Tis the season for holiday sales

The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means. Genealogy bargains.

For me it also means that I need to get moving on unpacking and arranging that last room in my new villa. . . . my office. I am so looking forward to that. After a much too long vacation from genealogy, I have a long list of things I want to tackle and get caught up on. DNA, Jewish heritage, Native American heritage, lineage societies, new lectures, and more blogging.

But right now let's get to the first bargain of the season -- Ancestry.com. 

Ancestry gift memberships are on sale for 20% off until November 11, 2018. 

The U.S. Discovery membership is priced at $79 (6 months) and $124 (12 months). This membership covers American roots.

The World Explorer membership which includes U.S. plus International research is priced at $119 (6 months) and $239 (12 months). 

Ancestry is also having a sale on Ancestry DNA test kits that lasts until November 11, 2018. The kit is on sale for $59 plus tax and shipping.

Happy Holiday Shopping! 

Conference Ho!!

For the first time in a number of years I am planning on attending a genealogy conference. A few days ago I registered for the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, On the Three Rivers - Past, Present & Future,  in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is the last week to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration discounts and the hotels in the area still have rooms available at the special conference rate. 

Conferences are for everyone, whether you are just a newbie to genealogy with only a couple hours under your belt or an advanced family researcher with many years of experience. This is an event where you can reconnect with old friends, make new friends, or maybe even find a new cousin. 

One of the best features of this conference when it is in Fort Wayne is the Allen County Library and it is within easy walking distance from the conference hall. Right across the street! The library has one of the best and well-known genealogy departments in the country. It is a must for this conference to set aside some time in order to spend some research time at the library. And, definitely design a research plan before you go. 

This year I am going to concentrate on the DNA track. It covers all three days of the conference. However, if you haven't ventured into the world of genetic genealogy yet there are many other tracks available this year: African American, Eastern Europe, German, Methodology, Midwest, Records, Scandinavian, Technology, and the United Kingdom. In addition to the track sessions there are workshops, luncheons, and evening events.  

Early bird registration ends in just a couple day. See you in Fort Wayne!

New Genealogists + More DNA Testing = More Research Results

 

I just realized how much we need new family researchers. And, in addition to finding and encouraging new genealogists, we also need to urge these newbies to get their DNA tested. The reason? This combination of new research and DNA results increases the database and creates more opportunities for finding new matches. 

Recently I found my maternal great grandmother after decades of brick walls. The reason this happened was because of new matches available on Ancestry DNA. Now I must admit that Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over provided some help. It cleared out the garbage and made that one piece of information jump out at me. And, don’t tell anyone that I treated it as a BSO. I just couldn’t help myself. Sometimes you just need to throw caution to the wind and go for those bright shiny objects!

DNA is beginning to grow roots in the genealogy orchard. Lectures and seminars are sprouting up all over the country as more experts come forward to share what they have learned. Be aware though that not all of these experts know more than you. Journals are publishing more articles about DNA testing as it relates to family research. The main reason for this is more people are having their DNA tested and therefore there is a demand for more education. At the same time, all these additional people are adding to the database of possible relatives and ancestors. 

You probably noticed that one word stands out in the previous paragraph. MORE. More is an important genealogy term! It applies to almost everything genealogical. More databases online; more genealogy societies; more conferences; more primary sources necessary for lineage papers to be approved. When the internet brought genealogy to our computers, we wanted more information. Now DNA testing is new and we need more results.

Now you have your assignment. If you haven’t tested your DNA, do it – now! Encourage your genealogy friends to do likewise. Buy your family members testing kits for Christmas, birthdays or “just because”. It will pay off for you and contribute to the world of genealogy.

Hit the Brakes! Slow Down! Time For Me!!

Here it is almost the end of October already. Soon it will be Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then a New Year. Where did 2015 go? It just went flying by. Ladies' group met tonight! The discussion was all about how much we hurry through life and how much we miss. Everyone agreed that the years when our kids were growing up was the most rushed. We also decided that we probably didn't know what we missed. School activities, football games, chauffeuring kids to the mall, sport practices, band practice. Scurrying here, rushing there. No time to stop and smell the roses.

That is how I feel after this year. Tons of genealogy related activities! The keyword here is "related." Chairman of the Board for a year is about to come to an end. Board meetings, chapter meetings, online meetings, decisions, decisions, decisions!

A new charter chapter of the US Daughters of 1812 was created. Joined a local historical society. Attended a seminar on chapter management. Stepped outside of my comfort zone more than a few times. Lots of work, but worth every minute.

It has been a fun year, but it is time to get back to working on my own family research. Only a couple of months til the deadline for applications to OGS lineage societies. 

The Ohio Genealogical Society has a number of lineage societies for their members. They include First Families of Ohio, Century Families of Ohio, Settlers and Builders of Ohio, and Civil War Families of Ohio. Induction of new members takes place at banquets for each group at the annual conference. For more information about this see ogs.org

This year's conference will be held 28-30 April 2016, at Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio. I had better get started. I have a lot of work to do.

Hey, What's All This DNA Stuff About Anyway?!

The Lucas County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will present a program about DNA and Genealogy on Saturday, September 19, 2015. The group meets at 2pm in the Huntington Room on the first floor of the Toledo/Lucas County Public Library, 325 Michigan St., Toledo, Ohio. Meetings are open to the public.

Don Hengen will answer the question, "What's This DNA Stuff All About?"

This is a program for those who have already had their testing done, as well as those who know nothing at all about the subject. This will be an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with this new aspect of family research. For years genealogy was a slow tedious process of writing letters, traveling miles to courthouses that hopefully had not had a fire, and searching miles of microfilm in search of an ancestor record. And let's not forget all those cemeteries. Then the computer was born and everything changed.

Well, not everything. You still need to visit courthouses, libraries, cemeteries . . . . but you can also search for your ancestors online in the middle of the night. (If those 4x great grandparents only knew what you are doing right now. No candlelight? No quill pen? You are staring at this screen where words magically appear! and you're waiting for something called "a pizza" to be delivered.) Yes, things have most definitely changed.

And now they have changed even more. DNA has arrived. If you want to find out how this has changed the way we do family research, be sure to attend this meeting on the third Saturday of September. 

All levels of experience are welcome at the chapter's meetings - Beginners, Intermediate, Experienced.