NERGC 2019 ~ Day 3

This last day of NERGC was again, a very busy day. (See NERGC Day 1 and NERGC Day 2.)

I heard Ann G. Lawthers speak about Colonial Migration Patterns which is inspiring me to think about researching some of my more distant ancestors in New England, as well as those ancestors who migrated from Virginia to Kentucky after the Revolution. An interesting takeaway is that, before the Revolution, it was the German and Scots-Irish immigrants who tended to be farmers with pioneering skills, willing to venture further inland.

I then got to meet and introduce D. Joshua Taylor, President of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NY&GB) before he spoke about Pathways from New England to New York. This is one of those subjects I need to explore in order to understand hows and whys of the migration of some of my ancestors who moved from New England into or through New York on their way to places further west. For example, the Adsits, Chapins (paternal side) and Greeley (maternal side) went to Chicago, Illinois. Some family lines continued further west.

D. Joshua Taylor

Saturday's luncheon had another great speaker, Robert Charles Anderson of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), speaking about the Great Migration Study Project that he has managed for thirty years.

NERGC 2019 ~ Day 2

Today at the NERGC conference, I was extremely busy with learning and connecting with genealogists.

Donna Moughty

I started with Seeking Your Scots-Irish Ancestors with Donna Moughty, an experienced Irish genealogist. I believe I have some Scots-Irish ancestors (James McAlpin and Jane Hunter on my paternal side and Samuel Hunter on my maternal side) and wanted to learn more about this group of people who initially came from Scotland into Northern Ireland, then to America.

Donna is a fabulous speaker who really knows her stuff. She provided lots of resources.

I volunteered for an hour in the exhibit hall at the booth for NEAPG, the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. (I forgot to take a photo of this booth.) Are you looking for a professional genealogist to help you with your New England research? Are you looking for a speaker or a teacher in genealogy? Or are you a longtime professional genealogist or an aspiring professional genealogist looking for camaraderie and support? Check out their website.

Jenifer Bakkala, president of NEAPG

The luncheon, hosted by NEAPG, was their "Table Talk" luncheon and I hosted a table for those interested in discussing Jewish Genealogy. If you don't know, my husband has Jewish ancestry and my other blog, A Jewish Genealogy Journey, shares some of the stories and interesting finds that I have made while researching his ancestry.

After lunch, I volunteered again in the exhibit hall, this time for MSOG, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, for which I am the current recording secretary. It's great to meet other genealogists and encourage them to take advantage of what MSOG can offer.

MSOG booth in Exhibit Hall

If you have Massachusetts ancestors or if you live in Massachusetts, you're a member, right? I hope to see you at a MSOG chapter meeting soon!

Next, I heard Kathryn Lake Hogan, a well-known Canadian genealogist, speak about I've Got a Loyalist in the Family?! She provided a good history of what happened to those who were not Patriots at the end of the Revolutionary War as well as provided useful research resources - both online and on the ground. (I need to visit Nova Scotia one of these days...)

I then attended Proving It! Arguing Conclusions Without Direct Evidence with Nora Galvin. She walked through one example of resolving several items of conflicting direct evidence to come to a conclusion about a woman's maiden name and her marriage date. Her other case study was an example of using several items of indirect evidence to solve a research question about the parents of a Connecticut-born woman who died in 1941. That was a tricky one, but she did a great job of explaining the use of indirect evidence to come to a conclusion.

The Friday Banquet speaker was Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist, whose topic was The Helen Marley Story, a case study using indirect evidence, along with mtDNA and atDNA to help identify the mother of his adopted great-grandmother. It took many years for all the evidence to come together, showing that sometimes genealogists need patience and time to solve some of our research questions.

Whew! An exhausting, but very interesting day!

(See NERGC Day 1 and NERGC Day 3.)

NERGC 2019 ~ Day 1

I've been looking forward to the NERGC conference for several weeks. (NERGC stands for New England Regional Genealogical Consortium and is pronounced NERK.) It started yesterday (Wednesday) with several optional pre-conference tracks, like Military, Beginning DNA, Librarians & Local Historians, Society Management, and Professional Genealogist.

Leaving Massachusetts early (Thursday), I made it to Manchester, New Hampshire, mid-morning and visited the Exhibit Hall first, exploring the many offerings and genealogical societies. More about that tomorrow.

