Genealogy Club - March 7, 2020

     

Change of Topic

“How to Research Early American Ancestors (17th & 18th Century)”

with Al Fiacre, Chair of the Godfrey Board of Trustees

We all know the story.  You’re researching your family line, proceeding backwards through time.  You’re going along great guns, using the U.S. Census, vital records, maybe Civil War records, wills – but as you approach the early 1800s these resources seem to thin out and become less helpful. You’re thinking: “What, no family members listed in the pre-1850 census!? Now what?”

Don’t despair!  Resources do exist, but you may not be as familiar with them.  Al Fiacre will share some of the most useful 17th and early 18th century resources to help you track your ancestors from that time period.  Brick walls be gone!  We hope you can join us, and we think you’ll be glad you did.

Free to Godfrey Premium Members.  $10 per session for all others.  Open to the general public.  Attendees will have time after the meeting to do research at the library. 

Note: Due to scheduling issues, we had to change the topic of the March Genealogy Club. We hope to have a speaker on Irish Genealogy in the coming months. 

Genealogy Club - Saturday, February 1, 2020

 

Saturday, February 01, 2020

9:30 - 11:00 am

“Channeling Your Inner Columbo:  Going Beyond Vital Records to Expand Your Family Tree”

with Dorena Wasik

What does Columbo have to do with genealogy?  On the series, he always found a small detail – overlooked by everyone else – that solved the case.  In this presentation, we will learn to look for those small details to find unknown family and bring our family trees to life.  There are many useful documents to be found beyond birth, marriage, or death certificates (BMD).  They include ship arrival records, naturalization papers, and obituaries, among many other items.  Just because you think you know all the information you need, take another look to find some valuable clues.

Dorena Wasik has been doing Polish genealogy research for over 10 years.  She has spoken at several genealogy conferences in Poland, helping Polish genealogists to find their American family.  She is member of the Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, heading the program “Welcome Home” that reconnects Americans with their Polish roots.

Free to Godfrey Premium members.  $10 per session for all others.  Open to the general public.  Attendees will have time after the meeting to do research at the library.

 

BU Group Meetings for January - April 2019

The Godfrey Library hosts an open meeting for those who have earned a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University.  Meetings are typically held at the library on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 - 7:30 pm.  Come for a lively discussion on various topics of genealogical interest.  Free.

Upcoming meetings will be held on the following dates:

January 15
February 12
March 18
April 15

Genealogy Club - January 4, 2020

New Year's Resolution - Get Organized!

Saturday, January 4, 2020
9:30 - 11:00 am

Resolve to start 2020 off right by getting your genealogy in order. This is a Work & Share session. If you have a great system for organizing your paper or digital files, share it with the rest of us! After the group discussion, you can spend time actually organizing your stuff. Bring that pile of disorganized papers, folders, and binders, and get to work clearing the clutter. Bring your laptop loaded with a genealogy software program, and start using it to full advantage to organize your digital files.

Free to Godfrey Premium members. $10 per session for all others. Open to the general public. Attendees will have time after the meeting to do research at the library.

CORRECTION - 2019 Holiday Schedule

 

CORRECTION - Here is our updated schedule for the 2019 holiday season. Please note that the library will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the next two weeks. We will be closing early on Friday, December 20. THE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED, SATURDAY DECEMBER 21.

 Happy Holidays!  Happy New Year!

Genealogy Club - December 7, 2019

Genealogy Club

Saturday, December 7, 2019

9:30 - 11:00 am

 “Hidden Discoveries about Your Civil War Kin” with Clay Feeter, of Find Your Civil War Ancestor

 "Your Civil War ancestors' stories are always much deeper than the few lines about them that you might—or might not!—find in your family genealogy book," says researcher Clay Feeter, who will give an informative talk and visual presentation on the subject.

Even if all your genealogy book says is "Killed in the War of the Rebellion," you will learn how to use those sometimes dry and hard-to-understand facts to bring your soldier-ancestor’s story to life.

Learn about the challenges and hardships of the Civil War.  Not only did our Civil War soldier-ancestors suffer during that great conflict, but their families at home had it just as hard … running the farm and taking care of the kids, canning food or making socks to send to the boys on the front line.

Before attending the talk, you will want to research your family history.  Most Civil War-age men were born between1815-1847. Try to find out where they fought, marched, were wounded, captured, and even where they died.  Many of our kin may have fought at the same famous battles, or maybe even side by side in the same regiment! This is all valuable information to pass on to the next generations, so bring a pen and notepad.

Open Thanksgiving Week 2019