VGS News & Events: 10 November through 16 November, 2019

Coming Events:

Monday: November 11, 2019

Monday Evening Live Webinar

7:00 PM Online
Topic: “Who Were the Passengers of the Mayflower?”
Register to attend online HERE...

Tuesday: November 12, 2019

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Intrepid Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center
Topic:  "Civil War,  Pensions, and Bounty Lands Research Using the National Archives."

Note: Date & Room Change for this meeting...

Tuesday: November 12, 2019

Preserving Family History SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Topic: "A Time Line of Family Photos" - Paul Clark

Wednesday: November 13, 2019

Board of Directors Meeting

9:00 AM at the Belvedere Library

Wednesday: November 13, 2019

Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Osceola Room at the Chula Vista Recreation Center

Wednesday: November 13, 2019

African American SIG Meeting

Noon in the Neptune Beach Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Wednesday: November 13, 2019

New to Genealogy SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Neptune Beach Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: "Internet Research"

Thursday: November 14, 2019

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Reliance Room at the Late Miona Recreation Center

Friday: November 15, 2019

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Gen News and Announcements:

15 years of Google Books:

Google
"Fifteen years ago, Google Books set out on an audacious journey to bring the world’s books online so that anyone can access them. Libraries and publishers around the world helped us chase this goal, and together we’ve created a universal collection where people can discover more than 40 million books in over 400 languages. But, there’s still more we can do to make Google Books more useful for people.
Today we’re unveiling a new design for Google."
Continue reading...

FINDMYPAST GRANTS FREE ACCESS AHEAD OF VETERANS DAY 2019

From 12pm (GMT) Friday November 8th, until 12pm Monday November 11th, all records on Findmypast excluding newspapers, electoral rolls and the Periodical Source Index, will be completely free to search and explore.
To find out more about the free access period, visit:
https://www.findmypast.com/page/free-acces

MyHeritage Education: New Content to Master Your Skills

MyHeritage
"MyHeritage Education offers a wealth of material to help you learn about every facet of MyHeritage. The content includes articles, how-to videos, and webinars covering a wide variety of topics, as well as plenty of tips for everyone, from beginner family history enthusiasts to seasoned genealogists."
Learn more...

New Historical Records Added to MyHeritage in October 2019

MyHeritage
"18.6 million new historical records have been added in October 2019 in seven new collections from all over the world, including Australia, Spain, the former Soviet Union, Latvia, the United States, Germany, and Denmark."
Continue reading...

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 28 October 2019:

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch.org added approximately 100,000 new, notable Catholic Church Records from Salta, Argentina (1634-1972). Search additional free historical records from American Samoa, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, England, Peru, the United States and Wales."
Search now...

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 4 November 2019

FamilySearch
"This week, over 840,000 new, free, historical records were added to FamilySearch.org from Argentine Catholic Church Records, including records that dated all the way back from 1635. Other areas include England, the Netherlands, Russia, Venezuela, and the United States, including Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota."
Search now...

Automation to Find the Common Ancestors in the Trees of your DNA Matches:

Kitty Cooper
"Recently I gave a presentation on many of the great new DNA tools that have come out this year. The talk focused on how both Ancestry and MyHeritage figure out the likely ways in which you are related to a DNA match from the other trees on their sites (click here for my slides). This left very little time to go into the details of my favorite third party tools that can do similar magic, so I promised the attendees a blog post…"
Continue reading...

Technology:

Ask Yourself These Questions Before Setting Up a Smarthome:

How-To Geek
"Are you thinking about starting up smarthome? Great! But don’t jump directly in without a plan. That’s how you end up making common smarthome beginner mistakes. Instead, before buying anything, you should ask yourself a few common-sense questions."
Continue reading...