After the luncheon, where we heard from Jennifer Zinck about DNA Testing: What Did I Sign Up For? I got to meet one of my February interviewees: Elissa Scalise Powell. In fact, I got to introduce her at her session entitled Deeper Analysis: Techniques for Successful Problem-Solving.

Elissa Scalise Powell

Elissa talked about the details of the research process to solve a genealogical problem. My takeaway was that good genealogists need to gather a variety of evidence, analyze the conflicting evidence in order to resolve the conflicts (i.e. explain them), and, of course, write down the conclusion. She shared several strategies, using examples, of how to analyze evidence, using charts, timelines, and migration maps, among others.

Then more brain exercising with Thomas W. Jones and Kinship Determination, where he explained methods for determining genealogical relationships, using the five steps of the genealogical proof standard and three processes: "Research, Reasoning and 'Riting." Again, writing down your genealogical analysis and conclusions was emphasized.

Thomas W. Jones

Tom makes these concepts seem so easy. For examples of kinship determination, he recommends reading articles in the NGS Quarterly, the NEHGS Register, and the NYG&B Record, all of which I subscribe to and read. These peer-reviewed journals are excellent learning tools.

Then back to hear from Elissa again when she spoke on Thinking Outside the Index: Advanced Search Techniques. I have heard variations on this lecture and it is always good to hear some of these tips again.

After a dinner out with genealogy friends, I was looking forward to some sleep! Tomorrow will be a busy day.

See NERGC Day 2 and NERGC Day 3.

NERGC 2019 Interview ~ Lindsay Fulton

The 15th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium conference will be held in Manchester, New Hampshire, from April 3-6. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount!

The Massachusetts Society of Genealogists (MSOG) is one of the participating organizations of NERGC and is sponsoring a lecture being given by Lindsay Fulton, the Director of Research Services at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).

As a board member of MSOG, I have the privilege of sharing the following interview with Lindsay:

~~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth Handler [EH]: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?
Lindsay Fulton [LF]: When I was working on my masters I took a genealogy class. I was not expecting that class to change my career path, but after a week of staying up until 2:00am working on my tree, I realized I was hooked.

I was astounded at my lack of family knowledge - and when I started asking my grandparents questions, I realized that my naïveté was a blessing: I discovered my love of genealogy during my grandparent’s lifetime. And, because we’ve had a chance to open a dialogue about the family, we are even closer than before.

I’ve been interested in genealogy since 2010.

Check out "Meet the Experts at NEHGS" at https://youtu.be/gOIx94C4xfc 

EH: I see from your bio that you have worked at NEHGS since 2012. What is your favorite part of working for NEHGS?
LF: Initially, I fell in love with helping people in the discovery of their family history, and in turn, their interest in history. Because, there is no better way to get someone interested in history, than to place their ancestor in historic context. If you can tell someone their ancestor was at Yorktown, for example, they will develop a real interest in the American Revolution. And, as a historian, that’s the ultimate goal: to create more interest in history.

But, over the last few years, since I’ve had a more front facing position with the Society, my favorite parts of the job have increased to include the honor of working for NEHGS, because we are the experts - truly we are. My colleagues are exceptional; they create amazing content for our magazine, the NEHGR, the Mayflower Descendant, in addition to hundreds of hours of educational programming. We are on the cutting edge of DNA and share our knowledge with our members. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else- I want to work with the best of the best, because they only make me better, and I want to be the best genealogist possible.

EH: I see that you have written many blog posts at Vita Brevis, the NEHGS blog and that you enjoy teaching. Do you have a favorite genealogical subject to teach?
LF: I love the Census: Federal, State, UK, etc. because it is one of the more inclusive record groups. But, in my experience as the Director of Research Services, I’ve developed a strong interest in the research process and record analysis. To me, it is more important to teach researchers HOW to find a record, rather than where to find it.

EH: Your talk on Saturday afternoon, sponsored by MSOG, is about Navigating the Tricky Mayflower Generations (6-9). Without giving away your presentation, what one suggestion do you have to help link a parent and child who lived in the 18th century? (And yes, I have a few of those.)
LF: My team, Research Services, works on a bunch of Mayflower applications, and we always seem to get the chance to work on lines that are difficult to document. And we’ve found, that the best approach in documenting a hard lineage is to look at the FAN (family, associates, neighbors). Because, the wider the net you cast, the more chance you have to property document your lineage.

