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From: "Upfront with NGS" <>
Subject: [NGS] UpFront with NGS - Volume 9, Number 5-1 May 2009
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 20:40:53 -0400

UpFront with NGS
The Online Newsletter of the National Genealogical Society
Volume 9, Number 5-1 May 2009

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Today in UpFront

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Articles

-- A Geographer Looks at Scotch-Irish Migration Across the Irish Sea
by Jan Alpert, NGS President
-- Genealogy News and Issues by Charles S. "Chuck" Mason Jr., CG
–- When Pirates Threatened the Carolina Coast by Jan Alpert, NGS President
–- The Most Popular Genealogy Websites and Blogs by Pam Cerutti, Editor
-- A Snippet from the Past: They Couldn't Believe It Was Butter by Pam Cerutti, Editor

NGS News & Events

-- Updates and Announcements for the 2009 Family History Conference in Raleigh
-- Last Call for the 2009 Family History Conference
-- NGS Conference: Featured Events at the NGS Booth
-- Fall Research Trip to Salt Lake City: June Registration Deadline
-- NGS Offers New Deeds Course

Other News

-- The Society of Genealogists Takes its Courses Online with Pharos
-- Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar: July 2009

Events Around the United States

Family Reunions

About UpFront
- Previous Issues of UpFront with NGS
- How to Submit Items for Publication in UpFront with NGS
- How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe
- Disclaimers and Copyright
- NGS Contact Information
- About NGS

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“America was discovered accidentally by a great seaman who was looking for something else; when discovered it was not wanted; and most of the exploration for the next fifty years was done in the hope of getting through or around it. America was named after a man who discovered no part of the New World. History is like that, very chancy.”

- Samuel Elliot Morison, The Oxford History of the American People. (1965)

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-- A Geographer Looks at Scotch-Irish Migration Across the Irish Sea
by Jan Alpert, NGS President

I recently read “In Search of Ulster-Scots Land, The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a Transatlantic People 1603-1703” by Barry Aron Vann, an associate professor of geography at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Although not written for genealogists, the book discusses the migration of Presbyterian ministers back and forth across the Irish Sea during the 17th century.

Scottish planters who settled Ulster recruited ministers from Scotland. For a while the Church of Ireland maintained a policy of toleration for non-conformist ministers. However, when Charles I and Archbishop Laud began deposing ministers in Ulster, at least seven ministers relocated back to Scotland, including Robert Blair, John Livingstone, George Dunbar, Henry Colwart, James Hamilton, Robert Cunningham, and John Ridge. The trip across the Irish Sea was only a few hours, depending upon the winds and weather, so some loyal parishioners traveled back to Scotland to receive communion or have their babies baptized by their prior minister. Under Cromwell, the migration to Ireland resumed and continued throughout the 17th century.

Vann studied more than 125 ministers born or educated in Scotland who served in Irish Presbyterian congregations in Ulster between 1642 and 1690. Since non-conformists often migrated with their ministers, if you can locate your ancestors in an Irish Presbyterian congregation, you may be able to research the minister and find your ancestor in one of his earlier congregations back in Scotland.

I must admit that I found the book difficult to follow because Vann wrote about the influence of the geography on the people rather than presenting the information chronologically. However, the book is worth a review if you have Scotch-Irish ancestors. The tables in the back of the book provide biographical information about the Irish Presbyterian ministers, including the country of birth, university attended, and where they served, including Scotland, Ireland, and America. Unfortunately, Vann uses extensive abbreviations, so you may need to locate a copy of James McConnell’s “Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church, 1613-1840" (Belfast: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1951) to research a particular minister. According to WorldCat (www.worldcat.org), major libraries that hold this book are Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, New York Public Library, and Northwestern University's Deering Library of Special Collections in Evanston, Illinois. In addition, the Family History Library has the book, and it is also on microfilm Fil 994080 Item 5, which is orderable through a local Family History Center.

If you are interested in reading more about the Scotch-Irish, I would recommend James G. Leyburn’s “The Scotch-Irish, a Social History” (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1962). Leyburn covers the Scotch-Irish in much more detail than Vann, including living conditions in Scotland, reasons for migration, settlement in Ulster, and migration to America. This book is available for loan from many libraries, including the Family History Library, and is for sale online and at bookstores.

There will be several lectures about Scotch-Irish research and migration at the NGS 2009 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, 13-16 May. If you are able to attend the conference, check http://www.ngsgenealogy.org for program details. If you are not able to attend the conference, many of the lectures will be available on CD-ROM about 1 June 2009. Watch the NGS website for the availability of many outstanding lectures on CD-ROM.

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-- Genealogy News and Issues by Charles S. "Chuck" Mason Jr., CG

Recently I have been going through old pictures from my parents. As you would expect, many of them have nothing to identify the people in the pictures or where they were taken. The good news is many of them have a date on the back that at least identifies when the picture was developed and printed.

Fortunately, I am the oldest of my parent’s children, and I know whom many of the people in the pictures are and where the pictures were taken. There are some people and places that I do not know, but for the most part I can identify both.

One of the things that I noticed was the many changes in the places where many of the pictures were taken. The house across the street from my parents’ house was in the background of many of the pictures from the 1950s. It would be hard today to take any of those pictures and use the house as an identifier. Since an addition was added to the house in the 1980s, the house is now a two-story house, and many of the windows were changed during the renovations.

My parents’ house also was renovated over the years. In 1961 my father jacked up the front part of the house and extended the small basement in the back. The original house had a porch across the entire front of the house. As part of the renovation, he extended the living room to the end of where the porch was and left only a small porch. A porch on the side of the house was also removed, as was a door from the kitchen onto the porch.

Over the years all the windows and doors were replaced, and a fireplace was added to the living room Inside the house an old chimney and closet were removed, some doorways were changed, and the kitchen was remodeled. All of these changes show up over the years in pictures taken at Christmas, Easter, birthday parties, and other family events. Since I was about eleven years old when the renovations started, I remember the house in those early pictures.

My twin sisters do not remember the house in those early pictures. They were only a little over a year old when my father began the renovations. They do remember the kitchen before it was renovated since that was done in the 1970s. But most of the early pictures are a mystery to them. What they have been able to do is identify people in pictures that were taken after I moved away.

Identifying the people in the pictures is important, but I think that is only half the job. As we work through trying to identify people, we also need to give a description of where the picture was taken, when it was taken, and in some cases identify items that may be in the picture. In several pictures taken at the time my father was extending the basement and the living room of the house, there is a large piece of equipment standing in the side yard. I am not sure if everyone would know that it was a conveyor used to move the dirt up from the basement. Furthermore, what most people would not know is that my father actually built the conveyor before he started digging the basement.

