Showing posts with label Photographs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photographs. Show all posts

Saturday, November 21, 2020

VGS News & Events: November 22 through November 28, 2020


Learn more about the seminar here... 

Coming Events:

Monday, November 23
Technology SIG Meeting Canceled  (Technology SIG)
Gene Clark, coordinator
Tuesday, November 24
Midwest SIG Meeting  (Midwest SIG)
2:00 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Dona Black & Laurie Sarauer, coordinators
Topic: “Researching Your Midwestern Collateral Family Lines” with Dona Black Weber
 
SIG members will receive an email.
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting.

Gen News and Announcements:

RootsTech Connect 2021 Announces First of Keynote Speakers:

FamilySearch
"RootsTech Connect 2021—the world’s largest family celebration event—announced its first wave of keynote speakers hailing from Australia, Italy, Mexico, and the United States.
RootsTech Connect, February 25–27, 2021, is a free online conference to discover, share, and celebrate family and heritage connections."

FindMyPast On Sale:

FindMyPast
"Explore the largest collection of British and Irish records online."

A Beginner's Guide to Searching for Records on FindMyPass

FindMyPast
"Getting started with Findmypast's records is easy. Our billions of individual records are divided into nine broad categories. Here's a summary of what you can expect to find in each and how they'll help your family research. "

2020’s Hardest Decision

The Legal Genealogist
"Sigh — it has taken a major catastrophe — this crazy pandemic — to ensure that none of us will be outside of our immediate families (our “pods” in today’s parlance) for the holidays in 2020. "

Mixtiles and MyHeritage Photos Opening

Genealogy's Star
" MyHeritage.com has recently entered into a partnership with Mixtiles.com, the photo wall-art company. You can order prints directly from Mixtiles from your photos on your family tree on the MyHeritage website. "

The Worry about DNA privacy and GEDmatch

Kitty Cooper
"Many of my matches at ancestry.com are afraid to upload their raw data to GEDmatch because of their fears about DNA privacy. Here is what I want to say to all of them. "

Technology:

Holiday 2020: The Best Portable Battery Packs

How-to Geek
"No one likes a dead battery, so a portable battery is an excellent tech gift for everyone on your list. But one thing that will be different from person to person is what type of battery they need, so we found battery packs that cover everyone’s needs to fill out your shopping list this holiday season. "

Education:

Famous Civil War Battlefields:

Ancestral Findings
"So, if you’re planning on trekking to one of the famous Civil War battlefields across the country, which ones should be on the top of your list?"
Listen now...  6.22 minutes

Webinars:

MyHeritage Mobile App: All New Features From 2020

Legacy Family Tree
"The MyHeritage Mobile App makes building your family tree easier and more portable than ever. Learn about the new features MyHeritage added to the app that enhance your genealogy research on the go."
Tuesday, November 24, 2020, 2:00pm Eastern
Presenter: Daniel Horowitz


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Saturday, September 12, 2020

VGS News & Events: September 13 through September 19, 2020

For the foreseeable future, The Villages Genealogical Society will continue to conduct virtual monthly general meetings using our GoToWebinar facilities and they will be recorded. Special Interest Groups may use our GoToWebinar facilities if they are available. All SIG's also have access to Zoom Video Communications for their meetings.  The most accurate list of up coming meetings can be found on our website under "Coming Events."

Zoom access information will not be posted on our website for security reasons. Contact the SIG coordinator directly for Zoom meeting access information. Contact information can be found on their SIG web page.

