VGS News & Events: 18 August 2019 through 24 August 2019

Coming Events:

Tuesday: August 20, 2019

Family Tree Maker Users SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Patriot Room at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center
 Topic: "More About Media..." A continuation from our July Meeting

Gen News and Announcements:

Navigating Your MyHeritage DNA Health Reports:

My Heritage
"In this post, we explain how to navigate the health reports and describe their different components."
Continue reading...

New Data Collection: Connecticut Death Records, 1897-1968

Ancestry.com
"This data is published by the Connecticut State Library. All data in this third-party database was obtained from the source’s website. Ancestry.com does not support or make corrections or changes to the original database."
Search now...
Note: You must have an ancestry.com subscription to search this data...

New Data Collection: Connecticut Marriage Records, 1897-1968

Ancestry.com
"This data is published by the Connecticut State Library. All data in this third-party database was obtained from the source’s website. Ancestry.com does not support or make corrections or changes to the original database."
Search now...
Note: You must have an ancestry.com subscription to search this data...

New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 29 July 2019

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch added new, free, historical records this week from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, Peru, Spain, and the United States, including AK, AZ, CA, CO, GA, HI, ID, IL, IA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NJ, NM, NC, OH, PA, TX, VA and WI."
Search now...

FamilySearch Users Can Now Correct Name Indexing Errors:

FamilySearch
"FamilySearch has added a much-anticipated innovation that now enables users to make name corrections to its indexes. Corrections made by users increase the likelihood of success for researchers to find the records of their ancestors."
Continue reading...

Technology:

How to Use Google Chrome to Generate Secure Passwords:

How-To Geek

"Google Chrome offers to save passwords for all your online accounts. It then stores and syncs them to your Google account as part of the Smart Lock feature. Chrome also has a built-in password generator that automatically creates strong passwords at the click of a button."

Continue reading...

Education:

Your Guide to Spanish Last Names and Their Meanings:

Ancestral Findings
"Since most Spanish surnames can be traced back to Ancient Rome and the Visigoth invasions of it, this may mean being able to trace your family back pretty far, as long as you can find the written records."
Listen now... 8.09 minutes

Webinars:

Ten Tools for Genealogical Writing:

Legacy Family Tree
"Genealogists love to research, but writing it up – not so much. First, we need to read good writing (any kind). Then, practice writing in two separate compartments: write as it comes, and return later to fix or edit. Don’t worry about beginnings or endings; they will emerge over time. Seek out helpful critics, never wait until the last minute, and be ready to learn from editors."
Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Harold Henderson, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Bullet Journaling for Genealogy:

Legacy Family Tree
"There are so many wonderful technological tools for getting more out of your genealogical research time, but how do you choose which ones are going to work best for you? Are you struggling with making time for your research, staying on track for your projects, or just want to unplug and plan? If any of these situations sound like you, perhaps putting pen to paper might be the way to go."
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Shellee Morehead, PhD, CG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Introduction to Forensic Genealogy:

Legacy Family Tree

"This course will give the participant an overview of forensic genealogy and the role of the genealogist in these types of cases. We will discuss some of the major types of cases in which a forensic genealogist may be involved, such as guardianship, oil and gas, unidentified and unclaimed persons, and probate. The role of the forensic genealogist as an expert witness will also be discussed."

Friday, August 23, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern

Presenter: Kelvin L. Meyers

Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 24 February through 2 March 2019

Our Annual Seminar was very successful with about 270 members present.
David Rencher, from FamilySearch, was our guest speaker.

Coming Events:

Monday: February 25, 2019

Technology SIG Meeting:

10:00 AM in the Destin Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: Family Book Creator
(A Plug-In for Family Tree Maker 2017)

Tuesday: February 26, 2019

Midwest SIG Meeting:

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

Wednesday: February 27, 2019

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Savannah Recreation Center

Wednesday: February 27, 2019

General Monthly Meeting
Topic: "Could Our Ancestors Have Met?"
10:00 AM in the Savannah Recreation Center

Friday: March 1, 2019

British SIG Meeting:

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

Friday: March 1, 2019

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Rhett Butler Room at the Savannah Center

Note meeting date change...