As we work on identification of pictures, we need to add the stories that may go along with them. It may not be easy to write a short story on the back of a picture, but we can add pictures to our genealogies we are hopefully writing about our ancestors. Most genealogy programs today contain the capability of including pictures in our work. If you are writing a genealogy about your family using Microsoft Word, you, too, can include pictures in your work.

Including the stories about the pictures we have will make it more interesting for other family members. Some of our family’s eyes just glaze over when we talk about our ancestors. Maybe they will show a little more interest if we have a few stories to tell.

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–- When Pirates Threatened the Carolina Coast by Jan Alpert, NGS President

We all read the recent news reports about the capture of the Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa and the remarkable rescue of Captain Richard Phillips. Did you know that pirates were once a threat along the Carolina coast?

King George I encouraged piracy when the British were attacking the Spanish fleet during the War of Spanish Succession. When the war was over in 1713, several of the pirates began seizing ships along the Atlantic coast. Among them was Blackbeard, the most renowned pirate in the early 18th Century. Some reports say Blackbeard never killed anyone but intimidated people through terror. Pirates would seize ships and take the valuable cargo consisting of food, liquor, guns, and goods being shipped to the colonies or rum and sugar cane being shipped back to Europe. One of his best known adventures was the blockade of Charleston harbor, where he plundered several ships and took several Charleston citizens hostage. He demanded a chest of medicine as ransom and released the hostages unharmed when the medicine was delivered.

Shortly thereafter, Blackbeard was offered a pardon to give up piracy, and he retired to Ocracoke Inlet off North Carolina. Governor Spotswood of Virginia did not like having Blackbeard so close, so he offered a reward to have him killed. Robert Maynard sailed from Virginia into Ocracoke Inlet. Blackbeard boarded what appeared to be an abandoned sloop, only to be surprised by Maynard and his men from down below. Blackbeard was purportedly shot and stabbed several times and apparently died in November 1718 from blood loss. According to a report in the Boston News-Letter, “Maynard cut off his head and hung it from his bow.”

His first biographer was Captain Charles Johnson, who wrote “A General Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates” in 1723. You may know about Blackbeard from the Disney character in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction. Blackbeard has been romanticized with stories about burying his loot along the North Carolina beaches. A shipwreck discovered near Beaufort, North Carolina, is thought to be Blackbeard’s ship, “Queen Anne’s Revenge.” For more information see http://www.ocracoke-nc.com/blackbeard/ship/queen-annes-revenge.shtml.

If some of your ancestors lived near the Carolina coast in the early 1700's, perhaps you have heard family stories involving piracy along the Southeastern coastline. Remember, there is frequently at least a little truth in family lore, and the most fascinating stories often contain a blackguard – maybe even Blackbeard himself.

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-- The Most Popular Genealogy Websites and Blogs by Pam Cerutti, Editor

In early April ProGenealogists, Inc., announced the results of a study to identify the 50 most popular genealogy websites and the 25 most popular genealogy blogs. The results are not just interesting for our readers, but very possibly helpful for those who have not taken advantage of all these online resources. With this in mind, we are provided the complete announcement below so that readers can understand how the study was developed as well as investigate those genealogy sites that have proven their value to other genealogists. Links to the list of the top websites and blogs appear within this announcement:


Salt Lake City, Utah, April 6, 2009 -- ProGenealogists, Inc., announced today that it has identified 50 of the most popular genealogy websites, creating an important and useful tool for everyone interested in their family and heritage. As the study’s author, Kory Meyerink, Vice-President at ProGenealogists, explained that today’s online genealogists face thousands of websites and millions of web pages that might contain information about their ancestors. “They can’t search them all, so we wanted to help by creating a list of the most visited sites, understanding that if thousands of other family researchers found a site to be useful, all researchers should know about such sites and check them out,” said Meyerink.

The study was designed in a manner similar to the popular “places rated” lists that appear regularly in the media. By ranking the websites on different criteria, and then averaging those rankings, a consensus list of the most popular sites emerges. In addition to popular and well-known Alexa.com, the other companies, whose rankings are all based on different criteria, used in this study were Compete.com, Quantcast.com and Ranking.com.

The challenge was not in developing a ranking system, but in coming up with the list of genealogy websites in the first place. Most such lists are “personal preferences” and are incomplete. The major genealogy portals, such as Cyndi’s List and Linkpendium are links to individual web pages, not to entire websites. Studying various link lists as well as the “similar” websites as referenced on the traffic measuring companies, Meyerink developed a list of more than 300 websites specifically oriented to family history enthusiasts. Government and other websites whose primary users are include people other than genealogists are not part of the ranking. “It would be like comparing cars and boats,” claimed Meyerink, “they have a similar function, but serve different audiences.”

“The list reveals some interesting aspects of online genealogy,” said Natalie Cottrill, President and CEO of ProGenealogists. “The presence of five data-rich sites among the first seven is expected. The increase in popularity of social networking sites like Geni.com and MyHeritage.com makes sense, too, because it reflects current Internet trends.” One of the largest data sites, Ancestry.com, is a subscription based site and is currently number one. With nine subscription sites in the top 50, it’s clear that people are willing to invest in their heritage. Several special focus sites are popular, including several devoted to cemetery and census information. To see the complete list of 2009’s 50 most popular genealogy sites, go to http://www.progenealogists.com/top50genealogy2009.htm.

Because the popularity of genealogy blog websites is not accurately measured by traffic, ProGenealogists has also released a list of twenty-five of the most popular genealogy blogs. Meyerink explained that “many people read blog entries through RSS feeds and other means and seldom actually visit the blog’s website. Therefore, we used Technorati’s system of ranking blogs to identify the most popular genealogy blogs.” For the list of top genealogy blogs, see http://www.progenealogists.com/top25blogs2009.htm.

ABOUT PROGENEALOGISTS, INC. - ProGenealogists, Inc. is a consortium of professional genealogists who specialize in genealogical, forensic, and family history research. The firm, in business for over 10 years, services thousands of professional, government, media, and individual clients worldwide. ProGenealogists, Inc. assists clients in several countries using its network of over 725 U.S. and International agents. In addition to conducting excellent research for families throughout the world, they’ve published numerous articles and research tools on their award winning website, www.progenealogists.com, including their Genealogy Sleuth page with its hundreds of links to data-rich web pages, including vital records sites for all 50 U.S. states, at http://www.progenealogists.com/genealogysleuthb.htm.