EH: Have you attended NERGC in the past? What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2019 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
LF: I have not attend NERGC, but I’ve been to several genealogical conferences, and each time, I am truly impressed with all of the energy, passion, and sense of community among all of the participants. I’m sure NERGC will be equally inspiring.

~~~~~~~~~

This will be my third NERGC and Lindsay is right: NERGC2019 will be as inspiring as any genealogy conference you'll attend, and for those of you in New England, this is the best, closest conference you'll get a chance to attend.

Lindsay is looking forward to teaching the following session:
"Navigating the Tricky Mayflower Generations (6-9)" (Saturday, 1:45-2:45)

We hope to see you there sometime between April 3 and April 6! Register before February 28 to get the early bird discount! Visit NERGC.org for all the information.

I have also interviewed Elissa Scalise Powell, CG®, CGL, Shellee Morehead, CG®, and Schelly Talalay Dardashti at my other blog, A Jewish Genealogy Journey.

NERGC 2019 Interview ~ Shellee Morehead

The 15th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium conference will be held in Manchester, New Hampshire, from April 3-6. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount! For those of you in New England, this is the best, closest conference you'll get a chance to attend. This will be the third NERGC conference that I have attended and I'm looking forward to it!

Several New England Geneabloggers have been invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Shellee Morehead, Ph.D., CG®.

~~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth Handler [EH]: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?
Shellee Morehead [SM]: I’ve been interested in genealogy since my teens, and have been doing research about 20 years, and been professional about 8.

[EH]: Your bio says that you are an assistant professor in Biological Sciences. How has this helped you learn about genetic genealogy?
[SM]: Actually, I was a biologist long before there was such a thing as genetic genealogy. My doctorate is in evolutionary biology and I was using DNA sequencing, and phylogenetics before the first Nat Geo project. For me, having a background in molecular biology, phylogenetics and population genetics has helped me in highlighting the key things for people new to genetic genealogy to focus on. It can be overwhelming, so I like to start with the basics.

[EH]: What is your favorite genealogical subject to teach and why?
[SM]: That’s like asking which is my favorite child! (I only have one child, so it’s OK.) I like talking about DNA, and the GPS mostly, but the ethnic stuff is next on my list.

[EH]: I see that one of your NERGC presentations is “Don’t Panic Yet: Citations for Beginners.” Without giving away your presentation, what one or two suggestions do you offer about citing our sources?
[SM]: Do it as you research! And it doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it done.

[EH]: When did you become a Certified Genealogist? How has this helped you as a genealogist?
[SM]: I was first certified in 2012 and renewed in 2017. It helps in a lot of subtle ways; I always have learning and improving in the back of my mind, knowing that renewal is not that far away, so it keeps me growing as a researching and trying to improve my report writing and speaking.

[EH]: Living in Rhode Island, can I assume that you have attended NERGC in the past? What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2019 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
[SM]: I started at NERGC in 2009, so this will be my 6th conference, my 5th as a speaker. I love seeing people I don’t get to see often enough, I like rooming with my cousin, and meeting new people. I love the special interest groups, society night and I really enjoy volunteering at the Ancestors Road Show, lots of interesting questions come in then.

~~~~~~~~~

Shellee will be teaching the following sessions:
"Don't Panic Yet: Citations for Beginners" (Thursday, 4:30-5:30)
"Another Kind of Navigation: GPS for Genealogy" (Saturday, 8:30-9:30)
"DNA Solves a Mystery: Hamiltons in Colonial New England" (Saturday, 4:45-5:45)

I have also interviewed Elissa Scalise Powell, CG®, CGL, and Schelly Talalay Dardashti at my other blog, A Jewish Genealogy Journey.

Am I going to see you at NERGC? Let me know in the comments.

NERGC 2019 Interview ~ Elissa Scalise Powell

The 15th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium conference will be held in Manchester, New Hampshire, from April 3-6. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount! For those of you in New England, this is the best, closest conference you'll get a chance to attend. This will be the third NERGC conference that I have attended and I'm looking forward to it!

Several New England Geneabloggers have been invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Elissa Scalise Powell, CG®, CGL.

~~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth Handler [EH]: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?
Elissa Scalise Powell [ESP]: I have been doing genealogy over 30 years. I began when we lived in Massachusetts and I stopped working to be at home with my young children and wanted to update the family history I knew about that had been published in 1892. I am still not done with that one as one thing led to another and I found that as I took on clients, I spent less time on my own family history.