Coming Events:
Monday, September 14
Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting
1:00 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Mary Frances Gerace, Coordinator
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Monday, September 14
Monday Evening Webinar: “Reconstructing Communities Using Sanborn Maps, Census Records, and City Directories.”
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Live Online Webinar

Our guest speaker will be: Ari Wilkins
Please register for the webinar at:


Tuesday, September 15
Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting
1:00 pm
Online Webinar
John DeAngelo, Co-Coordinator
Topic: "Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist" Guest Speaker Annette Burke-Lyttle
Please register for the webinar at:

VGS General Monthly Meeting 
10:00 am to 11:15 am
Virtual Meeting
Guest Speaker: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
Topic: “Preserving Family History, Experiences, and Stories from the Pandemic”
Please register for this VGS General Meeting at:

Wednesday, September 16
VGS General Monthly Bonus Meeting 
11:30 am to 12:45 pm
Virtual Bonus Meeting
Guest Speaker: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
Topic: “Lord Preserve Us! Church Records for Family History Research”
Please register for this VGS General Meeting at:

Thursday, September 17
New England Genealogy SIG Meeting
12:00 pm to 1:50 pm
Christine Courtwright, coordinator
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Friday, September 18
Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting
10:00 am
Zoom Meeting
Ken Bowgren, Per Andersson and Kris Petersen-Gauthier Co-coordinators
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 


Gen News and Announcements:

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 31 August 2020

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added 400K German Catholic Church Records 1704–1957, and 500K Oregon Passenger and Crew Lists 1888–1956. Collections were expanded for Brazil, Canada, England, Peru, S. Africa, Wales and the United States (military service records for Union soldiers and more for Arizona, California. Hawaii, Kansas, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin)."

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 7 September 2020

FamilySearch
"This week FamilySearch added over 1M new Catholic Church records from Morelos, Mexico (1598–1994), and more for Brazil. Canada, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Micronesia, Peru, Puerto Rico, S. Africa and Spain. Over 500K records were added to United States collections for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, N. Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington (state)."

Ancestry® Delivers More Precise Ethnicity Estimates Powered by the World’s Largest Consumer DNA Network

AncestryBlog
"Powered by the world’s largest consumer DNA network, millions of family trees linked to AncestryDNA test results, and by increasing our reference panel, Ancestry is releasing our most precise DNA update yet."

10 Things You Should Never Do With an Old Photo + What to Do Instead:

Family History Daily
"For genealogists, the older a family photo, the better. Who doesn’t love scouring old photographs for clues to an ancestor’s lifestyle? Or maybe you just enjoy looking for similarities in the facial features of you and your great-great grandmother. Whatever the reason, you want to be sure you keep your collection in the best possible condition for future generations to enjoy."

How to Use Google Photos for Beginners:

Lisa Louise Cooke
"Have you thought about using Google Photos but just weren’t sure how it worked or where to start? This video webinar will answer your questions and give you the confidence to use it effectively. In this introductory tour to Google Photos we will answer the questions:"

Technology:

How to Stop Apps from Tracking Your Precise Location on iPhone:

How-to Geek
"When a ride-sharing app asks you for your location, it’s for a good reason. But some apps needlessly request your location for doing menial tasks. Here’s how you can stop those apps from tracking your precise location on your iPhone."

Education:

How to Hire a Professional Genealogist:

"If you want to hire a professional genealogist then you will first want to identify your research question, being as coherent and specific in your goal for the genealogy research."
Listen now... 8.38 minutes

Webinars:

Reconstructing the Murphy Family Using DNA & Documentary Evidence:

Legacy Family Tree
"DNA can often be used along with documentary evidence to break through brick walls and resolve questions of relationship. Learn how an early nineteenth-century English immigrant's family is reconstructed through a combination of documentary evidence and DNA test results."
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Melissa Johnson, CG

Finding Genealogical Data in the Chinese Exclusion Act Case Files:

Legacy Family Tree
"Chinese genealogical research is challenging. Even the names are confusing—a person could have two or three distinctly different names during his lifetime, and possibly an Americanized version. This webinar will give a brief history of the act, tell where the files are located, and how to access them."
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Trish Hackett Nicola, CG

Your DNA Questions Answered Live With Diahan:

Legacy Family Tree
"Got a DNA Question? Diahan Southard will be on hand to answer your questions - LIVE!
Submit questions in advance to geoff@legacyfamilytree.com."
Friday, September 18, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Diahan Southard

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Saturday, September 5, 2020

VGS News & Events: September 6 through September 12, 2020

For the foreseeable future, The Villages Genealogical Society will continue to conduct virtual monthly general meetings using our GoToWebinar facilities and they will be recorded. Special Interest Groups may use our GoToWebinar facilities if they are available. All SIG's also have access to Zoom Video Communications for their meetings.  The most accurate list of up coming meetings can be found on our website under "Coming Events."