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-- A Snippet from the Past: They Couldn't Believe It Was Butter by Pam Cerutti, Editor

Genealogists love attic treasures. The objects people squirreled away years ago often reveal the essence of their lives and times. Of course, the best experiences comes to a family historian who gets to forage through their own family's homestead and blows decades of dust off an old family photo album, a diary, or perhaps letters between ancestors.

While my recent experience does not match that euphoria, I did manage to come by an attic treasure a few months ago. A friend bought an old house that was not entirely cleaned out, and in a dark corner of the attic he found a 3-inch thick volume of Agricultural Bulletins that a previous owner apparently had bound together at home. The Department of Agriculture published these bulletins in the early 1900's, and many of them provide fascinating insight into the common lives of Americans at that time.

The first item that struck me was U. S. Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bulletin No. 131: Household Tests for the Detection of Oleomargarine and Renovated Butter” by G. E. Patrick, Assistant in the Division of Chemistry, 1901. The first section, “Renovated or Process Butter,” describes this product, also known in New England as “sterilized butter,” which had been introduced around 1895 and was fairly new to the market. The concern was that many variations in quality were available due to inferior raw material, such as “country butter” or any other kind of butter which, “by too long keeping, by abuse in regard to temperature, or by unfavorable surroundings, has suffered great deterioration.”

With this understanding, the test described in the section "How to Distinguish Genuine Butter from Renovated and Both from Oleomargarine," provides a glimpse into household life and practices at the turn of the century. It begins with the encouraging news that “several of the States have already enacted laws requiring the distinctive branding or labeling of the product when offered for sale.”

Of the several testing methods described, the most interesting – and least scientific – was the boiling test. Here is an excerpt that tells homemakers how they can determine if they have real butter:

“The boiling test... was first mentioned in scientific literature by Dr. Henry Leffman... and was shown to him by a Mr. Morris, a detective in oleomargarine prosecutions. It has been in use about ten years... . In the kitchen, the test may be conducted as follows: Using as the source of heat an ordinary kerosene lamp, turned low and with chimney off, melt the sample to be tested (a piece the size of a small chestnut) in an ordinary tablespoon, hastening the process by stirring with a splinter of wood (for example, a match). Then, increasing the heat, bring to as brisk a boil as possible, stir the contents of the spoon thoroughly... . Oleomargarine and renovated butter boil noisily, sputtering (more or less) like a mixture of grease and water when boiled, and produce no foam, or but very little. ...Genuine butter boils usually with less noise, and produces an abundance of foam.”

The mention of oleomargarine prosecutions makes it clear that Americans had awakened to the reality that food, amongst other items, was not always what the maker proclaimed it to be. It is also evident from this article that kerosene lamps were a household staple, and everyone should know how big chestnuts are. All in all, this brief snippet helped me better appreciate the circumstances under which our ancestors struggled and lived a mere hundred years ago.

To put all this in perspective, it's worth noting that President Lincoln created the first Department of Agriculture in 1862. Congress defeated a national food and drug law in 1880, and it was not until 1906 that they passed the original Food and Drugs Act prohibiting interstate commerce in misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks and drugs, along with the Meat Inspection Act.

If this article reminds you of some family stories of bygone everyday life, I'd love to hear from you. Please send any snippets you'd like to share with me to .


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NGS News & Events

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-- Updates and Announcements for the 2009 Family History Conference in Raleigh

What a great opportunity to network with other genealogists and hear lectures from the best genealogical speakers. Over 1,100 family history researchers have already registered for the conference. Including speakers, exhibitors and daily registrations, over 1,375 people will be attending the Raleigh, North Carolina, conference on 13-16 May 2009.

Registration for all meals at the 2009 Family History Conference in Raleigh closes on 4 May 2009. No event tickets will be sold on-site at the conference, so sign up as quickly as possible. Go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org and click on ““Conferences and Events,” then ”Annual Conference,” then ”Social Event-Sign Up;” then use the drop-down to shop for “Sessions.” Several events are sold out, including the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History luncheon on Thursday 14 May 2009, the New England Historic Genealogical Society luncheon on Friday 15 May 2009, and the Wake County Genealogical Society luncheon on Saturday 16 May, 2009.

Due to the strong demand to hear Helen F. M. Leary speak at the North Carolina Genealogical Society luncheon Wednesday 13 May 2009, the luncheon, which was previously sold out, has been moved to a larger room. You can now sign up through 4 May 2009 at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org. Again, click on “Conferences and Events,” then ”Annual Conference,” then ”Social Event-Sign Up;” then use the drop-down to shop for “Sessions.”


The BCG Education Fund Workshop on Tuesday 12 May 2009 is sold out. Throughout the conference there will be a BCG Skillbuilding track every day of the conference. Check the conference program for speakers, subjects, and lecture times.

If you know someone who is just beginning family history research and would like to learn how to do effective research that gets results, a Beginner’s Workshop will be held on Saturday morning 16 May 2009. The fee is $30 for the four-hour program taught by Connie Lenzen, CG, and Lynda Childers Suffridge. Participants need not be registered for the conference. Space is limited, so register in advance at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.

Workshops Available

There is still room in several of the paid workshops throughout the conference. Each workshop is a double lecture session priced at $35. Details about the workshops are in the Conference Registration Brochure on the website at http://ngsgenealogy.org. The workshop topics and presenters include:

“ABC’s of NARA” Patricia O’Brien Shawker, CG, Rich Rayburn, Lynn Goodsell, Rebecca Warlow, Reginald Washington & other NARA staff

“From Dockets to Documents: Papers Created for Courts” Marty Hiatt, CG

“Colonial Handwriting Workshop” Dorothy A. Boyd-Bragg, PhD

“Chancery Files—Soap Operas of Your Ancestors” Mary Hiatt, CG

“Gothic Script: An Introduction for Genealogists” John T. Humphrey, CG

Any registration questions can be addressed by email to Jeanne Lund at or by phone at (703) 525-0050.


Update: African American Genealogy Forum

There have been several changes to the African American Genealogy Forum on Tuesday, 12 May 2009 at the North Carolina Museum of History. Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Dorothy Spruill Redford will be unable to attend. The revised program and scheduled times of each presentation are provided below. This pre-conference program is free but requires advance registration due to limited space. Please register by 4 May 2009 at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/free_events.