EH: Your bio says that you are a Pennsylvania researcher. Did you gain your initial experience by researching your own ancestry in the Allegheny County area? (Readers of my blog will know that my maternal grandmother has many ancestors and relatives in Allegheny County. This was my “excuse” to attend the FGS 2017 conference in Pittsburgh.)
ESP: I actually have no one in Allegheny County historically, although some collateral branches from Washington and Westmoreland counties and Altoona (Blair County) have found their way to Allegheny. I specialized in my home county and the surrounding area because I lived here. In the B.C. era (Before Computers) one would have to hire a local research to do “boots on the ground” research that can now commonly be done online. Even now, there are specialized non-digital collections that need someone to actually visit and research. Clients also need someone to lead their research through the tangle of records they can now find, but don’t understand and can’t analyze.

EH: From your website, I see that you enjoy teaching. What are your favorite genealogical subjects to teach?
ESP: I love to teach how to do genealogy and see the light bulbs and excitement grow as each student becomes infected with the genealogy bug. I like to share my passion for recording and telling the stories of our ancestors. I like to help people break through brick walls. What is a brick wall to one person is a stepping stone for another. I like to give my audiences the benefit of my 30+ years of experience so that they don’t commit the mistakes I made – they can commit their own. (smile)

EH: You have been coordinator and director of a couple of Institutes. For those who are not familiar with what an Institute is, can you provide a brief description. (I would love to find a week to attend one.)
ESP: An institute is different than a conference in that at a conference, such as NERGC, you pick the topic you want to see each hour and they can vary widely in content and subject. At an institute you pick one course and attend it for 5 days in a progression of learning on that one topic, whether it is Irish Research or Advanced Strategies for Success in New England or DNA or writing or methodology (all of which are being offered in June at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh – GRIP). Institutes offer high quality courses from the instructors whose blogs and books you are reading with hand-on experiences. You not only interact with the instructor but with your classmates who have also chosen the course because of their interest in the topic. Sharing information at an institute (and to some degree at a conference) not only happens in the classrooms but also in the hallways and at meal times. You never know when someone will say something that will help you break through that brick wall problem. People find institutes to be great fun with a lot of camaraderie as you learn about your classmates throughout the week. For more information see Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh/What is an Institute? 

EH: When did you become a Certified Genealogist? How has this helped you as a genealogist?
ESP: I was first certified in 1995 and have been successful in my renewals every 5 years since. I was president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists 2012-2014. Being certified has attracted serious clients who are willing to pay for professional genealogy services from someone who has been tested and endorsed as working to standards.

