Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Plans and Expectations~Looking forward to FGS 2015




      FGS 2015 is quickly approaching and my excitement is growing. This will be my first FGS Conference as well as Rootstech attendance.  With the announcement last winter of the two conferences being held together in  February my desire to be a part of this epic event has grown. 
    What do I expect out of FGS and the accompanying Rootstech conferences in February? Absolute fun! Learning from and mingling with some of the top Genealogist in the world, meeting old friends and making new ones and continuing those friendships long after the conference is over. 
    I am looking forward to planned and spur of the moment get togethers where I can relax with friends and colleagues to discuss what we learned and experienced that day.
   I am also expecting to be entertained by the great list of guests who will be appearing at the social events. 
   And? Coming home full of fresh ideas and plans to tackle those brick walls and motivation to continue doing what I love-researching my family and helping others learn how.
   Most of all, I am expecting to come home exhausted...that good kind of exhaustion that comes from doing what you love with people that you love!

Salt Lake Convention Center
Home of FGS 2015
   
     As far as planning my days, I have not decided which sessions I will attend. I am looking forward to Wednesday's Focus On Societies Day  that will help me in my new role as President of our small genealogy club. Though not a society at this present time, I am looking forward to hearing ideas to help us grow and being the best we can for our members.
     Usually when planning sessions to attend, I will look not only for topics that interest me and that I need to help me in my research, but I will also look for those presenters that are a must see for me.  This time it is going to be hard to choose. Looking at the roster of presenters, they are all a must see!  Check out the list here. See what I mean? 
    I have discovered that no matter what I choose I always come away learning something, running into a friend among the class, or making a new friend sitting next to me. There have been times when that person sitting next to me "just happens" to be researching the same area or having a similar research problem that I have. Genealogy Serendipity is alive and well at Conferences big or small!
   Do you need to make plans to visit the Expo Hall? Yes!  240 booth spaces are available! In the past I have been able to conquer the Expo hall a section at a time during breaks. I usually don't skip sessions to go because I want to attend all that I can. My plan is to take a walk though the Expo Hall to get a sense of what is available and what booths I would like to visit, then I will take any advantage of in between sessions or break times to get in there to learn and shop! I know I will visit the FGS booth to meet some of the wonderful FGS Volunteers! Collecting conference ribbons from the booths is a lot of fun too. I wonder how long I can get my string of ribbons this time.....:)
   The Society Showcase looks like it will be a fun place to visit. Genealogy Societies are invited to represent what they have to offer. This well be a great place to learn about what is available in different areas with opportunities to ask questions, get brochures and see how each society can help with research. Is your society being represented? Click on the link and find out how they can!

  
Family History Library
Salt Lake City, Utah

   Visiting the Family History Library is a must on my schedule for the week too. I am planning on a full day on Monday after the conference is over. I will be making a list of films and books that may contain information on my family that are not currently available on line or in an area close to me. After all the great tips and information learned at the conference,this should be a great way to put some of them in to practice!
  I am so looking forward to my trip to Salt Lake in February to attend the FGS 2015.  
 Have you registered yet? Come join the fun in Salt Lake!



  


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Book Review~A Genealogist's Guide to the Washington, DC Area

  Planning a genealogy research trip to Washington, D.C. or surrounding area and not sure how or where to begin? A new book is out that will help you answer any questions you may have and will get you prepared for anything you need to know -from where to eat, what to wear, how to travel and where to research.
   


  A Genealogist's Guide to the Washington, D.C. Area is the second in a series of Genealogy Guides written by Shannon Combs-Bennett and published by The In-depth Genealogist.
   In this easy to read guide, helpful information is given on where to research in the D.C. and surrounding areas as well as non genealogical things to do and places to visit.
  The information includes:    
  •  A history of the area.
  •  A packing guide.
  • An overview of Washington, D.C with specific lists of places to go, eat and shop as well as emergency information including pharmacies and hospitals. Transportation and safety issues are discussed as well. There is also information about city parks.
  • A section on non-genealogy attractions. 
  • A list of Genealogy Research Sites in the D.C. area, including metro information and tips for visits.
  • A list of Genealogy Research Sites in Northern Virginia, with tips,addresses,hours and contact information.
  • A list of Genealogy Research Sites in Maryland with tips, addresses,  hours and contact information.
  • A list of other resources books and web sites for further information on a trip to the area.
    Several road, metro, park and other maps are included in the guide with explanations given on how to make sense of the roads, and metros.