Zoom access information will not be posted on our website for security reasons. Contact the SIG coordinator directly for Zoom meeting access information. Contact information can be found on their SIG web page.

Coming Events:
Monday, September 7
Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting
1:00 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Mary Frances Gerace, Coordinator
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Monday, September 7
RootsMagic Special Interest Group Meeting
2:30 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Val Harris & George Zitterell Co-Coordinators
Leading the discussion:  Ken Macomber "Using Narrative Reports in RootsMagic  7"
To attend, contact Val Harris (vharriskokomo66@yahoo.com) and request the Zoom Meeting log-on instructions.

Tuesday, September 8
Preserving Family History SIG Meeting
Online Webinar
Nancy Schultz and Sharol Lewin, Coordinators
Topic: "Get Organized to Write Your Family Story" Guest Speaker: Annette Burke Lyttle

Wednesday, September 9
New to Genealogy SIG Meeting
2:30 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Carol LaSalle, Coordinator
For Members with less than 2 years of genealogy experience.
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting.  

Thursday, September 10
German Genealogy SIG Meeting  (German SIG)
9:30 am
Zoom Meeting
Dianne Fedderson & Steven Buhrow, coordinators
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Friday, September 11
Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting
10:00 am
Zoom Meeting
Sherry Bean and Diann LaRosa, coordinators
Topic: "DNA Painter"
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Saturday, September 12
African American SIG Monthly Meeting
Online Zoom Meeting
Carol LaSalle, Coordinator
Contact the coordinator, through their SIG web page, for the link to this meeting. 

Gen News and Announcements:

Finding Your Ancestors in United States Church Records:

FamilySearch
"If you’re hitting a brick wall with your United States ancestors, consider looking for them in church or synagogue records. Many people affiliated with a religious institution, even if they didn’t attend regularly. Churches often recorded the names of members and those who were married or eulogized by the clergy or who participated in church rites."

FamilySearch Announces RootsTech Connect 2021: A Free Global Virtual Event

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch is thrilled to announce that the RootsTech 2021 conference previously planned for February 3–6, 2021, in Salt Lake City, Utah, will now be held on February 25–27, 2021, as a free, virtual event online. RootsTech Connect 2021 will enable attendees to participate from around the world and will feature inspiring keynote speakers, dozens of classes in multiple languages, and a virtual marketplace. Reserve your place today at RootsTech.org."

Our Commitment to Preserving the Memory of the Holocaust:

Ancestry
"As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, fewer than 400,000 Holocaust survivors are still alive, and by 2030, there could be fewer than 100,000. We are at a critical time, where the impact and memory of the Holocaust is in danger of being lost."

Ancestry and the Longest Segment:

Kitty Cooper
"Ancestry now shows the longest segment on a DNA match’s profile page which could be very useful to help decide which matches to pursue and which ones to ignore."

When is a Brick Wall not a Brick Wall?

Genealogy's Star
 "In this post, I am going to try to identify the type of situations that cannot be classified as "brick walls" for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, there is no consistent and universally accepted definition for what is and what is not a brick wall."

How to Store Print Photographs So They Last for Generations:

Wirecutter
"In the age of boundless digital photograph storage, it can feel a bit old fashioned to worry about maintaining a print photograph collection. But experts we spoke with from the Smithsonian Institution Archives and National Geographic agree: A print photograph can serve as a crucial backup to your digital collection and act as a way to interact with history, both for this generation and for those to come."

Technology:

What’s New in Chrome 85, Available Now:

How-to Geek
"Chrome 85 arrived on the stable channel Aug. 25, 2020. The latest version of Chrome promises to speed up page loads on your computer and take advantage of more RAM on Android phones."