EH: Have you attended NERGC in the past? What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2019 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
ESP: I have attended NERGC several times in the past. They always do a great job of putting together a first rate conference with nationally-known speakers and quality presentations. I enjoy the variety of topics not offered everywhere and concentrating on New England. I enjoy the exhibit hall and talking with the vendors there. The specialty day ahead of the conference is also a great way to get some specific education aside from the one-hour lectures at the conference. I am teaching one of those workshops, “From Research Question to Report: The Process” where we will take the research process apart step-by-step and go through the “Writing as You Go” method (a term which I think I coined).

~~~~~~~~~

Elissa Scalise Powell, CG®, CGL, (read about certification here) will be teaching the following sessions:
"From Research Question to Report: The Process" (Wednesday Workshop, 9:30-11:30)
"Deeper Analysis: Techniques for Successful Problem-Solving" (Thursday, 1:30-2:30)
"Thinking Outside the Index: Advanced Search Techniques" (Thursday, 4:30-5:30)

Let me know in the comments if you're planning to attend NERGC.

See Elissa's website at Powell Genealogical Services. 

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 3

After two days at NERGC of really exercising my brain (see Day 1 and Day 2), I decided to listen to some general-level sessions with particularly excellent speakers for my last day.

Elizabeth and Thomas

Thomas MacEntee, founder of Geneabloggers, spoke on Managing the Genealogy Data Monster, a topic that genealogists at every level can use at least some help with! Thomas is very organized, providing lots of wonderful suggestions on how to work with a research log, as well as sharing tips on file naming conventions. The main takeaway there is to just be consistent. (I've got some work to do...)  If you ever get a chance to hear Thomas speak, be sure to do so!

I then got to hear Diahan Southard speak on Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun. I had interviewed Diahan for this blog in February, so it was great to meet her and see her present in person. This was a class where attendees could login to their own AncestryDNA accounts and follow along as she explained how to pose a genealogical research question and begin to answer it using the searching and filtering features at AncestryDNA. I picked up a few tips and tricks in this session that I look forward to using!

After lunch, where we heard from Jane E. Wilcox speaking about Forget Me Not: Remembering Our Grandmother's Stories, I volunteered to help out at the booth for MSOG, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.

The exhibit hall at the conference was free and open to the public and I could see, especially on Saturday, that there were lots of visitors who came who were not registered for the conference.

Here is the MSOG booth at a rare down time that it was not full of people, either MSOG members meeting up or attendees looking to join this great group. Even if you do not live in Massachusetts, the membership is worth it (only $25 for a year!) because of the webinar series that is offered only to members. In fact, if you join now, your membership will be good through the summer of 2018.

I had to leave the conference before the end of Saturday, knowing that I had made many new genealogy friends, as well as renewing some friendships over the subject we all enjoy.

Looking forward to NERGC 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire!

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 2

Friday was the second day of NERGC and was just as busy as Thursday. (See my Thursday summary.)

After a brief walk outside (it was a foggy morning so I didn't get to see the Connecticut River which divides Springfield from West Springfield), I started my morning with A Virtual Tour of New Hampshire's State Archives with Diane Gravel. Now I'm inspired to pursue my New Hampshire ancestors more deeply (and maybe break down my Thomas Wells brick wall there...).

Then I got to hear Marian Pierre-Louis talk about Breaking Down Brick Walls with Collateral Research. She has done this talk before, but she gets so excited sharing her finds that it's inspiring!

After some time exploring the exhibit hall, I attended the NEAPG lunch "Table Topics," where I sat at a table with others who are researching Connecticut ancestors. Now I'm excited to explore my ancestors in that New England state after hearing more about some great research repositories there.

After lunch, I heard from George Findlen, Ya Gotta Use ALL the Records, from Pam Stone Eagleson on Confronting Conflicting Evidence, and F. Warren Bittner on Complex Evidence: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters. These were all advanced-level sessions on understanding and evaluating evidence to come to a genealogical conclusion. My brain certainly was exercised this afternoon!

At this evening's banquet, I sat with two other eastern Massachusetts genealogists who are also taking the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research course this summer. Yes, my blogging may get even more sparse because this is going to be taking up much of my time in the next four months! The speaker was Kenyatta Berry, another wonderful host from Genealogy Roadshow.

One of the best things about genealogy conferences is meeting friends, old and new, who all share my love of genealogy! We learn a lot from each other.

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 1

I got to Springfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday in time for the opening session, which included hearing from Mary Tedesco (of Genealogy Roadshow). She is an engaging speaker.

At lunch, I finally got the opportunity to meet the founder of Geneabloggers, Thomas MacEntee, who spoke about privacy and genealogy and how the concept of privacy has changed over the centuries. (He recognized me and remembered my blogs!)

In the afternoon, I heard Carol Prescott McCoy speak about Finding Someone Who Eluded Census Records. She provided a good overview of census research and then offered some creative suggestions for finding those hard-to-find ancestors in the census (and some other census alternatives).

Jane E. Wilcox (of the Forget-Me-Not podcast) spoke about New York State Repositories, inspiring me to find out more about my ancestors who migrated through New York from New England to Illinois.

