Author Archives: Charles Hansen

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Changing Borders

by Charles Hansen
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State proudly presents “The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe” presented by Hal Bookbinder, Genealogist, Author, and University Professor
DATE: Monday evening, April 12, 2021,
from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time, via Zoom This free online meeting will be open between 6:30-7 p.m. Pacific Time for chatting.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., and the featured presentation will start at 7:15 p.m. Registration for this meeting is required: To register for this Zoom meeting, click on this link or copy it into your web browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpcO2hqjkpGd2uCVlIv2_n5S3rXo0cE1Uv 2) You will be prompted to enter your name and email address and, when you hit enter, you will automatically be sent an email with the Zoom meeting link.
ABOUT OUR PROGRAM Our speaker, Hal Bookbinder will trace a millennium of border changes in Eastern Europe and the impacts of these changes on our Jewish ancestors who lived in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Bessarabia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. An ancestral town may have been under the rule of several countries over time. Recognizing which governments were in control at various times can help in understanding the environment in which ancestors lived, events that stimulated migration, languages in which records were kept and likely locations where these records might be found. As the Russian Empire expanded west in the 17th and 18th centuries, millions of Jews found themselves within the Empire and Russia found that it needed to deal with a people it had tried to exclude for hundreds of years.
Along with the changing borders, town names, record-keeping, and archive locations might change. This overview will help researchers in determining where records might be located, their format and languages. Hal Bookbinder is a pro at making Eastern European history and our Jewish roots come alive!
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER Hal Bookbinder writes and lectures extensively on diverse genealogical topics, including border changes, migration, citizenship, safe computing, Jewish culture, and Jewish history. He has identified over 4,000 relatives reaching back to the mid-1700s in modern Ukraine. Other roots reach into adjacent areas of Moldova, Poland, Belarus, and Russia. He has served as president of the Jewish Genealogy Society, Los Angeles (JGSLA) and president of the IAJGS and has been honored with IAJGS’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Professionally, he is a retired healthcare IT director and currently a university instructor. He also directs an addiction recovery-to-work training program. Hal and his family reside in the Los Angeles area. Check out his articles on safe genealogical computing at http://www.tinyurl.com/ComputingArticles.
Please visit our website athttp://www.jgsws.org to join or to donate to JGSWS to help support the incredible speakers and workshops we bring to you, to view library listings, download handouts, or for more information. JGSWS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Membership dues and donations are tax deductible. JGSWS, P.O. Box 53102, Bellevue, WA 98015

Legacy 24 hour Genealogy Marathon

by Charles Hansen

Art Kelly shared this link with me. Linda  

https://news.legacyfamilytree.com/legacy_news/2021/03/announcing-the-2nd-annual-24-hour-genealogy-webinar-marathon-april-8-9-2021-registration-now-open-an.html

TitleSpeakerSydneyLondon / GMTEastern U.S.
Four Factors Influencing Your DNA Ethnicity ResultsDiahan SouthardFri Apr 9, 7amThu Apr 8, 9pmThu Apr 8, 5pm
Putting Down Roots For Future GenerationsTammy Priolo 8am 10pm 6pm
Learning More about American Female Ancestors Prior to 1850Gena Philibert-Ortega 9am 11pm 7pm
Create Your Own YouTube Channel to Store and Share Family VideosLianne Kruger 10am Fri Apr 9, 12am 8pm
Genealogy Gifts and GamesJanice Nickerson 11pm 1am 9pm
Osiyo to Cherokee AncestryNicka Smith 12pm 2am 10pm
Record As You Go, Cite As You Go, & File As You GoCyndi Ingle 1pm 3am 11pm
Write As You Go! An Methodology for Efficient Report WritingJill Morelli, CG 2pm 4am Fri Apr 9, 12am
Surname Slip-Ups: Baffling BeginningsCarol Baxter 3pm 5am 1am
Begotten by Fornication: Illegitimacy records in England and WalesHelen V. Smith 4pm 6am 2am
Finding Jewish Records in the MyHeritage Search EngineDaniel Horowitz 5pm 7am 3am
Using MyHeritage Tools to Improve Your Family Tree DataMyHeritage 6pm 8am 4am
Leaving a paper trail – Other German sources besides church books and civil recordsAndrea Bentschneider 7pm 9am 5am
Tears of Joy: Families Reunited Through Genetic Genealogy and MyHeritage DNADaniel Horowitz 8pm 10am 6am
Townlands, Parishes and Baronies – understanding land administrative divisions in IrelandNatalie Bodle 9pm 11am 7am
Researching Your Ancestors in the City of PhiladelphiaMichael L. Strauss, AG 10pm 12pm 8am
African American Migration North to CanadaAngela Walton-Raji11pm 1pm 9am
How to Find Birth, Marriage and Death Registrations in CanadaKathryn Lake HoganSat Apr 10, 12am 2pm 10am
Street Names and Numbers: Grid Changes, Renaming, and MoreThomas MacEntee 1am 3pm 11am
Expanding The Details From Published Local HistoriesJ. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA 2am 4pm 12pm
Mother Nature’s Impact on Family Migration & RelocationWayne Shepheard 3am 5pm 1pm
Matrimonio a la española: Spanish marital customs & marriage recordsDaniel Smith-Ramos 4am 6pm 2pm
Collaboration and Correspondence for DNAPaul Woodbury 5am 7pm 3pm
Tracing Your Pre-WWI British SoldierPaul Milner 6am 8pm 4pm
Organization: The Key to Successful ResearchTeri E. Flack7am9pm5pm
Superb Seven: Fabulous Avenues for Finding Family in Manuscript CollectionsPaula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS8am10pm6pm


