UpFront with NGS: February 2017

28 February 2017

The man who honors his ancestors by dressing up as them

The man who honors his ancestors by dressing up as them

My daughter brought an article to my attention -- The man who dresses up as his ancestors. She called it a version of genealogy with a Face-off (the tv show) twist. On the show, it is fascinating to see how artists transform models and this is equally true for what artist Christian Fuchs is doing, based on portraits of his ancestors.

The process of reinterpreting his ancestors can take many months.

Fuchs reads their letters and talks to relatives about them. He takes photos of their portraits to a local tailor who tries to imitate the garments - some of which date back to the 18th Century - as faithfully as possible, and to a jeweller who creates replicas of the jewellery.

He really tries to learn about his ancestors so that his recreation is more than just a visual illusion and includes his identification with them.

What unusual way have you heard of in terms of someone honoring their ancestors?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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27 February 2017

Historian Gives Names to Forgotten of Sault Ste. Marie Potter's Field

Historian Gives Names to Forgotten of Sault Ste. Marie Potter's Field

A few years ago, I visited the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan for those not in the know), including Sault Ste. Marie. A memorable trip as I almost got a speeding ticket while visiting the area. Fortunately, a kindly cop just warned me to watch for moose as on dark narrow roads they could be found and that typically a speeding car will lose if there is a run in with a moose.

Remembering that trip, my radar often notices news from the area. The most recent bit of news is actually of interest to genealogists! Forgotten mass grave in the U.P. finally gets recognition tells how one person, Caroline Grabowski, researched a long-abandoned potter’s field.

“Nobody in town knows the potter’s field is here,” said Caroline Grabowski, a Soo resident, author and historian who discovered the grave site a few years ago and made it her mission to bring it to the public’s attention. “Nobody knows who’s buried there.”

But she does. She pored over documents at the county courthouse, old newspapers at the library and burial records at the cemetery, trying to piece together the lives of these unknown dead, who were buried here between 1890 and 1935. She was compelled to find out who they were.

“They were the very destitute, the poorest of the poor,” she said. “These truly were the forgotten. There was nobody for them.”

The article provides stories for many of those buried in this particular potter’s field.

Who do you know who has put names to those long unidentified in a cemetery?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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24 February 2017

New Season of Who Do You Think You Are? Premieres 5 March 2017 @wdytya #wdytya

New Season of Who Do You Think You Are? Premieres 5 March 2017

@wdytya #wdytya

A first peak video for Season 7 of Who Do You Think You Are? Is now available.

This season's celebrities include:

This season’s celebrity contributors include:

· Jessica Biel makes surprising discoveries that change what she thought knew about her heritage.

· Julie Bowen uncovers the story of two relatives whose moral codes are from opposite ends of the spectrum.

· Courteney Cox traces her maternal line back seven centuries to the Medieval times to discover royalty in her lineage and an unbelievable tale of family drama.

· Jennifer Grey uncovers new information about the grandfather she thought she knew, learning how he survived adversity to become a beacon of his community.

· Smokey Robinson searches for answers behind the mystery of why his grandfather disappeared from his children’s lives and finds a man tangled in a swirl of controversy.

· John Stamos digs into the mystery of how his grandfather became an orphan, and learns of tensions between families that led to a horrible crime.

· Liv Tyler learns that her family is tied into the complicated racial narrative of America.

· Noah Wyle unravels the mystery of his maternal line, uncovering an ancestor who survived one of America’s bloodiest battles.

Read the full press release here.

Which celebrity story are you most looking forward to?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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23 February 2017

Library of Congress Launches Comprehensive WWI Holdings Portal

Library of Congress Launches Comprehensive WWI Holdings Portal

The Library of Congress has launched a new World War I collection portal.

You can read about it via World War I: Online Offerings.

Today we launched a comprehensive portal to its extensive holdings on the subject of World War I (1914–1918) as part of our commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. involvement in the war. The portal is a one-stop destination page for digitized versions of many of these assets.

These remarkable collections include recruitment and wartime information posters, photos from the front, manuscripts and papers of prominent figures such as General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, newspapers that provided the first draft of the war’s history, maps of campaigns and battle lines, sound recordings of prominent leaders of the era, war-related sheet music, even early film treasures.

Along with extensive access to these rare materials, the portal will include links to the online version of the Library’s major new exhibition, “Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I,” which opens April 4.

So much material, so little time! I did spend a bit of time looking into Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I, 1918 to 1919 and Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914 to 1919.

Which collections caught your eye?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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22 February 2017

Family Tree DNA Now Accepts Data Transfers from Select 23andme and AncestryDNA Files

Family Tree DNA Now Accepts Data Transfers from Select 23andme and AncestryDNA Files

Now, for FREE, you can transfer/upload your 23andMe^© and AncestryDNA^™ results to Family Tree DNA. If you want full full access to all the Family Finder features, there will be a $19 charge.

From the Family Tree DNA Autosomal Transfer page, we learn …

What is an autosomal DNA transfer?

If you have previously tested your autosomal DNA at 23andMe^© or AncestryDNA^™, you can transfer your results to Family Tree DNA by uploading your raw data file. After transferring your file, your autosomal data is uploaded to our database, but your DNA sample is not obtained by our company.

Please note that you can only transfer the following versions:

· 23andMe^© V3

· 23andMe^© V4

· AncestryDNA^™ V1

· AncestryDNA^™ V2

Unfortunately, at this time, you cannot transfer 23andMe^© V1 or 23andMe^© V2 results.

For more information, see our Sample Access and Transfer Policy .

What do I get if I transfer my autosomal DNA?

After transferring your results, for free, you will receive a list of your autosomal matches from our database and have access to our Family Finder - Matrix. The Matrix feature allows you to select and compare the autosomal DNA relationship between up to ten of your matches at one time.

Note: Family Finder is the name of our autosomal DNA test.

After transferring, you can unlock all Family Finder features, which include the Chromosome Browser, myOrigins, and ancientOrigins for only $19.

Do read the full page for all details.

What new matches did you make when taking advantage of this new option?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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21 February 2017

Check out this video about the upcoming NGS Family History Conference #NGS2017GEN

Check out this video about the upcoming NGS Family History Conference

#NGS2017GEN

We cannot wait to welcome you to Raleigh, 10-13 May 2017!

Here’s a video to give you a taste of what you can expect at the NGS 2017 Family History Conference.

What is your favorite aspect of attending a national genealogical society conference?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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20 February 2017

RootsTech 2017 Session Videos NOW Available! #rootstech

RootsTech 2017 Session Videos NOW Available – FREE to Access!
#rootstech

Videos of select RootsTech sessions are now available for you to enjoy at home.

They are organized by day – just click on the day that interests you.

Thomas MacEntee has kindly created a list of which sessions were taped for each day. You can access it here on his GeneaBloggers blog.

Which presenter cannot you not wait to listen to?
What was your favorite talk that you did listen to?

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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19 February 2017

FREE Access to Ancestry UK Records Through 20 February 2017

FREE Access to Ancestry UK Records Through 20 February 2017

Researching UK ancestors? Check out these databases for FREE between now and Monday via this link.

What included record collection most intrigued you?

Editor’s Note: Apologies for the delay in posting this. Though I had heard the FREE access was coming, I couldn't find the appropriate Ancestry page referring to the sale and I gave up. I didn’t want to lead you astray! I was away from my computer, enjoying the sunshine, and doing non-genealogical stuff yesterday, and today finally stumbled across the appropriate landing page. Enjoy the remaining time with the FREE access, though, I'll be out enjoying the sunshine again!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to [email protected]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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