Monday, July 25, 2011

Another Vendor for the Fall Conference - Creative Memories

You've spent countless hours researching your family history. Let Creative Memories help you celebrate and share the stories you have uncovered. Cheryl Freye will help you with organization of printed materials, scanned images, and digital photographs. She will help you share your stories with family members using digital Story Books that will last for generations. I will help you preserve your original images in photo-safe albums. She will work with you to find a solution that works for you.

In addition to preserving the stories you have uncovered about your ancestors, take the time now to record the special memories of today that you are creating with your family and friends. This will be the legacy you leave to future generations. I will help you combine your photos and stories to create a truly memorable keepsake. Your photos will not become strangers in a box for someone in the future. They will be alive with the stories of your life. They will be treasured as one of your family's most precious keepsakes. I am here to help you every step of the way. You won't go home with a product and wonder what to do next. Cheryl also teaches people all over the country through personal webinars.

Cheryl would love to talk with you about how she can help you find a solution for all your memory preservation needs. Visit with her during the MGS Fall Conference at the Spectacular Events Center in Bangor on September 24th. For more information on the fall conference go to http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs/conference.html

Creative Memories uses the ISO 18902 standard on its packaging to make clear to customers that the product meets or exceeds photo safety specifications. ISO 18902 is more than just a part of our packaging. It represents our commitment to providing information, products and customer service to ensure that your memories will be preserved for future generations. We are the only album manufacturer that we know of that complies with ISO 18902 – the industry’s gold standard for photo-safe album-making supplies. So when you see ISO 18902 on one our products, you can be assured you are getting the best possible photo-safe products. Even better, you’ll know that your albums will safely preserve the weddings, the parties, the rain showers, the messes, and the tears that make up life.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Conference Registration Reminder – Have You Signed Up Yet?

Join us for the genealogy information sharing event of the year - a chance to make new connections, hear educational lectures, purchase resource materials and maybe breakdown those elusive and stubborn brick walls! Always a chance to learn something new!

The Maine Genealogical Society's 2011 Family History Conference will be held on Saturday, September 24 at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor, ME, just a few miles off I-95. This year’s annual conference will feature six workshops, a national keynote speaker, vendors, exhibitors, publications for sale and a new Ancestors Round Table.

Our featured speaker is Meldon “Mel” Wolfgang III who is the founder and owner of Jonathan Shepard Books. He has been active in the field of genealogy for the past 40 years and is a popular conference speaker. The individual workshop presenters all have professional expertise in their fields – this year’s program includes an author, a professional genealogist, a past president of the US Internet Genealogical Society and a county Registrar of Probate.

Workshop topics include:

Session One - concurrent
A. Beyond the Basics: Tips & Techniques for Using Newspapers in Genealogy Research
B. More Than Wills: Using Probate Records in Genealogy Research

Session Two - concurrent
A. More Than Almshouses and Cold Charity: Exploring Family History in the Records of Public and Private Assistance in New England
B. The Role of Women in the Civil War

Session Three - concurrent
A. Using Social Media in Genealogical Research
B. Often Overlooked: What the Census Tells You Beyond Name and Age

In addition to these workshops, the keynote address by Mel Wolfgang will be Uncommon Research Tools That Can Lead to Uncommonly Good Results.

A new feature of the conference this year will be the Ancestor Round Table – a spot where people can gather to ask questions and/or help with advice or suggestions. Experts in various areas will be available but it will be an ever-changing gathering, so plan to check back often and join in the discussions! Don’t forget to bring your research query to post on the popular query board as well.

Be sure to register soon for this great conference - registration deadline is September 10. Registrations are $40 for MGS members and $50 for non-members. Be sure to register early and share this information with fellow researchers who might be interested in attending.

On Saturday, September 24, the registration table will begin at 8am and the vendors and exhibitors will be open and ready to greet you. Come early to share a cup of coffee, browse the tables and chat with the vendors. There will be a luncheon buffet ($15 a ticket) which will allow plenty of time for networking, making connections and story-sharing. (The best genealogy connection I made personally was during lunch at a conference many years ago – you never know who you will be sharing a table with!) The conference will end at 5:00pm. Be sure to stay until the end for the highly anticipated door prizes! (Note - For those not wanting to participate in the luncheon, there are restaurant options in the local area or you are welcome to bring your own lunch with you for the day.)

Planning to stay over and combine the conference with a research trip? Accommodations are available at the Fairfield Inn on Odlin Road in Bangor with a special conference rate. Reservations must be made by August 24 to obtain the discounted room rate (Hotel phone number is 1-207-990-0001).

For more information on this conference such as a full description of each workshop, biographies of the workshop speakers, full conference schedule, conference brochure and registration form, please visit the website at www.maineroots.org

Hope to see you there! Should you have any questions, please feel free to email us at mainegenealogical@yahoo.com or call Celeste Hyer at 207-627-7147.