    For someone who has never been to the Washington,D.C. area and is a bit intimidated by the thought of visiting, researching and making their way around such a large city, this book is the perfect resource.
   And for those who live in the area? I will bet they will find new resources that they hadn't thought of.
Thanks, Shannon, for another great book! I feel a research trip coming on!

To get your copy of A Genealogist's Guide to the Washington, D.C. Area visit The IDG Products page where you can purchase the book in either paperback or .pdf format.

Disclaimer:  A free .pdf version of the book was sent to review. No payment has or will be made for this review.


Are we kin? Please contact me.Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!


       

Monday, November 24, 2014

Spending the Day with Judy~What I Learned from the Legal Genealogist

   On Saturday, November 15, 2014, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend The North Carolina Genealogical Society's Workshop in Durham, NC.
 The topic for the workshop was The Law, Your Ancestors and You presented by none other than Judy G. Russell, also known as the Legal Genealogist. Anyone who has ever heard Judy speak will know what a fun day of learning this was for everyone who was there. 
  While waiting for the Workshop to begin, Judy came over to our table and began talking to us about her NC ancestors.ancestors. Wouldn't you know that a lady sitting next to me at the table had a connection to one of Judy's lines? 
 
Judy Russell
NCGS Workshop
15 Nov, 2104
©Cheri Hudson Passey

   
 Judy presented her topic in four separate presentations.

  • Session 1, From Blackstone to the Statutes At Large-How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists taught us why we need to know the law. Our ancestors had to live and abide by the laws of the country, town and even religion that they were a part of. We need to find out what the laws were and what records may have been created due to those laws. Records were also created when they didn't abide by those laws as well!  Understanding the wording used in legal documents is crucial too. There are many on line resources that can help determine the answers to these questions.


  • Session 2, "Don't Forget The Ladies" A Genealogist's Guide to Women and the Law, dealt with understanding woman and the laws in their lives. Learning how the legal status of women changed over the years can help us know what records are available to help us in our research.  From Vital, Court, Newspapers and other records, Judy gave us wonderful tips on how how to find the sometimes elusive women in our family tree. 

    A break for lunch proved to be a wonderful time to chat with Judy and to check out the vendors. I was able to buy a couple of books from Heritage Books and meet Owner and Genealogist, Craig Scott.
 Can I just say that the catered lunch was amazing!

 After attending the annual meeting of the North Carolina Genealogical Society, where awards were given and the board voted on for next year, we were ready for the afternoon classes.

  •    Session 3, The Ties That Bond, was a fantastic discussion on Legal Bonds. What bonds are and why they are important in genealogical research was explained. As Judy taught us, a bond is a legal promise to either do or not do something.There is usually a monetary component to the bond with a person signing to pay a certain amount if the conditions of the bond are not met.There are many types of bonds to look for, including marriage, guardianship and others. What makes them such a good resource? The fact that someone would sign them and commit to pay if someone broke the bond tends to support a close family member or friend.Would you agree to pay hundreds of dollars if someone didn't live up to a legal document unless you were close to them? Our ancestors probably wouldn't either.

  In response to questions that Judy was asked during this presentation, the following blog post from The Legal Genealogist was published. Bonding the Bride and Groom


  • Session 4, and the last of the day, was Staying Out of Trouble-The Rights and Responsibilities of Today's Genealogists.  In this lecture, we learned about our rights to information, how copyright works and what is safe for us to use. We have the right to public information. Judy suggested making sure we know the laws regarding documents in our areas and taking a copy of that law with us when we visit Court Houses and other places. If there is a question, we can kindly show the copy of the law.We have the responsibility to understand what copyright means, what can and cannot be copyrighted and also what the result of copyright infringement can be. Illegal use of someone else's copyrighted material can result in being sued and as she warned, saying I did't know or I gave them credit, isn't a defense. There are safe things to use that are no longer under copyright or have never been copyrighted. There are many resources on line that can help to determine these issues. 

With Judy Russell
NCGS Workshop
15 Nov.,2014
© Cheri Hudson Passey


  
 What a fast day of learning and sharing! Not only was I able to spend the day with Judy Russell, I also renewed friendships made at other conferences and workshops as well as make new friends. All things that being part of a Genealogy Society can do for us. 
 This was my first experience with the North Carolina Genealogy Society and I was impressed! They have some great things lined up for next year so if you have never checked them out before, I would highly recommend you do!  

 Are we kin? If so please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Nov. 23-Nov. 29


 Nov. 23~
  My paternal Great Great Grandmother, Ellen Caroline Martin Early (1850-1926), died 88 years ago in Columbia, Richmond, South Carolina at the age of 76. She is buried in the Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Statesville, Iredell, South Carolina.

Nov. 24~
     John Milton Dargan (1799-1847) and Emily Elizabeth Vaughn (1797-1865), my paternal 4th Great Grandparents were married 194 years ago, probably in Sumter District, South Carolina.

    Phillip Roberts (1763-1854), my maternal 5th Great Grandfather, died 160 years ago in Harrison County, Kentucky.

  My  paternal Great Great Grandfather, Ransom Taylor Early (1829-1888) , died and is buried in Statesville, Iredell, North Carolina at the age of 59. 

    
Nov. 29~
The 243rd anniversary of the wedding of my paternal 6th Great Grandparents, Samuel Cook (Abt. 1750-) and Alice Dargan (1750-). They lived in Sumter District, South Carolina and may have been married there.


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Sunday, November 16, 2014

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Nov.16-Nov.22




Nov.18~
   William A. Martin (1813-1837), my paternal 3rd Great Grandfather died in Irdell County, North Carolina 127 years ago. He was buried in Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Statesville, Iredell, North Carolina. 

Nov. 22~
  My paternal 6th Great Grandfather, William Gordon Bonner Stukes (1745-     )  was born 269 years ago in Cambridge, England.

  Benjamin Allen Hudson (1918-1976), my paternal Grandfather would have been 96 years old on this day. Ben was the son of John McSwain Hudson (1880-1961) and Louvinia Blanche Thames (1886-1918). He was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina.


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!






Monday, November 10, 2014

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Nov.9-Nov.15





Nov. 14~
    My maternal Great Great Grandmother, Francis Virginia McCrady McManus (1856-2903), died at the age of 47 in Sumter County, South Carolina 114 years ago. Fannie is buried in Pisgah Cemetery, Pisgah Crossroads, Sumter, South Carolina.


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!








    

Friday, November 7, 2014

Hanging Out With FGS

      Last night I had the privilege of joining in on the first Connect with FGS Hangout On Air.
 A Hang Out On Air is a service provided by Google + where people from all over the world can meet together. You can participate by actually joining in and being part of the live broadcast, watch it live as it airs, or watch it later when it is archived on YouTube.

 Cyndi Ingle from Cyndi's List, J. Mark Lowe-Certified Genealogist, lecturer and researcher (check out his Facebook page here)  along with Paula Stuart-Warren-Certified Genealogist,,Speaker and author of the blog Paula's Genealogical Eclectica were the featured guests for this first Hang Out.
   The discussion started a half an hour before the air time. We got to chat for a few minutes and then  talk about how things would go once we were live on air. There were a few technical difficulties at the beginning but luckily they were resolved by the time we had to go live. 
    Cyndi, Mark and Paula, who have each been to FGS Conferences dozens of times, gave some great tips on how to prepare for FGS2015 and for researching in the Family History Library.They also talked about how to meet people and get involved. They each also told what their favorite presentation is that they will be giving in Salt Lake.
  We were also joined by A.J.Jacobs from The Global Family Reunion and Randy Whited who is working with FGS to help support the event that will be held in June of 2105.  Not only will this be the biggest Family Reunion ever held, it will have many fun activities, speakers and will be live streamed! All proceeds will go to fighting Alzheimer's disease. Your society can get involved in the reunion. Click on the link and find out how. 


  Thanks to Linda McCauley and Caroline Pointer for hosting this hang out and letting me join in the fun! It was clear before, during and after the recording that lifelong friends are made by attending FGS Conferences!
   
   
     Want to watch? Here's the video. Lots of good info and an extra bonus->find out why you should never leave your cell phone near Cyndi Ingle! HaHa!



  Come join us at FGS2015 in Salt Lake! Click here to register today!


Sunday, November 2, 2014

This Week On My Family History Calendar

Nov.2-Nov.8





No birthdays, deaths or anniversaries on the calendar this week. 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!