The African American Genealogy Forum offered by the North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, is scheduled as follows:

9:00 am - Dr. John Quinly Williams, agricultural scientist and author of the forthcoming publication, "God, Guts, and Game—Survival of Three African American Families: 1747-2000"

10:30 am - Mr. Earl L. Ijames, “Colored Confederates and United States Colored Troops”

12:00 pm – Lunch on your own

1:00 pm - Dr. Barnetta McGhee White, author of "Somebody Knows My Name," will speak on “Diggin’ for Roots”

2:30 pm – Mr. William Haley, son of Alex Haley of "Roots" fame, will speak on “Roots in North Carolina, 1840-1875”

3:45 pm – Panel Discussion with the above presenters


Update: Host Society Event, Thursday Evening, 14 May 2009

The North Carolina Genealogical Society and the North Carolina Museum of History will host the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina State Archives and North Carolina State Genealogy Library Reception, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, beginning at 6:00 pm, Thursday, 14 May 2009. The cost is $19.50 per person for conference attendees and their paid guests. Explore the many exhibits at the museum and enjoy a dessert and coffee reception with special guests, William Alex Haley, son of Alex Haley of “Roots” fame, Ms. Mattie Clyburn Rice, daughter of Weary Clyburn, 12th SC Volunteers, and Mr. Luke Martin, son of Pvt. Luke Martin, 1st NC Colored Volunteers (35th USCT). There will also be a performance by the North Carolina Black Storytellers Association. Two genealogy lectures will be given at the museum: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Cathy Ellis, “Writing Your Ancestors Story: a Civil War Case Study” and 7:45 pm – 8:45 pm, Jeffrey Haines, “North Carolina People Finders.” Registration for the event closes on 4 May 2009, http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on “Conferences and Events.”


Bus Transportation

The free “Downtown Circulator” is an electric hybrid bus which operates throughout the downtown area of Raleigh from at least 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Sunday. Look for the R Line. The front of each bus is blue. Buses run every 15 minutes and leave from the Raleigh Convention Center going down Wilmington St. to the State Capitol complex which includes the North Carolina Museum of History and the North Carolina State Library and Archives. The return to the Convention Center runs a few blocks to the west. You can view a picture of the bus and the route at http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/get-around/r-line. The North Carolina State Archives & Library is about an eight-block walk from the conference hotels.

If you enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, the Raleigh Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays from 10:30 am until 2:00 pm and is located in Moore Square at the intersection of Blount & Martin Streets. The Farmer’s Market is about half way between the Raleigh Convention Center and the North Carolina State Archives & Library and a block east of Wilmington St., which is the route for the “Downtown Circulator-R Line.” For more information check their website at http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/farmersmarket/index.htm

If you are interested in locating restaurants in downtown Raleigh before you arrive in North Carolina, you might want to check http://www.raleigh.citysearch.com/find/section/raleigh/restaurants.html. A noted breakfast spot, Big Ed’s City Market Café, 220 Wolfe St., (919) 836-9909, is a few blocks from the conference hotels.

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-- Last Call for the 2009 Family History Conference

The NGS Family History Conference, "The Building of a Nation, From Roanoke to the West" will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on 13-16 May 2009 at the new Raleigh Convention Center, 2 East South St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601. Conference registration is $210 for NGS members and $245 for non-members. If you only have limited time available, the daily registration is $100.

Rooms at the Raleigh Marriott City Center and the Sheraton Hotel are sold out, exceeding 120% of the room block. The Clarion Hotel State Capital, 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, (919) 832-0501 has a few rooms still available but the NGS room block has been released. The Clarion Hotel is an eight-block walk to the Raleigh Convention Center and approximately four blocks from the North Carolina State Archives & Library.

You can find a searchable conference program, downloadable conference program in PDF format, and Conference registration form, all online at www.NGSgenealogy.org. Just click on "Conferences & Events," and then "Annual Conference."

New with this year’s conference, several events will be free and open to the public. This article highlights some of these events, a great opportunity for attendees to share their interests with non-attendee friends and relatives. With lower gas prices and reasonable hotel rates, take your spouse or a friend and plan to drive to Raleigh in May for the NGS Family History Conference. If you have North Carolina ancestors, it’s a great time to do some family history research and attend an outstanding conference.


Tuesday, 12 May 2009

A number of tours will be available on Tuesday, 12 May 2009, thanks to our local host society, the North Carolina Genealogical Society. The tour of the Wilson Library on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, is sold out, but most of the other tours still have room available. A “Life in the Old South” tour will include a tour of the historic Stagville Plantation, a tour of the Duke Homestead, and stops at Bennett Place, the site of the surrender between Generals Sherman and Johnston, and authentic Patterson’s Mill Country Store. Trolley tours are available for Raleigh, including the Raleigh Historic Day Tour and the Raleigh Evening Orientation Trolley Tour. There is also a mid-day tour of Raleigh by Segway, a self-balancing personal transporter. The hours and prices vary for each tour, so check the details on the NGS conference web site. Read all the tour details and register at www.NGSgenealogy.org; click on "Conferences & Events," then "Annual Conference," then on "Local Tours." The tours will leave from the Raleigh Convention Center. If you have registered for a tour, meet in the lobby of the Convention Center at the designated time.

Librarians' Day Pre-conference Event

Librarians' Day is scheduled for Tuesday, 12 May 2009 in Raleigh, North Carolina. All librarians who work with family history patrons or general reference questions will benefit from this special event. There is no charge, but participants must register by mail or online since space is limited. Registration will open in January 2009. Event sponsor ProQuest will provide lunch for librarians and will be available to answer questions about their products.

Speakers will include Susan D. Kaufman, manager of Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, on "Collection Development: What’s Your Plan?" Pam Cooper, winner of the Filby Prize for genealogical librarianship, on "Volunteers: Recruiting, Retaining and Rewarding;" Jason Tomberlin, Special Projects Librarian, North Carolina Collection, UNC Chapel Hill, on "The Digital CSR: The Colonial and State Records of North Carolina in the Internet Age;” and Pam Toms, Cheryl McLean, and Christy Allen, State Library of North Carolina, on Creating and Maintaining Specialized Collections and Services for Genealogy Researchers.

Librarians from Indiana who attend the program will receive three general library education units and one technology library education unit. If other states have continuing education credit programs for librarians, let Pamela Sayre, NGS Director of Education and Publications, know so your state qualifies for the 2010 Family History Conference.

Librarians who participate in Librarians' Day are also encouraged to stay in Raleigh and register for the NGS 2009 Family History Conference, which begins the following day. You can register at www.ngsgenealogy.org; click on "Conferences & Events," then "Annual Conference," then on "Pre-Conference Events."

Wednesday Evening, 13 May 2009

Society Night will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by a free lecture series. Society Night features many county genealogical and historical societies from all over NC and nearby states, displaying information about their activities, answering questions about area repositories and resources, and selling publications and books. We will enjoy live piano music throughout the evening.

