributes influenced by your DNA."
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FamilySearch Unlocking Centuries of Italian Ancestry Records:

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch International announced free access to over  150 million Italian historical genealogical records—the largest online collection of its kind. The unprecedented initiative is the result of collaboration between FamilySearch, the Italian government, the Italian State Archives (Direzione Generale per gli Archivi or DGA), and many other archives. The free collections include over 200 years of digitized images of birth, marriage, death, and other significant family history records from all regions of Italy and many other repositories. Search the free Italy collections online at FamilySearch.org."
Continue reading...

FamilySearch Update for Tagging Photos and Editing Portraits:

FamilySearch
"In the upper left-hand corner of each ancestor’s FamilySearch person page is a place for a photo—known as a “portrait.” Until recently, each person saw a different portrait, possibly one she chose by selecting from hundreds of photos that had been tagged with that ancestor’s name. FamilySearch has now streamlined this process, connecting only one portrait to each ancestor."
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New Feature: Shared Ancestral Places for DNA Matches:

MyHeritage
"We’re happy to announce the release of a new feature for DNA Matches — the display of Shared Ancestral Places for every match. This feature makes MyHeritage’s DNA Matching even more useful."
Continue reading...

Technology:

How to Use Group FaceTime on the iPhone and iPad:

How-to-Geek
"For the longest time, FaceTime has allowed no more than two users to video chat with each other, but with the release of Group FaceTime in iOS 12.1, you can video chat with up to 31 other people. Here’s how to do it."
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Education:

10 "Must Do" Genealogy Projects for November:

Ancestral Findings...
"Are you looking for genealogical projects to do for November? Consider these ten seasonal gems to get your creative genealogy energy going. You'll have a ball."
Listen now... 5.15 minutes
Webinars:

Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Did great-grandpa traverse this nation as he worked for the railroad? For which railroad did he work? Where did it run? Are there railroad records which may give us personal details? Visuals and references demonstrate the wealth of historical materials available all across the U.S. When this lecture is over you will know where to turn to find out more about the railroad, its records, and where to find them."
Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Legacy 9 Unlocked (part 8): The Smoking Gun

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"In this class, “The Smoking Gun,” you’ll be stunned, as was Geoff, with the discovery. But you’ll also learn about some cool Legacy tips."
Friday, November 30, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Geoff Rasmussen
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Your Personal Genealogy Education Plan:

The VGS
"The latest edition of the Monthly Monday evening VGS Webinar was broadcast on Monday, November 19th. and the topic was "Your Personal Genealogy Education Plan."  113 members registered to attend the event and it is now online for viewing for those who missed the presentation. Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL suggested several educational opportunities for beginners, intermediate, advanced and professional genealogists.
Login now to view the presentation...

VGS Reminders: 29 May - 2 Jun, 2017

Donna Bachowski (L) was our guest speaker in May, seen here with President Pat Adams

"EPOCH (Electronically Preserving Obituaries as Cultural Heritage)" was the topic.

Learn more about this project HERE...

Reminder:

Thursday: June 1, 2017

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:

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

Gen News:

Two Lies and the Truth — About DNA Testing:

ancestorcloud
"What do you know about DNA Testing for family history, personal curiosity, and genetic genealogy? Have you done it already? Maybe you’re just thinking about it, that’s OK too. There’s some important stuff you need to know about what to expect and what might happen when you get your results."
Continue reading...

Choosing The Right DNA Company For You:

ancestorcloud
"Several months ago I wrote a blog entitled DNA in Genealogy: How does this help me? to explain some of the basics of genetic testing and the different types of tests available for genealogy, and much of the feedback to that blog asked questions about which companies would be reputable and reliable to use for your own genetic testing, so I’m going to answer a few of those questions here:"
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Searching Italian Roots in Italy:

ancestorcloud
"If your ancestors are Italian, how much do you know about your relatives and your heritage? For years the common greetings for two Italians who meet for the first time typically is, “What part of Italy do your people come from?” This is also a typical and necessary question for anyone starting Italian genealogic research. The logical place for a person to begin their research is the city or town where their ancestors lived."
Continue reading...

