Using Technology Track

Cheri J. Daniels, MSLS

The Memory Ninja: Using Pinterest to Engage Your Family in Memory Collection

Thursday, 8 May 2014, 2:30 p.m., T249

When attempting to recall important family memories or details for a more complete family narrative, we need all the help we can get. To trigger complex memory retrieval, and to help gather memories from various members of my family, I use a visual social media tool called Pinterest.

On Thursday, I’ll be speaking about this wonderful social media tool that engages family members through visual stimulation. Pinterst is so much more than recipes, travel destinations, or craft ideas. By creating boards in honor of individual ancestors, family members can “pin” fun images that represent stories, events, or places associated with the ancestor. Since Pinterest is used by most as a leisure tool or activity, the visually stimulating images creep into memory banks and elicit emotional response, all in the guise of fun. This stealth method of memory collection was the basis for my session title: The Memory Ninja.

Using Pinterest in this manner with my family, helped foster collaboration and provided a place to share our unique memories. It also helped paint a much fuller portrait of the ancestor, and sometimes aided in photo identification. As a seasoned family historian wanting to pull together all of the missing memory pieces, I love fun tools that help us reach those family members who are not necessarily interested in history, but are very interested in family!

Cheri Daniels, MSLS: Senior librarian/reference specialist at The Kentucky Historical Society, co-editor of Kentucky Ancestors Online at http://wwwkentuckyancestors.org, president/co-founder of http://www.Pastology.com, and author of JourneysPast blog at http://www.journeyspast.blogspot.com.

Using Technology Track

African American Track

Cara F. Griggs, MSLIS

African American Research at the Library of Virginia: Genealogy to 1870

Saturday, 10 May 2014, 2:30 p.m., S447 

We will explore resources that are available at the Library of Virginia that can provide information on enslaved and free African Americans in Virginia prior to 1870.

Things to Know

Why 1870?  The 1870 federal census is the first to (in theory) include the names of all Virginians.  Previously, those who were enslaved were enumerated but not named.

Why only Virginia?  As the state library and archive, the Library of Virginia focuses on Virginia history and culture.  The laws concerning free and enslaved African Americans in southern states were often similar, but each state was a little bit different.

It would be helpful if you have researched individuals back to 1870 and have some familiarity with the Library of Virginia, but if you are just beginning, not to worry!  I will provide an introduction to the Library of Virginia’s resources, which include state and local government records; personal papers; business, organization, and church records; and published resources.

About Me

I have been a reference archivist at the Library of Virginia since 2006; previously, I was a research associate at The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.  I earned a BA in history from the University of Richmond, an MA in the social sciences from the University of Chicago and an MSLIS with an archival studies concentration from Drexel University.  I am also certified by the Academy of Certified Archivists.

African American Track

Live Streaming Registration Ends 30 April 2014

NGS 2014 Family History Conference, Richmond, Virginia 7–10 May 2014

Live Streaming Broadcast

Registration for the previously announced live streaming will close on 30 April 2014. The National Genealogical Society (NGS) will broadcast the live streaming of ten lectures from the NGS 2014 Family History Conference..  The upcoming conference will be the first time NGS has provided a portion of the conference to NGS members and others across the United States and overseas who are unable to attend the conference in person.

Since the conference offers ten simultaneous tracks, conference attendees may also benefit from live streaming by choosing to attend certain lecture topics of interest in person and using the live streaming program as a chance to view other simultaneous lectures after they return home. The live streaming lectures will be available for delayed viewing for ninety days.

Details of the live streaming program can be found at on the NGS Conference website at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/live-streaming-at-ngs2014gen/.  NGS has selected some of the most popular topics and nationally known speakers for the two featured tracks. Registrants for live streaming can select either track or the bundled package which includes both tracks.

• Track One: Records and Research Techniques which can be viewed on Thursday afternoon, 8 May 2014, and Friday morning, 9 May 2014. Join the conference from home and learn about best practices and research sources.
• Track Two: Virginia Resources and Migration Patterns which can be viewed on Friday afternoon, 9 May 2014, and Saturday morning, 10 May 2014. Learn about Virginia’s records and her people, who moved south and west to new lands pushing the frontier ever forward.

Registration for live streaming will close at midnight 30 April 2014. All registrants will receive an electronic version of the NGS 2014 Family History Conference Syllabus. Registration is discounted for NGS Members.  

 NGS has selected PlayBackNow to broadcast the live sessions and to provide the recorded sessions for later viewing. Instructions for viewing the live streaming will be sent to registrants before 6 May 2014.

Live Streaming Registration Ends 30 April 2014

Ancestralbreezes

http://ancestralbreezes.blogspot.com/

Jen Baldwin is a genealogy professional based in Summit County, Colorado. Her blog, Ancestral Breezes http://ancestralbreezes.blogspot.com/ covers a wide range of topics including stories of her own family, her genealogical adventures in the Colorado High Country and a particular focus on the study of fraternal societies. She owns Ancestral Journeys http://www.ancestraljourney.net/index.html, a genealogical research company, works with the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance http://breckheritage.com/ as their blogger, social media manager, tour guide and genealogist, and operates the Conference Keeper http://www.conferencekeeper.net/index.html website. She currently also serves as Society Liaison, US for findmypast www.findmypast.com.

Additionally, Jen is the host of #genchat, a Twitter based genealogy chat which occurs three times each month, and was named as one of FamilyTree Magazine’s Social Media Mavericks of 2014 http://familytreemagazine.com/article/40-social-media-mavericks. She is a volunteer for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and is Co-Chair of the NextGen Genealogy Network http://tnggn.org/, a virtual organization focused on bridging the generations within the genealogy community.

Follow Jen at the NGS 2014 Family History Conference
via any of her social media channels:

Email ancestraljourney@outlook.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AncestralJourney?ref=hl

Twitter https://twitter.com/ancestryjourney

G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenBaldwin/posts/p/pub

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/ancestryjourney/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jen-baldwin/13/2aa/7aa

Ancestralbreezes

Records, Germans, and Spreading the News

Michael D. Lacopo, DMV

I am excited to bring you three very new lectures to this year’s NGS Conference in Richmond!

