The full schedule is now available for the 2018 New York Family History Conference in Tarrytown, New York on 13-15 September 2018. Early bird discounts are still available. Register before May 31 and receive a $30 discount. Over 45 conference sessions on a variety of subjects will be offered and presented by nationally recognized speakers. Click here to see the full program. Click here to register.
Notable conference speakers include Blaine T. Bettinger, Judy Russell, D. Joshua Taylor, and Thomas W. Jones. Conference sponsors include Living DNA, Family Search, MyHeritage, Find My Past, Family Tree DNA, and American Ancestors.
A blog that discusses Albany, New York area history. Areas of focus include historical and genealogical research, documentation, ethnicity, cemeteries, gravestone restoration, and historic landmarks.
25 March 2018
18 March 2018
17 March 2018
Happy St. Patrick's Day DNA Sales
If you have been thinking about getting into DNA testing for genealogy, below are two sales on DNA testing products.
Save $30 on AncestryDNA kits with an Ancestry.com St. Patrick's Day sale. AncestryDNA kits regularly cost $99 but are on sale until March 19th for $69, plus shipping.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Upcoming History Programs
The following articles come from recent issues of the Rensselear County Advertiser newspaper.
Greenbush Historical Society Meeting
Join the Greenbush Historical Society on Sunday, march 18th, at 2 PM for a delightful afternoon of Irish music. Ireland has produced an abundance of songs about people and struggles, happiness, and sadness. Don Kelly, a local musician, will charm us with his acoustical guitar and sometimes haunting melodies of the Emerald Isle. Enjoy learning the history behind some of the classic folk songs. Wear your green and sing along if you like!
The program will be held at the East Greenbush Library. It is free and open to all, but do please register for the event by calling 518-477-7476.
Sand Lake Historical Society Fundraiser
A fundraiser for the Sand Lake Historical Society will be held at The Old Daley on Crooked Lake on Fri., April 20th, from 6p.m.-9p.m. This will be a fun night to step back into this decade with appetizers, comfort food stations, dessert, and coffee station and cash bar. An old-time radio style DJ will play our favorites and prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Reservations are required. The cost is $50p.p. For tickets, visit FB sandlakehistory.org or mail a check to SLHS, P.O. Box 492, WSL, NY 12196.
There will be open seating, or you may reserve a table for 8-12 people! Don't miss this exciting event at this wonderful venue! Hurry, reservations are limited!
Greenbush Historical Society Meeting
Join the Greenbush Historical Society on Sunday, march 18th, at 2 PM for a delightful afternoon of Irish music. Ireland has produced an abundance of songs about people and struggles, happiness, and sadness. Don Kelly, a local musician, will charm us with his acoustical guitar and sometimes haunting melodies of the Emerald Isle. Enjoy learning the history behind some of the classic folk songs. Wear your green and sing along if you like!
The program will be held at the East Greenbush Library. It is free and open to all, but do please register for the event by calling 518-477-7476.
Sand Lake Historical Society Fundraiser
A fundraiser for the Sand Lake Historical Society will be held at The Old Daley on Crooked Lake on Fri., April 20th, from 6p.m.-9p.m. This will be a fun night to step back into this decade with appetizers, comfort food stations, dessert, and coffee station and cash bar. An old-time radio style DJ will play our favorites and prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Reservations are required. The cost is $50p.p. For tickets, visit FB sandlakehistory.org or mail a check to SLHS, P.O. Box 492, WSL, NY 12196.
There will be open seating, or you may reserve a table for 8-12 people! Don't miss this exciting event at this wonderful venue! Hurry, reservations are limited!
12 March 2018
Isabelle Marie (Missy) Kelly Carroll
On Friday, 09 March 2018, my wife lost her beloved mother and I lost a wonderful mother-in-law after a long illness. To honor Missy below is a photo montage of her throughout her life.
RIP, Missy, 1943-2018
02 March 2018
Genealogical Detective Work Pays Off
Over the past three days, I was involved in a genealogy caper that quadangulated (did I just create a word?) into a successful venture. Here goes: three days ago my second cousin, Bob, emailed me and asked me to call him. I did; and during our conversation he told me that a fellow genealogist, Janet, contacted him wondering if he had contact information on descendants of Elizabeth White who married William Kelly because she had an important family heirloom that she wanted to return to the family.
