VGS News & Events: 12 May through 18 May 2019

Coming Events:

Tuesday: May 14, 2019

Preserving Family History SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic:  "Writing and Publishing a Book" There will be three presenters Anita Rateike, Bob Koltnow and Jane Osborne. Each will discuss their experience and then form a panel to answer questions. 

Wednesday: May 15, 2019

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

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

Thursday: May 16, 2019

New England Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Friday: May 17, 2019

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting
10:00 AM in the Clearwater Room Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Gen News and Announcements:

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of April 29, 2019

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added new, free, historical records this week from Colombia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, and the United States, including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming."
Search now...

Three of My Favorite Genealogy Finding Aids

Legacy News
"If you’re familiar with archival research you’ve heard the term “finding aid.” An archival finding aid describes the content of a collection, providing you enough information about that collection so that you can decide if it is something you need to explore for you research.
There are other kinds of “finding aids” as well."
Continue reading...

Have American Ancestors? 15 Historic Events and Related Record Sets You Need to Know:

Family History Daily
"Certain events in history had a big impact on present-day family history research as they created the very records that we genealogists use time and time again. These records allow us to travel back in time to discover our families and their stories. Get to know them and you will invariably learn more about your American ancestors."
Continue reading...

Using Pinterest for Genealogy:

Amy Johnson Crow
"It's easy to lose track of the articles and resources that you find online. There's a solution for that: Pinterest. Here's how you can keep track of what you find by using Pinterest for genealogy."
Continue reading...

Standing in Judgment of Our Ancestors:

Genealogy Gems
"This is a great question and I applaud you for thoughtfully taking a moment to really think it through and ask for advice before moving forward on recording what you were told."
Continue reading...

Why Findmypast DNA is the Best Ancestry Test for Protecting Your Privacy:

FindMyPast
"At Findmypast, your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. So, when you take a Findmypast DNA test, powered by Living DNA, you can rest assured your data is completely safe. Here's how."
Continue reading...

Technology:

How to Disable Bing in the Windows 10 Start Menu

How-to-Geek
"Windows 10, by default, sends everything you search for in the Start Menu to their servers to give you results from Bing search—so you better make sure that you don’t type anything private into your own PC’s Start Menu. Or, you could just disable the Bing integration in the Start Menu."
Continue reading...

Education:

Tips on Researching Your African-American Family History Before 1870:

Ancestral Findings
"Are you researching your African-American genealogy family tree and not getting as far back as you would like to? You’re not alone, and you are not without resources. There may not be many records on your ancestors, but there are enough that you may find them. Join me today on the Ancestral Findings Podcast and I’ll show you how to do it."
Listen now...  9.31 minutes

Webinars:

Advanced Features on Geni.com

Legacy Family Tree
"Take a deep dive into the Geni website and learn how you can manage individual profiles, upload images, take notes, and much more to further your genealogical research."
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Mike Stangel
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

The 10 Most Useful Databases for Eastern European Research:

Legacy Family Tree
"With more information available online, it is often possible to find key records for your Eastern European ancestors in free and subscription databases. Learn about the various record sets available, how to access them, and how to overcome privacy and language issues and other research roadblocks."
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Lisa Alzo
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 18 March 2018 through 24 March 2018

Coming Events:

Wednesday: March 21, 2018

Board of Directors Meting

9:00 AM at the Pinellas Library

Wednesday: March 21, 2018

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

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

Wednesday: March 28, 2018

Family History Expo
Savannah Center: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Gen News and Announcements:

Four Historical and Geographical Tips to Help You Trace Your Irish Ancestors:

LegacyTree Genealogists
"Irish research can be difficult. Although the island is small–about the same size as the state of Indiana–its violent history and many divisions makes research complicated. In addition, many United States records simply report that our ancestors were from Ireland with no indication of the county of their birth. However, knowing a little bit about the history and geography can provide the necessary clues. Here are four tips that can help you trace your Irish ancestors from the United States back to Ireland."
Continue reading...

New Historic Records on FamilySearch: Week of March 12, 2018

FamilySearch
"Find your ancestors with new historic records published on FamilySearch this week from Austria, BillionGraves, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Idaho, Illinois, Mexico, Spain, and Texas. Search these new free records by clicking on the collection links."
Search now...

Why You Should Start Using Pinterest for Genealogy Right Now (and How to Do It):

Family Daily History
"If you’re one of the 175 million people around the world who use Pinterest every month, you probably already know that there’s a lot to love. Maybe you think of Pinterest as a great place to collect clever home decor ideas or as the best spot to peruse beautiful images of tasty food (who doesn’t?) – but did you know that Pinterest is so much more than that? It may be the free genealogy tool you’ve been missing."
Continue reading...

Here’s How to Find Tens of Thousands of Family History Books for Free:

Family Daily History
"One of the most exciting things about doing family history research is moving beyond names and dates to begin exploring the stories of our ancestors’ lives. There are many ways to do this. Records like pension applications, wills and obituaries can provide details that allow us a special glimpse into the important events and personal relationships of our forebears."
Continue reading...

When Did Americans Stop Marrying Their Cousins? Ask the World’s Largest Family Tree

The New York Times
"Before the Industrial Revolution in the United States, Canada and Europe, you might have ended up married to a fourth cousin. People didn’t travel far to find a spouse, and the closer you were to home, the more likely it was you’d marry within your family."
Continue reading...