Brenda Sullivan, one of the Gravestone Girls, spoke about the history of graveyards and cemeteries (there is a difference) and what you can find out about your ancestors on a gravestone.

All of these speakers are worth learning from if you ever get a chance to hear them speak.

After supper, I joined other genealogy bloggers in an informal SIG: Special Interest Group meeting where we chatted about our blogs and encouraged a few attendees to start their own blogs. It was great to finally meet in person Marian Burk Wood of Climbing My Family Tree and John Tew of Filiopietism Prism, as well as see longtime blogger friends, Heather Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy, Sara Campbell of Remembering Those Who Came Before Us, Cindy Shenette of Heritage Zen, and Pam Carter of My Maine Ancestry.

NERGC Interview ~ Diahan Southard

The 14th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts from April 26-29. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount!

Several New England Geneabloggers were invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard.

Following are the questions I posed and her answers:

Elizabeth Handler: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?

Diahan Southard: Genetics actually got me interested in genealogy. It started back in college in 1998 when I first heard the idea that we could create a database of genetics and genealogy that would help us identify how we were related to others, and help us find out where in the world we came from. That project eventually became the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), the first of its kind.

EH: Your bio says you have spent 15 years in the genetic genealogy industry. I didn’t realize that genetic genealogy was even a “thing” in 2002. What did you do in the early years?

DS: In the early years I worked for SMGF in various capacities. I spent a good deal of time working for their for-profit arm, called Relative Genetics. I did everything from the actual lab work, to the computer analysis, to sales and marketing, to training the executive team (a bunch of business guys) on what exactly DNA had to do with genealogy.

EH: One of your sessions at NERGC is “Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun” (a great title). Can you share anything about this session?

DS: I am always excited to break out of the traditional lecture mode. It is so much more fun to have hands-on, real life experiences. I find that even if you pay very close attention in a lecture and take copious notes, when you get home and look at your computer and your actual results, things just look different. So here is a chance for you to sit down with your own results and do as I am doing - and ask all of your questions along the way.

EH: Many genealogists will recognize you from Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast, where you explain various DNA concepts in easy-to-understand segments (pardon the pun). When and how did you start participating in her podcasts?

DS: Isn't Lisa the best!! She and I are so similar in our style, enthusiasm and passion that when we first met at the Florida Genealogical Societies Conference in the spring of 2014 we knew we were meant to work together. That very day, when the conference was over, I sat down with Lisa and Sunny and we talked about all the fun ways we could combine our talents to create fun and easy to understand content for other genealogists. We decided right away that I would blog and podcast for her, and that I would write DNA quick sheets that she would publish. This partnership has far exceeded my expectations and I continue to learn and benefit from Lisa's knowledge and expertise. When I grow up, I want to be just like her!

EH: Have you attended NERGC in the past? What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2017 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?

DS: I have, actually! It was many many moons ago. It was when I was working for Relative Genetics, I believe, and I came to NERGC to man a booth and talk to genealogists about this new thing called Genetic Genealogy. I just love the northeast and its natural beauty. I am excited to see real Spring, since here in Florida we kind of skip over that season.

Diahan will be teaching the following sessions at the conference:
Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun (Saturday 10:00-11:00 a.m.)
Your DNA and Your Origins (Saturday 3:15 - 4:15 p.m.)

She is also teaching "Five Tips to Make Sense of Your DNA Testing" at the Pre-Conference Beginning DNA Day, which will be on Wednesday, April 26, and requires an additional registration. The conference brochure suggests that you register early for this Beginning DNA Day because seats are limited.

NERGC Interview ~ Maureen Taylor

The 14th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts from April 26-29. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount!

Several New England Geneabloggers were invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective.

Following are the questions I posed and her answers:

Elizabeth Handler: Please share some of your background that has given you the experience of being able to analyze family photographs.
Maureen Taylor: I began my career in the Graphics Department of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The collection consisted of all sorts of non-print materials including photographs. Advanced study through workshops increased my knowledge of pictures. Genealogists would come to the library to research their family but never asked about any possible pictures of their ancestors. I worked to change that.

I’m always reading about old photos, attending conferences and talking to colleagues. Plus I seem to be addicted to collecting images as well. <LOL> There is no end to the fascinating details present in pictures. Everyday is a new experience. Every new picture brings a piece of history to light.

EH: You have written many books, including two books with photographs of Revolutionary War Solders: The Last Muster, volumes 1 and 2. Are you still receiving more photos of these 18th century individuals? Is a volume 3 in the works?
MT: When I began searching for these photos I thought there couldn’t be too many of them in the world. Was I wrong! Yes, I’m planning on a volume three. A big thank you to everyone that brings these images to my attention. So far I’ve found more than 200 pictures (photographs and engravings based on pictures).

