Are you eager to work on your family history, but don’t know where to start? Are you trying to tackle a brick wall and need more guidance? Sign up for our Summer Research Stay-At-Home program, a three-day online experience featuring consultations, expert lectures, and more! Live sessions: August 12, 13 and 14.
From a research getaway in Boston, to a visit to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, to a genealogical skills boot camp, we have a wide variety of options to fit your needs. Learn with our experts, as well as partner organizations, through lectures, seminars, workshops, and other special events. If you can't join us in person, we have several online options available! Register Today
Thursday! Free Virtual American Inspiration Event
Siân Evans with Maiden Voyages
Inspired by family research, Siân Evans documents the journeys of women whose lives were changed by their transatlantic voyages. Women set out on these voyages for many reasons—for leisure, for work, and even to reinvent themselves. With Evans and award-winning broadcast journalist Robin Young, we’ll explore how ocean liner travel changed society on both sides of the Atlantic. Join us virtually on Thursday, August 5, at 3 p.m. ET. Register Now
New Issue of American Ancestors
The summer issue of American Ancestors is now available online and will soon arrive in member mailboxes. This issue focuses on health and our ancestors with articles on an early New England physician, tracing family medical history by using genograms, the “Bowen theory” of family history and relational patterns, and the International Classification of Diseases. Become a member of American Ancestors/NEHGS to receive the magazine and many other benefits. Join Today!
Spotlight: Barnard Library, La Crosse, Kansas
by Valerie Beaudrault
The Barnard Library is located in the city of La Crosse, which is in central Kansas. La Crosse is the seat of Rush County. The library's website features an alphabetical index to Rush County obituaries, which appeared in the following newspapers: Walnut Valley Standard (1874-1901); Walnut Valley Standard (1893-1896); Democrat (Walnut City); Walnut City Gazette (1886-1890); McCracken Republican (1900-1902); McCracken Midget (1949-1951); Rush County Leader (1895); Bison Courier (1930-1938); and Bison Bee (1902-1918). Search Now
“Kira Appelman, a Detroit-based artist, was commissioned to create individual graphic books depicting Rebecca Rosen’s grandparents’ life stories.”
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
Last week's survey asked if your genealogical information is online. We received 3,330 responses. The results are:
65%, I have my genealogical information on a commercial genealogical website, available to anyone who can access the site.
9%, I have my genealogical information on a personal genealogical website, available to anyone.
26%, I have my genealogical information on a website accessible by invitation only.
4%, I do not have my genealogical information online but plan to put it online in the future.
11%, I do not have my genealogical information online and have no plans to ever make it available online.
This week's question asks if any of your ancestors worked in a restaurant. Take the survey now.
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Genealogy Information Online
By Lynn Betlock, Editor
Last week's survey asked whether your genealogical information is online. Thank you to everyone who responded. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Barney Considine, Missoula, Montana: I view genealogy as a team effort. I have placed my genealogy online and made it available without restrictions. I hope others gain from my work, just as I hope to benefit from the research of others. My Ancestry.com family tree has nearly 8,000 individuals and I have smaller trees on My Heritage, Family Tree, and 23andMe. I also contribute to FamilySearch and belong to a Facebook genealogy group. I estimate that I average two contacts per week from people, and I frequently contact others working in areas of interest to me.
Helen Ullmann, Acton, Massachusetts: None of your options this week match FamilyTree on FamilySearch.org, which is not a commercial website. My stuff is there.
Marian Natale, Cary, North Carolina: I do not have my family tree online. I will not put it online until I am sure there are no mistakes. Just last year I found that an ancestor who was born about 1733 was not actually my ancestor. The mistake affected several generations and families and can be found on many other online trees.
Janice Harshbarger, Andrews, Indiana: I have a tree from 2015 online, but I no longer update it and I have posted a warning on it that it contains errors. I find that a better way for me to share my genealogy information is through a blog. So far, I have written 837 blog posts, which are almost all brief sketches of my children's ancestors. At the end of each post, I include a "line of descent" so that more distant relatives can see how they fit into the picture, too.
Karyl Hubbard, Omak, Washington: My tree is now private and posted only on Ancestry. At one time my data was public on two or three sites. Then I discovered that total strangers were copying it, not crediting me as a source or checking with me. In one case I'd made a major error that has taken me years to correct in others’ trees. I'm more than happy to share what I have with interested people, but I would like to be contacted first. The sites that let anyone add to or correct your information also did not make me happy. I was really surprised to find an online tree that showed my grandmother had two additional children listed—they never existed!
Database Update
New Sketches for Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784
The Early Vermont Settlers study project, managed by Scott Andrew Bartley, highlights families living in Vermont prior to 1784. Recently we added eight new sketches, focusing on families from Brattleboro. The new sketches feature: Josiah Arms; Joel Atchison; Jacob Ball; Shadrach Ball; Benjamin Butterfield; Benjamin Butterfield, Jr.; Isaac McCune; and William McCune. Search Now
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