Education:

Quick Genealogy Tip: Genealogical Proof Standard

"In this quick genealogy tip I discuss the Genealogical Proof Standard, a system to measure the plausibility of a genealogical conclusion. Another way to see it is the standard to judge proof of a genealogical conclusion."
Listen now... 6.16 minutes

Webinars:

New Historical Records Available on MyHeritage:

Legacy Family Tree
"MyHeritage is constantly adding new historical records to SuperSearch™. Learn about the latest additions to the collection and the value they can add to your family history research."
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Dana Drutman

Cyndi's List in Practice:

Legacy Family Tree
"Sometimes overwhelming to beginners and sometimes underused by veterans, Cyndi's List is a research tool that is robust with resources helpful in everyone's research. Using specific examples for beginners, as well as more advanced researchers, we will explore the site and point out how to make the most of the categories and the links found within."
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Cyndi Ingle

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Saturday, July 11, 2020

VGS News & Events: July 12 through July 18, 2020

Practice Social-Distancing

Due to Covid-19, no Rec Center meetings until further notice. 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 13
“Anatomy of a Case Study: Steps Used to Write for Yourself or for Publication”  
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Live Online Webinar
Our guest speaker will be: Melinda Daffin Henningfield, CG
Please register for the webinar at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/511879143025381388

Thursday, July 16
German Genealogy SIG Meeting
9:30 am
Live Online Webinar
Dianne Fedderson & Steven Buhrow, coordinators
Topic: Bavaria

Gen News and Announcements:

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 29 June 2020

Family Search
"Discover your ancestors at FamilySearch this week in over 2.5M new indexed New York Land Records; along with new obituary and church census records from Utah, and Native American records from Oklahoma. Explore expanded world collections from Bolivia, Brazil, Canada,  England, France, Peru, S. Africa,  and  Venezuela among others. Search new vital records for California, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio,Pennsylvania and Louisiana as noted below."
Search now...

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 6 July 2020

Family Search
"FamilySearch added 2M more indexed obituaries this week to United States collections, along with 300K Brazilian civil registrations and 200K English church records. New records added for Canada, Chile, Finland, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, S. Africa, and Sweden.  United States additions included: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia."
Search now...

Online Volunteer Opportunity: Help Improve Place-Names:

Family Search
"After a recent update, the improve place-names tool now lets you select specific countries you would like to work on, allowing you to focus on countries you are most familiar with. You can also change place information when it is slightly incorrect to get an updated list of possible standards."
Continue reading...

New Tool is Changing the Way We See Old Photos: Here’s How to Use It

Family History Daily
"MyHeritage has created two new photo enhancing tools to help you get to know your ancestors in a whole new way. MyHeritage in Color, coupled with the site’s new Photo Enhancer technology, can transform your old family photos into sharp and vibrant images that reveal previously-hidden details."
Continue reading...

“Earliest Known Ancestors” at Family Tree DNA in 3 Easy Steps

DNAeXplained
"Why should you take the time to complete the information about your earliest known ancestor, your EKA, at Family Tree DNA?
The answer is simple – because it helps you with your genealogy and it helps others too."
Continue reading...

Tool To Find Common Ancestors At GEDmatch

Kitty Cooper
"GEDmatch has just released a tool for its Tier 1 (paid) members that will search for the common ancestor you have with your DNA matches on that site."
Continue reading...

Technology:

How to Make Google Auto-Delete Your Web and Location History:

How-to Geek
"Google collects and remembers information about your activity, including your web, search, and location history. Google now auto-deletes history for new users after 18 months, but it will remember history forever if you previously enabled this feature with the default options."
Continue reading...

Education:

5 Things Every Genealogists Should Know How to Do:

Ancestral Findings
"There are certain skills every genealogist should know. Here are five of the most important ones…"
Listen now...   4.57 minutes

Webinars:

Connecting the Dots – Introduction to Auto Clusters at MyHeritageDNA

Legacy Family Tree
"Genetic network analysis is a powerful approach for interpreting DNA match lists, and MyHeritageDNA has an autocluster tool built into their interface to enable this analysis. Learn how to interpret the results of an autocluster, what a cluster means, types of cluster alliances, and next steps for your cluster analysis."
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: MyHeritage Webinars
Learn more or Register for this event...