And be sure to check us out on Facebook! Remember to “like” Maine Genealogical Society’s Facebook page. We will be posting periodic conference updates here.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Sam Teddy Publishing

Here is information about another one of the vendors who will be at the fall MGS Conference at the Spectacular Events Center in Bangor on Saturday September 24th, 2011.

Sam Teddy Publishing is the end result of over 20 years’ of genealogical and historical research of Jeffrey A. Linscott, an amateur genealogist, historian and author. Credits to Mr. Linscott include a 1998 reprint of The May-Flower & Her Log, by Azel Ames (Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, softcover, ISBN 0-7884-1070-9, now out of print), and Ohio Soldiers Who Served in the War of 1812 (Genealogical Services, West Jordan, UT, hardcover, ISBN 0-89593-999-1).

Mr. Linscott has also self-published over a dozen family histories and has published The Linscott Herald, a Linscott family newsletter, for over 15 years, and The Whitcomb Wheel, a family newsletter of the Whitcomb family, now in its 5th year.

Sam Teddy Publishing offers high quality paper bound books suitable for any bookshelf. While they predominately publish works of historical or genealogical significance, other venues of writing are also in production.

Why not check them out at http://www.samteddypublishing.com to get a preview before the conference.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Silhouettes to be cut at the Annual MGS Conference in 24 September 2011

A special offering at the conference this year to be held at the Spectacular Events Center will be traditional, freehand cut silhouettes of children and adults, done with live five minute sittings. Ruth Monsell, professional silhouette artist, will be available to create cut portraits throughout the conference starting at 8 a.m. The venue for silhouette cuttings will be in the Madison Ballroom where conference vendors will be situated.

Although the least expensive form of portraiture, silhouettes can capture an amazing likeness, and are loved for their simplicity, long history and traditional look. Often families have new profiles cut to display alongside much older family silhouettes.

Ruth Monsell, a silhouettist with over 30 years of experience, was invited last year to be the guest speaker for the Pejepscot Genealogical Society, a chapter of MGS, and delivered a talk on the history of the silhouette. She has created profiles at venues ranging from pre-schools to nursing homes. Her bookings include weddings, bicentennials, fairs, museums, and many Historical Societies. She also creates custom logos, hired for corporate events as far away as Las Vegas, and has done profiles of passengers about five international cruise ships.

Silhouette samples may be seen on line at ArtfulHeirlooms.com Silhouettes are priced at $30, which includes two mirror image profiles of each subject in black on 5x7 mats with oval openings. Additional duplicate copies, ideal for gift giving, are just $10 each. Optional framing will be available.

Advance appointments for the sittings are recommended and may be made by phoning 1-866-212-7288. The artist is also able to cut silhouettes of children, pets and people from clear profile photographs.

Presentation of HP1177 - Request for Veterans Status for the Protectors and Defenders of the Northeastern Boundary Dispute aka The Aroostook War

On Thursday, July 7, 2011 there will be a short ceremony hosted by The 1839 Foundation of Northern Maine and The Passadumkeag Historical Society where we will be presented with a copy of HP1177, requesting Veterans Status from the President and US Congress for the Protectors and Defenders of the Northeastern Boundary Dispute commonly called The Aroostook War.

Cal Innes, the President of the Passadumkeag Historical Society will announce our collaboration. The 1839 Foundation of Northern Maine will have copies of the Sequence of Events and rosters of Capt Porter's company out of Burlington & Capt George Towle's Rifle Company from the 6th Regiment, many of whom were from the Passadumkeag area to identify some of the men we wish to recognize and honor.

Here is one family's story: My ancestors John and Mary Knowlen who had the homestead directly across from the site of the first posse encampment at T 10 R 5 and who's timber rebuilt Fort Fairfield in April of 1839 that I began my quest. John and Mary not only lost their homestead when the state was delinquent in paying for that timber but GAR post 149 in Masardis was called The Knowlen Post because they lost two sons and a third returned crippled from battle wounds during the Civil War. And through it all they didn't whine, complain or blame, they preservered and raised their remaining children and grandchildren to be teachers, civic leaders, active & productive members of society. What you may not recall is the reason they were living in T 10 R 5: John; a young husband and father found himself the head of a large household of siblings while living in Passadumkeag, during the summer of 1828 after his father was murdered and the furs he had been acquiring through his trapping expertise were stolen. Before the estate could be settled, his next two brothers tragically drowned in July 1834 while engaged in driving timber down the Passadumkeag River. The loss of his brothers' assistance forced him to take his wife, two young sons, 12 year old brother, 9 year old sister and head north to start all over again. The family connection to Passadumkeag is a bittersweet one, yet resulted in our connection to Aroostook County that has remained for almost 180 years.