Earth Day : Cleanup at New Mount Ida Cemetery, Troy, NY

 The City has sent out a press release to schedule annual Earth Day cleanups this year.

Our work in the New Mount Ida Cemetery will be Saturday, April 17th from 9-2pm. We will pile up brush, pick up trash and also bring back the chain hoist to fix or straighten monuments. Or any other projects that come up that volunteers wish to do. The city is giving away lawn and leaf bags. It also sounds like promotional items such as magnets and stickers will be available to hand out to volunteers as well. So we will have to try to get some when we pick up the bags.

Palatines to America German Genealogy Society - NY Chapter Upcoming Presentations

 The Palatines to America German Genealogy Society is hosting two great Zoom presentations on cemeteries. 

• Wednesday, 24 March 2021, 6:30 PM "Lost Graveyards in Germantown, New York" by Tom Shannon, Town Historian for the Town of Germantown, NY.
• Wednesday, 21 April 2021, 6:30 PM "Gravestone Conservation for the Genealogist" by Christopher White, genealogist and gravestone conservator.

Please view this link for Zoom specifics and presentation details. Pre-registration is not required.

The New York Chapter of Palatines to America German Genealogy Society has a Facebook page and a website.

 

Slingerland Vault

 The Slingerland Vault now has its door attached to the vault. It has been a long process to get the vault restored. But it was worth it. Simply, it looks great! Many hands and many donations came in to help get this project completed.

I am not sure what other items are on the list for a final completion, but please view the photo below. Also for a history of this project check the website of The Slingerland Family Burial Vault for more details.

BU Certificate in Genealogy Online Program : Week 5 Review

 This post will be very short. Feedback was received from an individual stating that reviews on the Boston University genealogy course should be written after the course is complete. So my posts may become sporadic. Week 5 is now complete. An advanced assignment on DNA was due Sunday which was difficult in my estimation. 

The second module begins today. It will consist of three weeks of study. The topic of this section is called "Evidence, Evaluation, and Documentation." Readings for this week will include articles from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Genealogy Standards, and Professional Genealogy.

Take-a-way for last week.

• Know your DNA test kits; Y-DNA and mtDNA very well. Not simply that Y-DNA traces the direct male paternal line and that mtDNA traces the direct female line. Know the specific uses and limitations of each kit and how to interpret the results. Read up on mutations, genetic distances, STRs and SNPs, haplogroups, and subclades.

2021 International German Genealogy Conference - Virtual

 The International German Genealogy Partnership is hosting its 2021 conference. This year it is virtual making it easier for genealogists to participate. The conference will be held 17 July to 24 July 2021. This year's theme is "Researching Together Worldwide / Weltweit Gemeinsam Forschen".

There is a great line-up of speakers listed below for this event. 

• Ute Brandenburg
• Dr. Wolfgang Grams
• Timo Kracke
• Roger P. Minert, PhD, AG, FUGA
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Katherine Schober, MA
• Diahan Southard
• Michael Strauss, AG

There are various registration options available. Please see the registration link for more details. There is an early bird price through 31 March 2021!

To stay up-to-date with conference news, check out the IGGP Blog.

BU Certificate in Genealogy Online Program : Week 4 Review

 At the end of week four I had redemption. My assignment for the previous week was graded and I did very well. I was very happy and relieved from the following week's crash and burn. The project for week four included researching and studying various passenger manifests. We also had to correlate data found in those documents with other documents that were provided. There was a lot of research and document analysis for last week's assignment.

As I begin week five it is very noticeable that the amount of reading has dramatically increased. We will be reading an article from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, one chapter in Professional Genealogy, and five chapters in The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy. There will be the usual discussion post and an assignment on DNA due this coming Sunday night.

This appears to be an enormous amount of reading. Especially if the student is working full-time. Living in the Northeast we have major snow and ice storms supposedly rolling in. I suggest that the student budget his or her time very wisely to successfully get through this week.

BU Certificate in Genealogy Online Program : Week 3 Review

Week 3 is in the books now. This course is a lot of work. Make no mistake about it. Unfortunately for me, my assignment for week two was not as well received as the week before. Lesson learned on my part! Major take-a-way: pay attention to the smallest details! As one instructor mentioned in an online classroom video, "the smallest details can make or break your research in genealogy."

Each week there is plenty of reading from journal articles, our couse textbooks Genealogy Standards, and Professional Genealogy. There will always be a discussion question where you write an original post and then also respond to at least two other students' posts. And the weekly graded assignment.

This week's take-a-ways:

• Pay attention to all of the details, both large and small. Overlook nothing! I learned this lesson. Learn from my mistake.
• If you are unsure, simply ask a question.
• Schedule your time. You cannot do all of the readings and assignments in one day or night. That is impossible.