VGS Latest News and Tips: 28 June 2017

Reminders:

Today: June 28, 2017

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

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

Today: June 28, 2017

General Monthly Meeting (Summer Series)

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

Topic: "Panel Discussion from Member Questions"
More info...

Gen News:

Why General Genealogy Searches Are NOT the Best Way to Find Your Ancestors:

Family History Daily
"The first thing most family history researchers do when they encounter a genealogy website is to begin searching for their ancestors in the general (main) search form provided by the site – which is often located on the homepage or in another easily accessible area."
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How To Quickly Find Free Genealogy Records from Hundreds of US Repositories:

Family History Daily
"Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was an online research site that allowed you to easily search for records about your ancestors from repositories across the USA? One that linked to actual records that you could view online?
Wouldn’t it be even more wonderful if that site was completely free for anyone to use?
If you answered yes to these questions, you’ll be thrilled to know that such a research site does exist."
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FamilySearch Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm:

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch will continue to preserve the master copies of its original microfilms in its Granite Mountain Records Vault as added backup to the digital copies online."
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Tech:

How to Add More Touch ID Fingers to Your Mac:

How-to-Geek
"Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro makes logging in so much easier: just place your finger on the power button, and you’re in. It’s a small thing, but it makes waking up your computer and logging in nearly instant."
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How to Send Recipes to Google Home for Step-By-Step Instructions:

How-to-Geek
"Voice assistants like Google Home are excellent kitchen aids. They can set timers, add things to your grocery list, and play music while you cook. But the Google Home has one standout kitchen feature: you can use it to read off recipes one step at a time while you cook. Here’s how to find recipes, send them to Google Home, and get hands-free step-by-step instructions."
Continue reading...

Education:

Online Resources for Researching Your Scottish Ancestors:

Ancestral Findings
"Are ancient genealogy documents getting you down? Is it hard for you to read that old-fashioned handwriting? Here are some tips to translate those old letters."
Listen now...  6.05 minutes

Today's Webinar Reminder:

Canada's Top 10:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Explore the top 10 websites for researching your Canadian and Ontario ancestors. Learn where to find the best online resources for Canadian record groups as census, immigration, birth, marriage and death records, newspapers and more to help you get a jump on your research."
Today, June 28, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Kathryn Lake Hogan
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Latest News and Tips: 27 June 2017

Reminders:

Tomorrow: June 28, 2017

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

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

Tomorrow: June 28, 2017

General Monthly Meeting (Summer Series)

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

Topic: "Panel Discussion from Member Questions"
More info...

Gen News:

Were Your Ancestors American Pioneers? Here’s How to Track Them Down Online:

Family History Daily
"From Conestoga wagons on long, dusty trails to pioneers struggling for success on a homestead in Oregon – America’s westward expansion in the latter part of the 1800’s has long held promise for genealogists."
Continue reading...

Easy To Miss Info On Certain Censuses:

familytree.com
"A few of the different US Federal Censuses that started back in 1790 do have a few very interesting questions that could provide previously unknown information on your ancestors."
Continue reading...

Family History Microfilm Discontinuation:

FamilySearch
"On September 1, 2017, FamilySearch will discontinue its microfilm distribution services. (The last day to order microfilm will be on August 31, 2017.)
The change is the result of significant progress made in FamilySearch’s microfilm digitization efforts and the obsolescence of microfilm technology."
Continue reading...

Latest Update of Family Tree Maker 2017

Software MacKiev
"Our beta test results are in and while they are still being analyzed, it’s already clear that the new build is safe and ready for current test drivers who’d like to do more than just kick the tires."
Continue reading...
Editor's Note:  I have the latest build of FTM2017 running on two computers using a family tree file that is in the cloud; it is working very nicely. I am also able to sync to ancestry.com without any issues. I still recommend that you sync manually.

Tech:

How to Use Multiple Monitors to Be More Productive:

How-to-Geek
"Many people swear by multiple monitors, whether they’re computer geeks or just people who need to be productive. Why use just one monitor when you can use two or more and see more at once?"
Continue reading...
Editor's Comment: I use two 24" monitors for my genealogy research. It makes my research so much easier and quicker. This works even if you are using a laptop as your primary computer.

What the Labels On Your TV’s HDMI Ports Mean (and When It Matters):

How-to-Geek
"An HDMI port is just an HDMI port, right? Except if you peer closely at the back of your HDTV and other HDMI-capable home theater components, you’ll notice quite a few tiny labels that indicate not all ports are equal. What do those labels mean, and does it matter which port you use?"
Continue reading...

