Angela McGhie To Lead NGS Education Program with Liz Stratton

Angela Packer McGhie & Liz Stratton to Lead

The National Genealogical Society’s Education Program

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is pleased to welcome Angela Packer McGhie, CG, as its education director and Liz Stratton, PLCGS, as its administrative course manager. They succeed Julie Miller, CG, CGLSM, FNGS, who has ably served as the interim education manager since March 2018.

NGS President Ben Spratling announced that McGhie, as the new education director, will be responsible for identifying and developing overall educational programming for new online courses that take advantage of sophisticated software to deliver optimum learning experiences. “As the administrative course manager, Stratton will complement McGhie’s work,” said Spratling, “managing the day-to-day operation of educational courses, coordinating the workflow, and acting as liaison to our students.”

Angela McGhie

McGhie has a background in secondary school education and is a board-certified genealogist, author, and lecturer who brings ten years of genealogical education experience to her new position. McGhie wrote the curriculum for the ProGen Study Program, served as its administrator (2008–2014), and is now on the board of directors. The ProGen Study Program guides aspiring professional genealogists to develop genealogical writing and business skills. McGhie has developed numerous genealogy institute courses including for the Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She also served as an instructor for the Boston University Certificate Program in Genealogical Research and for Howard Community College.

“I began my own genealogical education with the NGS Home Study Course,” said McGhie. “I’m excited to bring my expertise in genealogical education to developing courses for NGS. Both Liz and I look forward to continuing NGS’s tradition of providing educational opportunities for the genealogical community.”

Liz Stratton

Stratton holds a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS) from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies and is a regular attendee of genealogical institutes and conferences. She served as a GenProof mentor (2013-2016) and ProGen coordinator (2010-2012). She is the recent past-president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Virtual Chapter, for which she developed monthly educational programs. During her tenure as Education Director of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Genealogical Society, she developed three, interactive education series and started the Advanced Genealogy Forum.

“We are deeply indebted to Julie Miller,” said Terry Koch-Bostic, chair of the NGS Education Committee. “She stepped in and took charge of the Society’s education department at a critical time and restructured it. She established new process guidelines; developed short and long-term goals; and reviewed all of NGS’s courses, overseeing updates and revisions in the 2018 calendar year. Miller also helped insure the education section was ready for the launch of the new NGS website this past fall. Thanks to her, Angela and Liz will be able to take the reins of an educational program that reflects the exemplary standards for which the National Genealogical Society is known.“

We look forward to our members meeting Angela and Liz at the NGS Conference in St. Charles, Missouri, in May 2019.

Happy Holidays!

Season's greetings from the NGS Board of Directors and NGS staff.

In observance of the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, the NGS office will be closed on the following dates:

• Tuesday - December 25, 2018
• Wednesday - December 26, 2018
• Tuesday - January 1, 2019

Take a Look At NGS’s Holiday Gifts

NGS Holiday Gifts

‘Tis the Season of Giving and in the spirit of giving NGS has extended its deadline for enrolling in the Salt Lake City 2019 Research Trip to 27 December 2018. Why not share your love for genealogical research with someone you love and invite them to join you as you explore the world-renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 27 January to 3 February 2019? 

Other great gift ideas include purchasing a year’s Membership in the National Genealogical Society for a friend so he or she can take advantage of all our member benefits.  You also can use your Membership Discount to purchase gifts for friends and family including books from our Research in the States series and skill-building books that cover topics such as genetic genealogy and genealogical documentation. There are many educational courses to choose from too.  

Or relax over the holidays and take some time to cruise around our new website for genealogy guidance, or take our newly revised and updated free Family History Skills course, a benefit of your membership. 

Wishing you a joyous holiday season!