Education:

Why You Should Absolutely Take the Time to Document Your Family History Research:

Ancestral Findings
"Have you started documenting your genealogy yet? If not, you should. Today, I’ll give you the top reasons why documentation is so important in genealogical research."
Listen now...  7.40 minutes

Webinars:

Soldier's Homes (1865-1930) Caring For Our Veterans:

Legacy Family Tree
"The National Home for Volunteer Soldiers, was established by an act of Congress in 1865. The purpose of the home system (initially called the National Asylum) was to provide for the care of the large number of wounded and disabled veterans from the Civil War. Records of kinship and other treasures abound in these records—over 400,000 records of these veterans are online free of charge."
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 19 May through 25 May 2019

Coming Events:

Tuesday: May 21, 2019

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Old Glory Room at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center
Topic:  "What Does Family Tree Maker 2017 Offer You?" + Q&A

Wednesday: May 22, 2019

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Savannah Rec. Center

Wednesday: May 22, 2019

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM in the Savannah Rec. Center
Guest Speaker: Thomas MacEntee via a live online webinar
Topic: “After You’re Gone-Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research”
Unable to attend in person? To attend this event online, register here...

Gen News and Announcements:

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of May 6, 2019

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added new, free, historical records this week including over 1.8 million from Brazil and 4.5 million from Scotland. Other countries include Canada, England, Peru, Poland, South Africa, and the United States (World War I Servicemen Records from Delaware, Mississippi, and Ohio, Indexes to World War II Army Veterans of Utah, and other state records)."
Search now...

Three of My Favorite Genealogy Finding Aids:

Legacy News
"Knowing about what finding aids exist can help you more easily find what you need and know what is available for researching your genealogy. Here are  three of my favorite finding aids newspapers, records, and journal articles."
Continue reading...

Using the 1940 U.S. Census to Build Your Family Tree:

FamilySearch
"If you’re looking for ancestors who were alive in 1940 in the United States, the census is one of the best resources available. The 1940 census has the most detailed information of all United States censuses that have been released so far."
Continue reading...

More Clustering Tools!

Kitty Cooper
"Charts give you an easy way to see your family groupings and can help you figure out a new match since each cluster typically represents a common ancestral couple."
Continue reading...

Using Mortality Schedules: An Overlooked Source for Genealogy

Amy Johnson Crow
"The census forms the foundation of much of our genealogy research. But there is a section of it that is often overlooked. Here is how to use mortality schedules to find even more about your ancestors."
Continue reading...

Technology:

When Should You Properly “Eject” Your Thumb Drive?

How-to-Geek
"When do you safely remove a device? Some users put caution to the wind and yank out any device, while others perform religious rituals every time. Here are some tips and guidelines for practicing safe drive removal."
Continue reading...

Education:

Using Local Historical and Genealogical Societies to Further Your Genealogy Research:

Ancestral Findings
"What types of things will you find at local historical and genealogical societies? It varies, of course, but you may find valuable research resources.  Let's explore these resources together on today's episode of the Ancestral Findings Podcast."
Listen now...  7.30 minutes

Webinars:

Valid and Unsound Assumptions: What Was She Thinking?

Legacy Family Tree
"The search for the deceased husband of Elizabeth Larzelere enumerated in 1820 with four young children leads to unexpected results and to new questions."
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: Jeanne Bloom, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Google Drive: an Office in the Cloud

Legacy Family Tree
"Never again suffer the heartache of a dead hard drive. Take advantage of 'found" research time when you keep research notes available anywhere with internet access."
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Dear MYRTLE
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Compiling a Military Service Record:

Legacy Family Tree
"By their nature a compiled military service record is incomplete. This lecture focuses on how to either add to a CMSR or create a service record in the absence of a CMSR."
Friday, May 24, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Craig R. Scott, MA, CG, FUGA
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS Reminders: 27 - 31 March 2017

Italian SIG members at Chef's of Napoli with Mary Tedesco

Reminders:

Monday: March 27, 2017

Technology SIG Meeting:

10:00 AM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: "Automated Webpage Software for the Genealogist"

Gen News:

Research That You Never Thought You’d Need:

Ancestral Finding
"When you have been doing genealogy for a while, you get used to surprises. You make new discoveries in places you never thought you would find anything. You meet new people in unusual places who have information on your family you could never get on your own. And, sometimes, you find yourself needing a tool to do your research you never thought you would need. Here are the top ten tools for your genealogy research you never thought you’d need."
Continue reading...

Researching Family Trees Online On A Budget:

Family Tree Tips
"Researching your family tree can become a very expensive hobby the further back you go and depending on the goals you set yourself you might find it starts to break the bank. Some people are only interested in a few branches of their tree and so can breeze through these without paying much in the way of purchasing certificates and subscriptions to online sources. Below are a few tips that can help you manage the money you spend on your research."
Continue reading...