EH: I love your books that include pages upon pages of old photos. Are most of the photos yours or have you had success with getting people to share photos with you (like I did in your Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats book)? [Note: I shared two photos with Maureen for this book. I recently blogged about them here and here.]
MT: I’ve been collecting images for about 20 years. Occasionally a collector will share images with me for a book when I don’t have a suitable picture in my collection. That happened with Bonnets and Hats. A collector I know shared several pictures of men in interesting hats! I have a file on wedding images and over the years many people have sent me pictures for that project. Now all I need is more time to put it together.

EH: How long do you spend working with a client on analyzing an old family photograph? Or is it completely different for every client?
MT: Clients that sign up for consults receive my expertise in a fifteen minute conversation. What’s not covered it that short block is the time I’ve spent getting ready for the call researching details and verifying the details in their family history. The amount of time I spend on each picture depends on the images.

EH: How many times have you attended NERGC?
MT: I think I’ve only missed one!

EH: What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2017 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
MT: I love reconnecting with all the people I’ve met over the years. There is a nice energy to regional conferences. It’s like a big family reunion! Can’t wait for it.

In addition to having a booth at the Exhibit Hall, Maureen will be teaching the following sessions at the conference:
Fashion Clues to Understanding Who Your Ancestors Really Were (Friday 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.)
Workshop: Photo Detecting 101: Photo Identification Tips and Techniques (Friday 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.)

NERGC 2017

The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium (NERGC) is holding its 14th biennial conference on April 26-29, 2017, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

This will be my second NERGC and I'm looking forward to it! Registration is open (visit the website here and click where it says "Register Now" on the left-hand column). Early-bird registration ends on February 28.

This is a great opportunity to meet other genealogists and hear many great genealogy speakers in person.

There are many informative and educational sessions ranging from beginner to advanced. There are too many to list here, so click here for the 20-page brochure.

I am an official NERGC 2017 blogger and will be interviewing a speaker or two and sharing those interviews here in the next few months. I also hope to blog from the conference in April as I did from Providence in 2015.

If you are a genealogy blogger and plan to attend, consider being an official blogger by sending your name, blog URL and a brief bio to info -at- NERGC.org.

It's going to be a fun and educational experience. Are you going?

Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Gravestone Girls

One thing I didn't mention about NERGC last April was that there was a wonderful Exhibit Hall with many exhibitor booths for genealogy societies (wow, there were a lot of them) and all kinds of vendors where genealogists could be parted from their money very easily!

I have heard Brenda, one of The Gravestone Girls, speak a couple of times and was thrilled to see her again at the conference with her treasures: beautiful decorative artwork using images created from actual 17th and 18th century New England gravestones. Each piece of artwork includes a note indicating where the image is from: what cemetery, and if known, what person the stone is for.

After thinking about it on Thursday, I went back to her booth on Friday to take a look at the many refrigerator magnets she was selling.

The first one I picked up and turned over to read about the gravestone artwork was an ancestor: "Mrs. Prissilla Appelton" who is buried in the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. She is my 9th great-grandmother on my maternal line!

GravestoneGirls magnet on my refrigerator!

Once I got home, I looked for her memorial at FindAGrave here. However, when I looked at the photograph of the gravestone and compared it with the magnet image, I could see they weren't the same and I wondered if this magnet was really from Prissilla's gravestone. I emailed Brenda with my question and she assured me that she would get back to me.

At the Annual Meeting of MSOG (Massachusetts Society of Genealogists) in early November, I saw Brenda again. She remembered me and was excited to tell me that she was at the Old Burying Ground in Ipswich the day before to solve this mystery. It turns out that this magnet was created from Prissilla's footstone, which was positioned several feet away from the headstone.

She created a mold from the headstone and look what I got in the mail this past week:

And if you ever get a chance to hear Brenda speak, take advantage and attend - she is a wealth of information and you will learn a great deal about gravestones, cemeteries and their history.

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I descend from Prissilla (Glover) Appleton as follows:

Prissilla (Glover) Appleton

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Sarah (Appleton) Rogers

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Priscilla (Rogers) Leonard

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Priscilla (Leonard) McKinstry

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Mary (McKinstry) Willis

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Benjamin Willis, Jr.

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Elizabeth (Willis) Wells

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Eliza May (Wells) Greeley

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Ethel May (Greeley) Copeland

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Lowell Townsend Copeland

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My mother

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Me

NERGC Day 3

View of Providence from Prospect Park

I wrote about my first day at NERGC here and my second day here.

I chose to take a break from attending sessions (and the weather was beautiful), so my third day started with a walk up College Hill which was near my hotel and the Convention Center. At right is a photo I took from Prospect Park towards downtown Providence.

Following are descriptions of the sessions I attended on this third and last day of NERGC 2015.

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Navigating A Billion+ Hidden Records on FamilySearch with Robert Raymond was my first session of the day.