Family Tree Maker 2017: The Latest News

MacKiev Software
"MAY 25 - 4 PM UTAH TIME (23:00 UTC)
SPOILER ALERT: This is not a progress update. We’ll post an update after our meeting with Ancestry tomorrow. This is something we just thought you’d want to know about.
Continue reading...

Tech:

How to Switch or Launch Apps From the MacBook Pro Touch Bar:

How-to-Geek

"Apple put a touch screen on the MacBook Pro, but doesn't offer some way of launching or switching apps from it. Seriously, Apple? It seems like an oversight, but happily a couple of developers have stepped up to offer this feature."
Continue reading...

How to Buy Things With Google Home:

How-to-Geek
"Amazon may be leading the pack on buying things with your voice on the Echo, but that doesn’t mean Google is content to sit this race out. Depending on where you live, you can buy things with Google Home using Google Express. Here’s how to set it up."
Continue reading...

Education:

How to Network with Family Members Using Social Media For Genealogy Research:

Ancestral Findings
"Social media is an excellent environment for networking with distant relatives. Today on the Ancestral Findings Podcast, I’ll show you how to approach them on social media if they have no idea who you are."
Listen now... 6.36 minutes

Webinar:

The Great War: Researching Your World War I:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Researching your World War 1 ancestors can be challenging. With the losses of records by fire in St. Louis in 1973 and stricter privacy laws; this lecture focuses on ways to reconstruct military service for family who served their country including records of draft registrations, war casualties, troop manifests, and many other related records."
Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Michael L. Strauss, AG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 5 October 2016

Today: October 5, 2016

French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting:

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

Tomorrow: October 6, 2016

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:

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

Centuries of Italian History Are Unearthed in Quest to Fix Toilet:
New York Times
"LECCE, Italy — All Luciano Faggiano wanted when he purchased the seemingly unremarkable building at 56 Via Ascanio Grandi was to open a trattoria. The only problem was the toilet."
Continue reading...

Barrie's History Finding A Place Online; Launch To Take Place At Special Event:
Barrie Examiner
"Barrie (Ontario) is more than 170 years old and has been without a museum – until now. On Sept. 21, the Barrie Historical Archive (BHA) will launch an online museum with the “Mayors’ Seat” event at City Hall.But why should Barrie have a museum?"
Continue reading...

NEW! The FT Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy – by Blaine T. Bettinger – 28% off!
GenealogyBlog
"Finally! We now have a terrific new book to help us with genetic genealogy. The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, by Blaine T. Bettinger is what we needed."
Continue reading...

John Huff and FamilySearch Family Tree:
AncestryInsider
"John Huff of FamilySearch gave a presentation titled “Making Data Decisions in Family Tree” at the recent 2016 BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy."
Continue reading...

How to Use Safari’s New Split View on the iPad in iOS 10:
How-to-Geek
"Safari’s Split View is a new feature in iOS 10 that allows you to view two Safari windows side-by-side on your iPad. It’s similar to the Split View feature that was added to iOS 9, but specifically for Safari.Safari’s Split View is a new feature in iOS 10 that allows you to view two Safari windows side-by-side on your iPad. It’s similar to the Split View feature that was added to iOS 9, but specifically for Safari."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 5 October
1813: The U.S. emerges victorious at the Battle of the Thames, in Ontario, breaking Britain’s Indian allies with the death of Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, and making the Detroit frontier safe.
1880: The first ball-point pen is patented by Alonzo T. Cross
1921: The World Series is broadcast on radio for the first time.
1882 Birthday: Robert Goddard, American rocket scientist, held more than 200 rocketry patents.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
District of Columbia:
1800: Washington Naval Yard established
1801: District divided into Washington & Alexandria
1808: Construction of canal of Tiber Creek commenced