Three Days Remain for NGS Awards & Competitions Submissions

Only Three Days Left for Submissions to the

NGS Annual Awards & Competitions

Final Deadline: 15 December 2018

Less than seventy-two hours remain for anyone who wishes to submit a nomination for the National Genealogical Society’s 2019 Awards and Competitions. Show your appreciation of one or more individuals, a deserving organization, or an NGS volunteer by nominating them for one of the Society’s prestigious awards, including: 

• NGS Award of Merit
• The Shirley Langdon Wilcox Award for Exemplary Volunteerism 
• NGS Distinguished Service Award
• The Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship (sponsored by ProQuest)
• National Genealogy Hall of Fame
• Fellow of the National Genealogical Society

Or enter one of our competitions, including:

• Family History Writing Contest
• Award for Excellence: Genealogy and Family History
• Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources
• NGS Newsletter Competition
• John T. Humphrey, CG, Memorial Scholarship Award
• Rubincam Youth Award

The deadline for submissions for both the awards and competitions is 11:59 PM, 15 December 2018.

NGS believes that outstanding work in the field of genealogy—indexing and digitizing records, creating free websites and webinars, writing articles, lecturing, chairing conferences, blogging, leading special interest groups, and creating communications and newsletters—deserves national recognition. We encourage you to nominate a genealogist or organizations or submit your own work to the NGS 2019 Awards and Competitions. Winners and award recipients will be recognized at the NGS 2019 Family History Conference, 8-11 May 2019, St. Charles, Missouri.

Complete details and all necessary forms can be found at the NGS website. All nominations must include email contact information for nominees and the persons nominating them.

Send nomination forms by postal service or email.

NGS Awards Program

6400 Arlington Blvd, Suite 810

Falls Church, VA 22042-2318

E-mail: [email protected]

Include "NGS AWARD" in the Subject line of your message.

Important Update Regarding Conference Registration

Registration Will Open Thursday 6 December

for the National Genealogical Society's

2019 Family History Conference

NGS will open registration on Thursday, 6 December, at 10:00 a.m. EST for the National Genealogical Society’s forty-first annual Family History Conference, Journey of Discovery, which will be held 8–11 May 2019 at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri.

NGS originally announced it would open registration for the 2019 conference on Saturday, 1 December, but made the decision to delay the opening in order to provide full staff and technology support on the opening day. Since this is the first conference registration event on our new website, we want the registration process to go smoothly, so we ask for your patience and understanding as we do further testing.

For NGS members visiting the new NGS website for the first time, you will need to reset your password in order to login and register. You may also update your profile in “My Account” in advance of registering. You will find “My Account” in the NGS Store, on the left side navigation menu. We encourage all members to visit the new site as soon as possible and explore the new design and content, and please share it with other family and friends interested in genealogy.

If you have family or friends intending to register for the conference who are non-members, they will be required to create a free account so they have a user name and password. If they create a guest profile prior to registering it will accelerate their purchase. Also, visiting the new NGS website in advance offers the opportunity to explore the new features of the website, and information on the conference discount available as a benefit of NGS membership.

Questions? Contact Conference Registrar Courtney Holmes or Conference Manager Erin Shifflet.

Happy Thanksgiving From NGS

The National Genealogical Society wishes you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

At this time of year when we reflect on all we are grateful for, NGS wants to thank all of our members for their continued support throughout the year, and also a heartfelt thank you to the many volunteers who make our success possible.

Best Wishes,

The NGS Board of Directors and the NGS Staff

Please Note: The NGS office will be closed from Thursday, 22 November until 9:00 a.m. on Monday, 26 November 2018 in observance of the holiday.

National Genealogical Society 2019 Family History Conference Program Now Available

National Genealogical Society
2019 Family History Conference
Program Now Available

FALLS CHURCH, VA, 15 NOVEMBER 2018—The National Genealogical Society’s 2019 Family History Conference program is now available online and as a downloadable sixteen-page conference brochure. This year’s program, Journey of Discovery, will feature a variety of lecture tracks and topics including African American, English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish lectures. Other popular tracks include BCG Skillbuilding, eighteen DNA lectures, Immigration and Migration, Missouri, Military, Religion, Technology, and Tips and Techniques. In all, the conference, which will be held 8-11 May 2019 in St. Charles, Missouri, will offer family historians and genealogists more than 150 lectures, an array of social events, several workshops, and a family history expo with more than seventy exhibitors.

