Monday, April 18, 2016

Are You an Aspiring Genealogist? Want to Take it to the Next Level?

The ProGen Study Group announces it is looking to fill a few open slots starting in June 2016.  This is a fantastic opportunity for learning but there are a few caveats:

You have to be willing to commit to an 18 month program.

While it is free, you must have the book "Professional Genealogy" by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Your experience level; You should have experience with genealogy research and writing research reports.

More info can be found on their website http://progenstudy.org/

I am a graduate of ProGen 12 http://progenstudy.org/alumni/830/ankenbauer-robert-m-jr/

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Free Book Giveaway- "Trace Your German Roots Online" courtesy of Shop Family Tree

Got this one from GeneaBloggers.com


This book is a $21.99 value and you could win if you enter by 11:50 pm CDT on Sunday 10 April 2016.



A Billion Records for FREE! Now through April 13 at NEHGS

The New England Historical Genealogical Society in Boston MA has a Billion records you can search for free! 

Click on their ad and it will bring you to the free records search or 


Friday, April 1, 2016

AARP & Ancestry.com Announce that the 30% discount at Ancestry.com for AARP Members has been Extended!

No expiration date listed, this time around. It is definitely worth the money to join AARP  and receive a 30% discount on the World Edition of Ancestry.com.

There are limitations/ restrictions on this offer.

Take a moment and look it over at Ancestry.com 's website. There are links to AARP there as well.

http://www.ancestry.com/cs/us/aarp


Fold 3 Free Access to Civil War Records 1 April 2016 Through 15 April 2016

The title says it all. Read more at the Fold3 Blog Here

If your ancestors were in the US in the 1860's then there is a good chance that the males served in the Civil War.

Definitely worth a FREE look! I have 5 relatives serve in the Civil War to include my paternal GG-Grandfather. His military record is a treasure I shall for ever cherish.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Today; 31 March 2016 is World Backup Day

It really only takes a minute! It may take longer to backup every file you have, but it can only be an instant and everything is gone to cyber heaven (or hell... you decide)

An interesting web link about World Backup Day

http://www.worldbackupday.com/en/

I have my files backed up continuously through Dropbox but I also bought a 1TB (Terra byte) external hard drive that plugs into my PC and I just do a simple copy/ paste of my files, though they do include software to automate the process. Not such a bad idea is it?

My files are important and losing them? Not an option!

Happy World Backup Day 2016! 




30% Discount for AARP Members on ANCESTRY.COM (World Explorer Subscription) Ends Today; 31 March 2016

AARP members can get a 30% discount on their Ancestry.com membership. This includes current Ancestry.com members. The discount is applied to a yearly membership.

But hurry, today is the last day.

Details at Ancestry.com

PS. I joined AARP for $16 for one year. I then went to Ancestry.com and switched to the AARP Discount and saved $100- for the year over a subscription I was going to renew anyway.

The catch... I had to terminate my old plan that was set to renew in about 10 days. So I lost 10 days off the end of the membership...

I'd say it was worth $16 to join AARP and spend 10 minutes on the phone with Ancestry.com

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Free Access to Irish Records on Ancestry.com and a 10% Discount on Ancestry DNA through St Patrick's Day 2016

Ancestry.com is allowing free access to their Irish records collection through St. Patrick's Day; 17 March 2016. The records can be searched here:

Ancestry.com Irish Records


Also Ancestry DNA is offering a 10% Discount off their $99- DNA test for the same time period. The test is $89 through April 17th


Ancestry.com DNA Test

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Genealogy/ Family History Weather in New England

Five inches of snow this last weekend and weather in the low 20's with a wind chill of 5 degrees and it's time to review my family tree and other genealogy projects. The wood-stove is fired up and the weatherlady says that we could see a foot or more of snow here this weekend.

So during the day it's time to check the generator and snow blower again. Make sure the shovels are where they are supposed to be and that the fluids are topped off on the vehicles.

Last winter the huge amount of snow made a mess of my roof and I had to have a new roof installed and several thousands of dollars of water damage repaired inside my home. This year I'm adding a roof rake to my arsenal so I can reach more of the Cape Cod style home's roof.

I think an extra propane for the grill might be a good idea too.

So the title of this rambling should be my plans during the day and my plans for the evenings! Genealogy in front of a nice warm fire with a hot cup of tea or coffee in the evenings and winter storm preparations during the day.

So folks, let's get back to it. Take advantage of this cold weather and take another look at your genealogy. Try to figure out that brick wall. Find that long lost person from your bygone past and give them life again by remembering them forever with genealogy!


Monday, January 18, 2016

Where to Start Your Genealogy in 2016

I was reading a post on a website the other day from someone who wanted to know more about their past. The person was upset that they didn't know anything about their family or where they came from. They wanted to be able to tell their children where their family was from but knew nothing about genealogy.

If you are able to read this then you can work on your family history. Their is some to learn, but if you take your time and gather some facts, you might be surprised what you can find online. Nope, it's not all on the internet, but a lot of good information is.

The best advice I can give to someone who has no genealogy background and wants to learn is to either join your local genealogy society or hire a professional to work with you or consult on an as needed basis to help you learn how to discern from the flood of information you are soon bound to discover.

If you would like some help finding a genealogy society in your area, shoot me an email and I'll see if I can't refer you to a local society.

If you'd like some help getting started; consider hiring me or another genealogist to work with you for a set period of time just to get you pointed in the right direction!

The final word: Genealogy can cost money. Some genealogy websites charge membership fees, Genealogy societies charge for memberships. Genealogy researchers charge $25 an hour or more. In the Boston area, Genealogy Researchers are in the $35 plus range. Some charge upwards of $100 an hour for their expertise.

My advice? Keep it simple. Work within your budget. Learn as you go. Have fun!

Interested in learning more? Use this form. No obligation. No fooling around, just straight realistic conversation.

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