"She Bore Her Suffering with Christian Fortitute." Using Religious Newspapers and Periodicals

Wednesday, 7 May 2014, 4:00 p.m., W154

I am also a tremendous fan of digging into resources where few have ventured before, especially when those resources contain information of enormous value to the genealogist. We will discuss one of these incredible collections in “She Bore Her Suffering With Christian Fortitude”: Using Religious Newspapers and Periodicals.

How to Overcome Brick Wall Problems in Pennsylvania German Research

Thursday, 8 May 2014, 2:30 p.m., T248

For anyone that has heard me lecture in the past, do not let my Italian surname fool you – I do love my Germans! And sometimes the most frustrating subset of this ethnic group is the Pennsylvania Germans. Although the New Land beckoned to many German-speaking immigrants, often they settled into subsistence farming with few resources and left few records. I hope to show you some tricks and lesser-used resources that may hold the clues in “How to Overcome Brick Wall Problems in Pennsylvania German Research.” And your ancestors don’t necessarily have to be German to pick up some tips on Pennsylvania resources!

Incorporating Social History into Your Research

Friday, 9 May 2014, 9:30 a.m., F316

Lastly, but most importantly, as genealogists we should be able to tell the stories of our ancestors. Don’t be a BMD Genealogist – Born-Married-Died! Make your ancestors come to life! To do that, you have to understand who they were, and we will delve into that in “Incorporating Social History Into Your Research.”

I am looking forward to sharing my passion with you in beautiful Richmond, Virginia!

Records, Germans, and Spreading the News

Technology and Family History

Tools to Help You Share Family History

Saturday, 10 May 2014, 9:30 a.m., S420

Sponsored by Treelines.com

Website: http://www.treelines.com

On Saturday morning, Tammy Hepps, the creator of the family storytelling website Treelines.com and winner of RootsTech 2013’s Developer Challenge, will speak about “Tools to Help You Share Family Stories.”  With more than twenty years of experience in genealogy and fourteen working in web technology in New York City, she is uniquely suited to bring her insight on today’s best story-related websites and apps to an audience sharing her genealogical bent. 

Her talk will begin with an assessment of what good family storytelling entails, narrowing in on the qualities engagingfamily stories possess.  Through the remainder of her talk, she’ll introduce tools that will help you to share audio-, video-, and text-based stories and assess each on the basis of its ability to create real engagement with your relatives and friends.  In her choice of tools, she has taken special care to include relevant tools less well-known to a genealogy audience, as well as to highlight the unique features of better-known tools. 

Recognizing that many genealogists may be reluctant to store their data in one more place in one more format, she’ll conclude by offering advice about how to incorporate these tools and their hi-tech output into an overall strategy of organizing one’s digital genealogy work.  Useful advice for anyone wanting to dabble in the latest-and-greatest technology!

Family iPads

           

 Tammy has shared her genealogy, technology, and storytelling expertise at most of the big U.S. genealogy conferences and many smaller society meetings and is especially excited to be speaking at NGS for the first time!

Technology and Family History

BCG Skillbuilding Track

Testing Family Lore: She Married A Distant Cousin in Virginia

Saturday, 10 May 2014, 8:00 a.m., S401

J. H. "Jay" Fonkert, CG

She dressed herself and stood in the style blocks, and he rode upon a fine horse and she mounted behind him, he put the spurs to his horse and he ran down the road. He wheeled the horse around and cried out "now shoot" but no one took any notice of them. The rode away and were married a real Lochinvar.1

Could you have a much better family story? If you are like me, you are a bit jealous of friends and colleagues who have entertaining, amusing, or even shocking stories to tell about their ancestors.

Genealogists are historians in pursuit of what really happened. Family stories, like DNA, can mutate as they are passed down through generations.

• Details regarding timing, place or other facts may shift.
• Identities may become confused.
• The story may be enhanced to make it more exciting, or
• Important details may be lost or even purposely left out.

In my Saturday morning lecture in the BCG Skillbuilding track, I will share an account about how a broad search across time and geography can determine if the right people were in the right place, at the right time, for a family story to hold up. We will discover that one of John C. Fawkner's four wives was Elizabeth Nuttall, consistent with family lore, while debunking an Internet genealogy.

Celebrate and enjoy your family stories, but use them as a starting point for discovering what really happened in your ancestor's life.

 1. Martha English Green, “The History of Elijah Nuttall,” 20 May 1898, Louisville, Ky., photocopy received from Lindsay Nuttall , Bloomington, Ind., 7 February 2011

BCG Skillbuilding Track

Richmond Discoveries' Tours

Scheduled Tours Monday, 5 May 2014 and Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Richmond Discoveries' Tours has sent e-mails this week to everyone who has signed-up for a tour. Please check your email for a confirmation from richmonddiscoveries@cavtel.net. If someone made a reservation for more than one person, the e-mail was sent to the person making the reservation.

If you signed-up for one of the tours and have not received a confirming e-mail, please e-mail richmonddiscoveries@cavtel.net as soon as possible.

Richmond Discoveries' Tours

Military Track

Virginia's "Forgotten" Revolutionary War Records: Treasures in the Library of Virginia

Bevin Creel

Friday, 9 May 2014, 9:30 a.m., F315

Sponsored by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
http://www.dar.org

My interest in Virginia’s Revolutionary War records began after I became a Genealogist for the DAR in 2005. I was surprised to discover that, in spite of Virginia’s massive contribution to the success of the Revolution, the breadth of its records related to the war remained to be fully understood, much less “available” to the researcher. My presentation is a modest attempt to highlight this dilemma and to offer some strategies for the exploration of lesser known Revolutionary War records in the Library of Virginia.

Many researchers are familiar with LVA’s major collections related to the war, such as records specifically related to bounty land, or perhaps the county court booklets related to public claims. Information regarding such records is readily available elsewhere and attendees will not hear much about them from me. My attendees may expect to hear about muster rolls, accounts, militia lists and other records related to soldiers buried within the LVA collection, particularly in Record Group 48, Auditor of Public Accounts. They may also expect to hear about non-military records related to organizations that played a crucial support role in the Revolutionary effort, such as the Point of Fork Arsenal, the Public Rope Walk, the Lead Mines, etc.