The program will begin with Judy G. Russell, JD, CG^®, CGL^SM, delivering the keynote address, “Journey of Discovery.” She will share tidbits about the Journey of Discovery of many people ranging from Marquette to Lewis and Clark, from Winny v. Whitesides to Dred Scott v. Sanford, from ancestors hiding in the pages of the Territorial Papers to clues lurking deep within our DNA. Americans are on their own journeys of discovery to find out who we are and where we come from.

The conference will take place at the St. Charles Convention Center. Registration opens on 1 December 2018. A number of special events have been planned with limited seating, so register on 1 December, or as soon as possible thereafter, if you plan to attend any of these events.

To learn more about our special events, see the conference brochure and our program. Participants also will want to sign up early for tickets to the NGS banquet on Friday evening, featuring David Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, who will discuss our ancestors’ record preservations in “If Carved in Stone, Your Epitaph is Already Disappearing!”

Up-to-date information about the availability, amenities, and rates for conference hotels can be found on our conference website.  Be sure to sign up for the NGS conference blog so you do not miss conference news or announcements.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary stands of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Falls Church, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

NGS Magazine July–September 2018 Issue

The July-September 2018 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 44, Number 3, has been mailed to members and is available online in the Members Only section of the website.

EDITOR’S NOTE by Deb Cyprych 

Every family has its secrets—scandalous, tragic, embarrassing, or just different. This issue deals head on with some of these skeletons in the closet and the unusual techniques and records that may reveal them.

Sydney Cruice Dixon discovered a long-hidden family secret in the National Archives. Her case study examines the reaction of two communities to a Civil War court-martial and its long-lasting effect on a family, and introduces the use of genograms to chart patterns of behavior in family history. 

Divorce in earlier generations is seldom disclosed, although it has been part of American culture since the seventeenth century. Pam Stone Eagleson, CG, provides a comprehensive range of clues that a divorce occurred, examples of using indexes, and ways to locate records. 

Genealogists may want to know more about mentally ill ancestors but have low expectations about obtaining access to their records. Jill Morelli, CG, explains what is available publicly, where records may be held, and how to obtain state-held records when restricted by law. 

Some female ancestors who “disappeared” may have become prostitutes. Jane Haldeman demonstrates how an understanding of local and federal laws and the challenges prostitutes encountered can help with researching ladies of ill repute. 

Unscrupulous people took advantage of Civil War pension laws to obtain money under false pretenses. Claire Prechtel Kluskens gives examples of scams and highlights a National Archives collection that is being digitized. 

The 1880 Supplemental Schedules for Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes name thousands of people affected by blindness, child homelessness, deafness, imprisonment, insanity, mental disability, and poverty. Kathy Petlewski outlines the contents, purpose, and locations of these schedules. 

Jordan Jones discusses methods of physically and logically securing private information and ways to share data cautiously, with warnings about the sensitive nature of DNA data and evolving privacy laws.

Table of Contents

Features

• NGS 2019 Family History Conference: Journey of Discovery Events and Tours, by Ann Carter Fleming, CG, CGL, FNGS

• A Family Secret: Desertion, Scurvy, and Abraham Lincoln, by Sydney F. Cruice Dixon

• Divorce Records in Genealogical Research, by Pam Stone Eagleson, CG

• Finding the Records of the Mentally Ill, by Jill Morelli, CG

• Loose Women: Researching Prostitutes, by Jane G. Haldeman

• Researching Eighteenth-Century Gemman Immigrants, by James M. Beidler

Departments

• President’s Message by Ben Spratling

• Editor’s Note by Deb Cyprych

• NGS News

• National Archives Thieves, Scoundrels, Impostors and More by Claire Prechtel Kluskens

• Reference Desk 1880 Supplemental Schedules: Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS 

• Technology The Technology for Keeping Secrets by Jordan Jones

• NGS Members’ Book Notices

NGS Magazine is published quarterly to update members of the National Genealogical Society on NGS activities and to provide genealogists with special information and guidance on conducting effective genealogical research. The magazine is sent to libraries by subscription. Online access to NGS Magazine is available only as long as membership is active.