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Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society’s April Meeting

by Charles Hansen

The Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society’s April meeting will take place on Zoom on Monday, April 12, at 2:00 p.m. New England genealogist Kathleen Kaldis will present Sense of Place: Local Landmarks and Genealogy. This will be a fun and light lecture on using current local landmarks to discover clues and context about your ancestors’ FAN clubs. It gets exciting when you can connect names in different states–Kathleen will show us how it played out with her ancestors.
    Register at WAGSLibrarian@gmail.com, and you will soon receive the Zoom information. The Zoom info will also appear on our website: www.wags-web.org.

Susan Rumble

WAGS

New Additions for MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

I have great news — we’ve released 10 additional “special” animations for Deep Nostalgia™ today, doubling the number of animations available and allowing you to see your ancestors express a wider spectrum of gestures and emotions, for example, dance, blow a kiss, smile wholeheartedly, nod approval, and more. The special animations are available to subscribers on the Complete plan.

Deep-Nostalgia-Featured-Image_D_04_blog_image

Deep Nostalgia™ has taken social media by storm, and since its launch 5 weeks ago, 72 million animations have been created!

Please share this wonderful news with your audience and on all your social channels. You can find a complete overview of the special animations in the blog post.

Here are some examples of the special animations:

Dance 2:

ezgif.com-gif-maker

Kiss:

Kissopt

When you animate a photo, the initial animation is selected by default so as to match the pose and angle of the person in your photo perfectly. That initial animation is always one of the first 10 general animations and is never one of the special animations. The special animations need to be selected manually.

Selecting a special animation is not available from the landing page, which is only meant for quick animation and sharing, and is only available from the “My Photos” section of the website and the “Photos” section of the MyHeritage mobile app, where in both locations more advanced functionality is at your disposal.

I hope you enjoy seeing your ancestors move with these new animations!

Enjoy! 

Daniel Horowitz Genealogy Expert

MyHeritage Ltd., P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon Blvd., Or Yehuda, Israel 6037606, Israel, +972-3-6280000

Conference Week Tips for NGS Member Orgs

by Charles Hansen
Delegate Workshop Registration Register for SLAM! Register for NGS Live! Register for Focus on Societies Download the Prospectus Now Did you know NGS has a Facebook group for genealogy organization leaders?
Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/ngsmemberforum to join. Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society inspires, connects, and leads the family history community by fostering collaboration and best practices in advocacy, education, preservation, and research. We enable people, cultures, and organizations to discover the past and create a lasting legacy. The Falls Church, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week Google Scholar

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
GOOGLE SCHOLAR   One tip that came out of Pam Vestal’s Second Saturday presentation on March 13, 2021, is the use of a little known feature of Google, Google Scholar. Found at https://scholar.google.com, Google Scholar focuses on searching scholarly literature found on the internet. It will display results found from academic publishers, universities, professional societies, etc. It will find doctoral dissertations, theses, academic papers, and more.  
  Our upcoming SGS Second Saturday presentation will be Steve Morrison presenting “Digging Up New Dirt – Unearthing the ‘Real’ New England Immigrant”, on April 10, 2021. It’s virtual. All are welcome. The link can be found on the SGS website Calendar of Events.   

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

IRISH WEEK VIDEO

As mentioned in the last edition of eNews!, SGS was part of a video produced by the Seattle Irish Heritage Club for this year’s Irish Week. The video is now available on YouTube via the following link:  https://youtu.be/hkR9DqNcHCk
 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY:
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF SGS?
Are you interested in a short-term, finite project that you can do from the comfort of your armchair (or maybe desk)?

SGS has a clear mission. Our mission is preservation and education.