More than 10 hours of Irish genealogy workshop available on YouTube:

Genealogy à la carte
"If you missed watching the live streaming of the Ulster Historical Foundation’s two-day Irish genealogy workshop this week, you still have 90 days to watch it on YouTube, thanks to the hosts, the Fountaindale District and the Plainfield Public Library District in Bolingbrook, Illinois."
Continue reading...

Tech:

How to Turn Off Siri App Suggestions on the iPhone:

How-to-Geek
"iOS 10 includes a feature that gives you quick shortcuts to apps it thinks you want to use—either based on your location or other factors. Here’s how to turn these suggestions off."
Continue reading...

How to Clean Up Your Facebook News Feed in Just a Few Taps:

How-to-Geek
"On Facebook, the News Feed is king. The algorithms behind it control which posts you see from your friends and your frenemies. Every little action you do on Facebook is tracked and it’s all factored in to determine which posts show up first."
Continue reading...

Education:

What to Do if a Genealogical Record is Sealed:

Ancestral Findings Podcast
"What can you do if a genealogical record is sealed? In this episode of the Ancestral Findings Podcast, I’ll give you some techniques for getting your hands on sealed records you need for your genealogy research."
Listen now... 4.19 minutes

Webinars:

Introduction to Quaker Genealogy Research:

Legacy Family Tree
"This lecture examines how Quakers created records at the various types of meetings, be they Yearly, Quarterly or Monthly. It examines the types of records, their value to a researcher and where they can be found."
March 29, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Register to attend...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 23 March 2017

L-R: Pres. Pat Adams, Guest Speaker Mary Tedesco and VP Annette Burke Lyttle

Gen News:

Have You Tried One Page Genealogy?

Genea-Musings
" One Page Genealogy is the place for you to view, customize and download your family tree all on one page.  View up to 20 generations of ascendancy or descendancy.  Change colors and tree styles.  Download and print to show your friends!"
Continue reading...

15 Essential Irish Genealogy Websites:

Relocating to Ireland

"Researching your Irish ancestry online can be a challenging and task. There isn’t one single website that holds all of the records available. Instead, there are many sites that offer a range of valuable data that you may need to access during your searching, for example, extractions, transcriptions and digitized images. These sites listed here offer a mix of free and paid subscription-based content, and they represent the major resources for your online Irish ancestry research."

Continue reading...

Is Genealogical DNA Testing a Fad?

Genealogy's Star
"We have no idea whether or not DNA testing at the level and it is now being promoted will be short-lived."
Continue reading...

Tech:

How to Block or Manage Notifications in Google Chrome:

How-to-Geek
"Webapps have come a long way. Thanks to features like notifications, they can even replace traditional desktop apps for many people. But if you’d rather not be bombarded by notifications, though, here’s how to manage Chrome’s notifications (and block them from certain apps)."
Continue reading...

How to Prevent Certain Photos from Showing Up in Android’s Gallery or Google Photos:

How-to-Geek
"Look, we get it: you don’t want every picture showing up in your gallery app on your Android phone. The thing is, there’s not an easy way to just let Gallery or Google Photos know you want to keep certain photos (or even folders) private. But there is a workaround."
Continue reading...

Education:

Royal Blood? Lineage Societies for You:

Ancestral Findings Podcast
"Are you descended from royalty? I’ll explain why you should join one of these lineage societies for descendants of kings and queens in this episode."
Listen now... 6.08 minutes

VGS Latest News & Tips: 14 March 2017

Reminders:
Today: March 14, 2017

Genealogy Writers SIG Meeting
2:30 PM in the Churchill Downs Room in the Pimlico Recreation Center
Topic: “Compiling a Book of Your Descendants.”

Tomorrow: March 15, 2017

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Defender Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center
Topic(s): Researching New York & New Jersey, and a report on Karen's recent genealogy cruise.

Tomorrow: March 15, 2017

New to Genealogy SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Chateaugay Room at the Chatham Recreation Center
Presenter: John DeAngelo
Topic: "Genealogy Software"

Gen News:

New GRO Birth and Death Indexes:

Family History Gifts
"The new general register office index is quite a game changer in terms of the history of researching ancestors using the Internet."
Continue reading...