At 7:00 p.m. the free Wednesday Evening Lecture Series offers the following concurrent programs:

How Our Ancestors Moved over the Land in Olden Times: Land Transport Capabilities and Limitations in Colonial Carolina features Tom Magnuson from the Trading Path Association.

Genealogy 2.0: Using Digital Tools to Trace Your North Carolina Roots features Druscie Simpson & Christy Allen from the North Carolina State Library and Archives with a guided tour of the North Carolina State Archives/State Library’s digital resources.

Melungeon Voices: A film by Julie Williams Dixon and Warren Gentry offers a fascinating look into the earliest days of America and how people put aside ethnic and racial differences to survive.

Irish Emigration to America and Canada features Mary Sullivan from the Irish History Foundation sharing the reasons for and the pattern of emigration from Ireland to America and Canada — who was affected and why.

The Journey of an Ancestry Record: How an Image on Ancestry.com Gets from the Archives to the Website features Laryn Brown from Ancestry.com.

Thursday, 14 May 2009

The North Carolina Genealogical Society and the North Carolina Museum of History will host the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina State Archives and North Carolina State Genealogy Library Reception beginning at 6:00 p.m.. Please see details of this event under the preceding Update article.

The North Carolina State Archives and Library, 109 E. Jones Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, will be open daily all week, with extended hours on Thursday evening 14 May 2009 for research.

The Family History Conference Exhibit Hall will also be free and open to the public beginning 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 13 May. We expect approximately 100 exhibitors including online database providers, book and map sellers, genealogy software vendors, genealogy societies and associations, and other family history research memorabilia and supplies. Exhibit hours are as follows:

Wednesday, 13 May 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, 14 May 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Friday, 15 May 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, 16 May 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Conference tracks will cover the following subjects:

BCG: Lectures to help prepare you for board certification
Migration Patterns
North and South Carolina Research
Ethnic Research
Working with Records
Methodology
Military Records
GENTECH: Technology used for genealogical research
National Archives Research
Land Records
Research in the States: Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Missouri

The new convention center offers free wireless access in the lobby.

Full conference details are online at www.NGSgenealogy.org. Just click on "Conferences & Events," and then "Annual Conference."

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-- NGS Conference: Featured Events at the NGS Booth

The Exhibit Hall is always a major attraction of the NGS Conference, a place where people can network, learn about new products, and purchase supplies and resources. We certainly hope that many conference attendees will visit the NGS Booth #215 between lectures and activities. Please consider the following opportunities to meet editors of NGS publications and to have books signed by the authors:

Meet NGS Publication Editors

Wednesday 13 May, 12:00 to 1:00 - Meet NGS NewsMagazine Editor
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL
Wednesday 13 May, 3:00 to 4:00 - Meet NGS Quarterly Co-Editors
Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FUGA, FASG, and Melinda Lutz Sanborn, FASG
Friday 15 May, 4:00 to 5:00 - Meet UpFront with NGS Editor Pam Cerutti


Author Book Signings

Wednesday 13 May, 10:00 - Patricia O’Brien Shawker, CG, author of Research in Maryland
Friday 15 May, 12:00 - Jeff Haines, author of Research in North Carolina
Friday 15 May, 1:00 - Kay Haviland Freilich, CG, CGL, author of Research in Pennsylvania
Wednesday 13 May, 5:00 - Eric Grundset, author of Research in Virginia
Friday 15 May, 2:00 - Barbara Vines Little, author of Research in West Virginia

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-- Fall Research Trip to Salt Lake City: June Registration Deadline

The National Genealogical Society's 2009 Fall Research Trip to Salt Lake City is scheduled for 27 September–3 October 2009. Space is limited to 30 attendees, and the registration deadline is 30 June, so now is the time to consider this opportunity.

When compared to similar trips offered by other organizations, the NGS Research trip is the most economical. It includes seven full nights’ lodging, two dinners, an evening reception, and six full days of research time at the Family History Library, the world's largest archive of genealogy and family history materials with access to more than two million rolls of microfilm, hundreds of thousands of microfiche, and over 300,000 books. In addition, you will have two experienced researchers -- Sandra MacLean Clunies, CG, and Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS -- to guide you and give you the individual attention you need.

Sandy Clunies is an experienced researcher, author, and lecturer, certified by BCG since 1993. She is a life member of NGS and NEHGS, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and past president of Association of Professional Genealogists' National Capital Area Chapter. Her personal research has a focus on colonial New England and Nova Scotia, but client work has involved many other geographic areas and time periods. She is registrar for many lineage societies including DAR, Colonial Dames XVII Century, and NSUS Daughters of 1812, and she has prepared more than sixty approved applications in the past three years.

Shirley Wilcox served two terms as NGS president and has been certified by BCG since 1973. As a native Californian, she has experience tracing her own lines from New England and the South across the country to Northern California in the 1850s–1870s. As a professional genealogist, she has compiled lineages for clients whose ancestors lived in many geographic regions. Shirley was president of the Association of Professional Genealogists from 1991–1993 and currently is the president of the Virginia Genealogical Society. She also serves on the boards of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the District of Columbia and the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The rate for this entire guided research trip, including a shared room at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel for 7 nights, is $645 for members and $705 for non-members. Single-room rates are $1025 for members and $1085 for non-members.

For more details and to register online, go to: www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/research_trips

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-- NGS Offers New Deeds Course

The National Genealogical Society, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, recently added a new course offering, Working with Deeds. This latest of NGS’s online courses teaches a researcher to recognize and understand various types of deeds and to analyze the information found in them. These skills help family historians sort out the mysteries of ancestral relationships and solve difficult brick-wall problems.

The NGS Special Topics Series courses, available as downloadable PDF files, are designed for those who want to complete a short course on a specific topic and put the resultant knowledge to work right away. The NGS Home Study Course, available on CD-ROM, is a comprehensive study course that takes longer to complete but provides an overall grounding in genealogical research.

NGS online courses offer the convenience of completing a genealogy study course at your own pace. They are reasonably priced, and NGS members receive a discount.

For more information or to register for an online course or the NGS Home Study Course, visit the NGS website at www.NGSgenealogy.org and click on Educational Courses, then Online Courses, followed by Working With Deeds.

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Other News

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-- The Society of Genealogists Takes its Courses Online with Pharos

The Society of Genealogists and Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd are pleased to announce a new joint online course called "I’m Stuck! How can the Society of Genealogists Help Me?" starting 28th May 2009 and repeated from 2nd July 2009.