National Genealogical Society Quarterly September 2018 Issue

The September 2018 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 106, Number 3, has been sent to the printer and will be arriving in members' mailboxes. Members can access the current issue at the NGS website (log in required).

Feature articles

Hiram Cochran, Freedman of Abbeville County, South Carolina by Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL

A Parental Family for Thomas Tidball of North Molton, Devon by J. H. Fonkert, CG

Information in Family Papers and a First Name: Keys to a California Pioneer’s Simmons Ancestry by Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS

2017 Winner: Family History Writing Contest

“Her Sixth Matrimonial Venture”: The Many Marriages of Ida May Chamberlain by Sharon L. Hoyt, MLIS, CG

Communications

 
Editors’ Corner 

The “Street Lamp” Effect 163

Administration

Sidelights

Singular Union 

Attention, Veterans 

Wedded to Save Pig’s Life

Passing of Russell Lawrence Henderson

Russell Lawrence Henderson

DECEMBER 2, 1942 – AUGUST 26, 2018

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has learned of the passing of Russell Henderson. Russ was the former editor of the NGS NewsMagazine and performed many other important administrative tasks for the society. He was an excellent genealogist and a kind and giving colleague. NGS extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to Russ's entire family and his many friends.

Mr. Henderson's obituary was published at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/alexandria-va/russell-henderson-7973290.

Visit the National Genealogical Society (NGS) This Week at FGS

The 2018 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference #FGS2018 starts today in Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 22–25.

If you are attending, be sure to stop by NGS booth #519. The hours at the vendor hall are Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Susan and Julie will be staffing the booth—visit and learn about upcoming NGS conferences, new courses, publications, planned research trips, and more.

You can also purchase publications (including the Research in the States series, Mastering Genealogical Proof, Mastering Genealogical Documentation, Genealogy and Law, etc.)

Susan will handle three raffle drawings:

• Thursday, 23 August 2018: One free conference registration to the 2019 NGS Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri

• Friday, 24 August 2018: Choice of one Continuing Genealogical Studies course

• Saturday, 25 August 2018: Choice of one book from the Research in the States series.

Be sure to enter to win!

NGS Booth #519

See you in the Exhibit Hall at Booth 519!

Hotel Reservations Now Open for the

National Genealogical Society’s 2019 Family History Conference

FALLS CHURCH, VA, 15 AUGUST 2018—Effective 15 August 2018, you may reserve accommodations for the National Genealogical Society’s forty-first annual Family History Conference, Journey of Discovery, which will be held 8-11 May 2019 at the St Charles Convention Center (SCCC), One Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, Missouri.

The conference will feature more than 150 unique lectures on topics such as census, court, immigration, land, migration, military, and vital records as well as DNA, ethnic resources, government documents, maps, regional topics, technology, and much more.

NGS offers attendees several discounted hotels, convenient to the convention center. Embassy Suites St. Charles is the conference hotel and is connected to the 2019 NGS conference center site. Other conference hotels offer a variety of room rates, free parking, and internet service. Most offer free breakfast each morning. When making a reservation, be sure to ask for the 2019 NGS rate. Seven hotels, within a two-mile radius of the conference site, will have a complimentary shuttle service to the SCCC. Two additional hotels are a little farther away and do not offer shuttle service. Uber and taxi service are also available.

Since past experience has shown that conference hotels tend to fill quickly, early reservations are recommended if you intend to register and attend the conference. The hotels are offering the NGS rate three days before and three days after the conference, based on availability, so participants can do research or go sight-seeing in the area. Please check the hotels’ websites for cancellation rules and for additional amenities. Full details and links for NGS discounted, online reservation can be found on the NGS conference website.