My presentation will include records related not only to present-day Virginia, but also to present-day Kentucky and Illinois, which where part of Virginia during the war. Whether your interest is in Illinois, Kentucky or Virginia, surprises should be in store!  

Military Track

Conference Shuttle Transportation Schedule

Coaches provided by James River Transportation

and Sponsored by Visit Richmond

The Conference Shuttle Transportation Schedule can be found on the Conference App under the show documents tab and on the conference website at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/transportation-shuttle-schedule/.  

Coaches will be provided Tuesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon between the Greater Richmond Convention Center (GRCC) and the four other downtown conference hotels. The Shuttle will depart from the GRCC on Marshall Street.

• Omni Hotel, 100 South 12th Street, Richmond, VA, phone: 804-344-7000

• Crowne Plaza, 555 East Canal St., Richmond, VA, phone: 804-788-0900

• DoubleTree Hotel, 301 West Franklin St., Richmond, VA, phone: 804-644-9871

• Holiday Inn Express, 201 East Cary St., Richmond, VA phone: 804-788-1600

The 47 passenger coaches are sponsored by Visit Richmond, the Richmond area visitors and convention bureau and will run continuously during the scheduled hours. The shuttle schedule is based upon the days and hours when full conference events are underway. 

If you need transportation to another location downtown or at a time not scheduled, you will need to make arrangements with the hotel shuttle where you are staying or take a taxi. 

Monday, 5 May 2014

No coaches will be running on Monday, 5 May, 2014, so if you have signed up for one of the Richmond Discoveries' Tours which leave from the Marriott Hotel, you will need to make arrangements with your hotel shuttle to take you to the Marriott Hotel on Monday. 

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Likewise if you have registered for the BCG Education Fund, Putting Skills to Work, which will take place at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, 6 May 2014 starting at 8:30 a.m., or if you are scheduled for Librarians' Day at the Library of Virginia, beginning at 8:30 a.m., you will need to make arrangements with your hotel shuttle.

The Conference Shuttle will begin at noon on Tuesday, 6 May 2014, so that conference attendees can check-in at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and become acquainted with the convention center and Marriott Hotel facilities before the conference officially begins. We will have two coaches running on Tuesday afternoon. One coach will stop at the Omni and Crowne Hotels and the second coach will stop at the DoubleTree and Holiday Inn Express. There will be no bus service on Tuesday evening. You will need to make arrangements with your hotel shuttle service. 

For all the details check out the daily shuttle schedule on the conference app under show documents or on the conference website at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/transportation-shuttle-schedule/.  

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday three coaches will be running each day: Coach A-1 to and from the Omni; Coach A-2 to and from the Crowne; and Coach B to and from the DoubleTree and Holiday Inn Express in a continuous loop. We anticipate three coaches per hour depending upon traffic and how long it takes to load and unload passengers. 

The coaches will leave from the GRCC on Marshall Street until 6:15 p.m. Because of the later activities on Wednesday and Thursday, the coaches will be leaving from the Library of Virginia and the Marriott Hotel in the evening. Check the schedule for the specific times which vary depending upon each event. The evening shuttles will stop at each of the above four hotels. 

On Friday evening the shuttle will be available after the NGS Banquet at the Marriott to return banquet attendees back to the four hotels. 

Saturday, 10 May 2014

On Saturday we will return to two coaches since a number of attendees are checking out of their hotels on Saturday.

Saturday is graduation day for Virginia Commonwealth University at the nearby Coliseum and there will be lots of traffic downtown. So we encourage you to leave your car at your hotel parking lot and take the shuttle to the Convention Center. The last shuttle will depart from the GRCC on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. and from the Marriott Hotel at 7:00 p.m. following the NGS Annual Meeting.

If you are taking a taxi to the airport Saturday afternoon, allow more time due to heavy graduation traffic. 

For all the details check out the daily shuttle schedule on the conference app under show documents or on the conference website at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/transportation-shuttle-schedule/.  

Conference Shuttle Transportation Schedule

BCG Skillbuilding Track

When the Trail Turns Cold: New Strategies for Old Problems 

Thursday, 8 May 2014, 8:00 a.m., T201 

Diane Florence Gravel

Do you have mysterious ancestors you’ve “buried” because the trail turned cold? Perhaps your great-great-grandfather changed his name! Did the family spend time at the County Farm? Could the secrets of your ancestor’s military service lie in the records of another soldier? Expand your search and follow the FAN Club (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)! Learn effective search techniques for the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections to track down diaries and manuscripts with genealogical treasures. Join Diane as she explores new sources and reexamines old ones, and learn to resurrect those “buried” ancestors.  

A Certified GenealogistSM since 2002, Diane Gravel is a full-time professional genealogist and lecturer. She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and now lives in Thornton, New Hampshire. She frequently haunts the courthouses and other repositories of historic New England. Watch for her upcoming article on the published Official Records of the Civil War in the April-June issue of NGS Magazine.

BCG Skillbuilding Track

On-Site Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Choices

At the NGS 2014 Family History Conference activities will be held in two locations: The Marriott Hotel and the Greater Richmond Convention Center. In addition to the various conference meal events, the following on-site locations will have food available for the days and hours listed.

Richmond Marriott Restaurants & Food Service Options 

The Marriott Hotel will have the following food services available the entire week of the conference.  

T-Miller's Sports Bar & Grill

Breakfast 6:30 a.m.‒11:00 a.m.
Lunch 11:00 a.m.2‒:00 p.m.
Dinner 5:00 p.m.‒10:00 p.m.
Bar 12:00 p.m.‒2:00 a.m.

Liberty Lounge

Off the Main Lobby, Open evenings

Menu includes appetizers and lite bites

as well as salads and a few entrees

Starbucks

6:00 a.m.‒6:00 p.m.