Presentation: "DNA Show and Tell"

Gen News and Announcements:

An Open Letter to President Pat Adams...

Dear Pat,

     Thanks to The Villages for letting us tag along on your trip which my sister, Marcia Lloyd told us about. A special thanks to Dale Heins for sending all the handouts and for keeping us informed and including us in all the well-planned activities. All the lectures were very informative and helpful, and the AV equipment of microphone, large screen and good projector provided everyone with a good view and we were able to hear all speakers easily. I am envious of your genealogical group , its size and activities, diversity of subjects studied and enthusiasm of members.
     We have many genealogical groups here in New England, but you cover much more territory.
     We enjoyed meeting with many of your members at dinner and in the library, talking with George, Drew and Ann, and learning more about many aspects of genealogy. DNA is, of course, intriguing and I was lucky enough to give an adopted man’s family enough information about his biological family to welcome a new cousin to ours. Also, with Blaine’s advice, I hope to find my sister-in-law’s unknown grandfather. I hope his family will be equally welcoming.
     You folks are lucky to have such varied resources within your group.
     Thank you again for including us. Send us email if someone needs help with South Shore (towns south of Boston) research. We also have a genealogical library (Dyer) nearby in Abington which has local resources.
Sincerely,
Karen and Dick Rich
Whitman, MA

News - Cool Cash Winner Announced

Congratulations to Susan Hohneman who was the winner of our February Cool Cash Drawing. Our winner was drawn at the Annual Seminar.
The question for March can be found on our website under "Members Only."  To enter to have a chance at winning at the March General Meeting, sign-in under "Members Only" to submit your answer.

News - Hard Times 

Finding Your Roots
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family stories of filmmaker Michael Moore and actors Laura Linney and Chloë Sevigny—three people whose distant ancestors overcame great hardships in ways that resonate with their lives today. Premieres Tuesday, February 26, 8/7c

New Historical Records Added in January 2019

MyHeritage
"We are excited to announce that we have added 7,291,329 new historical records to SuperSearch™ during January 2019. Added collections are The 1940 Denmark Census; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Passenger Lists, 1883-1945; and the Port of New York, Index to Discharged or Deserted Crew, 1917-1957."
Continue reading...

How to Use Your Existing DNA Test to Get a Low-Cost Genetic Health Report:

Family History Daily
"Here at Family History Daily we’ve covered DNA testing for genealogy research pretty extensively, but we’ve always focused on ancestry reports, not health reports. This is because we’ve always felt that the genetic “health” information provided today, which is still very much in its infancy, could be taken out of context and possibly cause distress and confusion to some users. In fact, some data offered by certain websites seems designed to mislead.
However, these reports are becoming more common and many more people are taking advantage of them. For this reason we have decided to cover one of the more respected options so that you have a trusted source to turn to if you decide to explore your own genetic health information."
Continue reading...

5 Genealogy Tasks That Should Be On Your To-Do List in 2019:

Family History Daily
"We’ve got some suggestions that just might help you take your family history to the next level. Consider picking one or more of these important tasks and adding them to your to-do list this year."
Continue reading...

Massachusetts Archives Makes Digital Documents Available

GenealogyBlog
"BOSTON — The Massachusetts Archives has launched an online collection of records of state agencies, including a searchable index of Massachusetts casualties in World War II, records of the administration of Governor Deval Patrick and town plans from 1794 through 1830."
Continue reading...

Technology:

10 Annoying Problems You Can Solve with Smarthome Devices:

How-to-Geek
"Smarthomes are easier to put together than ever. While they’re still not a necessity, what they are useful for is solving annoying problems around your home."
Continue reading...

Education:

What Makes Genealogy So Important?

