Registration is now open for the MGS Annual Family History Conference! Event is Saturday, Sept 22 from 8am - 5pm at Jeff's Catering in Brewer with featured speaker Ted Steele. Features include multiple workshops, keynote address, annual meeting, vendors, exhibitors, query board, MGS special publications table, luncheon with topic tables, door prizes and more. FMI: www.maineroots.org

MGS Email Change

Due to the Yahoo Email site being hacked today a lot of members and other visitors to the site were sent an email. No one is stuck in the Philippines and needing money. The Yahoo email address will be discontinued as of today (26 April 2012). Please send all emails to mainegenealogicalsociety@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events for Taconnett Falls Chapter, MGS

20 May 2012: (3 p.m. at Library) Earle Shettleworth: Civil War presentation. 19 August 2012: (3 PM at Library) David Hall: Capt. William Bradford of Winslow. 13 September 2012: (3 PM at Library) Jack Battick: US Navy during the Civil War. 21 October 2012: (3 PM at Library) Kent London: James White of the ME 5th Arty.

Maureen Taylor Workshop Canceled

The upcoming Maine Genealogical Society Spring Workshop at the Augusta Civic Center scheduled for April 21 has had to be CANCELED due to a conflict with the date which had not been noticed before. MGS searched for another alternative location in the Augusta area and everything that could accommodate the size of the workshop is already booked. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and short notice but hope that we can see the MGS members in September at the Annual Fall Conference Meeting. Refunds will be issued by mail by our Treasurer as soon as we can process them. For those who signed up for consultations with Maureen Taylor, you will be hearing from her directly in that regard. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

Maureen Taylor, Workshop Speaker

Maureen Taylor has a YouTube page under The Photo Detective. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/photodetective?ob=0&feature=results_main

Interesting Tidbit

Did you know that Maine is one of the first states to be added to Ancestry.com's 1940 census.

Civil War Stories: HIGGINS Family of Eden, ME

The date of the Pejepscot Chapter's April meeting has changed due to Easter falling on the second Sunday of the month. The April program will be held on Sunday, April 15th at 2pm in the Morell Meeting Room at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. In commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War PGS President, Brian Bouchard, will share one of his family's Civil War stories. His HIGGINS family of Mount Desert Island sent 3 of their boys to war during the conflict. Learn about their lives leading up to, during and after the Civil War and get a glimpse into what one Maine family was going through during this turbulent time in America's history. Following President Bouchard's talk, other members will be invited to share information about their ancestor's service stories with the group. Join us for a fun afternoon of sharing and genealogy talk (and snacks too!) Sunday, April 15th at 2pm in the Morrell Meeting Room in Brunswick's Curtis Memorial Library.

Update on MGS Spring Workshop with Maureen Taylor

The 2012 MGS Spring Workshop on Saturday April 21st had the wrong URL (web site location) for setting up an individual appointment with Maureen Taylor, the featured speaker. If you are interested in this one-on-one session which lasts 15 minutes and you can bring up to three (3) pictures with you is located at this address: http://mgsm-esearch2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=1. The cost for the individual session is $30 and the appointment times are listed for both Friday April 20th (from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Saturday April 21st (from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Our apologies to Maureen Taylor for this misinformation, and notices are being sent out through all of MGS connections notifying as many as possible about this.

I would like to find the parents of Elizabeth Danforth. She lived in Eaton NH when she got married in 1831. She married Parker Spaulding and shortly after that they relocated to Belgrade, Maine. I have pictures of her parents but they only have the Danforth surname on them.Parker died in 1862 and Elizabeth died in 1882. Thank you, Mary Ellen Aube maryellenlibby@gmail.com

MGS Spring Workshop with Maureen Taylor

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the day-long Annual Spring Workshop sponsored by the Maine Genealogical Society on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Augusta Civic Center. This event is a workshop with nationally-recognized speaker Maureen A. Taylor, The Photo Detective. The Wall Street Journal referred to her as the “nation’s foremost historical photo detective”. We have a full day planned, packed with information and tips from one of the leading national experts on old and historical photographs. Come learn from Maureen suggestions for analyzing, identifying, preserving and sharing your treasured and precious family photos. Ms. Taylor is the author of four books and is a highly popular speaker at genealogy conferences. As a photo curator, genealogist, writer and photo identification/preservation expert, the focus of her work remains family photography, history and genealogy. She loves to help people discover the stories behind the photo images of the past. We are pleased to have Maureen return to Maine to conduct this workshop for us and to bring such a high level national speaker to Maine. Learn more about Maureen at her website www.maureentaylor.com Other highlights of the event include a chance to purchase Maureen Taylor’s books and have them personally autographed, individual photo consultants with Maureen (sign up for a session time at her website), an opportunity to purchase available MGS Special Publications (save on shipping costs!) and an excellent opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues and perhaps breakthrough a brickwall or two! Workshop registrations must be postmarked by April 7, 2012, so be sure to sign up early. The cost is $40 for MGS members and $50 for non-members. Both fees include the luncheon buffet. Hotel accommodations are available at the Best Western and Comfort Inn. Rates are $82 per night and reservations must be made by April 6 to ensure this rate. More information is available on the MGS website. For more information and a registration brochure, please visit the workshop website at www.maineroots.org . Questions can be directed to: mainegenealogical@yahoo.com or by phone to Dale Mower at 942-9375.