September Focus

I have had a busy summer that included time for some gen. research and learning new things. I am looking forward to meeting again on September 1st to see what you have been up to as well!

It is fun to be able to tell someone a little about their family's past. I did a little research for someone I am working with, and found a painting of the ship his great-great-grandfather served on during the Civil War! A little information like that can stir up enough interest to get someone started on their own research, and another historian is born.

I would like to suggest two primary areas of discussion at our next gathering. I have been in touch with a performer/historian named Abby Paige who does a wonderful one-woman show entitled "When We Were French." She takes on several characters and describes what it means to be of French Canadian descent from their points of view. I have arranged for her to come to Turners in January and perform for us. I convinced The Country Players, whose Board I chair, to sponsor this show, and will need your help publicizing it and filling the seats. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Check out the details at http://abbypaige.com/current-projects/piecework-when-we-were-french/ I thought it would be appropriate to put together some kind of display on our own local French heritage. What form should that take?

Secondly, I'd like to talk about how we might take on a group project, such as collecting cemetery records. Pat Allen has a good start on the records of Montague Town Cemeteries. Planning a photography project would be good to get underway before the weather turns on us. Here's an example of a really well organized cemetery project: http://westport.loreprojects.com/home.cfm There has been a lot of work done in Nothfield recently, but it has not been published on-line. My goal is figuring out how we can share information effectively.

I'd like to continue to share links of interest in this space. The New England Historical and Genealogical Society (NEHGS) has launched a new web site AmericanAncestors.org that has some information available without subscription, and some for members only. They are co-sponsoring a genealogy day in Boston with Ancestry.com on October 16.

Phil Johnson passed on this link for Finnish Genealogy http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Finnish-Americans.html
and noticed that the Worcester Public Library will be having an all day session on Sweedish Genealogy on October 2nd.

Tina Peters has had good luck with genealogybank.com for newspaper obits and other info from newspapers. I haven't been impressed with the newspaper search feature at Ancestry.com. Has any one else had better luck?

Sorry that I haven't figured out how to make these links "hot" - you'll just have to cut and paste them. I hope they are useful - send me more!