The One Missing Tool in Your Genealogy Toolbox:

Armchair Genealogists
"I'll give you a few clues.

• It has the ability to connect relatives with their family history.
• It can help families enjoy and engage with their family history.
• It will aid genealogists in leave a lasting legacy. 
• It has the ability to format a genealogy into a sustainable shareable format for generations to come."

Continue reading...

7 Tips to Help You Find Your American Ancestors in PERSI:

Find My Past

"The Periodical Source Index, otherwise known as PERSI, is an amazing resource for genealogy research. If you're facing a brick wall, PERSI may be just the thing to overcome it." 

Continue reading...

Tech:

How To Replace Notepad with Another Text Editor in Windows:

How-to-Geek
"Notepad is a Windows staple that hasn’t really changed in years. It’s fine as a basic text editor, but if you’d like to replace it with something a bit more powerful, then read on."
Continue reading...

How to Stop Websites From Asking For Your Location:

How-to-Geek

"Modern web browsers allow websites to ask for your location through a prompt. If you’re tired of seeing these prompts, you can disable them and websites won’t be able to ask for your location anymore."

Continue reading...

Education:

Who Are The Black Dutch?

Ancestral Findings Podcast
"The term “Black Dutch” is something you may encounter in your genealogy research, or maybe you’ve heard it mentioned in your family as being part of your ancestry? But what does it mean, exactly?"
Listen now...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 20 December 2016

Understanding What Is Meant By “Second Cousin Once Removed” And Similar Relationships:

Family Tree Tips
"A lot of people and myself included when they start researching don’t know the actual meaning of relationships like “Second Cousin Once Removed” or “Third Cousin Twice Removed” and only know the simple stuff like great grandfather, great great grandmother etc."
Continue reading...

AncestorSearch using Google Custom Search:

randymajors.com
"This tool helps you build a better Google search for finding web pages mentioning your ancestors. It returns a more focused set of search results by using advanced Google search techniques including exact phrases, forward and reverse name order, alternate name spellings, logical operators, and so on. Nothing magical, just a big time-saver!"
Continue reading...

The Genealogy Gems Podcast: Episode 198

Lisa Louise Cooke
"This episode’s got a bit of holiday sparkle! Lisa Louise Cooke welcomes Genealogy Gems Book Club author and Victorian lifestyle expert Sarah Chrisman to the show to talk about Victorian holiday traditions, some of which may still live on in your own life. Following that conversation, Lisa shares a fun description of Victorian-era scrapbooking: how it’s different than today’s scrapbooking hobby but also how it reminds her of modern social media."
Continue reading...

How Refrigeration Changed the United States:

Ancestry
"Refrigeration and air conditioning are conveniences that we mostly take for granted in modern buildings and houses. At least I certainly do, after living on the Gulf Coast of Florida for the greater part of my life. Although my ancestors have lived in this sub-tropical environment since the early 1900s, I can’t imagine going through the summer without it."
Continue reading...

UK History:

Ancestry

" Don't let your UK history go undiscovered. Download our research guide and learn 3 tips on discovering your UK ancestors.

Download guide...

Android Guide: Keeping Your Device Secure:

How-to-Geek
"Whenever you walk out your front door with your phone, you carry with you the contents of your life. “Security” may seem like a boring topic, but your phone has all kinds of important, personal, and sensitive information on it—even if you think it doesn’t. When it’s so easy to lose your mobile device or have it stolen, you have to ask yourself: why take chances when protecting your data is so simple?"
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 20 December

1802: The United States buys the Louisiana territory from France.
1933: The German government announces 400,000 citizens are to be sterilized because of hereditary defects.
1938: First electronic television system is patented.
1914 Birthday: Harry F. Byrd Jr., first independent ever elected to US Senate by a majority of the popular vote (Virginia).

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Mississippi:
1825: Vicksburg incorporated
1898: Gulfport incorporated
1907: Boll weevil attached cotton crop
1917: Payne Field established in West Point to train Army Pilots

VGS Latest News & Tips: 14 June 2016

Today is Flag Day
Orlando Strong!