Ancestral Findings

"What are your reasons for doing genealogy? If you are a beginner or haven’t started yet, your personal reasons will be your motivation. Today I’ll give you the most common reasons for doing genealogy."
Listen now... 7.42 minutes

Webinars:

Spreadsheets 401 : Excel-lent Inspiration:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Take a trip with spreadsheets to the lands of your ancestors. Learn how spreadsheets can help as you learn to read foreign language newspapers. Use spreadsheets as a translation tool for your ancestors' vital and religious records. Create a spreadsheet to track your ancestors and those great ethnic or locality websites – when you find a new ancestor or a new website you’ll be ready to dive in."
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Mary Kircher Roddy
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

VGS News & Events: 30 July - 5 August 2017

Reminders:

Thursday: August 3, 2017

Eastern European Genealogy SIG Meeting:

1:00 PM in the Daytona Room at the Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Gen News & Announcements:

Our Daily Blog Goes Weekly: Re-posted from yesterday...

The Editor
Recently I conducted a poll to gather information about continuing our blog in the current format on a daily basis. Being an all volunteer organization, it requires a lot of time and research to continue a blog in a daily format. Also our blog was not as popular as we had hoped when it began in January of 2015.
Some survey results...
We had 76 people respond to the survey. Of those 76 responses...
87% said that they have learn great things from the blog and that it should continue.
83% responded that a weekly blog post would work for them.
Therefore, effective tomorrow, Saturday July 29th will be our first weekly post. For those who receive it by email you will continue receiving it in that format. For those who go to our website, you will find it exactly in the same place on our website.
Thank you to all who support the VGS Blog.

This “Genealogy” Site is Openly Sharing Your Personal Details Online: Here’s How to Remove Them:

Family History Daily
Here at Family History Daily we have spent a great deal of time researching free genealogy sites. While large paid websites can offer a wealth of information to family history researchers, there is a growing selection of no-cost genealogy databases available online that provide just as much value. These sites, which are generally made available through the work of dedicated organizations, local governments, and volunteers provide a staggering amount of data that would be nearly impossible to access otherwise.
Continue reading...

History in Living Color:

MyHeritage
A new trend has emerged — people are taking old black and white photos and meticulously adding color to them. In some cases, the colorized photos look so modern, you’d guess that they’re from our times, instead of being decades old.
Continue reading...

New York Online Genealogy Records:

FamilySearch
"A Guide to New York Online Genealogy Records for researching ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth, marriage, death, census, church, military, immigration, and naturalization records. This chart shows links to statewide collections."
Continue reading and search NY Records FREE...

Online Germany Genealogy Records by State:

FamilySearch
"Links to German online genealogy records by state currently available on FamilySearch.org"
Continue reading and search German  Records FREE...

Review: GreetingStory™ Cards from PassItDown™

GenealogyBargain
"Once a card is completed and given back to the family historian, the Pass It Down platform is used to preserve and share the family story. I found the website intuitive and easy-to-use. I had to create an account, agree to a basic Terms and Services, and then I could customize my profile with a photo and bio."
Continue reading...

Creating a Family Health History:

OwnYourHealth
"A family health history is a record of health information, such as illnesses and conditions, present in your family. Usually, your doctor will want to know of any health concerns in your immediate family (birth mother, birth father, full and half siblings) and extended family (grandparents, aunts and uncles), but you should note any condition or illness of any family member if you think it could be helpful for your doctor to get a well-rounded picture of your health."
Continue reading...

Citrus County Genealogical Society August Meeting:

CCGS
The Citrus County Genealogical Society will meet August 8 at 10:00 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3474 W. Southern St., Lecanto. The topic is “Cemetery Transcriptions and Headstone Cleaning.” The program will be presented by Nigel Rudolph, Public Archaeology Coordinator, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Central Regional Center, USF Department of Anthropology. Guests are welcome to attend, For information go to www.citrusgenealogy.com or call Mary Ann Machonkin at 382-5515

Program Note:

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns to PBS with a new season on October 3rd to explore the fascinating family trees of popular figures including Ana Navarro, Bernie Sanders, Garrison Keillor, Mary Steenburgen, Scarlett Johansson, Ted Danson, William H. Macy, and others!

Tech:

RootsMagic Essentials:

RootsMagic
"RootsMagic Essentials is a free genealogy program that contains many core features from the award-winning RootsMagic family tree software. Downloading RootsMagic Essentials is absolutely free and is the easiest way to start tracing your family tree!"
Learn more and/or download the software...