In-Room dining

Breakfast 6:00 a.m.‒11:00 a.m.
Lunch  11:00 a.m.‒5:00 p.m.
Dinner 5:00 p.m.‒11:00 p.m.

Greater Richmond Convention Center

The following food services will be available Wednesday, 7 May 2014 through Saturday, 10 May 2014

Cyber Cafe

9:00 a.m.‒4:00 p.m.

Breakfast menu will include muffins, fruit cup, hot breakfast sandwiches
bagels, oatmeal, yogurt, and beverages
Lunch menu will include hot and cold sandwiches, snacks, and beverages

Food Court

11:00 a.m.‒2:00 p.m.

Lunch menu includes salads, deli wraps, hot and cold sandwiches
Panini sandwiches, pizza, daily entree, and desserts
Burger, fries, chicken fingers, hot dogs, snacks, and beverages

On-Site Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Choices

Being Organized

Julie Miller, CG

The theme of my three lectures in Richmond is organization. I have spoken to many genealogists over the years and have found that, like me, they hate using research time to organize. Being organized doesn't have to be difficult, complicated, or time-consuming.

"Adding Evernote to Your Genealogy Toolbox"

Thursday, 8 May 2014, 8:00 a.m., T210


Evernote is free software that helps you to gather, copy, store, and retrieve almost anything. And it allows you to sync the information across all of your computers and devices while storing it in the Cloud. Come and see why so many genealogists (including me) say they can't live without it!

P.S. I promise not to ask you to give up your genealogy software.

"An Ounce of Prevention: Making a Genealogy Disaster Plan"

Friday, 9 May, 11:00 a.m., F323

Genealogy documents, photographs, mementoes, and databases are a family’s most prized possessions. They could be lost in an instant in the event of a disaster. We are seeing it happen again and again as our weather becomes increasingly unpredictable. This lecture focuses on how to plan before you encounter a crisis. Being proactive could minimize your losses and keep your genealogy legacy preserved for future generations.

"Organizing Your Research Without Losing Your Mind"

Board for Certification of Genealogists® Skillbuilding Lecture

Saturday, 10 May, 11:00 a.m., S421

Most of us struggle to identify the best system for organizing our genealogy. The truth is, there is no "best system," only the best system for YOU. This lecture will discuss different methods and techniques to organize your genealogy research so you can spend more time researching a
nd less time reorganizing.

"Becoming an American: Naturalization Records"

Wednesday, 7 May 2014, 2:30 p.m., W143

Due to a speaker cancellation Julie has stepped in and will be delivering a fourth lecture in the Migration Track. The Conference Committee thanks Julie for always being willing to step up and provide what is needed.

Julie Miller is a native of Northern Kentucky who has lived in Broomfield, Colorado for twenty-two years. She was the genealogy columnist for the Broomfield Enterprise from 2001–2011. She is NGS Vice President and was chair of the 2010 and 2012 NGS Family History Conferences. Julie has been a volunteer at the National Archives at Denver for over 16 years.

Being Organized

Methodology Track

Helen A. Shaw

The Sociology of Cemeteries

Helen A. Shaw, MA, CGsm

Wednesday, 7 May 2014, W-152
Salons A-D, Marriott Hotel

Cemeteries are important because of what they can tell us about our ancestors; not just about them personally, but about them as a part of the community in which they lived.

This is not a talk about cemetery records; it is about what influenced people in their choice of where to be buried.

Given a choice, there are several factors which direct people in choosing a place of burial for family members or themselves. Understanding those factors can help narrow the search for a place of burial. If the place of burial is known, understanding those factors as expressed by the cemetery, the lot, and the grave marker(s) can lead to a better understanding of your ancestors.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a printout of the syllabus material to the lecture.

Old German Church and Cemetery
Waldoboro, Maine

I am an anthropologist by formal training and approach genealogy as a community wide study. I am a member of the Association for Gravestone Studies, the Maine Old Cemetery Association, and the Cemetery Committee for the town of Rockport, ME. Recently I have been working with state legislators to revise laws protecting Maine’s ancient burying grounds.

Methodology Track

Important Conference Hours

Pre-Conference Registration Closes 22 April 2014

Today is the last day to pre-register for the conference or register for any of the meal events at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/event-registration/. On-site registration will be available in Richmond, but all meal events close today so NGS can place the orders with hotel catering. No meal tickets will be sold at the conference.

If you have already registered for the conference, you may want to remember the following dates, times, and locations

REGISTRATION HOURS

Attendee check-in and on-site registration is located on the second floor of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, directly across Fifth Street from the Marriott Hotel.  

Greater Richmond Convention Center

Tuesday, 6 May 2014
12:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8 May 2014
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Friday, 9 May 2014
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Saturday, 10 May 2014
7:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

EXHIBIT HALL HOURS 

The Exhibit Hall is located on the second floor in the Greater Richmond Convention Center, directly across Fifth Street from the Marriott Hotel. 

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8 May 2014
9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Friday, 9 May 2014
9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Saturday, 10 May 2014
9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

HOSPITALITY BOOTH HOURS

The Hospitality Booth will be located in the lobby of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, directly across Fifth Street from the Marriott Hotel near lecture rooms B15ABC.

Tuesday, 6 May 2014
11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8 May 2014
8:300 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Friday, 9 May 2014
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Saturday, 10 May 2014
8:30 a.m.–12:00 noon

Important Conference Hours

Trials and Tribulations Family History

Shannon Combs-Bennett 

http://tntfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/

Even though I was interested from childhood in the family stories and history my grandmother’s told me, it wasn’t until  the fall of 2010 that I thought about perusing more than I already knew. A simple family tree project my son brought home was the trigger to put me on the path I am on today.

In that short amount of time I have kept a breakneck pace with my education and research.  I was the second Family Tree Firsts blogger from Family Tree University and quickly transitioned into a columnist for The In-Depth Genealogist.  At IDG I write about one of my passions, lineage societies.  Last fall I became a member of class OL13 when I completed the Boston University Online Genealogical Research Certificate.  Fifteen weeks of intense study, but it was worth it to bring my research skills to that next level!  Currently I am enrolled at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and write about my experiences with the classes I take as their student blogger on the Institute’s blog.