Tonight: Tuesday: June 14, 2016

Genealogy Roadshow - Boston
8:00 PM on PBS

Tomorrow: Wednesday: June 15, 2016

Board of Directors Meeting

9:00 AM at the Pinellas Library

Have you seen your ancestor’s passport? 
Ancestry
"Summer is travel time in the U.S., which got us thinking about records created when our ancestors packed up and left town. One of the most exciting records can be a U.S. passport application.
Although passports weren't required until 1941 (with some exceptions), many American citizens still got one before heading abroad. The State Department issued more than 1,684,280 passports between 1810 and 1925. And each one has a story.
Download guide...

Ancestry Tips and Tools:
Ancestry
"With the Ancestry App, you never have to leave your family at home. This Ancestry Academy video shows you how easy it is to search, review hints, upload photos, and more—from anywhere."
Watch tip videos...

Term of the day: DNA
The Legal Genealogist
"Now you’d think that we’d all know what DNA is by now, right?
I mean, we’re using it as a tool every day in genealogical research.
But do we really understand what those letters stand for, what they mean?"
Continue reading...

New on Ancestry Academy: Short Courses and State Classes:
Ancestry
Ancestry Academy has added something new this month: Short Courses!  This new offering will give you quick tips on one topic in 5 minutes or less.  This month we start with some of the basics on the U.S. Federal Census:

• Pre 1850-Censuses
• 1850 Census: An Introduction
• 1890 Census: Where is it?
• 1880 Census: An Overview
• Introduction to the 1940 Census

Continue reading...

Still The One: Loveland Couple Celebrates 70 Years Of Marriage:
Reporter Herald-News
"Boyd and Gwen Johnson met in 10th-grade biology class in the 1940s and, though they were separated physically for a time by World War II, they have remained inseparable ever since those days in high school."
Continue reading...

Should You Use the Windows 10 Insider Previews?
How-to-Geek
"By switching to Insider Preview builds of Windows 10, you’ll get the latest changes and features before other Windows users. However, you’ll also get new bugs. Here’s what running an Insider Preview is actually like."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 14 June
1642: Massachusetts passes the first compulsory education law in the colonies.
1775: The U.S. Army is founded when the Continental Congress authorizes the muster of troops.
1777: The Continental Congress authorizes the “stars and stripes” flag for the new United States.
1946 Birthday: Donald Trump, New York real estate mogul.

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Arizona:
1821: American trappers & traders begin to arrive.
1848: US gained control of portions of area as a result of Mexican War.
1854: Gold discovered around Tubac.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 5 May 2016

VGS members at the 2016 NGS Conference
The gentleman in the center is Gary Knell, President of the NGS

Today Thursday: May 5, 2016

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:
1:00 PM in the Triple Crown Room at Churchill Recreation Center

Tomorrow: Friday: May 6, 2016

British Genealogy SIG Meeting
9:30 AM in the Courageous Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

News from the NGS Conference:
The National Genealogical Society (NGS) honored excellence in the categories of newsletter editorship and service to the Society with the presentation of several awards at the Opening Session of the NGS 2016 Family History Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 4 May 2016. Some are familiar names to The VGS membership.

The President's Citation is given in recognition of outstanding, continuing, or unusual contributions to the field of genealogy or the society. This year, the President’s Citation honors two individuals, Cyndi Ingle of Milton, WA, and Dick Eastman of Orlando, FL, who have given generously of their time and talents to benefit the genealogical community.

Cyndi Ingle will be our guest speaker at our 2017 annual seminar. Since 1996, Cyndi Ingle has published and maintained Cyndi’s List, a free, categorized, and cross-referenced online listing of genealogical sites. Cyndi’s List quickly became an indispensable resource for genealogists worldwide.

Dick Eastman was our annual seminar guest speaker in 2013 and was present at our 2015 and 2016 seminars as well. Also in 1996, Dick launched the Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter. EOGN covers genealogy news, as well as issues of technology, privacy, digital rights, and access as they relate to genealogy. A trailblazer in the use of technology, Dick was an early promoter of the use of online forums to advance genealogical research. Today more than 75,000 people read his newsletter and benefit from his reviews and tutorials.