Using an example from his own family research, he showed how to use what he referred to as "hidden collections" on FamilySearch.org to find the will of his ancestor who lived and died in the 19th century. He used many screen shots from FamilySearch to show how to navigate this free website. He covered indexes, original records versus transcriptions, and what to look for once a researcher is exploring a particular collection. (i.e. be sure to click on "learn more" when looking at the information page for a collection.)

Also using his example, he reminded us that when we find a will, we need to follow the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard) to ensure that we have found the right person. (Same name doesn't always equal same person!) Because using the index within these "hidden" collections is so important, Robert spent quite a bit of time sharing examples of the variety of indexes that can be found in these online collections, as well as how to navigate through the images rather than clicking "next" and viewing every image.

This was a very useful session for any user of the FamilySearch.org website.

NERGC Day 2

I wrote about my first day at NERGC here.

My second day started with Creating Maine Towns: The Process and the Records with Carol Prescott McCoy.

Carol loves Maine and it showed during her presentation about Maine town records and all of the interesting things that can be found in them, including historical events (earthquakes), first settlers (and their families), and town laws (where not to cut wood), among many other things.

Take-aways include:
Many towns were created from other towns so be aware of these divisions and the many name changes that happened.
Between 1689-1713, there were only three permanent settlements that were continually inhabited: York, Kittery and Wells. 1713 was when there was more of an effort to increase settlement in Maine.
Carol covered the variety of typical town officers, which included tithingmen, hog reeves, and fence viewers. There were also Highway Surveyors, who had to make sure the town's roads were passable (think spring mud season).

She also explained where a researcher has to go to find these records (i.e. specific Maine towns). After listening to Carol, I want to go visit Litchfield, Buckfield, Norridgewock, Calais and Lee, Maine (among others) to explore their town records and see what goodies I can find on my Maine ancestors!

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NERGC Day 1

I am attending my first New England Regional Genealogical Conference. (And my second major conference - I attended the IAJGS Conference when it was in Boston in 2013. I blogged about that conference here and here.)

I arrived in Providence this morning and during today I attended several sessions, as well as met up with many, many other genealogists. A summary of my genealogy day follows:

My day started with a welcome to the attendees (there are over 950 registered to attend during the three days of the conference, although not all are here yet) and then a presentation by John McNiff, who, in the character of Reverend William Blackstone (1595-1675), described what life was like for early immigrants to New England. His description of life on board an early 16th century ship for two months on the way from "Old England" to "New England" was quite descriptive (wearing the same clothes, no opportunity for bathing, being constantly wet, rotting food…). He then went on to describe his early life in New England: in Boston, Plymouth, and Rhode Island, as its first settler, dealing with the natives as well as the "wilderness" of the area.

NERGC First-Timers: Harold Henderson, CG and Me

The biennial New England Regional Genealogical Conference: Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future will be held on Wednesday, April 15 - Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Providence, Rhode Island. This will be my first NERGC and I am looking forward to it.

Several bloggers were invited to interview speakers and I chose to interview another NERGC first-timer, Harold Henderson, GC. His speaker bio notes that he has been a professional writer since 1979, a professional genealogist since 2009, and a board-certified genealogist since 2012. (That's what the CG after his name means.)

Following are the questions I posed and his answers:

Elizabeth Handler: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?
Harold Henderson: Our younger daughter got interested in the late 90s, dragged me in, and I never left. I love seeing history from the bottom up. And I love the challenge of assembling indirect-evidence clues.

EH: I see from your bio that you were a writer for 30 years before you became a genealogist. Was that a natural evolution or have you found that being a genealogist requires a different skill set?
HH: Yes and yes. Genealogy is more decorous, and strives to be more scholarly, than journalism. But being accustomed to writing was a big help.

EH: One of your sessions is about writing down your genealogy. Not to give away your talk, but what is one suggestion you have for genealogists who have trouble getting started writing?
HH: Sit down and do it. Don't critique yourself as you write -- that leads to paralysis -- just get it down and fix it later.

EH: Your other session references NY Probate and Property. Was this research for your own family? Do you have any advice about researching in upstate New York? (I have a couple of brick walls there.)
HH: Yes. Make sure you work back and forth between probate and property records, they're like twins separated at birth.

EH: Do you have any upcoming articles that you would like to share?
HH: I'll have "Crossing the Continent with Common Names: The Case of Indiana Natives John and Elizabeth (Smith) Smith" in the March issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.

EH: You told me this is your first NERGC. This is my first NERGC as well. What are you most looking forward to at this conference (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
HH: I'll be dividing my time between attending talks and helping out at the Board for Certification of Genealogists booth along with friend and colleague Patti Hobbs from Missouri. C'mon by and say hello!

I look forward to meeting not only Harold but many other genealogists at NERGC next month.

Harold will be teaching the following at the conference:
Finding Berrys in NY Probate and Property - Step by Step (Thursday, 1:45-2:45)
Why We Don't Write and How We Can (Friday, 1:45-2:45)