Wednesday, August 1 - "Jewish Genealogy for the Non-Jew: History, Migration, DNA" by Schelly Talalay Dardashdi. Beginner, Intermediate
Friday, August 3 - "Legacy 9 Unlocked (part 5): Adding an Obituary" by Geoff Rasmussen. Intermediate
Wednesday, August 8 - "Genealogical Proof for the Novice Genealogist" by Annette Burke Lyttle. Beginner, Intermediate
Friday, August 10 - "50 Websites To Find Vital Records" by Gena Philibert-Ortega. Beginner
Wednesday, August 15 - "Untangle the Web of Germanic Websites" by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin. Intermediate
Tuesday, August 21 - "GPS: Finding Your Way Through Tough Research Problems" by James Ison. Intermediate
Wednesday, August 22 - "Researching Forces Ancestors (England and Wales)" by Kirsty Gray. Intermediate
Tuesday, August 28 - "How Photos Enhance Genealogical Research" by Daniel Horowitz (MyHeritage Webinars). Beginner
Wednesday, August 29 - "The YDNA Test Should Be Your Favorite" by Diahan Southard. Intermediate
You can read more about the subject matter of these webinars at www.familytreewebinars.com. All webinars are free, can be watched in real time or for one week following each presentation.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
New York Research
We spent several days in St. Lawrence County in upper New York with various levels of success.
Massena: At the local historical museum we read through the Hackett and Bailey files. It seems we were able to "prove a negative," as the Hackett family we were wondering about had been in Massachusetts and Vermont for generations and probably had no connection with John Hackett who arrived from Ireland in the 1840s. The volunteer was helpful but not very familiar with the museum holdings.
Bombay: We read online that the historical museum was open Wednesday mornings, but no one was there when we arrived. We called the number and one of the volunteers was willing to drive over to open the building. We visited with her briefly; that small museum didn't have research materials. She provided directions to two local cemeteries and we did find one grave marker linked to a family line.
Potsdam: We had called the museum the previous day and given them a list of surnames. Erin and Mary were particularly interested in our visit, as Mary was also researching a Bailey line. It turned out that she and Dick had a common ancestor! They had pulled the family files for our surnames and had several other helpful suggestions. These ladies knew their stuff!
Canton: The Silas Wright Museum here has a large collection of genealogical materials. We read family files, county histories, cemetery books, and the coordinator searched for our surnames in their computer system. Mary, Dick's cousin from Potsdam, also volunteers at this museum, so we had more opportunity to discuss research with her. We visited two more cemeteries in the area, also.
Success in New York seems to depend upon the knowledge of the museum directors and volunteers, and we had success in Potsdam and Canton for that reason. Calling ahead also saves time, as the volunteers can have the family files ready for you.
Massena: At the local historical museum we read through the Hackett and Bailey files. It seems we were able to "prove a negative," as the Hackett family we were wondering about had been in Massachusetts and Vermont for generations and probably had no connection with John Hackett who arrived from Ireland in the 1840s. The volunteer was helpful but not very familiar with the museum holdings.
Bombay: We read online that the historical museum was open Wednesday mornings, but no one was there when we arrived. We called the number and one of the volunteers was willing to drive over to open the building. We visited with her briefly; that small museum didn't have research materials. She provided directions to two local cemeteries and we did find one grave marker linked to a family line.
Potsdam: We had called the museum the previous day and given them a list of surnames. Erin and Mary were particularly interested in our visit, as Mary was also researching a Bailey line. It turned out that she and Dick had a common ancestor! They had pulled the family files for our surnames and had several other helpful suggestions. These ladies knew their stuff!
Canton: The Silas Wright Museum here has a large collection of genealogical materials. We read family files, county histories, cemetery books, and the coordinator searched for our surnames in their computer system. Mary, Dick's cousin from Potsdam, also volunteers at this museum, so we had more opportunity to discuss research with her. We visited two more cemeteries in the area, also.
Success in New York seems to depend upon the knowledge of the museum directors and volunteers, and we had success in Potsdam and Canton for that reason. Calling ahead also saves time, as the volunteers can have the family files ready for you.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Another Local Knowledge Success
We spent the past few days in St. Ignace, MI near Mackinac Island where Dick's Ojibwa line originated. We visited the Museum of Ojibwa Culture and the Fort de Buade Museum. As we were ready to leave the museum's gift shop, I mentioned in passing to the woman who was volunteering at the cash register that Dick had traced one ancestral line to that area. She immediately asked about a surname--then told us to wait while she went next door to the Historical Society. She came back with a printout of a descendant chart of the Bourassa family to show where she and Dick both had connections. We were able to return the next day to pick up a copy for a small donation.
We also spent the next morning at the local library in its genealogy department: many local history books and a card file of "area genealogies." It was interesting to learn that Dick's Grignon family traveled from Green Bay (where there was no church at the time) across Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island for baptisms. Four children were baptized at the same time several years after their births.
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