In this short two-week course, Else Churchill of the Society of Genealogists will guide you through the steps needed to help you think logically about research problems and how to solve them. She also introduces you to records and indexes, held by the Society of Genealogists, which can be used to break down those brick walls, and demonstrates how these resources help you extend your family tree. Emphasis is also placed on learning how to apply research techniques to solve your problems.

Prospective students can pay and enrol via the Pharos website – www.pharostutors.com at a price of £23.99 or a discounted price of £19.99 for members of the Society of Genealogists.

The course is suitable for genealogists who have had some experience in family history research in England & Wales but who have found they have been unable to identify where their ancestor might have come from.

It is hoped that this will be the start of a wider collaboration on distance learning courses between the Society and Pharos.

Helen Osborn, Managing Director of Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd, said, “We are very pleased to be given the opportunity of working with the Society of Genealogists in this collaborative way and to bring the vast knowledge of the Society to a wider audience.”

Else Churchill, Genealogist at the Society & tutor for Pharos courses, said, “The Society of Genealogists is delighted to offer the first of, what we hope will be many, distance learning opportunities for the Society. This course will enable those who are unable to visit the Society and take part in our extensive education programme to learn more about the techniques of family history research and the Society of Genealogists in particular.”

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-- Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar: July 2009

The Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar will be held 18 July 2009 at Bentley College, Waltham MA. The program features Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, who works full-time in genealogical and historical research, lecturing, consulting, and writing. A Course Coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, she has lectured at NGS and FGS conferences since 1993, and in many states. Her specialties include U.S. research, national level research repositories, American Indians, and unusual records. Paula’s topics for the day will include:

_ Using the Resources of the Family History Library
_ What Next? Developing Step-by-Step Research Plans
_ Why Do I Descend from THESE Families?
_ American Indian Research (Panel Discussion)
_ Becoming a Professional Genealogist (Panel Discussion)

Other topics will include:
_ DNA and Genealogy
_ Using NewEnglandAncestors.org
_ Irish Research
_ Internet Research
_ Massachusetts Legislation Update
and MORE!

Early Registration Fee is $59 for MGC Members. Walk-ins and Non-Members: $70 (includes continental breakfast and lunch buffet). Contact Michael Brophy at for more details. To view the complete schedule or to register, visit http://www.massgencouncil.com.


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Events Around the United States

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May 2009

2 May 2009
Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Alvin Sherman Library’s 2nd Annual Genealogy Fair will be held Saturday, 2 May 2009 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Contact Kim Garvey at or call 954-262-4575 for more details. To register and additional details, please visit: http://www.nova.edu/library/genealogyfair.

2 May 2009
Austin, TX – The Austin Genealogical Society Annual Seminar will be at St. David's Episcopal Church, 304 E 7th St. in Austin from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Speakers Rick and Pam Sayre will present the following topics:

"Did He Serve? Researching Military Service Records"
"Territorial Papers of the United States"
"Getting to Know You, Getting to Know More About You"
"Google Earth for Genealogists"

Registration is $48 for members or $53 for nonmembers. More information available at our website: http://www.austintxgensoc.org/

1-2 May 2009
Scottsbluff, NB - The Nebraska State Genealogical Society's 32nd Annual Conference will be held in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on May 1st and 2nd, 2009, hosted by the West Nebraska Family Research and History Center. The conference will be held at the Harms Advance Technology Center, 2620 College Park in Scottsbluff. Our featured speaker will be Julie Miller, CG. She will present several sessions over the 2 day conference along with other speakers and activities. On April 30, 2009, there will be sessions for librarians during the day, and vendors will welcome you in the evening. For conference costs, information and registration form, please visit our website at www.nesgs.org, then click on the Conferences tab and choose 2009-Scottsbluff, or contact Phyllis Masek at for more information. Vendors welcome.

2 May 2009

Austin, TX - The Austin Genealogical Society Annual Seminar features four presentations by Pam Boyer Sayre and Richard G. Sayre, Certified Genealogists. The event takes place at St. David's Episcopal Church, 304 E 7th St., Austin. Doors open at 8:30. Registration after 20 April is $55, and space is limited. For details, visit www.austintxgensoc.org/seminar.php. For additional information contact: Cindy Foreman, 512-342-2288, or Sharon Foley, 512-401-6357, .

4, 11, 18 May 2009
Nashville, TN - Middle TN Genealogical Society presents Advanced Genealogy Classes on Mondays, May 4, 11, and 18, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at FiftyForward Knowles Senior Center, 174 Rains Ave., Nashville. Instructor is Virginia Watson, Genealogist, Past-President of Middle TN Genealogical Society. The May 4th topic is "Digging through Deeds;" May 11 is "Wading through Wills;" May 18 topic is TBA. There is a $3 fee for all non-members of the Knowles Center. To register, please call 615-743-3400.

6 May 2009
Winchester, VA - The Shenandoah Valley Genealogical Society features "The Personal Papers Collection at the Library of Virginia," presented by Trenton Hizer, Senior Finding Aids Archivist at the Library of Virginia, at 6:30 p.m. at the Handley Regional Library, 100 W. Piccadilly Street, Winchester. Mr. Hizer edited the new Guide to the Personal Papers Collections at the Library of Virginia, which contains 5,730 entries linking readers to nearly two million items, including deeds and wills that may have been lost due to fires, etc., photographs, videos and sound recordings that will be of great use to genealogists. This event is free and open to the public; donations accepted. Please join us! Bring a friend! For more information, visit www.svgs.org.

12 May 2009
Raleigh, NC - The North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, will offer an "African-American Genealogy Forum." This pre-conference event is free, but space is limited to 200 so you need to register in advance at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/free_events

This all-day event features the following presentations:

8:00 – 9:00 - Dr. John Quinly Williams, agricultural scientist and author of the forthcoming publication, "God, Guts, and Game—Survival of Three African American Families: 1747-2000"

9:30 – 10:30 - Dorothy Spruill Redford, retired curator, Somerset Place and author of the 1986 publication, "Somerset Homecoming"

11:00 – 12:00 - Dr. Barnetta McGhee White, author of "Somebody Knows My Name"

12:00 – 1:30 – Lunch on your own

1:30 – 3:00 - Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, who wrote and produced the PBS documentary, "African American Lives," the first documentary series to employ genealogy and genetic science to provide an understanding of African American history.

3:30 – 4:45 – Panel Discussion with the above presenters and special guest, Bill Haley, son of Alexander Haley of "Roots" fame.