Education:

Online Resources for Researching Your Scottish Ancestors:

Ancestral Findings
"Are you looking for your Scottish ancestors and don't know where to start? Here are six websites with plenty of information on Scottish genealogy for you."
Listen now...  6.58 minutes

VGS Latest News & Tips: 28 December 2016

6 Reasons Why A Fathers Name Would Be Missing From A Document:

Family Tree Tips
"Unfortunately sometimes you might come across a Birth, Christening, Adoption or any other vital record that has the fathers name omitted. Most of the time this will result in a massive brick wall that is nearly impossible to break down, so it’s important to find out why the fathers name was left off in the first place if you are to have any hope of finding out who he was. Some possible reasons are:"
Continue reading...

Preparing For Research: Using Microfilms For Family History:

Trentino Genealogy
"Genealogist Lynn Serafinn explains what to do before working with parish records on microfilm, and shares tips for finding your Trentini ancestors’ parish." The same techniques can be used for any records on microfilm.
Continue reading... 

This Probably Explains Why You Can't Find Your Ancestor's Birth Records:

FindMyPast
"General Register Office births, marriages and deaths are a fantastic resource covering the entirety of England and Wales between 1837 and 2007. They not only allow you to discover when and where your ancestors were born, got married and spent their final moments, but also provide you with the information needed to order a copy of an original certificate from the General Register Office of England and Wales.
Despite the fact they are perhaps the most complete source of UK vital records available online, there are a number of reasons why your ancestor may appear to be missing from the registers."
Continue reading...

Never Stick a Photograph in a Book:

Rootdig
"In the fall of 2015 my great-aunt sent me a picture of my late mother and my grandmother. I was busy at the time and instead of putting it with my other old photographs and ephemera, I tucked it firmly in what I thought would be a safe place, a book."
Continue reading... 

How to Pin Folders to the Windows Taskbar:

How-to-Geek
"Windows doesn’t allow you to pin folders directly to the taskbar. There is an easy workaround, though. All you have to do is create a new shortcut to a folder and then pin that shortcut to the taskbar."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 28 December

1920: The United States resumes the deportation of communists and suspected communists.
1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt states, “The definite policy of the United States, from now on, is one opposed to armed intervention.”
1951: The United States pays $120,000 to free four fliers convicted of espionage in Hungary.
1948 Death: Premier Nokrashy Pasha of Egypt is assassinated by a member of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood because of his failure to achieve victory in the war against Israel.

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Nevada:
1828: Peter Ogden discovered Humboldt River
1847: Gold discovered at foot of Mt. Davidson
1851: Large influx of Mormon settlers
1859: Comstock Load discovered at Virginia City

VGS Latest News & Tips: 31 December 2015

Members have you renewed your membership for 2016?

If not, your dues expired today.

Don't worry, you have a 90 day grace period before your name is removed from membership.

Learn how to renew by mail HERE...

Wait A Minute, You Still Use Microfilm?
Denver Public Library
"Wait a minute, you still use microfilm? Aren't all newspapers digitized these days?"
Continue reading...

Ancestry DNA Results – Taking the Next Step:
Janis' Genealogy
"So you’ve taken the autosomal DNA test at Ancestry with the goal of furthering your genealogy research. If you are anything like me, after the initial euphoria of seeing matches and DNA tree hints you will very soon get to the point where you want more information."
Continue reading...

Planning a Research Trip to Ireland:
Ancestry
"When I first started researching my family genealogy, I wanted to fly over to the UK and visit where my people lived, look in cemeteries for tombstones and go to the churches to look in the registers. All normal things to want to do, but boy was I wrong! Before you jump on a plane..."
Continue reading...

Genetic Genealogy Christmas Sale Flyer From 2020!
The Genetic Genealogist
"Syracuse, New York – December 1, 2020 – Announcing the new Comprehensive Genetic Genealogy Testing Package®, the most extensive genetic genealogy test ever available! For just $299.00 (plus S&H), you will receive insightful information about all aspects of your ancestry, including your ethnicity and numerous genetic cousins, among other incredible information. After sending in just a few swabs (cheek, gut, and face), you will receive your results in 4-6 weeks."
Continue reading...

What You Need to Know Before Flying a Drone (To Stay Out of Trouble):
Editor's Note: I know this has nothing to do with genealogy but some of our members or some of your children or grandchildren may have received a drone from Santa. Learn to rules before it's to late.
How-to-Geek
"Drones are awesome fun. They can bring out the inner kid in even the most jaded individual, but they can also land people in a lot of trouble. Here are some things every new drone owner should know before taking to the skies.
Continue reading...

This Day In History: December 311775: George Washington orders recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army.
1852: The richest year of the gold rush ends with $81.3 million in gold produced.
1910: John B. Moisant and Arch Hoxsey, two of America’s foremost aviators, die in separate plane crashes.
1880 Birthday: George Catlett Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during World War II, Secretary of State under Truman, won Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan.