We've Moved!!!

We've grown a lot in the six years since our humble beginnings in August 2011. This blog was our only means of communicating to our members until the launch of our website in January 2015.

We have undergone a few growing pains with our website as well. But now it is time to embrace our domain name and move our blog to our new home: https://azpimagensocblog.org. Please update your bookmarks and links.

Unfortunately, for those of you that are subscribed to our blog via email, you will need to re-subscribe in our new location.

We hope you like our new home and that you subscribe via email so that you can get all the latest news in your email box.

See you at our new digs.

It's All Online–Saturday, January 20, 2018

The January PCGS meeting is all about social media and using the PCGS website.

Sherri Hessick will Explore the PCGS Website, giving us tips on managing the Members Only section and purchasing workshops and seminars.

Sherri was the eighth person to join PCGS. She has served on the Steering Committee since its inception, was a guest blogger on the PCGS blog in 2013-2014 and became the main blogger in 2015. She accepted the Web Manager position in October 2017 and the 2nd Vice President role in January 2018. She is a member of the Tucson chapter of the DAR, a certificate holder from Boston University's Genealogical Research Program, and a graduate of the inaugural Research Like a Pro Study Group.

Nicole Dyer will follow the class with our featured program How Can I Use Twitter and Other Social Media in My Genealogy Research? Collaborating with a community of like-minded genealogists can aid your research in a number of ways. Nicole will discuss monthly genealogy chats on Twitter, the hundreds of genealogy Facebook groups, and how to share a #GenealogyPhotoADay on Instagram.

Nicole has been researching her ancestors and delighting in their stories for over fifteen years. She and her mother regularly write on their Family Locket Blog where they share tips and ideas on how to get children interested in their family history, share research tips, talk about family reunions, crafts, FamilySearch, and much, much more. Nicole spoke at RootsTech 2017 on Kid Genealogists - Inspiring the Next Generation and is speaking at RootsTech 2018. She is also the developer of the Preschool Family History Storytime and the Family History Craft Day at the Tucson Family History Center (visit the Tucson Family History Center Facebook group at for details). Nicole is a PCGS member, serves on the Steering Committee and the Social Media Committee as our Tweeter.

Non-members are welcome to attend up to two meetings as our guest. All attendees are eligible for the door prizes. Handouts are available to PCGS members under Secure Download in the Members Only section of our website: https://azpimagensoc.org.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION

DATE:	Saturday, January 20, 2018
TIME:	1:00pm – 3:00pm
PLACE:	Operations Division Midtown Hardesty Multi-Service Center 1100 S. Alvernon Tucson, AZ
	Parking is free

Happy New Year! What's Happening this Winter 2018?

Happy New Year! 2018 promises to be an exciting year for genealogists. Here is a preview of what is happening in and around Tucson this winter.

Visit our website at https://azpimagensoc.org for details of these and other events.

JANUARY
Pima County Genealogy Society Special Interest Groups are all meeting in January: RootsMagic on January 6, DNA Group on January 13, and Family Tree Maker on January 20. SIGs are a benefit of PCGS membership and are open to members only. Visit our website for meeting location and times.

Top: Sherri Hessick
Bottom: Nicole Dyer

Our first meeting of the year featuring Sherri Hessick and Nicole Dyer will be on January 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. Sherri will Explore the PCGS Website, giving us tips on managing the Members only section and purchasing workshops and seminars. Nicole will answer the question How Can I Use Twitter and Other Social Media in My Genealogy Research? Non-members are welcome to attend up to two of our meetings as a guest. All attendees are eligible for the door prize.

Note Location Change for This Month’s Meeting
DATE:	Saturday, January 20, 2018
TIME:	1:00pm – 3:00pm
PLACE:	Operations Division Midtown Hardesty Multi-Service Center 1100 S. Alvernon Tucson, AZ
	Parking is free

The Pinal County Genealogists will host their 15th annual genealogy workshop in Casa Grande. All workshop information, registration forms, and lecture descriptions are at http://www.pinalctyazgen.com/workshop2018.htm.

FEBRUARY

February starts out with the annual Tucson Family History Fair on February 3 at the LDS East Stake Center, 6901 E. Kenyon Dr. The Fair opens at 8:30 a.m. with Bob Ives, Executive Director of The Family History Guide, presenting A Digital Revolution in Family History. The Fair is offering a choice between seven different classes during each of the five hour-long class sessions. The class descriptions, schedule, and handouts are on the Tucson Family History Center wiki page. 

NOTE: Handouts will not be available at the Fair. Attendees must print them in advance from the wiki page.

PCGS is back at the Banner-University Medical Center on February 17 when we will be talking about researching our German ancestors.  The Family Tree Maker members-only SIG meets from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the same day.

The Green Valley Genealogical Society annual seminar featuring Gena Philibert-Ortega is also on February 17. Registration and details are on the GVGS website.

West Valley Genealogical Society is also hosting a seminar on February 17 with Cyndi Ingle in Sun City. Visit their website at http://azwvgs.org/seminar.asp for details and registration.



MARCH

CeCe Moore

The Pima County Genealogy Society is hosting a workshop and seminar featuring CeCe Moore, Genetic Genealogist on March 9 and 10. The March 9 workshop, I Have My Results, Now What??, is sold out. However, there are still seats available for the March 10 seminar. Seminar topics include:

• The Power of DNA
• Autosomal DNA: Discovering Your Ancestors In You
• Using Mitochondrial DNA and X-DNA for Genealogy Research
• Jefferson-Hemmings: Revealing the Truth Through DNA

CeCe Moore has never spoken outside California before. Don't miss this once in a lifetime event. Visit the PCGS seminar webpage for details and registration.

Our March 17 general meeting will feature Howard Mathieson of Winnepeg, Canada and a member of the Guild of One Name Studies, speaking on Surnames and One-Name Studies-the Origin of British Surnames.

The Family History Society of AZ is hosting their annual seminar with Thomas W. Jones on March 23 and 24 in Mesa. Details and registration are on the FHSA website. 

A Genealogy Odyssey–November 18, 2017

Come join us for our final meeting of the year where Paul Duffey will give his final presentation: Paul to Charlemagne: My Genealogy Odyssey. We will follow Paul's lineage through King Edward III, William the Conqueror & Charlemagne.

Paul Duffey in front of Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska

Paul Duffey has been doing genealogy research off and on for the past 21 years. He has found numerous living relatives and received helpful family information from them. He and his wife and granddaughters have visited relatives in Germany, and Paul & Mary Lou visited relatives in Ireland. Within the limitations of currently available documentation, he has traced his ancestors back to Adam & Eve.

Paul has done his DNA but found no close relatives. He taught our DNA SIG for about 5 years, and the Saturday Help session for about 4 years. He has self-published 3 books of family history. He is currently working on organizing his genealogy information to record on DVDs for his children and grandchildren. He retired last year after 14 years as Arizona State Society Genealogist for Sons of the American Revolution. He has given genealogy talks in Tucson, Green Valley, Saddlebrook, Rancho Vistoso, Casa Grande, Yuma, Colorado Springs, Gilbert, Peoria, and Mesa.

The handouts for this presentation are available to PCGS members only on our website in the Secure Download area. Remember to select Members Login to login, then navigate to Secure Download in the left navigation panel. There are two files, so be sure to print both of them to bring to the meeting.

Non-members are welcome to attend up to two of our meetings as a guest. All attendees are eligible for the door prize.

DATE:	Saturday, November 18, 2017
TIME:	1:00pm – 3:00pm
PLACE:	Banner-University Medical Center Duval Auditorium (Room 2600) 1501 N. Campbell Rd. Tucson, AZ
	Parking is free

Get Your DNA Tests Before CeCe Moore's Seminar

Many of you have registered for our DNA event with the genetic genealogist CeCe Moore scheduled for March 9 and 10, 2018. The March 9 Workshop has been sold out for a while now, but there are still a few seats available for the full-day Seminar on March 10. Visit the 2018 DNA Seminar page on our website for details and to register.

If you haven't taken a DNA test yet, or if there are others in your family you would like to test, there are several promotions going on this month to make it more affordable. Having your DNA results before the DNA event will make it more meaningful to you.

23andMe Thanksgiving Family Offer
From now through November 23, 23andMe is offering a 50% discount when you buy two or more Ancestry Service kits. The regular price for this kit is $99. If you buy two or more, you will receive each kit for $49. If you buy one kit, the price is $69. Click here to visit their website for more information and to order.

Living DNA Holiday Gift Sale
For a limited time, Living DNA is offering a 38% discount on their DNA test. The regular price is $159 but is on sale for $99. Living DNA is a 3-in-1 ancestry test. They will test your autosomal, mitochondrial, and Y (if you are male) DNA for one low price. In addition, they give you twice the detail of other tests. Click here to visit their website for more information and to order.

AncestryDNA
The popular AncestryDNA kit, regularly $99, is on sale for $79. The AncestryDNA database contains DNA data for more than 6 million people. In addition to the sale price, you can get free shipping if you enter FREESHIPDNA at checkout. Visit their website at https://www.ancestry.com/dna/ to order your kit. (Note: if you have an Ancestry account, you may need to sign out in order to see the promotional page.)

MyHeritage Thanksgiving Special Offer
MyHeritage's DNA kit is 40% off their regular price until November 23. Regularly priced at $99, it is only $59 during the Thanksgiving offer. Click here for details and to order.

Family Tree DNA
The Family Finder DNA test kit is currently $69, a savings of $20 off their regular price of $89. Click here to visit their website for details and to order.

A Valuable New Resource for Illinois Researchers!

The Pima County Genealogy Society received the following announcement:

Are you researching your Illinois roots, and seeking more resources? Look no further than the Illinois Newspaper Project! 

INP is an initiative of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library, and the Department of Preservation Services, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The INP contains an inventory and catalog of Illinois newspaper collections held by libraries and repositories, private organizations, and individuals across the state. The holding information is readily available in an easy to use database that allows the user to locate newspapers based on title, county, or year. Contact information for each holding institution is available with the returned search results. 

Some of the newspaper titles have been digitized, and are easily accessible via the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections. IDNC contains over 111 titles, which are searchable by title, year, and date. We hope you enjoy utilizing these resources as much as we do here at the HPNL! Please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns at hpnl@library.illinois.edu or at (217)-333-1509.

Charles Henry Alston, Artist, [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Family History Discovery Day November 11, 2017

The Tucson Arizona South Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is hosting a Family History Discovery Day on Saturday, November 11, from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm, at the Corona building, 700 E. Sahuarita Rd., located at the intersection of Sahuarita Road and Melpomene in Corona de Tucson. Activities include:

• Instructor-led FamilySearch classes for starting your 4 generations & adding sources to your family tree.
• Videos from the 2017 RootsTech conference. 
• Topics include FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage websites (comparing the Big 4) and two DNA classes, Mexican and British research and Censational Census Strategies.
• How to make your home a Family History Center.
• A computer lab with knowledgeable Temple & Family History Consultants to help you get started and answer your questions. There will be several computers in the lab available for use by participants, or you may bring your own devices.
• The youth will complete their Merit Badge and personal progress Family History requirements and have opportunities for service.
• FUN activities for children ages 3-11. A nursery area is provided, but not staffed!

See the flyer and schedule below for more details.

Happy Birthday To Us!

© Aalok Thakur, Wikimedia Commons,
CC BY-SA 3.0 

We are 5 years old! Come to our birthday party on Saturday, October 21, 2017, to help us blow out the candles. Cupcakes and refreshments will be served.

Our featured speaker's topic is NARA in a Day. PCGS member Laurie Desmarias has more than 20 years of genealogical research experience. She is a regular conference attendee, volunteer, blogger, and participant in many Facebook user groups. She is a life member of the American-French Genealogical Society and is the Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board membership officer. In addition to being a member of the Pima County Genealogy Society, she is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, and the Southern California Genealogical Society. Laurie specializes in New England research. Her blog is confusethedead.com.


Come celebrate with us on our special day. You do not have to be a PCGS member to attend.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION

DATE:	Saturday, October 21, 2017
TIME:	1:00pm – 3:00pm
PLACE:	Donna R. Liggins Center 2160 N. 6th Ave. Tucson, AZ

Update 10/20/17: Changed speaker's topic.

RootsTech 2018 Registration is Open!

Registration for the most popular genealogy conference is now open. Early bird pricing of $169 for a full conference pass is available until October 13, at which time the price goes up to $279. The conference will be held from February 28 to March 3, 2018, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Four nearby hotels are offering special discounted conference pricing for out of town visitors. See the list and prices at their Hotels Near RootsTech webpage.

If you have never been to RootsTech, and don't know if it's worth it, visit their blog post 8 Reasons to Attend RootsTech 2018 to see what you've been missing. 

Bridging Generations–October 21, 2017 Family History Conference in Tempe

Registration begins soon for the FREE Family History Conference sponsored by the Mesa FamilySearch Library. We received the following press release from them:

ANNOUNCING THE 2017 Family History Conference sponsored by the Mesa FamilySearch Library on Saturday, October 21, 2017, at the Tempe Institute of Religion on the ASU Campus, 1000 South McAllister Avenue in Tempe, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.

This year’s conference will feature a keynote address by Lisa McBride of FamilySearch, an Accredited Genealogist, who works with area family history centers and serves on the FamilySearch Wiki Governance Council.

Our theme is “Bridging Generations” and provides a wide variety of over 50 class choices for all types of learners, from beginners to the most advanced genealogists.  Come and learn how to be more effective and efficient when doing your research.  Learn to trace your roots with DNA.  Learn to find and document your sources.  Get specific information on various ways to research in specific states and countries.  If you are new to family history, come learn the basics.  Some of the most popular classes are repeated in an effort to accommodate everyone.   Spend all day or come for a single class or two; you may attend a maximum of five classes.

Detailed conference information will become available and registration will begin online at www.mesafsl.org on Thursday, September 21, 2017.  At the time of registration, registrants will be given the opportunity to purchase lunch from Jason’s Deli.  Otherwise, the conference is FREE.  Parking is also free and convenient but registrants are reminded that cars are parked in a public facility and are urged to be cautious with their valuables. See you in October! 

In the past, you were required to select the specific classes you plan to attend during the registration. Seats for each class is limited and registration closes for that class when it is full. This conference usually fills up very quickly so don't delay in reserving seats for the classes you really wish to attend.

Clooz and Findmypast–September 16, 2017

The September PCGS meeting promises to be entertaining and educational, as usual.

First up will be Jodi Lynn Strait presenting Do You Have Any Clooz? Clooz is a software program that helps you manage and organize your source documents and provides unique analysis tools. The program works with any filing system. Jodi will show us how she uses it with her research.

Jodi has been doing genealogical research for over 20 years. She has been a PCGS member since it was founded in 2012 and currently serves as our 2nd Vice President, editor of the PCGS Researcher, and sits on the program and social media committees. She is also a member of the National Genealogy Society (NGS), the Chinkchewunska (NJ) chapter of the D.A.R., is a certificate holder of the Boston University Genealogical Research Program, and has completed the NGS home study course.

Ken Castle will follow the class with his presentation: Findmypast Website. In addition to having the largest collection of Irish records anywhere online, Findmypast has exclusive records including British newspaper archives, passenger lists of ships leaving the UK, British army records, workhouse registers, and Irish court records. Ken will give us tips on how to maximize the resources found on Findmypast in your research.

Ken is an optical engineer, and president and co-owner of an optics company called Ruda-Cardinal, Inc. He has been in this line of work for 32 years, and has found it to be an enjoyable profession, with the opportunity to work on many varied projects. his interest in genealogy began around 1999, when his father passed away. Records his mother had created (she had passed in 1989), were passed to him, and he became intrigued because there were some names on the pedigree chart that he had no knowledge of, and wondered who these people were. So, for the last 17 years, he has been checking her accuracy (it was very good!), and then as the "bug" had bit, extending the family tree even further. He has identified two English lines (CASTLE and RODEN) who came separately to this country in the mid-1800s, but later found each other in 1889 in New Jersey. He has identified all 16 of his 3 x great-grandparents, and 80% of his 4 x great-grandparents. He serves on the PCGS Steering Committee and is responsible for setting up library presenters for October Family History Month.

Non-members are welcome to attend up to two of our meetings as a guest.

Handouts will be available to PCGS members under Secure Download in the Members Only section of our website : https://azpimagensoc.org/.