13–16 May 2009
Raleigh, NC - The NGS Family History Conference will be held 13–16 May 2009, Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact the NGS Conference Manager at or visit our website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org for more information.

23 May 2009

Nashville, TN - The 3rd Annual MTGS Awards and Winners Program features J. Mark Lowe, Certified Genealogist, as speaker and judge of the best article in the MTGS Journal, Volume 21, 2007/2008. Mr. Lowe has been a researcher for more than 35 years and is a nationally known lecturer. Join us at 1:00 p.m. for an informative afternoon and refreshments at FiftyForward Knowles Senior Center, 174 Rains Ave., Nashville, TN (near the fairgrounds). Contact: email Linda Henson at .


June 2009

18-20 June 2009
Fort Wayne, IN - Palatines to America 2009 National Conference, "Research With the Experts," will be at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne. Featured speaker is Annette Burgert. Additional workshops and expert consultants are also on tap. Information and reservations are online at www.palam.org or write to Ann Rodick, 211 S. Spriggs Ct. Bloomington, IN 47403-9610.

20 June 2009
Wichita, KS - The 2009 conference presented by The Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies, Inc. and The Wichita Genealogical Society, featuring Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak is scheduled for June 20, 2009 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, Kansas. Sessions include Trace Your Roots with DNA, Welcome to Roots Television, Reverse Genealogy, and Find That Obituary: Online Newspaper Research. Early registration (rec’d by 30 May): $45.00. Late registration: $50.00.
Contact for details or visit our website at: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/kcgs/

20 June 2009
Tucson, AZ - The Arizona State Genealogical Society will hold a one-day seminar in Tucson, Arizona, focusing on locating your immigrant ancestors and their documentation. Seminar will be at the University Medical Center, 1501 N. Campbell, Ave., Room 2117, Tucson. Registration is $20 for ASGS members, $25 for non-members. Visit www.azsgs.org for the Monsoon Madness Application.

26-27 June 2009
Hawley, PA - The Gottscheer Heritage and Genealogy Association will hold its annual meeting on June 26 and 27, 2009 at the Lukan's Farm Resort, Hawley, PA. The program consists of a Board of Director's meeting on Friday, 26 June and the annual meeting on Saturday, 27 June. The annual meeting agenda will include presentations on Gottscheer history and a Genealogy Workshop. The region of Gottschee was a Germanic linguistic island in Slovenia that was first settled in the 1300's and was dissolved in 1941. Gottscheers have emigrated to the United States and Canada since in the 1860's. Further information is available at http://gottschee.org or contact Elfriede Stonitsch at .

26–28 June 2009
The 40th Annual Genealogy Jamboree, sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society, will be held 26–28 June 2009 at the Burbank Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank, California. The conference features over 100 lecture sessions by more than 55 speakers who Dick Eastman called "...a Who's Who in genealogy." Jamboree will have nearly 70 exhibitors, and special events, including the second Blogger Summit with several notable geneabloggers. Friday night's keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Tukufu Zuberi of PBS's History Detectives. Free sessions Friday morning include Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp, two beginning genealogy sessions, and Kids' Family History Camp. A great value for the money, plus discounts for members and early registration.

Check www.genealogyjamboree.blogspot.com for all the details. Southern California Genealogical Society, 818-843-7247.


July 2009

18 July 2009

Waltham, MA - The Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar will be held 18 July 2009 at Bentley College in Waltham. The program features Paula Stuart-Warren, CG. Paula’s topics for the day will include:
_ Using the Resources of the Family History Library
_ What Next? Developing Step-by-Step Research Plans
_ Why Do I Descend from THESE Families?
_ American Indian Research (Panel Discussion)
_ Becoming a Professional Genealogist (Panel Discussion)

Other topics will include:
_ DNA and Genealogy
_ Using NewEnglandAncestors.org
_ Irish Research
_ Internet Research
_ Massachusetts Legislation Update

Early Registration Fee is $59 for MGC Members. Walk-ins and Non-Members: $70 (includes continental breakfast and lunch buffet). Contact Michael Brophy at for more details. To view the complete schedule or to register, visit http://www.massgencouncil.com.


September 2009

19 September 2009
Williamstown, MA - Life in the Past Lane VI - The Friends of the National Archives and Records Administration, Northeast Region, Pittsfield, MA, will hold its annual full-day genealogy conference on Saturday, September 19, 2009. The event will be held at the Williams Inn in Williamstown, Massachusetts (http://www.williamsinn.com). As they become available, details and registration forms will be posted at http://www.narafriends-pittsfield.org under Calendar of Events. For additional information call 413-236-3600.

25–26 September 2009
Helena, MT - The 20th Montana State Genealogical Society Conference will be held in Helena, Montana, at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel. Jana Sloan Broglin, cg, will be the featured speaker offering four topics over the two days. This year's theme is Growing Genealogy.

For further information contact V. Valentine, .


October 2009

17 October 2009
Monterey, CA - Monterey County Genealogy Society's annual Heritage Harvest family history workshop will be held 17 October 2009, Monterey, California. Karen Clifford, AG, a nationally known speaker and college instructor, will present "Electronic Resources for Solving Difficult Research Problems," "Understanding Migration," "Land Records from Colonial Times to the Present" and "British Basics." Lunch and syllabus included in registration fee. Free parking adjacent to Monterey Peninsula College Library/Technology Center. Register early for this full day event as space is limited.

Contact Junel Davidsen at for more details. Additional details will be posted on our website at www.mocogenso.org.

24 October 2009
Bowie, MD - The Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society's (MAGS) annual Spring Seminar will be held on Saturday, October 24th, at the Comfort Inn and Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland. The seminar begins with registration and vendors at 8:30 a.m. The seminar will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The guest speakers will be Thomas Jones, Ph.D. and Gary Ruppert, MD.

Dr. Jones is co-editor of National Genealogical Society Quarterly, board member of Association of Professional Genealogists, and a former trustee and pas-president of Board for Certification of Genealogists. With over forty years of research and teaching experience, he frequently lectures, teaches, and writes about genealogical research methodology, His interests include “blocked” lineages and genealogical problem solving. Pre-registration is $40 for MAGS members or $45 for non-members. After April 5th, registration is $45 or MAGS members and $50 for non-members. Lunch is included.

Registration forms may be obtained by emailing or by calling Diane Kuster at 252-373-1684.

November 2009

4–6 November 2009
The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society is sponsoring a three-day research trip to the New York State Archives and Library in Albany. Registrants will be provided with three days of assisted research at the Library and Archives, plus social events.