Criminal Records: Troublemakers In Your Family Tree:
Ancestry
"We’d all like to think that our ancestors were good, kind-hearted, upstanding citizens who followed the letter of the law. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and sometimes we find a few leaves in our tree attached to troublemakers."
Continue reading...

How to Preserve Family Photos:
Amy Johnson Crow
"Family photos are the entry point into family history for many people. Keeping them safe is so important! I sat down and talked with Denise Levenick, The Family Curator, for her tips on how to preserve family photos."
Continue reading...

Google Keep: This Smart New Tool from Google is the Perfect Genealogy Research Assistant!
FamilyHistoryDaily
"With all of the amazing information now available at our fingertips it can be difficult to keep track of it all. Whether you’re on a research site perusing possible record matches, taking a family history course or reading helpful articles, it helps to have a program that can aid you in remembering and storing it all."
Continue reading...

How to Share Your iPhone Without People Snooping Around:
How-to-Geek
"Phones are private, full of personal data and messages. Guided Access allows you to share your iPhone with someone without being able to access that data–allowing them to look at photos, place a phone call, or play a game while your stuff stays hidden."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 5 May
1494: Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica, which he names Santa Gloria.
1821: Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on the island of St. Helena.
1865: The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery.
1899 Birthday: Freeman F. Gosden, radio comedy writer and performer (Amos ‘n’ Andy).

VGS Latest News & Tips: 16 March 2016

Today: Wednesday: March 16, 2016

Board of Directors Meeting

9:00 AM at the Pinellas Library

Today: Wednesday: March 16, 2016

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Jasmine Room at the Hibiscus Recreation Center

Today: Wednesday: March 16, 2016

New to Genealogy SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Chateaugay Room at the Chatham Recreation Center

Tomorrow: Thursday: March 17, 2016

New England Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

6 Tools to Make Archival Research More Efficient:
Inside Higher Ed
"As an historian, I spend a lot of time in the archives, rifling through dusty old boxes in search of treasure for my dissertation. Learning how to do archival research has been an exercise in learning to work more efficiently. Because grant budgets can only go so far, it’s important to make use of every minute when visiting faraway libraries and repositories, capturing as much information as possible to bring home with me. Here at GradHacker, we’ve featured many tools for organizing your research data once you’ve already collected it."
Continue reading...

Get Ready For St. Patrick's Day! Finding Your Irish Roots in Irish Catholic Parish Registers :
Ancestry
"I feel like the doors to my Irish ancestry have suddenly been opened wide with the recent addition of more than 10 million Irish Catholic Parish Registers on Ancestry. For many of us, this collection represents the best chance of discovering a written record of our ancestors and their families online."
Continue reading...

Are you familiar with Ancestry Academy?
Ancestry (The academy is a separate subscription service.)
"Ancestry Academy's online course library continues to grow! Check out this new courses taught by experts in the genealogy community:"
"Effective Searching for Canadian Records, by Lesley Anderson"
This course is a basic overview of how to use Ancestry’s Canadian website, Ancestry.ca, but there are many useful hints for anyone starting out on Ancestry no matter which country you're researching in. Topics include family trees, hints, and DNA, which cross a broad spectrum of other Ancestry websites besides Ancestry.ca. Who knows? You may also discover that you have a family member or distant cousin who once lived in or visited Canada.
View course details...

Why Do TV Shows and Movies Cover Up Logos?How-to-Geek
"Have you ever wondered why some TV shows go to great lengths to obscure logos on laptops and other well-known products? The reasons are seemingly simple, but not necessarily clear cut."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 16 March
1621: The first Indian appears to colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
1833: Susan Hayhurst becomes the first woman to graduate from a pharmacy college.
1850: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is published.
1751 Birthday: James Madison, fourth President of the United States (1809-17).

VGS Latest News & Tips: 26 February 2016

Panorama view of the 24 Feb 2016 Annual Seminar

1 Reason You’re Not Seeing the Red Flags in Your Genealogy:
Amy Johnson Crow
Red. It’s the color of warning, of stopping, of taking action. Stop lights and stop signs. Lights on firetrucks and police cars. They’re all signs that we need to stop and look around. There are even red flags in genealogy.
Continue reading...