Elizabeth was an older sister to our great great grandfather Charles William White. I told Bob that I did have a contact who was a distant cousin and also a direct descendant of Elizabeth and William. Elizabeth and William were part of the White family exodus from Albany to Kansas in 1878 - 1879. Father and mother, Robert and Ann White uprooted and moved the whole family including Elizabeth with her family, sister Sarah Jane, brothers Thomas Edward, William Henry, and Robert Jr. Only two brothers, Joseph and Charles William remained in the Albany area.
I contacted Janet and mentioned that I did have a contact from that family. Janet said that she had an old Bible with marriages records written in it along with obituary clippings. So I gave Janet the names of Elizabeth and William's children and the known spouses. Janet replied that the names matched.
After hearing this I asked if she had a scan of the pages and if so could she send a copy to me. She did and Janet was correct. She had a family Bible that was Elizabeth and William's. The Bible was found in an attic in Shawnee, Kansas. Immediately I contacted my distant cousin Carla and notified her of this find. Carla was extremely happy and wanted the Bible. So I put her in touch with Janet and I am sure that they are now working out the details to get the Bible back to the family.
Below is a scan of the Bible page and an obituary clipping.
I was glad that I was able to assist in this adventure. Had my cousin Bob not had an online family tree on ancestry.com this story probably would have ended differently. Janet did incredible genealogy research to track us down and her efforts paid off!
Elizabeth was an older sister to our great great grandfather Charles William White. I told Bob that I did have a contact who was a distant cousin and also a direct descendant of Elizabeth and William. Elizabeth and William were part of the White family exodus from Albany to Kansas in 1878 - 1879. Father and mother, Robert and Ann White uprooted and moved the whole family including Elizabeth with her family, sister Sarah Jane, brothers Thomas Edward, William Henry, and Robert Jr. Only two brothers, Joseph and Charles William remained in the Albany area.
I contacted Janet and mentioned that I did have a contact from that family. Janet said that she had an old Bible with marriages records written in it along with obituary clippings. So I gave Janet the names of Elizabeth and William's children and the known spouses. Janet replied that the names matched.
After hearing this I asked if she had a scan of the pages and if so could she send a copy to me. She did and Janet was correct. She had a family Bible that was Elizabeth and William's. The Bible was found in an attic in Shawnee, Kansas. Immediately I contacted my distant cousin Carla and notified her of this find. Carla was extremely happy and wanted the Bible. So I put her in touch with Janet and I am sure that they are now working out the details to get the Bible back to the family.
Below is a scan of the Bible page and an obituary clipping.
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| Kelly - White Bible Page Containing Family Marriages Scan courtesy Janet Lake |
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| William Kelly obituary, unknown & undated newspaper Scan courtesy Janet Lake |
I was glad that I was able to assist in this adventure. Had my cousin Bob not had an online family tree on ancestry.com this story probably would have ended differently. Janet did incredible genealogy research to track us down and her efforts paid off!
Present & Upcoming
Presently, I am looking out my window at the new snow we have and also thinking about having to give up my airfare and conference tickets to RootsTech 2018 in Salt Lake City. Well, there is next year.
Upcoming, I am not giving out any clues or hints. But, there will be a quick five day max complete cemetery rehab project that will be completed in short time that is if the weather will cooperate. It will be a three step process: 1) weed-whack, cut down small saplings, and rake out the grounds; 2) upright, level, and repair damaged stones; 3) clean-up & re-mortar the stones. Roughly, twenty-five grave markers.
Plenty of photographs and videos will accompany a blog post when complete. You might be familiar with this one, stay tuned...
Upcoming, I am not giving out any clues or hints. But, there will be a quick five day max complete cemetery rehab project that will be completed in short time that is if the weather will cooperate. It will be a three step process: 1) weed-whack, cut down small saplings, and rake out the grounds; 2) upright, level, and repair damaged stones; 3) clean-up & re-mortar the stones. Roughly, twenty-five grave markers.
Plenty of photographs and videos will accompany a blog post when complete. You might be familiar with this one, stay tuned...
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