I love the Library of Virginia. See my 15 April 2014 blog post on my tips for research at the LVA at http://tntfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/. Love that place, was there last week and will be down there again next week!

From the beginning my personal blog, Trials and Tribulations of a Self-Taught Family Historian (AKA Trials and Tribulations Family History) was how I chronicled my adventure.  Over the last 3 years I wrote about my research, my views, interesting finds, books, or anything else that came to mind.  While I was with FTU it was also a supplement to what I was writing there.

Last year I started lecturing locally on a variety of subjects from DNA to organization. At one point in my life I toyed with the idea of becoming a teacher since I love to help others learn. This must be that suppressed teacher in me coming back out into the light. Being in front of a group talking is in some ways easier than writing it all down for a blog post!

This love for education, and my passion for helping kids, is why I am currently the Youth Education Chair with The NextGen Genealogy Network.  While still in its infancy, the community it addressing the needs of younger adults and youth genealogists.

You can find me on a variety of social media outlets so come on by and say hi!  I am on Facebook (Trials and Tribulations Family History), Twitter @tntfamhist, Google + (Shannon Bennett), and Pintrest (TNT Family History) to start.

Happy Hunting!
Shannon Combs-Bennett
Trials and Tribulations Family History

Trials and Tribulations Family History

Conference Menus

Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten Free Menu Selections

All the conference meal events will be held at the Marriott Hotel. The Marriott Chef has just published the vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free menus for the upcoming NGS 2014 Family History Conference which are listed below. The regular menu is in black; vegan and vegetarian choices are in green; and gluten free choices are in blue.

Conference attendees have through Tuesday, 22 April 2014 to register for meal events or to change their selection to vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/event-registration/. All the luncheons are $32.00 including taxes, tip, and service charge. Several of the luncheon events are (sold out) which is indicated on the website. The Banquet is $51.00 all-inclusive and tickets are still available. The First Timers' Breakfast also has some seats and the cost of the breakfast is $24.00 all-inclusive.

WEDNESDAY LUNCHEON

First Course:

 Mixed Green Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Carrot Curls

Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ranch Dressing

GF/VEG/VEGAN: (same)

Main Course:

Lemon Herb Chicken

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: Quinoa

Served with Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Carrots

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: Roasted potatoes, Broccoli, and Carrots

Dessert:

New York Cheesecake

GF: Flourless Chocolate Cake

VEG/VEGAN: Mixed Fruit

THURSDAY

First Timers' Breakfast 

Assortment of Breakfast Pastries and Muffins

GF: Gluten Free Muffins

VEG/VEGAN: (same)

Assorted Cereal with Milk

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: Oatmeal

Whole Fruit

Freshly Brewed Regular and Decal Coffee

Assortment of Hot Tea

Orange Juice

GF/VEG/VEGAN: (same)

THURSDAY LUNCHEON

First Course:

Traditional Caesar Salad

Served with Homemade Croutons and Shaved Parmesan

GF: (same without Croutons)

VEG/VEGAN: Lettuce, tomato, Carrots, Cucumbers with Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Main Course:

Beef Lasagna Served with Green Beans

GF: Chicken Breast with Balsamic Caramelized Onions, Squash and Zucchini

VEG/VEGAN: Grilled Vegetable Stack with Roasted Red Peppers, Zucchini, and Portobello Mushrooms

 Dessert:

Vanilla Mousse

GF (same)

VEG/VEGAN: Dairy Free Mousse

FRIDAY LUNCHEON

Main Course:

Chilled Grilled Chicken Salad

With Bib Lettuce, Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, Shallots, Feta Cheese

Served with Red Wine Vinaigrette

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: (same with Portobello Mushroom and no Feta)

 Dessert:

Mango Teardrop

GF: Mango Sorbet

VEGAN/VEG: Mango Sorbet

FRIDAY BANQUET: 

First Course:

Mixed Greens and Arugula in a Cucumber Robe with Grape Tomatoes

Served with Ranch Dressing and Raspberry Vinaigrette

GF/VEG/VEGAN: (same)

Main Course:

Grilled Flank Steak with Burgundy Wine Reduction

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: Polenta with Cannelloni Beans and Pepper Ragu

Served with Fingerling Potatoes and Vegetable Medley

GF/VEG/VEGAN: (same)

 Dessert:

Key Lime Pie

GF: Mixed Fruit

VEGAN/VEG: Mixed Fruit

SATURDAY LUNCHEON

First Course:

Wedge Salad

Served with Diced Heirloom Tomatoes, Bacon Bits, Blue Cheese Crumbles

GF: (same)

VEG/VEGAN: (same no Bacon, no Blue Cheese)

Main Course:

Hanger Steak with Boursin Cream Sauce

Served with Potato Tart, Brussel Sprouts, and Cherry Tomatoes

GF: (same, no sauce)

VEG/VEGAN: Marinated Grilled Tofu with Roasted Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Cherry Tomatoes

 Dessert:

Chocolate Cake

GF: Flourless Chocolate Cake

VEG/VEGAN: mixed fuit

Conference Menus

Official NGS Conference Photographer

Scott Stewart

The Official NGS Conference Photographer, Scott Stewart, will join us again this year in Richmond.

A photographer for many years, he opened Scott Stewart Photography in 2012. Usually found behind a camera at some of our recent conferences, he was officially appointed at the 2012 Cincinnati conference.

Scott has been an enthusiastic genealogist for decades, pursuing ancestors in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and a regular conference attendee since the NGS 1993 Conference in The States in Baltimore, Maryland.  

You will see Scott moving through the conference taking official as well as casual pictures of events and attendees to make this a richer experience for all our NGS members.  He loves taking pictures of people.  He said, “I see the beauty in each person I photograph, and want to share how great they look to me with others. I think it is sad people hate to have their pictures taken. Trust your photographer, because people love you just the way you are and want to treasure the moments and memories they have with you!  Love them enough to love yourself.”