Editor's Note: The full version sync's directly to ancestry.com

"RootsMagic’s TreeShare for Ancestry will let you move data between your RootsMagic files on your computers and your personal Ancestry online trees. You can transfer people, events, notes, source citations, and even pictures between the two systems."

Education:

Why I Love Genealogy (And You Should, Too!)

Ancestral Findings
"Genealogy is the most wonderful of pastimes. I love it, and you should, too. There are endless reasons why. Genealogy is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the western world, as more and more people discover the exhilarating and slightly addictive nature of ancestor hunting. It’s like an ongoing mystery with clues you have to discover and then put together to come to conclusions about your family’s past."
Listen now...  12.22 minutes

Upcoming Webinars:

Tracing Your West Country Ancestors:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Introducing the identity of ‘The West Country’, its geography and history over the centuries, this class guides the family historian through the wealth of historical records available both online and in archives and libraries to add the ‘flesh to the bones’ of the names of ancestors on your family trees, including some fascinating details that can be uncovered about the places they lived, their occupations and the distinctive features, identity and character of the West Country. Case studies of some notable individuals from the counties are provided as well as some records of those individuals who never hit the headlines."
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Kirsty Gray
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for August 2017:

FamilySearch
"The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has announced its free family history classes and webinars for August 2017. There are 22 of them. Participants can attend in person or online. Many of the August classes teach how to research records in Great Britain, China, and Prussian Poland, to understand DNA, and to use documents and photos to preserve memories. Some classes are also in Spanish. See the full schedule below. Mark your calendars for events you want to join so you don't forget." This is the only post on these webinars.
Continue reading...

VGS Latest News & Tips: 11 November 2016

Tomorrow: November 12, 2016

20th Annual Central Florida Family History Conference.

You must be pre-registered to attend this event.

The bus leaves Walmart on Route 441 at 7:20 a.m. sharp!

Preserving a Veteran’s Military History:

Ancestry
"This week there is a lot going on in our country as we elected a new President on Tuesday, November 8th. Did you also know that Friday, November 11th, is Veterans Day? I wonder if people will be so wrapped up in the election that they forget to honor those who helped give us the freedoms we enjoy today.
Using Ancestry Member Trees, families can create histories of their veteran’s service history. How can you do this?
Continue reading...

ISFHWE Excellence-in-Writing Competition:

ISFHWE
"ISFHWE's primary goal is to encourage excellence in writing and editorial standards in genealogical publishing. This embraces all media, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters, professional journals, books (including compiled family histories), online columns, society and personal Web sites, Web logs (blogs), and broadcast journalism of all sorts."
Continue reading...

4 Steps to Starting a Health History:

FamilySearch
"Learning about your family can help you understand your past and form more meaningful connections with family members now. But did you know that gathering information about your family can also provide important medical information? Unlike conversations about birth dates and family memories, this type of research requires conversations about health issues and medical conditions. With this type of information, the finished product is a family health history instead of a family group sheet or written family history. "
Continue reading...

Finding US Military Ancestors in Online Records:

FamilySearch
"If your family tree extends back for several generations in the US, chances are good that you have at least one ancestor who fought in the military. With the growing collection of online databases, learning about your military ancestors has never been easier. Military records can do much more than shed light on the details of your ancestor’s military service. They might provide insights into their lives or help you fill in family relationships."
Continue reading...

New Historic Records On FamilySearch: Week of October 31, 2016:

FamilySearch
"You can now access newly published indexed death records in Oregon, Kentucky, and Tennesse. Also, check out the indexed German civil registrations as well as the millions of new digital images available for GenealogyBank obituaries, North Carolina estate files, and Revolutionary War rosters."
Continue reading...

How to Encrypt Your Facebook Messages with “Secret Conversation” Mode:

How-to-Geek
"Facebook has finally gotten with the times and rolled out device-to-device encrypted communication to all of the billion Facebook Messenger users. Here’s how to turn it on, which shortcomings to be aware of, and why you should start using it now."
Continue reading...

This Day In History: 11 November

1889: Washington becomes the 42nd state of the Union.
1909: Construction begins on the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
1921: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery is dedicated.
1885 Birthday: George S. Patton, U.S. Army commander in World War II.