What we don’t have is a clear vision statement. What does SGS want to be in the future? This question is especially relevant as we consider celebrating our centennial in 2023.

We are looking for someone to gather and compile ideas for a vision of the future, then present those ideas to the SGS board. Sound interesting? Please contact Ceil Rogers at Volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org


Are you knocking on the right door?

Do you know where to search next?

If you’re seeking ancestors in England and throughout the United Kingdom, this event is aimed at bolstering your knowledge of how and where to research across the pond.

Join us Saturday, May 15, 2021, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm PDT for A Day of English Research! 

SGS Members: $40, Non-Members: $55

Register online at www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-genealogical-society-spring-seminar-2021-tickets-140606494811
If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth at seminar@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org

Seminar Lecture Topics

  • Are you Lost? Using Maps and Gazetteers for English Research:Learn what maps, gazetteers and directories are available for researching your ancestors in England. Learn from examples how to make good use of these tools to find where your ancestors are, what they did, when, where, and why they may have moved.
  • Effective Use of England’s National Archives Website:Learn how to effectively use the research tools, indexes, educational tools and catalogs on this large website to find your ancestors and to put them into their correct historical context. 
  • English Parish Registers: How to Access, Use and Interpret:Learn how to access, use, and correctly interpret the information found in the christening, marriage, and burial registers of the English parish church. See examples of the problems to watch for and the clues given for further research. Learn what to do when your ancestor is not found.
  • Buried Treasures: What’s in the English Parish Chest:The English parish was both an ecclesiastical and a civil jurisdiction. Both jurisdictions created informative records and kept them in the Parish Chest. This presentation will examine the breadth and wealth of information that can be found, going well beyond the baptism, marriage, and burial registers.

About our Speaker

  • Paul Milner, a native of northern England, professional genealogist and international lecturer. He teaches English and Scottish research tracks at SLIG, IGHR and the British Institute. Paul is a recipient of UGA Fellow Award (2018) and the FGS David S. Vogels Jr Award (2019). He is the author of six publications providing how-to guidance for English and Scottish researchers. He is the past-president of the BIGWILL, and board member of the APG, FGS and GSG. Paul focuses on British Isles resources and methodology on his blog at www.milnergenealogy.com 

YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE SEMINARS
Whom do you love? Whom would you like to see next?

The SGS Seminar Committee welcomes your suggestions for future speakers, or subjects for semi-annual weekend meetings. If you have an idea or recommendation, please email seminar@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org by Wednesday, April 14, 2021. 

The Seminar Committee is also seeking to add new members to our Speaker Selection Team. This is a low-level commitment conducted entirely by email for the purpose of wading through proposed names and options. We would love to have you volunteer with us!

* SAVE THE DATE *
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 
“The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe”, 
Monday, April 12, 2021, 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm,

The speaker will be Hal Bookbinder. Registration is required. Visit their website for details. 

http://jgsws.org 


The Rogue Valley Genealogical Society, 
“Research Like a Pro” virtual seminar,
April 24, 2021 10:00 am – 4:00 pm PDT

Author of Research Like A Pro, A Genealogist’s Guide, Diana Elder, will present morning classes outlining steps to develop a research plan and organizing what research you have using solid methodology. In the afternoon, learn about the types of probate records created at the death of your ancestor and what tax records reveal. This is a virtual seminar using Zoom.  

Registration is now open. For more details, or to register, visit :
www.rvgslibrary.org 

Seattle Genealogical Society Spring Seminar,
with Paul Miner
May 15. 2021, 9:00am – 3:00pm PDT

This seminar will be virtual online. Paul specializes in British Isles research. Hope to “see” you there.

Southern California Genealogical Society,
Jamboree 2021, 
June 11-12, 2021 

There is lots going on at SCGS in June : multiple conferences, Genetic Genealogy, June 4-5, and Jamboree 2021, June 11-12,  plus mid-week special events, June 7-10. Too much to mention here. All of it virtual, online this year. Check out their website to learn more about it. 

https://genealogyjamboree.com 

The International German Genealogy Partnership presents,a
“Researching Together Worldwide / Weltweit Gemeinsam Forschen”, 
the first ever International German Genealogy Virtual Conference, 
July 17-24, 2021

Is German genealogy one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2021? If so, be sure to mark your calendars for July 17-24, 2021. The IGGP Conference, which only takes place every two years, is your chance to take a deep dive into all things German genealogy – and learn from the experts themselves. This year, the conference will be virtual, which means you can tune in from anywhere in the world!