Scott spent his career in the US Government, retiring in 2005. He is a full time consultant for a company developing trusted and unique solutions to address the global challenges faced by the National Security community. He is married and the proud father of a daughter who recently graduated from Virginia Tech.

Official NGS Conference Photographer

State Research and German Tracks

Ernest Thode

For 22 years I was a local history & genealogy librarian at the Washington County Public Library in Marietta, Ohio, a fact which impacts both of my talks.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014, W146

Ohio: Virginia's Next-Door Neighbor

"Ohio: Virginia’s Next-Door Neighbor" is an appropriate topic because my library is located six blocks from the Ohio River, old Virginia’s border, also her daughter West Virginia’s border. There is much interaction across the river. Some of the implications for genealogy include vital records laws, land surveys, slave vs. free, ownership of the river, the Underground Railroad, occupations in natural resources, and the clash between New England and southern ways of life.  

Friday, 9 May 2014, F324

Using Historic German Newspapers Online

My talk on "Using Historic German Newspapers Online" got its start from from a patron researching his Washington County Schneider family.  After we found his ancestor’s place of origin in local church records, on a whim I searched online for “Bledesbach” plus “Daniel Schneider.” We found a notice in a Bavarian official newspaper announcing the sale of the family’s land prior to emigrating.  To test whether that was a fluke, I looked for my colleague’s “Jacob Jung II” plus “Ehweiler” and found his emigration application.  I was on to something! There are more German papers online than I dreamed. Historic German newspapers are a huge untapped resource with millions of pages from hundreds of titles worldwide, digitized, online, some searchable, for vital records, emigration records, land sales, military records, court summonses, and lists of appointments.

State Research and German Tracks

Social Media Profile

Carolina Girl Genealogy

http://carolinagirlgenealogy.blogspot.com

My Blog "Carolina Girl Genealogy" was begun just over two years ago in order to help share my Family History Stories as well as a way to share my ongoing research and to discuss relevant happenings in genealogy, family history, and my road to completing the NGS Home Study Class.

 Along with blogging, several other Social Media platforms are used. By reaching out daily to others in the Genealogy Community through @CarolinaGirlGen (Twitter), +Cheri Hudson Passey (Google+), Carolina Girl Genealogy (Face Book) and Cheryl Hudson Passey (Face Book), I have been able to establish a support group of knowledgeable friends in many areas.

I am a member and participate in many of the Genealogy Communities on Face Book and Google +. including The NextGen Genealogy Network, Dear Myrtle,The Indepthers, Legacy Virtual Users Group, as well as being an administrator of the Face Book Page for my local Genealogy Club, Grand Strand Genealogy Club. I recently joined Conference Keeper on Face Book and Genealogy Conferences on Google + as a moderator to help get the word out about upcoming Genealogy and Family History events all over the world.

 Face Book Groups have been a wonderful source of State and County collaboration while the Google+ Communities have proven to be a wonderful source of learning and growth.

Another platform that is exciting to be a part of is the Second Life Genealogy Community. Through this virtual world meetings can be attended, classes can be held and book clubs can meet. Just pick your avatar, log in and there is no travel time!

Social Media is a wonderful tool for reaching out to others for help. Just last month, through Face Book and my Blog, I was able to seek out the identity and return a photo of a woman, taken in the late 1800's, to her descendants. A wonderful experience that once again showed me how necessary it is that we reach out, work together, and support one another as we do this important work of finding our people.


Cheri Hudson Passey
Carolina Girl Genealogy
http://carolinagirlgenealogy.blogspot.com

Social Media Profile

DNA Track

Administering a Surname DNA Project

Friday, 11:00 a.m., 9 May 2014, F329

Terry Barton is co-founder and President of WorldFamilies.net—which is dedicated to serving the genetic genealogy community—with a focus on projects, project administrators, and the individuals who are using DNA to further their genealogical research.

Terry started administering the Barton Surname DNA project in 2001.  He shares his learnings on the WorldFamilies site and provides Interim Project Administration to hundreds of “orphan projects” at Family Tree DNA, the world leader in testing DNA for genealogy.  He also provides direct project administrative support and/or free project sites to hundreds more projects.

Terry will share his philosophy and approach to surname project administration on Friday morning at the 2014 NGS Family History Conference.  You will get ideas to improve your project whether you are an experienced administrator, a beginning administrator, or a project member who wants to help improve their own project(s).

Terry is a pioneer in genetic genealogy, an ardent family historian and an amateur genealogist.  He serves as Atlanta Area Coordinator for ISOGG, coordinates two DNA Special Interest Groups for his local Genealogical Society, and is one of the founding Board Members of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy.

   

DNA Track

John T. Humphrey, CG, Memorial Lecture

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP)

Saturday, 10 May 2014, 8:00 a.m., S406

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) is sponsoring the John T. Humphrey, CG, Memorial Lecture in memory of one of the course coordinators of the first GRIP institute in 2012, who died shortly after presenting his week-long course on German Genealogy. John will be remembered for many things including his German expertise and his Pennsylvania baptismal extract books. Although John lived in Washington, D.C., he was born and raised, and is now buried, in southeastern Pennsylvania. GRIP honors his memory through the lecture, “What’s a Prothonotary? Pennsylvania’s Courthouse Records” presented by his seventh cousin, Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. Audiences of all levels are welcome who are interested in the types of records found in Pennsylvania courthouse offices, including Prothonotary, Register of Wills and Records of Deeds, with a tutorial on the Russell index system.

Registration is now open for GRIP’s one-week long courses in Pittsburgh July 20-25. Many of which have just a couple of seats left.

For this year only, GRIP is going “on the road” to Orchard Lake, Michigan, August 3-8 where four courses have seats including “Advancing Your Polish Genealogy: 300 Years of Records” with Ceil Wendt Jensen, CG and Dr. Hal Learman; “Determining Kinship Reliably with the Genealogical Proof Standard” with Thomas W. Jones, Ph. D., CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA; “Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: New England to the Midwest” with D. Joshua Taylor, MA; and “Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper” with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG.

Please visit http://www.GRIPitt.org for more information and to register.