On the Record Trail of My LDS Immigrant Ancestor:

Legacy Family Tree
"Explore unique and fascinating historical records about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons or LDS) in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Using research on her own ancestor, Sunny Morton will share examples of–and tips for finding–congregational membership records; group immigration resources; missionary diaries; ward minutes, and local histories of areas settled by LDS pioneers."
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Sunny Morton
Learn more or Register for this event...


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Saturday, July 4, 2020

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. 

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:

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...


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Saturday, March 28, 2020

VGS News & Events: March 29 through April 4, 2020

Coming Events:
All VGS Meetings Canceled this Week
French-Canadian SIG Meeting Canceled
Eastern European SIG Meeting Canceled
British Genealogy SIG Meeting Canceled

 Gen News and Announcements:

Enjoy Free and Unlimited Access to MyHeritage In Color™

MyHeritage
"MyHeritage launched MyHeritage In Color™ — a breakthrough new feature that automatically colorizes your black and white photos in seconds!"
Continue reading...

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 16 March 2020

FamilySearch
"Browse nearly 2 million newly indexed newspaper obituaries this week on FamilySearch.org and 3M more indexed WWII draft records and images from the United States (for California, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Utah).  US Vital records were added from AL CA, DC, HI, IA, KS, LA, ME, MA, MN, MI, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI. Collections were also expanded for England, South Africa, Ecuador, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ireland, American Samoa, Jamaica, Chile, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Sierra Leone.  "
Search now...

Connect While Social Distancing: Join the FamilySearch Live Community

FamilySearch
"We at FamilySearch are excited to share an upcoming new live social media series. This series will be an opportunity for the family history community to connect virtually and interact while many are practicing social distancing, quarantining, or even self-isolating."
Continue reading...

33 Productive Things You Can Do at Home:

FamilySearch
"Staying in the house can quickly start to feel repetitive or mundane. When you find productive things to do at home and you’re purposeful with your time, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish!"
Continue reading...

Reflections on Genealogy in the year of the Pandemic 2020:

Genealogy's Star
"The main effect of the current pandemic on my personal lifestyle is that what little interpersonal social contact I had before has now been decreased to almost zero. For example, I have been asked hundreds of times if I ever sleep. Well, here I am again in the middle of the night typing away."
Continue reading...

Technology:

Working From Home? 5 Ways to Show Your PC Some Love

How-To Geek
"Whether you’re under self-quarantine or government-mandated isolation, it’s a great time to catch up on any goals you haven’t had time to pursue. Or, you could just take care of your PC."
Continue reading...

Education:

Use Default Settings:

Ancestry 5 Minute Find
"This week's 5-Minute Find focuses on search and the "Use Default Settings" links on the Advanced Search form. Juliana Szucs Smith teaches you how that little link can make a big difference in your searches."
Watch now...

Webinars:

‘Stop Thief!’: British Crimes and Punishment

Legacy Family Tree
"This seminar begins by discussing the big picture question of the British criminal justice system, including the contemporary attitudes to criminals and the policy of transporting them abroad. It then covers the types of records that deal with the crimes and punishments of British criminals."
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Carol Baxter
Learn more or Register for this event...

Betty Jeans Story - Forensic Genealogy, DNA and Adoption:

Legacy Family Tree
"Betty Jean was abandoned in Asheville, NC in 1927. All her life Betty Jean wanted to know who her parents were, but her search ended abruptly in the 1950s when she was shown her very empty files by a clerk at the courthouse. Until her cousin contacts her asking about some family papers. "You know I am adopted?" and the cousin answered, "you know, helping adoptees find their families is one thing my business does?" Follow along as we work the history, we find connections and ultimately find Betty Jean’s Family."
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Mags Gaulden
Learn more or Register for this event...