Free Genealogist’s Toolkit to Power Your Family History Research:
Ancestry
"At Ancestry, we know that researching and telling your family story is a craft. And every crafts person needs a good set of tools. We’re committed to bringing you the best educational resources and research tools possible."
Continue reading...
Download the toolkit...

The Genealogy Guys Podcast:
Drew Smith & George Morgan

See what's on tap for this episode.

The POD icon will play the podcast once at the link above...

A Guided Tour of Cyndi's List 2.0 - Free Webinar By Cyndi Ingle Now Online For A Limited Time:
Legacy Family Tree:
"This begins with a brief history of Cyndi's List, followed by an overview of how to navigate the newly updated site and how to tell when the site is updated. Learn how to effectively use this valuable resource tool as your jumping-off point onto the genealogist's Internet."
Now through March 2...
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 26 February
1815: Napoleon and 1,200 of his men leave Elba to start the 100-day re-conquest of France.
1914: Russian aviator Igor Sikorsky carries 17 passengers in a twin engine plane in St. Petersburg.
1917: President Wilson publicly asks congress for the power to arm merchant ships.
1829 Birthday: Levi Strauss, creator of blue jeans.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 28 December 2015

MAN WANTED---Male Descendant of Jan Cornelisen Van Hoorn:
"I am seeking a direct line male descendant of Jan Cornelisen Van Hoorn.
This gentleman must have the Van Horne surname and be a descendant of Jan Cornelisen in the paternal line, In other words, the line cannot have been broken by a female birth.
I manage the Van Horne Surname DNA Project at Family Tree DNA. We have one male line descendant of Jan Cornelisen in the project. I would like to confirm that we have established the correct genetic pedigree for this family. To do that the project needs another direct line male Jan Cornelisen descendant to be tested and hopefully match the first project member for this family.
If you think you qualify or know someone who does, please write to me at msvnhrn@jps.net and include a list of your male line back to Jan Cornelisen.
Thanks, Marleen Van Horne

2015 top posts: DNA
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist
"Here we are, in the last days of 2015, so it’s time to stop for a moment, and reflect as part of a year-end review."
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For the 12 Days of Christmas: 12 Types of Newspaper Articles for Genealogy Research, Part I
Genealogy Bank
"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Well if you’re like most of us your family history gift would be finding more mentions (or perhaps just one mention) of your ancestry. Instead of geese a-laying or the partridge in a pear tree, you want to go straight to the genealogy happy dance where you celebrate finding that newspaper article about your family."
Part 1: Continue reading   Part 2: Continue reading...

Reuniting Taken Children With Their Biological Families:DNA TestingAdvisor.com
"New DNA databases are making it possible for taken children and their biological families to find each other.
Every year thousands of children are taken. Strangers kidnap some of them. Others disappear through parental abduction in custody disputes."
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More than 250,000 books on family history scanned through LDS Church:
Idaho State Journal
"POCATELLO — Jane Garner had been told several years ago that there was a book written about her elusive great-grandfather; however, she learned it was available only through interlibrary loan from a library in the Midwest.
Fast forward to today: The exciting news is that thousands upon thousands of books from around the world dealing with family history are just a finger touch away on your personal computer
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Cleaning house?!?! Soon to disappear Genealogy Tools and Services:
NGS
"It’s always hard to say “goodbye” to tools that one has used for a long time, and, on the other hand, change is inevitable."
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Add Events to Timelines...
Geni
"As relatives are added to the family tree, we will often enter the usual basic information, such as names, birth and death dates and location, etc. But did you know you can enhance your relatives’ profiles even further by adding life events to their Timelines? The Timeline is a great way to visualize the events that occur throughout a person’s life."
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Preserving the War of 1812 Pensions: An Update 
Ancestry
The Preserve the Pensions project is raising funds to digitize and preserve the 7.2 million pages of War of 1812 pension files. These files had never even been microfilmed. Each time someone requested a file from the National Archives, it required handling the paper file. All of that processing over the years has been hard…
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This Day In History: December 28
1846: Iowa is admitted as the 29th State of the Union.
1904: Farmers in Georgia burn two million bales of cotton to prop up falling prices.
1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt states, "The definite policy of the United States, from now on, is one opposed to armed intervention."
1856 Birthday: Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States.