Curtis Memorial Library offers Ancestry

Word has been received from Rebecca Francis, Coordinator of Technical Services, that the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick has just started a subscription to Ancestry Library Edition. This is in response to a request from the Pejepscot Genealogy Society at the beginning of 2008. The library is excited to announce that they finally found the money for it.

Ancestry Library Edition has just about everything that the regular Ancestry.com has, except that you can't post to message boards or upload information about your family tree. It can only be accessed from inside the library, but it's available on any of their public PCs and on any laptop that is using their wireless connection.

A great resource for the area and we extend a big thank you to the Curtis Memorial Library.

Mt. Hope Cemetery Corporation
Rededication of 1864 Civil War Memorial
and
Celebration of Hannibal Hamlin's 200th Birthday

Saturday, July 11th, 2009 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

1. Special Cemetery Tour from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Led by Dana Lippitt, Curator, Bangor Museum & Center for History. Donations $5.00 per person, proceeds go to the Bangor Museum & Center for History.
2. At 11:30 AM, Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin will walk from the Superintendant's Lodge to the Civil War Monument for the rededication.
3. Participants will include the 20th Maine Company B, the 6th Heavy Artillery, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Bangor Band.
4. Music by the Bangor Band.
5. 11:45 - 11:50 AM, remarks by Mayor Gerry Palmer and introductions.
6. 11:50 AM - 12:00 PM, accounts of the original ceremony by Earle Shettleworth, Jr., Maine State Historian.
7. 12:00 - 12:05 PM, music by the Bangor Band.
8. 12:05 - 12:20 PM, Rededication of the Memorial by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
9. 12:20 - 12:30 PM, volleys by the 20th Maine and the 6th Heavy Artillery.
10. 12:30 - 12:35 PM, speech by President Abraham Lincoln.
11. 12:35 - 12:40 PM, music by Bangor Band as we move to Hannibal Hamlin's grave.
12. 12:45 - 12:55 PM, a brief speech from Hamlin and then a wreath will be laid at his grave. Again the 20th will fire a volley in salute to Hamlin.
    

Genealogy Workshop in Ellsworth

The Hancock County Genealogical Society announces a Genealogy Workshop to be held on Saturday, June 20, from Noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Ellsworth Public Library.

Are you having trouble finding your Hancock County ancestors? Are you trying to get started on a genealogy research project? If you are, join the members of HCGS on Saturday, June 20. A chance to ask questions of local genealogists. The Library's genealogy collection will be available for researchers to use.

They do suggest that it would be a big help if you would let them know what names you are interested in researching ahead of time. Contact Charlene Fox Clemons by email at foxtail994@roadrunner.com or by phone at 667-6363 (W) or 667-7210 (H).

Take advantage of this opportunity!

Genealogical Resources at the Brewer Public Library

The Penobscot County Genealogical Society will be meeting on July 15, 2009, at 6 p.m. at the Brewer Public Library.

We are sure everyone knows the story, "The Little Engine That Could". Well, Donna Rasche and her library team is working toward improving the library's genealogical information for the Brewer area. Donna plans an open discussion on the strides made toward genealogy research within the scope of the library. This will include local family histories and pictures. Attendees will see first hand the process the library is doing to help preserve and document these materials.

Come join us and give a warm greeting to the Brewer staff and their efforts. The Brewer library is located on the corners of South Main Street and School Street in Brewer. Everyone is invited and you do not have to be a member of the society to attend. As always, refreshments will be available.

List of State Shutdown Days

Have you driven to a library to do research only to have it closed? A little advance planning can avoid that bad ending -

Kathy Montejo has forwarded the following information to assist with your plans:

Below is a list of the scheduled shut down days for Maine state government offices. As you plan your genealogy research trips, the Maine State Library, State Archives and State Vital Records Offices should all be closed on the following dates for the next two years. I thought this info might be useful to pass along. As you can see, most, but not all, dates are connected to holidays and/or weekends.

STATE OF MAINE SHUT DOWN DAYS

FY 2009-2010
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010

FY 2010-2011
Friday, July 2, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011

Thanks goes out to Kathy for this information!

Query: Edward R. Bradbury b. ca. 1806-08

Edward R. BRADBURY, born in Maine or Massachusetts, ca. 1806-08; m. Sarah SMALL (b. 10 Nov 1805 in Lisbon, Maine, daughter of Thomas SMALL and Jane TEBBETTS) in Bowdoin, Maine, 1 July. They moved from Lisbon to Kingfield, Maine, in 1830. He d. 24 Feb 1883 in Freeman, Maine; bur. in W. Kingfield Cem. Sarah d. 31 Jan 1887 in Limestone, Maine, living with her daughter Lydia THOMPSON. They had four children, I descend from the eldest, Emerson BRADBURY, b. 11 Dec 1827 in Lisbon, Maine.

Need the ancestry of Edward and connection to the BRADBURY Memorial. I have worked on this line for over 25 years with no success.

Thank you,
Carla J. Dillon-Jones.

If you can offer any assistance or clues, you can email Carla at redeagleone@earthlink.net.

Query: Mary (Smith) Jones Brazier of Windham

Member Lowry Drinkwater is looking for some guidance, writing...

I am trying to locate the grave site of my great-great-grandmother. I have been researching her for over two years and thus far have been unable to locate her grave site through online research, personal visits, and library research. I am fairly certain that she is buried in Cumberland County.

This is what I know. My great-grandfather was William Howard Jones, b. 1861 in Windham, Maine, to William Jones (b. about 1835 in Maine) and Mary Smith (b. about 1840 in Maine). William Jones either died or abandoned the family between 1862 and 1866. Mary Smith Jones remarried to Joseph Brazier in 1866 in Windham, Maine. From this point the trail gets cold.

My mother remembers visiting her great-grandmother's grave site with her grandfather William Howard Jones when she was a teenager and she is certain that it was in Cumberland County. She remembers that there was a gravestone, but she has no idea of the name on the stone. As you can see from the above, it could be Mary Smith, Mary Jones, Mary Brazier, or possibly some combination such as Mary Smith Jones, or Mary S. Brazier. Or it could even be that she is buried under some other last name if Joseph Brazier died and she remarried yet again.

I believe that my great-great-grandmother died between 50 and 60 years of age, making her death date between 1890 and 1900.

Is there any way to determine her grave site? I do not mind searching databases, town records, or other documentation. About all I can be sure of is that her maiden name was Mary Smith (b. about 1840) and that she was from Windham, Maine.

Thank you for your help,
Lowry Drinkwater

If you have suggestions or can help, Lowry's email address is lowrydrinkwater@yahoo.com.