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Saturday, December 7, 2019

VGS News & Events: 8 December through 14 December, 2019

Coming Events:
Monday: December 9, 2019
Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting
1:00 PM Holiday Lunch at Red Souse
Monday: December 9, 2019
Live Webinar: "Organize Like An Archivist" 
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Our guest speaker will be: Nancy Loe, MA, MLS
Please register for the webinar HERE...
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Tuesday: December 10, 2019
Preserving Family History SIG Meeting
2:30 PM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: "Christmas Family Traditions"
Wednesday: December 11, 2019
Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting
10:00 AM in the Osceola Room at the Chula Vista Recreation Center
Thursday: December 12, 2019
German Genealogy SIG Meeting
9:30 AM in the Reliance Room at the Late Miona Recreation Center
Friday: December 13, 2019
All Genetic Genealogy SIG Meetings Postponed until further notice.

Gen News and Announcements:

3 Challenges in the Genealogy World and How FamilySearch Is Helping:

FamilySearch
"The global genealogy community enjoys unprecedented growth but faces major challenges too. Here’s what FamilySearch is doing about three of the most crucial needs."
Continue reading...

Can You Find Your Ancestors in These Old English Criminal Records?

Family History Daily
"You don't have to have murderers or famous outlaws in your family tree to make use of criminal records in your research. If you have ancestors who lived in England in the last three and a half centuries you do not want to miss the vast (and free) collections of The Old Bailey Online and its sister site the Digital Panopticon. "
Continue reading...

How to Find and Browse Unindexed Records at Ancestry – The Better Browsing Checklist

Lisa Louise Cooke
"Browse-only collections at Ancestry and other genealogy websites are sometimes viewed as inaccessible, but they are actually a hidden treasure. Learn how to access these browse-only collections at Ancestry and expand your family history research."
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5 Steps to Digitizing Your Old Negatives:

Lisa Louise Cooke
"Do you have old family photo negatives in your closet? You may be wondering, “can I still get my old negatives printed into photos? What should I do with these old negatives?” To answer questions like these, we’ll need to think through your goals, budget and resources. Follow these 5 steps to digitizing old negatives and soon you may be looking at your family history in a new way!"
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Clicking Over from DNA Ancestor Hints:

Kitty Cooper
"The great new features just keep coming for Ancestry‘s DNA product. Now we can click new people into our tree from a DNA match with an Ancestor hint."
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Technology:

Does Your Computer Have a Virus? Here’s How to Check

How-to Geek
"Windows computers sometimes do get viruses and other malware, but not every slow or misbehaving PC is infected by malware. Here’s how to check if you actually have a virus—and whether that suspicious process is dangerous or not."
Continue reading...

Education:

Five Important Time-Saving Tips for Getting Your Genealogy Research Done:

Ancestral Findings...
"Is your genealogy research time limited due to other commitments? You need to make the most out of every research moment you have. Join me today and I’ll show you how."
Listen HERE...  8:05 minutes

Webinars:

Grandma's Obituary Box: The Use of Obituaries in Genealogical Research and Their Role in American Culture

Legacy Family Tree
"Obituaries are a genealogical resource that help document our ancestors and bring them to life. This lecture examines the clues and types of information found in obituaries as well as where and how to locate them. A discussion of obituaries through the past three centuries will show what values were important to our ancestors and how those values have or have not changed through the years."
Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Pam Stone Eagleson, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...


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Saturday, November 16, 2019

VGS News & Events: 17 November through 23 November, 2019

Coming Events:
Monday: November 18, 2019
Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting
1:00 PM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center
Tuesday: November 19, 2019
Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting
1:00 PM in the Patriot Room at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center
Topic: "I'm afraid to Upgrade!" + Your Questions Answered"
Wednesday: November 20, 2019
Brick Wall SIG Meeting
8:30 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center
Wednesday: November 20, 2019
General Monthly Meeting
10:00 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center
Topic: "Can a Complex Research Problem be Solved Solely Online?"
Wednesday: November 20, 2019
Afternoon Workshop
1:30 PM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center
Topic: "Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors' Identities Indirectly"
Limited to 100 Members...
Register to attend this workshop in-person HERE...
Thursday: April 18, 2019
New England Genealogy SIG Meeting
Noon in the New Smyrna Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

