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11 April 2019
MyHeritage Promotion dates: 11 April to 21 April 2019
08 April 2019
Live Stream Registration Now Open for 2019 NGS Conference
NGS to Live Stream Ten Genealogy Lectures
During its Family History Conference in May
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On 9 May, three live stream lectures will focus on DNA’s role in supplementing genealogical research. Also on 9 May, two other talks will discuss ethnic research. The five selections on 10 May feature lectures by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) that emphasize research, analysis, and problem-solving skills. NGS members and non-members across the United States and overseas, who are unable to attend the conference in person, are invited to sign-up for these live stream broadcasts.
Registrants for live stream can sign up for a one-day or a two-day pass.
Thursday, 9 May 2019: Viewers will be able to stream five lectures from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. (CDT), including:
- The Fisherman Who Wanted to Marry the Executioner’s Daughter: Stories From German Marriage Sources—Warren Bittner, CG®
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Friday, 10 May 2019: Five BCG Skillbuilding lectures will be live streamed from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. (CDT), including:
Registration for the live stream will close at midnight on 8 May 2019, to watch the sessions in real time and as they happen. NGS will offer all ten lectures as video recordings after the conference. Special value pricing for conference packages of video and audio recordings will be available for purchase only from 8─11 May. After 11 May, normal pricing will resume for video and audio packages. Live stream, conference specials, and post conference packages are available to order on the Conference Recordings page. All registrants of packages will receive an electronic version of the NGS 2019 Family History Conference syllabus. Registrants will receive instructions for viewing the live stream about a week prior to the conference. PRE-CONFERENCE & ON-SITE LIVE STREAM PASSES *Delivered live; Access live streamed videos for one year through 11 May 2020
Reminder: If you are attending the 4-day event in St. Charles, online conference registration will close on 19 April 2019. Registration by mail must be postmarked by 19 April. Registration in person opens at noon on Tuesday, 7 May, at the St. Charles Convention Center. |
15 March 2019
Hurry! Early Bird Discount Ends for NGS Conference on 19 March
Hurry! Early Bird Discount Ends 19 March
for 2019 Family History Conference
Please don’t miss this opportunity! Time is running out for family historians to receive a discount on registration for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri, 8−11 May 2019. After 19 March, the price of registration for NGS members will increase from $215 to $250 for all four days. Non-members will pay $285, up from $250. Genealogists will also no longer be able to order a printed syllabus or flash drive version of the syllabus. To qualify for the early bird discount, you must register online by 19 March or mail your registration postmarked 19 March. 
The conference, “Journey of Discovery,” will showcase more than 150 lectures featuring a variety of tracks and topics including ethnicity, genetics, immigration and migration, military, Missouri, religion, technology, and more. The program will include all levels of genealogical skills from basic to advanced, as well as four days of the Board for the Certification of Genealogists® (BCG) Skillbuilding lectures. The DNA track will feature eighteen presentations on DNA discoveries, science, and methodology.
The Family History Expo will feature more than seventy-five exhibitors and be open to the public Wednesday through Saturday. Check the website for a list of exhibitors and the accompanying floor plan.
The NGS Conference will be held at the St. Charles Convention Center and will run from 8−11 May. For conference information and to register, go to the NGS 2019 Family History Conference website.
Registration for local area tours and social meal events closes on 19 April 2019.
You will not be able to purchase tickets on-site at the conference. Be sure to sign up as quickly as possible.
Add Items to an Existing Registration
To add meals, tours, and pre-conference events to your current registration, log on to the NGS website, click on Store>My Account>Select View next to 2019 Conference>Select View Again>Select Add Sessions.
See you in St. Charles in May!
Add Items to an Existing Registration
To add meals, tours, and pre-conference events to your current registration, log on to the NGS website, click on Store>My Account>Select View next to 2019 Conference>Select View Again>Select Add Sessions.
See you in St. Charles in May!
12 March 2019
Reminder for 2020 Call for Proposals Deadline
Last Chance to Submit Lecture Proposals for
NGS 2020 Family History Conference
The study of family history gives greater meaning and dimension to our lives. As the prior generations fade from view, the results of our research illuminate the pale echoes of the past and bring our ancestors back to life to resonate for future generations. The NGS 2020 Family History Conference in Salt Lake City will explore our connections to our ancestors and the vestiges of their lives that we can discover through records that still exist. Conference tracks under consideration include the following:
- Impact of wars, poverty, famine, persecution, and the industrial revolution on movement from ancestral homes in the Americas and abroad
- Immigration, naturalization, and passenger records
- Historical migrations, trails, and events that affected patterns of settlement
- Hard-to-find ancestors who seem to disappear from records
- Approaches to rural and urban research
- Military records
- Occupations and trades
- Modes of transportation
- Religions and related record collections
- Ethnic resources and research techniques
- Postcards, letters, diaries, and manuscripts
- Immigrant, benevolent, and religious associations
- Specialized collections of the Family History Library and other repositories
Speakers who wish to submit lecture proposals may submit up to eight proposals electronically. The speaker compensation is described in detail on the website. Visit the website for details about required speaker information and each submitted proposal. NGS has a free webinar, Becoming a Better Conference Speaker: Proposals and Preparations, which can be found on the National Genealogical Society YouTube channel that can help you prepare your proposal.
If your genealogical organization would like to sponsor a lecture, submit proposals to NGS. If your organization would like to sponsor a luncheon, please contact eshifflett@ngsgenealogy.org. Do not use the sponsored lecture form.