John T. Humphrey, CG, Memorial Lecture

BCG Participation at the NGS Conference

The Board for Certification of Genealogists®

Website: http://www.bcgcertification.org

The Board for Certification of Genealogists® is celebrating its 50th Anniversary at the NGS conference through two events. In addition to its traditional Skillbuilding Track of board-certified speakers, the BCG luncheon and the NGS Friday evening banquet will both celebrate this fact.

BCG President and some Past Presidents

The BCG luncheon “You Can’t Know Where You’re Going ‘til You Know Where You’ve Been” will feature past presidents Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, and Kay Haviland Freilich, CG, CGL, FNGS, each presenting a short commentary on the history of BCG during their tenure. Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS, will give a short perspective on the future. Our Master of Ceremonies is F. Warren Bittner, CG. .

The NGS banquet will celebrate 50 years of credentialing and is hosted by both the International Commission for the Accreditation of Genealogists (ICAPGen) and BCG. This joint banquet will feature David Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, speaking on “Celebrating Genealogical Credentials—The Accreditation and Certification Programs Turn 50!” All are welcome to attend. A special commemorative booklet will be given to all attendees.

A few seats remain for the BCG luncheon and NGS banquet. Don't wait! We expect the meal events to sell-out before registration closes on 22 April 2014

The BCG booth in exhibit hall has successful portfolios for the public to review. Stop by the booth to talk with associates about the certification process and to view the portfolios volunteered by Karen Mauer Green, CG, Michael Hait, CG, Harold Henderson, CG, Nancy Peters, CG and Judy Russell, CG, CGL.

BCG Participation at the NGS Conference

Richmond Discoveries' Tours

Some Tour Space Still Available – Register Online

Downtown Richmond

As you know, April 1 was the official deadline to determine which pre-conference tours will run. We have left registration open for a number of tours. Registration is still available through our website for most tours – http://www.richmonddiscoveries.com/ngs.php. The passcode is NGS2014 and is case-sensitive.

Please contact Richmond Discoveries DIRECTLY to register for the Williamsburg Research Trip – 804.222.8595 or richmonddiscoveries@cavtel.net.

Colonial Williamsburg and Swem Library Research Trip 5 May (7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Research day in Williamsburg. Individuals responsible for making own research or touring arrangements.There are only three seats left on this tour, so registration is closed online. Please contact us directly at 804-222-8595 or richmonddiscoveries@cavtel.net to sign up.
Cost per Person: $78  
This does NOT include admission to Colonial Williamsburg's attractions.

Richmond Discoveries Tour 6 May (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) 

Includes driving tour, a tour of the Virginia State Capitol, a narrated cruise on the James River-Kanawha Canal, and a visit to Dabbs House Museum, Henrico County, where the staff will do a special presentation on genealogy research in a museum setting.
Cost per Person: $59    (seats available for both time slots, especially the afternoon)
The upper story of the Dabbs House Museum is not accessible for those with mobility restrictions.

Patriots and Presidents Tour 6 May (1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

This tour is being offered in the afternoon only. Includes driving tour, St. John’s Church, Capitol Grounds, and Hollywood Cemetery (subject to funerals).
Cost per Person: $51    (only a handful of slots left!)
This tour requires some moderate walking at the Capitol Square and at Hollywood Cemetery.

Confederate Capital Tour 6 May (9:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.)

Includes driving tour, Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Tredegar Ironworks, NPS, St. Paul’s Church (subject to services), the Confederate Section of Hollywood Cemetery, and our Richmond Alive! program – Life of the Civil War Soldier. Lunch on own in Shockoe Slip.
Cost per Person: $89    (only a few seats left)
This tour requires some moderate walking at Hollywood Cemetery. The upper story of the White House of the Confederacy is not accessible for those with mobility restrictions.

Feel free to contact us with questions at (804) 222-8595 or at richmonddiscoveries@cavtel.net . We are often out doing programs, but leave a message and we will respond. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you next month!

Richmond Discoveries' Tours

Technology Tips

Lisa Louise Cooke

Lisa Louise Cooke

Cooke is founder of the Genealogy Gems website and podcast, http://www.genealogygemspodcast.com, and author of four books including The Genealogist's Google Toolbox.


Can we be creative when researching our family history? Our ancestors might answer with a resounding NO, especially if we were to start making up stories about them. But there’s room for creativity in the research process. These days, that process includes the online research world.

It’s no exaggeration that I come across new and exciting technology tools almost every day. Whenever I explore a new app, online tool or website, I ask myself, “How could I use this for family history?” This is where things get creative, fun and ultimately very genealogically rewarding!

Here are some examples, which I’ll be talking about here at NGS:

Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames, Wednesday, 11:00 a.m., W129. We can Google our ancestors, their hometowns and histories. But what if your ancestor was named John Smith? Or your surname is Winter? Learn to separate your John Smith from the pack, your Winter surname from web weather forecasts and more.

Tech Tools That Catapult the Newspaper Research Process into the 21st Century, Thursday, 9:30 a.m., T219. Newspapers can give us the inside scoop on ancestors’ everyday lives, big events and deaths. Learn to use online tools to find old newspapers (online or offline) and search them efficiently.

Finding Living Relatives Like a Private Eye, Thursday, 2:30 p.m., T242. Different stories, photos and artifacts get passed down through different branches of a family. Learn to use online tools to find and communicate with long-lost relatives who may have their own view of your shared family tree.

Technology Tips

BCG Education Fund

2014 Leary Distinguished Lecturer

Kay Haviland Freilich

Kay Haviland Freilich, CG, CGL, FNGS, is the 2014 Leary Distinguished Lecturer at the NGS Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Her topic is “Research Strategies That Work.” Effective strategies include focused, well-developed research plans, broad investigations of people and events affecting the target person, pristine documentation, and written summaries detailing findings and evidence. Applying tried and true methodology frequently leads to successfully resolving research problems. The lecture includes case studies illustrating the value of employing effective strategies.