 Our Live Monday Meeting on November 11 was a success.  The handout and video can be found online under "Members Only" > "Webinars & Meetings"

FSGS Fall Virtual Conference:

MASTER DNA-BASED DISCOVERY
BREAK DOWN BRICK WALLS
A one-of-a-kind opportunity! Learn from 5 top experts!
Join the Florida State Genealogical Society's Fall Virtual DNA Conference and advance your genealogy research skills without having to leave home.
All you need is an Internet connection and curiosity.
Ask the experts and put genetic genealogy to work for you!
December 7, 2019 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Learn more...

Gen News and Announcements:

Register for Our Annual Seminar:

VGS
Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is a professional genealogist specializing in DNA evidence. He is the author of the long-running blog The Genetic Genealogist, and frequently gives presentations and webinars to educate others about the use of DNA to explore their ancestry.  He will be our guest speaker for our Annual Seminar on February 19, 2020.
Download more details here...

Your Privacy is our Top Priority:

Ancestry
"Your privacy is important to us. That’s why we want to share our position on a recent event where a Florida judge issued a search warrant to allow law enforcement to search all of GEDmatch, an open data personal genomics database."
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Powered By Cutting-Edge Machine Learning Technology, Ancestry® Debuts the World’s Largest, Searchable Online Obituary Collection, Providing Members with Even More Details about the Ancestors Who Shaped Their Past:

Ancestry
"We are proud to announce the launch of our new Newspapers.com Obituary Collection, as well as an upgrade to our U.S. Obituary Collection, adding to what is now the world’s largest, searchable digital archive of over 262 million worldwide obituaries and death announcements, containing almost 1 billion searchable family members."
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Navigating Newspaper Research:

Legacy News
"You know newspaper research is important to your family history. It can uncover everything from vital record information to the casual mention of your ancestor's daily life. So go research newspapers! But, is it really that easy?"
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Correct Mistakes on the FamilySearch Family Tree:

FamilySearch
"Our goal at FamilySearch is not only to connect individual families, but to connect the human family. In order to accomplish that goal, we need everyone’s help. For this reason, FamilySearch Family Tree is a shared tree, which means that it is open for users to contribute what information they have."
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Don't Toss Old Photos:

We Have Kids
"All too often, the descendants just toss out those pictures that are unlabeled. That's really sad to see family history dumped in the trash. Don't let that happen in your family. Label your own photos.
Now, if these are inherited photos and not labeled, you have a bit of work ahead. Whatever you do, don't toss those photos."
Continue reading...

Technology:

Is Your Old Router Still Getting Security Updates? 

How-To Geek
"Security researchers from Fortinet recently discovered security holes in some D-Link routers. Many of these routers are still sold online, but D-Link no longer manufactures them and won’t patch them. So how do you tell if your router is still supported?"
Continue reading...

Education:

Resource Guide to Canadian Genealogy:

AncestralFindings
"Do you have Canadian ancestors you wish to research? Are you wondering where to start? On today’s episode, I’ll give you five of my favorite websites for doing Canadian genealogy online."
Listen Now... 8.25 minutes 

Webinars:

A la Karte: Borders, Maps and Gazetteers for German Genealogists

Legacy Family Tree
"The borders of German-speaking lands in Europe followed a non-linear pattern that is at first difficult to unpack. Learn about the gamut of on- and off-line tools to overcome this difficulty."
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: James M. Beidler
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

No Will? No Problem!

Legacy Family Tree
"Anything handled by a court of law is lengthy, and that is good for genealogical research. Documents containing information about a death date, relationships, personal and/or real property, and place of residence are common in intestate files. Learn about the court process from first petition to final discharge, and picture what home was like for an ancestor."
Friday, November 22, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Sharon Monson
Learn more or Register for this webinar...


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