DATE:	Saturday, September 16, 2017
TIME:	1:00pm – 3:00pm
PLACE:	Banner-University Medical Center Duval Auditorium (Room 2600) 1501 N. Campbell Rd. Tucson, AZ
	Parking is free

Provide Aide to Harvey Victims and Get a Day of Genealogy Education–September 23, 2017

The Humble Area Genealogical Society (THAGS) is hosting an eConference and donating proceeds to Hurricane Harvey relief.

THAGS eConference: Back to Research
SATURDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2017 FROM 8:30AM - 4PM CDT

Registration costs $15 and you can watch the live webinar presentations or see the replay on your own schedule for up to 30 days after the eConference. During the eConference you’ll be able to ask questions through the webinar program’s chat features. After these four hours of instructions, the speakers will convene for a final panel discussion to answer questions not finished during the webinars or any additional questions you have.

It will be a great day of education and entertainment.

Participate and Provide Relief Members of The Humble Area Genealogical Society had the flood waters from Hurricane Harvey damage or destroy their homes. Proceeds from the conference was originally going to be used to help the chapter's preservation efforts. However, their board feels the funds donated will best serve the community by helping the impacted society members recover. As such, this eConference will give 50% of each registration to the relief of those members.

HOW TO REGISTER:

Go to the conference page on their website http://www.humblegen.org/conference and click on the "Register Now" button.

TOPICS:

Desperately Seeking Susan: Finding Female Ancestors - Amy Johnson Crow

How do you find female ancestors when they lived in a world where most of the records were written by and about men? Explore sources and strategies to help you fill in the female half of the family tree.

Which Charles is Which? Separating Same Name Individuals - Melissa Finlay

Some individuals with similar names have been combined, crossed and muddled over time. Learn how to differentiate between same-named people using a composite of time, place, family members, occupation and other unique identifiers.

Using FamilySearch More Effectively - Devon Noel Lee

FamilySearch.org has billions of names in the family tree and millions of records for genealogical research. This class discusses how to use this collaborative tree more effectively using indexed and unindexed records and leaving a trail of your research decisions along the way.

Bankruptcy to Equity: Using Federal Court Records - Michael L. Strauss

Was Grandma a bootlegger? Did Grandpa pay his taxes? Records of the Federal courts are among the National Archives’ largest holdings-and yet some of the least used records. Open a new chapter of your family history and discover little-known branches in your family tree as the records of the Federal Court system are discussed in detail.

Visit their website at http://www.humblegen.org/conference for more details and to register.

 

FREE United States and Canada Research Seminar, October 16-20, 2017

Registration is open for the upcoming week long United States and Canada Research Seminar hosted by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City on October 16-20, 2017. The seminar will be streamed online for free for those who cannot attend in person. The seminar will cover a range of topics from Border Crossings to Vital Records in both the U.S. and Canada. The classes are for beginning and intermediate genealogists interested in learning about records of U.S. and Canada localities and the Family History Library collections.

Registration is required to attend in person or online. Class descriptions, handouts, and registration is available at the FamilySearch Wiki here at this URL:    https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library_Classes_and_Webinars. Below is a schedule of classes (all times are in MDT, Arizona is one hour earlier):

TIME	Monday, 16 October	Tuesday, 17 October	Wednesday, 18 October	Thursday, 19 October	Friday, 20 October
9:00-10:00 AM MDT	FamilySearch Catalog	FamilySearch Wiki	FamilySearch Historical Records Collection	FamilySearch Memories	Freedman Bureau Records
10:15-11:15 AM MDT	Canada Research: Canada Census Records	Canada Research: Canada Vital Records	Canada Research: Quebec Research	Canada Research: Ontario Research	Immigration and Canadian Border Crossings
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM MDT	Are You Your Own Brick Wall: Common Genealogical Mistakes and Their Solutions	Descendancy Research	A United States Case Study	The Research Process	Ask Your United States and Canada Research Question
1:15-2:15 PM MDT	United States Vital Records	Census Techniques/Strategies	United States Land Records	Genetic Genealogy: An Introduction to DNA	Canada Research: Canada Military
2:30-3:30 PM MDT	United States Naturalization Records	United States Probate Records	Great Internet Sites for United States Research	Using LDS Church Records	Over There: World War I Over Here