Debunking Common Genealogical Myths:

LegacyTree Genealogists
"Doing genealogy often means piecing together scraps of information from various compiled family stories and documents to reconstruct our family history. Sound genealogical research demands that we, as researchers, place each fact into proper context and evaluate each piece in light of the whole picture. This valuable gathering of facts and supporting them through documentation can be side-railed if we allow common genealogical myths to dictate our research conclusions."
Continue reading...

Unusual Sources for Finding Female Ancestors:

Amy Johnson Crow

"Name changes and a society that emphasizes men in the records can make finding female ancestors tough. Note that I said "tough," not "impossible." Let's consider some valuable sources that we might be overlooking."

Continue reading...

New! North American Genealogy Records Online:

Lisa Louise Cook

"New North American genealogy records online this week! Featured are U.S. military, passenger and yearbook records (including WWII film footage); regional collections for New England and Great Lakes; Congressional statutes; and over 63 million Mexican genealogy records now free at FamilySearch.org."

Continue reading...

Technology:
Roots Tech 2018 Videos Online:
Roots Tech

Did you miss Roots Tech? I know I did but will I?  While I may not have been there I can still attend the hours of lectures online and they are FREE. All you need to do is set some time aside and click on the lecture you want to attend.
See what available...

Use Google Photos to Create a “Best of” Photo Album on FamilySearch

FamilySearch
"Did you know that you can import photos directly from Google Photos to FamilySearch to create a “best of” photo album? This is a great way to preserve and share a curated collection of classic photos that span a person’s lifetime or center on important life events."
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:

From Baltimore to Burlington: Hazen P. Day's Neighbors Bring Him Home:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"A Maryland resident claimed an 1816 Vermont birth to Vermont-born parents, but no known record provides his specific birthplace or his parents' or siblings' names. Studying his ties to his neighbors and those associates who shared close geographic, vocational, political and religious proximity brings a Maryland man home to his Vermont family. Learn how the presenter analyzed, correlated, and  assembled common and lesser-known records to build a persuasive case."
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: Catherine B. Wiest Desmarais, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Hands-On with MyHeritage DNA:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Whether you upload your raw DNA data to MyHeritage or are ready to move forward with the results from your MyHeritage DNA test, this webinar will guide you through your ethnicity estimates, DNA matches and more. On hand to walk Geoff Rasmussen through his personal results is MyHeritage’s Director of DNA, Yoav Naveh."
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Geoff Rasmussen
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Introduction to DNA Testing in Genealogy and Family History:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"DNA is an increasingly important tool that can help us discover amazing things about ourselves and our families. This webinar will provide a brief refresher of human genetics and review the different types of DNA tests available today with an in-depth discussion of autosomal DNA tests and how these tests can be used to solve genealogical problems where evidence from traditional records in scarce."
Friday, March 23, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Mike Mansfield
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 26 October 2016

Today: October 26, 2016

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Rhett Butler in the Savannah Center

Today: October 26, 2016

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM in the Rhett Butler in the Savannah Center
Topic:"Little Known & Under Used Features of The VGS Website."

Today: National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair:
NARA
"Today and tomorrow. the National Archives is hosting a two-day, virtual Genealogy Fair via webcast. Registration is not required."
More details...

Another Daniel Miller – A Y DNA Tale – 52 Ancestors #135
DNAeXplained
"Just when you think you have the family all straightened out, a left hook comes along, sneaks up and sucker-punches you."
Continue reading...

Explore Ancestry Videos, Ancestry DNA, and More!
Pinterest
"The world’s catalog of ideas..."
See what's available...
Editor's Note: You need a Pinterest account to view these files. It's free!

DNA + Genealogy = Adventure, Answers & Perspective:
Beyond the Branches
"Genetic genealogy has dramatically expanded the resource landscape for genealogists. Today DNA testing goes hand-in-hand with other genealogical records such as census’, wills and land grants as we follow the journey to learn about the lives of our ancestors.  Yet when it comes to  DNA,  it is far more personal."
Continue reading...

How to use the Billion Graves Index:
FindMyPast (Re-posted by Request)
"The Billion Graves index is a great resource if you're looking for information about your ancestor's death. The Billion Graves index includes over 12 million headstone records for the United States alone, and each entry includes a transcript of what's included in the record, a photograph of the gravestone, and GPS details of the location of the gravestone, so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home to see your ancestor's grave, which can save you a lot of time and money in your search."
Continue reading...

What Does "DAUGHTERED OUT" Mean?
familytree.com
"The phrase “daughtered out” is an interesting one because it combines concepts from genealogy and from sociology. The concept doesn’t have as big an impact today as it once did, mostly due to changes in how society views the importance of women."
Continue reading...

How to Change the Size and Color of the Mouse Pointer in Windows:
How-to-Geek
“Where the heck is my mouse pointer?” If you’ve asked yourself that question too many times, you can change the size and color of your mouse pointer to make it easier to find on the screen."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 26 October
1774: The first Continental Congress, which protested British measures and called for civil disobedience, concludes in Philadelphia.
1825: The first boat on the Erie Canal leaves Buffalo, N.Y.
1881: Three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday have a shootout with the Clantons and McLaurys at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory.
1854 Birthday: Charles William Post, food manufacturer, creator of “Grape Nuts” and “Post Toasties.”

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Hawaii:
1852: Chinese contract laborers start to arrive
1860-1880: Chinese subject to public attacks
1870: Lepers transported to the island of Molokai