MGS 2015 Conference Call For Papers

Proposals for talks are now being accepted for the MGS Fall Conference, September 19, 2015, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer. There are three openings for one-hour presentations. Speaker compensation is $100 plus registration and lunch the day of the conference.

The theme this year is “Records & Resources.” Proposals should focus on how to locate and use a particular type of record including those that are digitized and on-line. The emphasis should be on original material. Types of records might be newspapers, military & pension records, church records, cemetery records, probate documents, land records & deeds. Proposals for other, less known & used records are encouraged. Records need not be Maine specific.

Proposals should include the following:
1. Speaker’s name
2. Contact information (including mailing address, e-mail, & phone number)
3. Prior speaking experience
4. Brief biography (about 50 words)
5. Title of the talk
6. Summary or outline of the talk (about 200 words)
7. Intended audience level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or all levels)

Please send proposals to Helen A. Shaw either by mail (77 Pascal Ave., Rockport, ME 04856) or as a pdf attachment (hashaw@earthlink.net). Proposals must be received by 1 March 2015.

Upcoming Genealogy Classes in Brunswick

There are a number of new genealogy classes starting up around the State being taught by Maine Genealogical Society members. If you have been interested in working on your family tree but don't know where to start, you may find one of these classes of particular class of interest:

Craig Siulinski will be teaching a beginner and advanced course in genealogical research through Merrymeeting Adult Education in Brunswick.  The beginner class starts on Feb 3, so you'll want to sign up soon, before the seats are full, if you you're interested in this course:

The popular television series, Who Do You Think You Are, highlights the genealogy of famous people, but what about the rest of us?  This course will guide you on a path to researching and documenting your ancestral past.  The course will cover both online and in-person strategies for doing the work of genealogy, and will very likely reveal fascinating family facts and stories.

Topics include creating a starting point pedigree chart, showing where and how to research (both online and offline), and how to organize the data and records that get collected over time.  Topics to explore include finding records in these categories: Immigration, Census, Directories, Newspapers and Churches.

Beginner Genealogy starts Feb 3, 2015. Register using the link below:
https://merrymeeting.coursestorm.com/course/genealogy-i-beginner-getting-started?page=4

Advanced Genealogy starts on Mar 24, 2015.  Register with the link below:
https://merrymeeting.coursestorm.com/course/genealogy-ii-advanced-topics?page=4


Craig is also teaching a class called "Blogging For Family History"

Blog writing can be an easy, enjoyable, and effective way to share family history content with a large audience.  This course will offer a starting point for creating your own blog, and support for learning the platform provided by blogger.com.  Emphasis will be placed on supporting the creation and development of one’s own blog.  Before class completion, participants will have published three to five blog posts.  Having access to a laptop for classroom use is recommended, and a gmail account is necessary.  

Blogging For Family History starts on Feb 4 and runs for five weeks.  Register using the link below:
https://merrymeeting.coursestorm.com/course/blogging-for-family-history


For more info about Craig Siulinski and his adventures in genealogy education, check out this article on the California Genealogical Society & Library blog.

Waterville, Maine 1890 Census now available through the Taconnett Falls chapter!

Many genealogists have run into the conundrum over the years of trying to find their ancestors in the 1890 census only to learn most of the census for that year was destroyed during a fire many years ago.  Researchers looking for their Waterville ancestors may be surprised to know a copy of the 1890 census still exists and was recently published through the hard work of the Tacconnett Falls chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society and Sam Teddy Publishing.  The paperback book contains nearly 300 pages (including index) and is a must have for anyone researching their 1890's Waterville families.

Thanks so much to the folks at the Taconnett Chapter for bringing this vital resource to print!

If you're interested in purchasing a copy, you can contact the Taconnett Falls chapter of MGS at taconnettfalls11@yahoo.com for more information.

For more information about how this resource came to be available, check out this Bangor Daily News article by Roxanne Saucier:

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/07/living/1890-census-records-for-waterville-gets-reprinted-as-new-284-page-book/