Kay’s substantial contributions as a researcher, author, lecturer, and volunteer in the genealogical community are well known. She served as President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (2003‒2005) and as Trustee, instructed at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (2006‒2012), served as a director of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, Vice President of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, and in a multitude of other positions across the genealogical field. She authored the NGS publication Research in the States: Pennsylvania, three family histories, and has published in numerous genealogical publications. Kay develops the annual BCG Skillbuilding Track at the NGS Conference in conjunction with NGS. In 2009, she won the National Genealogical Society Family History Writing Contest, and in 2012, she was named Fellow of the National Genealogical Society for her outstanding volunteer efforts in behalf of the Society.

During Kay’s tenure as an Education Fund Trustee (2003–2009), she developed its Putting Skills To Work program and the Helen F. M. Leary Distinguished Lecture Series. Education Fund Trustees are very pleased to welcome Kay “home” as the 2014 Leary Distinguished Lecturer.

BCG Education Fund

Genealogical Society

The Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society 

Booth: 507

Web: http://www.magsgen.com

The Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society (MAGS) was founded to stimulate and facilitate research on Germanic ancestors who settled in the mid-Atlantic region over the past four hundred years. Our interests cross state boundaries in the mid-Atlantic area.

We hold bi-annual meetings, held Spring and Fall at different locations throughout the mid-Atlantic region, featuring speakers knowledgeable on a variety of genealogical topics including those related directly to research on Germanic families. Meetings also afford members the opportunity to purchase genealogical books and supplies from vendors.

On the MAGS website you can check current society information and links to Germanic sites in the US and Europe.  Our Members Only Area contains all of the society's  newsletters since our inception plus other great files and databases related to Germanic genealogy that are found only on our website.

Our quarterly newsletter DER KURIER is published in March, June, September, and December. Articles, specific to Germanic research and regular columns, such as the “Fraktur Forum,” are included. Other items covered are book reviews and publications, members’ queries, members’ Ahnentafels or ancestral charts and information about other genealogical societies' activities related to Germanic genealogy.

Stumped Roots is a free limited research service, designed to help MAGS members resolve their research problems.  Stumped Roots conducts limit on-line research for members and/or advises them on possible additional research.

Visit the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society at booth 507 across the aisle from Ancestry and learn more about locating your Germanic ancestors. Books and other research aids will be available for purchase.

Visit the MAGS website at http://www.magsgen.com for additional information.

Genealogical Society

Virginia Repositories—Richmond

Family History Centers of Richmond

Richmond Family History Center

Richmond Family History Center
5600 Monument Ave.
Henrico, VA

Phone: 804-288-8134

Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.‒2:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.‒9:00 p.m.

Wiki: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Richmond_Virginia_Family_History_Center
E-mail: rvafhc1comcast.net

Be Prepared

Free access to Internet for FamilySearch.org and most genealogical sites including premium databases.
You may make copies with a USB drive or you can use your camera.

Collection

Library contains many books with vital information, useful especially before 1850. Many volumes on Virginia counties and numerous other books by state and country, immigration, military, surname histories, maps and dictionaries. Microfilm/fiche collection containing hundreds of films includes Virginia birth, death, marriage, census, plus miscellaneous records by county; other films/fiche are for various states and countries.
Equipment includes nine computers, printer/copier, reader-printer, image digitizer/scanner, twelve film and fiche readers.

Specialty areas include Germany, Slovakia, Virginia.

Entrance

Located in rear of building near the parking lot. Ring bell if locked.


Midlothian Family History Center
LDS Library-Chesterfield County
4601 N. Bailey Bridge Rd.
Midlothian, VA 23112

Phone: 804-763-4318

E-mail: varc@ldsmail.net

Open Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00 a.m.‒2:00 p.m.; 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 7:00‒9:00 p.m.; 1st & 3rd Saturday, 9:30 a.m.‒12:00 p.m.

Be Prepared

Equipment: 4 computers, 1 scanner, 3 film and 2 fiche readers. Free access to Internet for FamilySearch.org and most genealogical sites including premium databases. You may make copies from computers with a USB drive that you bring or you can use your camera.

Collection

Library includes books on local family histories and compilations of records of Virginia and North Carolina. Microfilm copies are mostly older census records. No specialty areas.

Entrance

Located at front right side of church as you drive in.

Virginia Repositories—Richmond

Virginia Repositories—Richmond

Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives
1109 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA  23220

Phone: 804-353-2668
Web: http://www.bethahabah.org/bama/
E-mail:  bama@bethahabah.org

The Repository

Distance from Convention Center:  1.27 miles (5 minutes) Go west on Broad Street, turn left on Ryland Street, turn left on West Franklin Street.  Beth Ahabah will be on the right.

Be Prepared

The Museum is open to the public Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  For information on exhibits, guided tours, and reservation for use of the archives, please call the museum.  A donation of $5.00 is suggested at the entrance to the museum. A one-time research fee of $5 is charged researchers. Copying services are available. Black and white copies are $.20 per copy.

Holdings

Four Generations of  Hutzlers 

The archival collections are open to all those researching Richmond and southern Jewish history and genealogy.  Holdings include the official records of Congregation Beth Ahabah as well as letters, documents, and photographs of Congregation families.  The archives also houses the papers of most of Richmond’s Jewish organizations.

Interesting Items in the Collection

The archival collection includes:  handwritten and elaborately published genealogical charts; personal family photographs; records of the Hebrew Cemetery; early nineteenth century records and photographs of Jewish-owned businesses in Richmond; and early nineteenth century family Bibles and prayer books.

Services

Staff research is available for an hourly fee.

Gift Shop, Publications for Sale

The shop has a selection of judaica jewelry and publications on southern and Richmond Jewish history.
 
Photo:   Four Generations of the Hutzler-Held-Heller family. Ivan Hutzler (baby); Beulah Heller Hutzler (young woman, baby Ivan’s mother); Amelia Held Heller (middle aged woman, Beulah’s mother); Rosalie Held (holding baby, Ivan’s great-grandmother). Courtesy of Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives.

Bonnie Eisenman, Administrator
Grace Zell, Administrative Assistant
Beth Ahabah Museum & Archives

Virginia Repositories—Richmond