Diaries of Robert Murphy Fulton

Here's an interesting web spot you should take a peek at. We heard from Sheila Antworth Lafferty that she had posted the diaries of Robert Murphy Fulton of Mars Hills online, and we were impressed with this sharing of a personal history.

The diaries were transcribed by great-great-grandson Rodney Lee Fulton, and posted online by great-great-granddaughter Sheila Antworth Lafferty. Eight diaries are known to exist spanning the years 1886 - 1897. Some of the surnames mentioned include Bell, Glidden, Hutchinson, Fulton, Giberson, Larrabee, Lindsay, Hawksley, Bartley, Blackden, Rideout, Hallett and Rudlett. Visitors to the site can search easily search by keyword.

In addition to the transcribed diaries, Sheila has augmented with biographical information, obituaries and photographs. She says that is where you can help - she is looking for photographs of individuals mentioned in the diaries to help enhance the site (scanned copies are fine).

What a labor of love and a great way to honor an ancestor! And an impressive job by Sheila. Well worth the journey over to http://fultondiaries.wordpress.com/.

Greater Portland Announces Anniversary Schedule

The Greater Portland Chapter is geared up and ready to celebrate their 30th anniversary on Saturday, August 1st, and they want you to be a part of it. The schedule for the day has much to offer!

9:45-10:15 Registration

10:15 - 10:30 Welcome by Carol McCoy, Chapter President

All day activities include: Genealogy Library, Member Displays, Give Away Table
(The Family History Library will be open from 10:30-11:45 and from 1:00-5:00)

10:40 - 11:40 - Morning Classes:

1. Computer Software Demonstrations (Will Haskell)
2. New England Resources (Carol McCoy)
3. Introduction to Genealogy (Sue Hawes)

11:50 - 1:50 - Buffet Lunch (Lunch, Baby Picture Contest, Door Prizes, Viewing Time for Member Displays & Member Sharing - What Got You Started in Genealogy)

2:00 - 3:00 - Afternoon Clases:

1. What the Family History Center Has to Offer (Kathy Moody)
2. Ask Our Panel of Experts: Sue Hawes, Carol McCoy, Pam Eagelson, and Dana Edgecomb

It's a great lineup! Plan now to join them on the 1st! For more details and to learn about the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society, visit their website at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megpcmgs.

Greater Portland Chapter to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Come celebrate genealogy with the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society on Saturday, August 1st, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 29 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

The Greater Portland Chapter is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a free day of classes, demonstrations, a special reference library and a potluck lunch!

To register, email gpcmgs@gmail.com or call 207 (892-2098). You can learn more by visiting our website at www.rootsweb.com/~megpcmgs/.

Conference Speaker Change

Due to a scheduling conflict, Bob Chenard will be unavailable to lead our French-Canadian breakout session at the 2009 Annual Conference.

We are very pleased to announce that Dennis Prue has agreed to step in and share his knowledge in this area.

Dennis Prue is a News Analyst by profession. Raised in a military family (aka Air Force brat). He has been an avid genealogist for the past 41 years, and has done research from Virginia to Quebec, working both sides of his family: McConnells from Virginia and Ireland to Prues / Proulx / Proust from Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec and France. Dennis is the past-president of Aroostook County Genealogy Society, and currently serves as vice-president. He is a volunteer at the local Family History Center (only non-LDS staff member). He is co-editor of Ashland, Maine: The Early Years History. He has written many articles for the A.C.G.S. newsletter.

Dennis's personal genealogy reflects the different styles of record keeping. His father's ancestors of French-Canadian origins have nearly no missing persons due to the wonderful records found in Catholic parish records. His mother's side of the family tree has more missing branches due to the very bare bones English style records. The records of his father's family has enabled him to go five more generations back in France itself. This took nearly three years of research; learning to read Latin as well as convoluted French-Latin used during the switch from Latin in church records to the to the vernacular French and old French itself. One unexpected discovery arising from his research is he found that his handwriting is the same as that of the early 1600s in France.

We look forward to having Dennis return as a speaker!

If you haven't registered yet, please visit the official conference website at www.maineroots.org.