St. Charles has a small-town feel and friendly people. Come early or stay after the conference and take a day trip to wine country, tour the Foundry Art Centre, and dine at a variety of restaurants and breweries. To learn about area research facilities for family history, several of which offer national collections, refer to the conference’s Announcement Brochure on the NGS conference website.

The four-day NGS 2019 Family History Conference promises to be a great opportunity for family historians to advance their research, hone their skills, and network with fellow genealogists. Be sure to reserve your hotel accommodations as soon as possible.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary stands of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Falls Church, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

NGS Magazine Volume 44, Number 2

The April–June 2018 issue of NGS Magazine has been mailed to members and is available online in the Members Only section of the website.

EDITOR’S NOTE by Deb Cyprych 

This issue explores a variety of records and techniques pertaining to nationality: foreigners in the United States, Americans overseas, foreign records, and translation.

During World War I all enemy aliens in the United States over age fourteen were required to register and obey special laws. Each four-page registration record contains personal details and a photograph. Julie Miller explains the background of the Alien Registration Act, the information in these records, and their known locations, in a comprehensive survey that reveals extant records in fourteen states.

Many American merchant seamen before the War of 1812 were impressed by the British into serving in the Royal Navy, usually but not always against their will. As Anne Morddel demonstrates, other records besides seamen’s protection certificates may reveal the history of an impressed seaman, such as in the dramatic case of Ambrose Dodd. 

During the 1930s the United States government transported more than 6,600 mothers and widows of World War I soldiers to Europe to visit the graves of their sons and husbands. John Graham describes the history of the pilgrimages and the records available for researching the Gold Star Mothers.

The most extensive German website with open access to genealogical content is Genealogy.net. Timo Kracke outlines the site’s wealth of indexes, abstracts, and searchable images including family trees, local heritage books, city directories, newspaper announcements, World War I casualty lists, and images of headstones as well as useful resources. Tips are given for translating German web pages into English.

Barriers arise but can be overcome when researchers encounter documents in a language or script they don’t understand. Bryna O’Sullivan examines two records, one in German script and one in French, to illustrate the benefits and process of working with genealogical translators and the techniques they use.

Narrow search parameters can also block research. Shannon Green uses a case study to demonstrate how logging search criteria and revisiting results to broaden parameters in spelling, time period, place, and associates can lead to success in identifying the parents of an ancestor.

In the last part of her series about the dissenting churches of Ireland, Fiona Fitzsimons describes the Irish Baptists, Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, Salvation Army, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Christian Scientists.

Our columnists are taking a well-earned break and will resume in the next issue.

Sue Zacharias, our layout manager since 2007, has resigned to focus on other pursuits. Her creative talents and collaborative working style have been key elements in the high quality of NGS Magazine. We wish her well in her new endeavors.

Table of Contents

Features

• Enemy Alien Registrations during World War I, by Julie Miller, CG, CGL, FNGS

• Resources for Tracing Impressed American Seamen, by Anne Morddel, MLIS, CG

• Gold Star Mother Pilgrimages of the 1930s, by John W. Graham

• Discover German Families in Compgen’s Free Databases, by Timo Kracke

• Overcoming the Language Barrier: The Genealogical Translation Process, by Bryna O’Sullivan

• Broadening Search Parameters: A Case Study, by Shannon Green, CG

• The Records of Irish Dissenting Churches: Part 3, by Fiona Fitzsimons

Departments

• President’s Message, by Ben Spratling

• Editor’s Note, by Deb Cyprych

• NGS News

• NGS Presents Awards at Grand Rapids Conference

• 2017 NGS Donations and In-Kind Contributions

• 2019 NGS Family History Conference—A Journey of Discovery: Missouri Was Central to Westward Expansion, by Janet L. Powell

• NGS Members’ Book Notices

• Save The Dates!