14 February 2019
12 February 2019
NGS and Our New Website Featured by the New York Times
In the New York Times Smarter Living section 3 February 2019, journalist Jaya Saxena considers why you should “dig up your family’s history” and how to do it. Where did she go for advice?—to the National Genealogical Society (NGS).
In her article, Saxena recommends the National Genealogical Society and our website as a top choice to learn how to begin to build your personal family history. This timely article was circulated to more than four million daily readers who subscribe to the digital New York Times. It features links to NGS’s new website homepage and to our “How to Build a Family Tree” tutorial in the Free Genealogy Resources section of the website.
Please forward the Times article along to friends and family members who are just now (or not yet) discovering the joys of searching for their roots. And make sure you also share NGS’s recommended pathways at our website to learn how to research family history, at all levels of expertise: Getting Started, Going to the Next Level, or Building Advanced Skills.
If you haven’t visited the new site, log in and discover many more helpful resources available free or for members only, including online courses from home; our best-selling genealogy books; and articles in NGS Magazine, NGS Monthly, and the NGS Quarterly journal. See why the National Genealogical Society is a top choice for learning more about how to discover your family’s story and find out what all the buzz is about!
Saxena, Jaya. “Why You Should Dig Up Your Family’s History−and How to Do It.” 3 February 2019. New York Times, Digital Replica Edition, Smarter Living Section.
08 February 2019
NGSQ December 2018 Issue Now Online
The December 2018 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 106, Number 4, has been mailed to members and is available online in the Members Only section of the website.
CONTENTS:
2017 Winner, Family History Writing Contest:
The Kennedy-Burns Family of South Carolina and New York by Morna Lahnice Hollister
FEATURE ARTICLES
- Sanner Family Corrections and Additions by Richard A. Hayden
- The Secret Life of Ralph Cleworth in Derbyshire and Lancashire, England by Allen R. Peterson, CG, and Valerie S. Brown
- DNA Helps Identify “Molly” (Frisch/Lancour) Morelli’s Father by Jill Morelli, CG
COMMUNICATIONS
EDITORS’ CORNER
SIDELIGHTS
- Other Doors Open
SIDELIGHTS
- “Instances of much gravity are too frequent”
- Transported
ANNUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANNUAL INDEX
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
The National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) is published four times per year in March, June, September, and December.
07 February 2019
NGS Magazine October–December 2018 Issue
The October-December 2018 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 44, Number 4, has been mailed to members and is available online in the Members Only section of the website.
EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych
While every place has its own history and record-keeping practices, urban settings have unique challenges as well as research opportunities. Large populations complicate the effort of identifying a single person, and the multiple newspapers, churches, and cemeteries in cities increase the number of places to search for records.
In this issue, Meryl Schumacker explores some of the characteristics and strategies of urban research. She discusses studying geography and jurisdictional changes, identifying an ancestor’s place of worship, and using a selection of records important in urban research: censuses, city directories, tax lists, and municipal records. Jordan Jones recommends practical steps for organizing and accessing the mass of files and images that may accumulate during genealogical research, particularly while tracing urban ancestors.
Since most city-dwellers didn’t own property, deeds aren’t as helpful in urban research as they are in rural research. However, other types of records, such as city directories and Sanborn maps, are more common in urban areas than in rural locales. Sanborn maps make it possible to visualize ancestors’ homes and neighborhoods. Rebecca Lowery explains their content and techniques for locating and using these extremely detailed maps. The next issue will include an article by Terry Koch-Bostic on city directories.
Cities tended to have high concentrations of immigrants and ethnic groups. African Americans have been migrating to cities since the arrival of their ancestors, not just during the Great Migration from the South. Timothy Pinnick examines the history of African American migrations and presents resources that can be used to trace ancestors originating in the southern states. Kathy Petlewski profiles eleven ethnic benevolent societies founded in cities between 1729 and 1881 to assist immigrants, and demonstrates that some of their records—with genealogical information—are accessible.
In a column featuring National Archives sources useful for tracing urban residents, Claire Prechtel Kluskens highlights draft registration and naturalization records, District of Columbia records, and photographs.
Also in this issue, Ann Fleming reveals the breadth of the 2019 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri, 8-11 May, and Scott Holl describes the extensive genealogical collections at the nearby St. Louis County Library, including the NGS Book Loan Collection. Tina Beaird portrays the three waves of the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed more than sixty million people and outlines resources for researching the pandemic’s impact on communities.
Table of Contents
Features
NGS 2019 Family History Conference—Your Journey of Discovery, by Ann Carter Fleming, CG, CGL, FNGS
St. Louis County Library: A Major Research Destination, by Scott Holl, MA, MLIS
City Folk: Strategies for Urban Research, by Meryl Schumacker, CG
African Americans in the Urban Landscape, 1865-1930, by Timothy N. Pinnick
Using Sanborn Maps for Family History, by Rebecca Lowery, PhD
1918 Pandemic: Fighting Influenza During the Great War, by Tina Beaird, MLIS
Departments
President’s Message, by Ben Spratling
Editor’s Note, by Deb Cyprych
NGS News
NGS 2020 Family History Conference: Echoes of Our Ancestors Call for Proposals
Have You Visited the Fully Redesigned NGS Website? by Terry Koch-Bostic
2018 NGS Volunteers
Reference Desk: The Records of Ethnic Benevolent Societies in Urban America, by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS
National Archives: Urban Residents in Federal Records, by Claire Prechtel Kluskens
Technology: Organizing Genealogy Files and Notes, by Jordan Jones