Be sure to sign up today, March 31st, to get the “Early Bird Special” price! Here’s the link:

https://iggp.org  

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS*

In consideration of COVID-19 social distancing recommendations, the SGS Library is closed until further notice and SGS in-person events have been replaced with online events.
** Go to the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links and for any last minute updates or changes to the schedule.  Saturday, April 3, 2021,  10:15 am – 12:15 pm, FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly, Discover the many ways to use FamilySearch. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A.  Want to join the mailing list? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com

Sunday, April 4, 2021, *Oops, it’s Easter Sunday so this session has been canceled*1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, To be included you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join.  

Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual),  Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. 

Saturday, April 10, 2021,  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Second Saturday Series:”Digging Up New Dirt – Unearthing the ‘Real’ New England Immigrant”, presenter will be Steve Morrison

Sunday, April 11, 2021,  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Scandinavian Interest Group ,  chaired by Karen Knudson, share information and discuss Scandinavian ancestor research 

Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual),  Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. 

Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 pm, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual),  Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 pm, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual),  Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.       

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Zoomboree

by Charles Hansen

APRIL 16-18 Genealogy Zoomboree – Making the Invisible Visible

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a multicultural Genealogy Zoomboree, April 16-18.

Four nationally known experts bring us 8 lessons to help you tap online resources from home as you trace your family roots. 

Registration for one, two, three or all four speakers is online at https://gfo.org/zoomboree.

Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL, Board for Certification of Genealogists – 

  • Courthouse Research & Indexes – Find critical genealogical information from your local courthouse.
  • Land Records: Rich Sources for Your Research – Even non-landowners can end up in land and deed records. 

Linda Harms Okazaki, Nikkei Genealogical Society

  • Introduction to Japanese American Research – Japanese American research provides lessons in genealogical research that benefits all genealogists. Custom information for Oregon included.
  • WWII Internment Camps: Japanese, Germans & Italians – Japanese Americans and their families, as well as Americans of other heritage, were considered “enemy aliens,” and imprisoned by the U.S. Government. Learn about internment sites and the records created. 

Sherri Camp, MLS, Past President Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society 

  • African American Research Strategies – Learn key strategies to locate resources and records for information about African American ancestors and family members.
  • A Treasure Trove of Free Websites – Learn how to access free genealogical information while we stay safe at home doing research at our computers.

Michael Lacopo, DVM, Professional Genealogist – 

  • Medical Genealogy: A primer of diseases that killed our ancestors and the epidemics they lived through – Many researchers barely understand the cause of death listed. Know what afflicted your ancestors’ communities, the common diseases, and you’ll learn how they lived.

“I am poor, obscure, plain, and little.”  Researching Invisible Ancestors – If your ancestors had little money, did not buy and sell land, did not leave wills, and did not purchase gravestones, how do you find them? This lecture will show you how!

Improvement of Genetic Groups on MyHeritage

by Charles Hansen

Viewing Genetic Groups of DNA Matches

As part of our continued improvement of Genetic Groups on MyHeritage, you can now compare your Genetic Groups to those of your DNA Matches! Previously, you were able to view the Ethnicity Estimate of your DNA Matches and see which ethnicities you share. Now, you can drill down even further and see which Genetic Groups they belong to, and which ones you have in common. This addition has important genealogical value, and may enable you to narrow down which side of your family a DNA Match comes from. Read more about this exciting new addition in the blog post.  

View_the_Genetic_Groups_of_Your_DNA_Matches

Significant Update to Swedish Historical Records on MyHeritage

We recently added 19.35 million records to our collection of Sweden Household Examination Books. The new records cover the years 1820–1839, and bring the total number of records in this collection to 144.5 million. The records in this collection are the #1 source of information about families and individuals who lived in Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries. This is great news for all genealogists with Swedish roots, who may now be able to date their family tree back even further and make new discoveries.

Sweden-Household-Examination-Records-Update

You can search the collection now, and read more about it on our blog. 

24-Hour Genealogy Webinar Marathon

You may recall that last year, MyHeritage teamed up with Legacy Family Tree Webinars for a historic event: we hosted the first-ever 24-hour genealogy webinar marathon. It was so successful that we’re doing it again from April 8–9, 2021!

8681_genealogy_conference_Esther_Blog_875x472_biz5

Just like last year, the entire event is free and open to all. The event will include live Q&As and door prizes, and will feature 26 lectures from the world’s top experts on a wide variety of topics relating to family history research and DNA. Visit our blog to learn more, peruse the full lineup of lectures, and register.

Feel free to use the above visuals when sharing these updates with your readers, and let me know if you have any questions!

Enjoy,

Daniel Horowitz Genealogy Expert

MyHeritage Ltd., P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon Blvd., Or Yehuda, Israel 6037606, Israel, +972-3-6280000