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Iowa:
1867: First railroad in region completed and grasshopper invasion severely damaged crops
1880: Census indicated that 262 thousand foreign born residing in the state
1907: Last lynching in the state

VGS Latest News & Tips: 18 January 2016

Tomorrow: Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

A Word About the Privacy of Your Genealogy Information:
Dick Eastman: egon.com
"I am relatively new to genealogy technology. Are there tips you can provide to ensure the security of personal information?"
Continue reading...

Experience Living History: Lizzy Jane 
Sumter County Library
"Dee Collier will portray Lizzy Jane. This character is a compilation of women living in the late 1800's in Marion County following the second Seminole War. She exemplifies the pioneer spirit prevalent at this time with the cow hunters, the town's people during the fire of 1883, and those who faced economic boom and bust, just as well as everyday life."

Belvedere Library
2:00 p.m. - Tuesday, January 19
Register here

Pinellas Plaza Library
3:30 p.m. - Thursday, January 21
Register here

How to Denote Dates to Avoid Confusion:
Cousin Detective
" In Europe and other places in the world they write the day first, then the month, so 3/7/50 would be 3 July 1850 if it was written in, say, Germany (where he lived).   Ahhhhhh, all those other wrong dates that said July now make total sense."
Continue reading...

DNA Sequencing Company Wants to Develop a Cancer Blood Test:
Time Health
"One of the early pioneers in mapping our DNA is hoping to turn its genetic know-how into the first blood test for picking up early signs of cancer.
Illumina, which dominates the DNA sequencing world, is dipping a very big toe into cancer testing.
Continue reading...

Tips for Finding and Visiting Your Ancestors in the Cemetery:
Ancestry
"Information on tombstones can include maiden names, birth and death dates, relationships, towns of origin, military service, and religious affiliation—all of which can lead breakthroughs in your research. Be sure to check with the cemetery office to see if other family members are in the plot who are not listed on the tombstone, or are perhaps in a grave nearby. The cemetery office often has additional details not found on the tombstone."
Download cemetery guide... 3 page .pdf file

Today In History: 18 January
1778: Captain James Cook discovers the Hawaiian Islands, naming them the ‘Sandwich Islands’ after the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Sandwich.
1836: Jim Bowie arrives at the Alamo to assist its Texas defenders.
1910: Aviator Eugene Ely performs his first successful take off and landing from a ship in San Francisco.
1782 Birthday: Daniel Webster, congressman from New Hampshire, Massachusetts senator, and secretary of state before the Civil War.

VGS News & Tips: 11 Jun 2015

Meeting Today, June 11:

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

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

Meeting Reminder - Tomorrow, June 12:

Genetic Genealogy SIG Meeting
Presentation: "Genetic Genealogy News with Insights on 3rd Party Analysis Tools"

10:00 AM in the Rhett Butler at the Savannah Center.

Ancestry Health:
DNAeXplained
"I was startled to see Ancestry enter the health arena, given the problems that 23andMe has had with federal regulation, but after I took a look at Ancestry Health, I realized it’s nothing at all like the 23andMe health information. 23andMe provided you with health information based on your DNA test. Ancestry Health does not."

Read more...

Tuberculosis and Genealogy:
by Bryan Mulcahy, M.L.S., Reference Librarian at the Ft. Myers Regional Library
"Tuberculosis has been an ongoing disease throughout history all over the world. Most genealogists will encounter references in death certificates and other documents to ancestors who died from this disease. Some historical names for this disease include consumption, phthisis and TB. It impacted all social and economic classes, all age groups, and all facets of American life, both urban and rural; it knew no boundaries."
Read more...

Break Through Your Brick Walls Today Using Facebook: Here’s How...
Family History Daily
"I continue to be amazed how social media can quickly give you the answers you need to break through your family history brick walls. In just the last 2 weeks, I have turned to Facebook for help and was not disappointed. Here’s how I did it!"
Read more...

This Day In History:
1919: Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown.
1913: Vince Lombardi, an American football coach, was born; he died in 1970.
1837: The Broad Street Riot occurs in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between Yankees and Irish.