The program fee, including the banquet, reception, and all other arrangements, is $110 for members, $150 for non-members. A special room rate has been arranged at the Crowne Plaza of $99 per night, single or double. Please call the hotel directly at 518-462-6611 and mention that you are attending the NYG&B program to get this rate. To register, please contact Lauren Maehrlein, , telephone 212-755-8532, ext. 36, or register online at www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org.

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To add your event to this calendar, please send an announcement to .

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Family Reunions

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31 May - 4 June 2009
HUBBELL - The fifteenth Biennial Reunion of The HUBBELL Family Historical Society will be held in Mystic, Connecticut, from 31 May–4 June 2009. Mystic is an early port town that is not only rich in history, but in beauty. Richard Hubball came to the New Haven Colony in present day Connecticut from Bewdley, Worcestershire, England, in the 1640s, and nearly every Hubbell/Hubble/Huble in North America today is his descendant. Trips to Richard's grave site, regional tours, and get-togethers with cousins will be featured throughout the reunion, and all cousins are welcome. Information can be found on the family website http://www.hubbell.org or by contacting Hilbert R. Hubble at

Hubbells of note include the astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, for whom the Hubble Telescope is named; Carl Hubbell, the New York Giants Hall of Fame pitcher; and Henry Salem Hubbell, the American Impressionist painter. While THFHS extols these Hubbells of prominence, it is equally proud of the fact that Hubbells of all walks of life have figured in the history of North America since its earliest days.

5-7 June 2009
QUARLES - The QUARLES Family 200 Years Celebration/Reunion will be in Cookeville/Algood, Tennessee on 5, 6, and 7 June 2009. You are invited to a reunion of the descendants of Lt. WILLIAM PENNINGTON QUARLES, RWA, of Virginia who settled at White Plains, Tennessee, in 1809, present-day Putnam County. Associated families: Burton, Hawes, Hughes, Little, Huntsman, Hyder, Simpson, Lampton, and Snodgrass. Please visit our web site often for new information at http://wpquarles2009.info. Questions? Contact Eunetta Finley Jenkins at or at 931-526-9072 or 931-260-7651 or at 33 Ferguson Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501.

June 11-13
OWSLEY - 2009 OWSLEY Family Historical Society Annual Meeting, 11-13 June, Louisville, Kentucky. Details at our revised website: www.ofhs.org.

Save the date, make plans, and tell your relatives we'll gather in Louisville in June for three days of Owsley/Ousley/Housley family sharing, history, and fun. We'll begin with the traditional Thursday evening dessert social; bring photos, new genealogical finds, and tall tales. Our outings include a very special visit to the Frazier International History Museum founded by Owsley Brown Frazier, Louisville philanthropist and former Vice-Chairman of the Brown-Forman Corporation. The Museum brings together two collections: the founder's priceless collection of historical objects, from the family Bible of Daniel Boone to the "big stick" of President Theodore Roosevelt AND displays and artifacts from Britain's Royal Armouries (including the Tower of London). The scope of the museum is from the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (in which our ancestors took part) through Teddy Roosevelt's Presidency and his subsequent African safari, set in over 100,000 square feet of a restored historical building.

We'll also visit a gem for genealogical research, the Filson Historical Society's Library. The extensive collection focuses on Kentucky, the Upper South, and the Ohio Valley (gateway to westward expansion). Holdings reflect origin and destination states for the migrants: Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. The Library has over 3,500 family histories, nearly 4,000 Kentucky genealogy files, 840 newspapers, much original sheet music, and a Civil War collection. Open days Monday through Friday and first Saturday.

An optional riverboat dinner cruise on the Ohio River is planned for Friday evening. Service is buffet style and there's an open bar. And we should be on the river for sunset.

As always, we end the annual meeting with our Saturday evening banquet. Come early, stay late; there's so much to do and see in Louisville. Sights include the Speed Art Museum, Kentucky Derby Museum, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Farmington Historic House Museum, and Locust Grove (last home of General George Rogers Clark circa 1790 and stopping point for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their return from the Pacific).

Contact: Marion Baumgarten at

24-28 June 2009

SOULE - The Soule Kindred Annual Reunion will be held June 24-28, 2009 at the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. Our major presenter will be Louise Walsh Throop, who is the compiler of the Mayflower-Families-In-Progress series on George Soule and a leading figure in Soule family research. Join us for the workshop, visit with your cousins and enjoy the many attractions of the area, be it a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, shopping on Rodeo Drive, or a visit to the La Brea Tar Pits for a peek at the new, fascinating, and already famous find of ice age mammal fossils.
There is something for everyone! For registration forms and more details, visit www.soulekindred.org.

19 July 2009

DRUCK - The First Annual DRUCK Family Reunion will be held Sunday, July 19, 2009, from 12 noonto 6 p.m. at Shenberger's Chapel Picnic Grove in New Bridgeville, PA. This is a first attempt to bring together all descendants of the immigrant Johan George Druck, who arrived in America in 1741, and you're invited! So mark your calendar and don't forget the date!

* Bring a casserole or other dish to share, your own beverages and place settings, and lawn chairs.
* Come meet distant cousins and shar ethe fun!
* DRUCK descendants far and near are welcome - so tell everyone on your familyw!

Entertainment by our own musical celebrities, Druck's Music Ministry - Ron and Eileen Druck
This is our first attempt to gather far-flung family, and it would be great to have a large attendance - so please try to make it and bring your entire family! There will be something for everyone. We'll "pass the hat" to cover expenses. More detail coming soon! Questios? Call Eileen at 717-927-6826 or Judy at 315-942-4173. Watch www.judyroutson.wordpress.com for updates!


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To add your family reunion to this calendar, please send an announcement to

Planning your own family reunion? Read the popular book in the NGS Guide Series by Sandra McLean Clunies, CG: "A Family Affair." Visit the NGS Bookstore online at www.ngsgenealogy.org.

Family reunion planners can find lots of reunion planning info and can request a free copy of Reunions magazine at www.reunionsmag.com.

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About UpFront

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- Previous Issues of UpFront with NGS

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Browse: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/NGS
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- NGS Contact Information

National Genealogical Society
3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300
Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370
Phone: (703) 525-0050 or (800) 473-0060
Fax: (703) 525-0052
E-mail:
http://www.NGSgenealogy.org

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- About NGS

The National Genealogical Society is the indispensable resource for genealogists seeking excellence in publications, education offerings, research materials, and peer interaction with others that share the common bond of interest in the field of genealogy.

To learn more about the goals, publications, conferences, services, and member benefits of the National Genealogical Society, visit the NGS Web site: http://www.NGSgenealogy.org

c 2009 National Genealogical Society

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