Announcing The 2016 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree & Genetic Genealogy Conferences

I received this press release from the Southern California Genealogical Society and Research Library recently:

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Announcing The 2016 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree & Genetic Genealogy Conferences

The Southern California Genealogical Society announces details for Jamboree 2016 and the 2016 Genetic Genealogy Conferences. Early Bird registration deadline is April 23, 2016. Register today!

For Immediate Release January 1, 2016 - Burbank, CA The Southern California Genealogical Society is pleased to announce the 47th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. The conference will be held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, Burbank, California, Friday through Sunday, June 3-5, 2016. Registration is now open and available on the Jamboree website. You can either complete your registration through the online shopping cart or download the registration form and mail it in. Jamboree 2016 offers an exceptional educational opportunity for family historians and genealogists of all experience levels. The theme for Jamboree 2016 is "Giving to the Future by Preserving the Past." We welcome all attendees who are interested in genealogy and preserving the past for future generations. Our heritage focus is on German, Eastern European, and African-American research. Topics covered include research methods, analysis and problem solving, organization techniques, family history writing, the use of technology, and more. Jamboree 2016 will feature:  Over 55 national, regional and local speakers JamboFREE sessions Friday morning including Beginning Genealogy, Librarians' Boot  Camp, Why and How to Become a Professional Genealogist, Using Social Media for  Genealogy, and Genealogy & DNA Roundtables Five specialty workshops (separate fee required)  Free exhibit hall throughout the weekend Research tours Thursday and Friday Special activities each day One-on-one research assistance provided by members of the Southern California  Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists Back by popular demand, SCGS will hold its fourth Genetic Genealogy Conference, "The Future of the Past: Genetic Genealogy 2016," on Thursday, June 2, 2016. also at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. This conference provides the opportunity to hear from some of the top leaders in the field of genetic genealogy, with topics suitable for all levels of experience with using DNA for genealogical research. Six intensive workshops will also be offered during this event that will provide an opportunity for in-depth study of genealogical research techniques of interest to a variety of experience levels (additional fee required). The Genetic Genealogy Conference is separate from Jamboree, and separate registration fees apply.  Early Bird registration ends April 23, 2016. Special pricing for 2016 offers a discount to those who register for both Jamboree and "The Future of the Past: Genetic Genealogy 2016" as well as discounts for SCGS members for each event. Don't forget to make your hotel reservations! The Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel room reservations are now open. Room rates range from $165 to $185 per night. To make your reservations online, visit http://www.tinyurl.com/jambo2016Hotel/, or call directly at 800.736.9712. Be sure to mention the group "SCGS Conference" when making your reservation to get the Jamboree rate and to guarantee your room. The best way to keep in touch with Jamboree and the Genetic Genealogy Conference is to subscribe to the Jamboree blog, either through RSS feed or by updates sent directly to your email. Information on Jamboree activities and schedule details will be updated regularly on the Jamboree website.

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I look forward to attending the Jamboree for the 9th year in a row.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/announcing-2016-southern-california.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. 

Meeting Genealogy Folks in January 2009 -- Post 394 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

I'm posting old (and sometimes new) family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless posts like others do - I am incapable of having a wordless post.

Here are some of the most precious (to me) images from my Seaver/Leland photograph collection:

1)  Randy and DearMYRTLE:

In early January 2009, I and a number of other geneabloggers were invited to the first Ancestry.com blogger meeting in Salt Lake City.  The week after, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy started and many of the attendees and staff were in Salt Lake City.

I had the pleasure of meeting DearMYRTLE for the first time that weekend.

2)  The SLIG faculty and staff have a brunch at one of the hotels on Sunday before SLIG, and DearMYRTLE invited me to come along.  Here is a photo of the luncheon table:

The benefit for me was wonderful company, including many of the important people in the genealogy industry, and a nice lunch.

3)  That night, there was a Transitional Genealogist Forum/ProGen meetup for dinner, and I took a photograph of Christy Fillerup, Harold Henderson and Angela McGhie:

The photos all tell me these pictures were taken on 11 January 2009.  I wrote about this day in Day 4 in SLC - a day of football, food and good company.

The URL for this post is:   http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/meeting-genealogy-folks-in-january-2009.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Top 10 Genealogy News Items for 2015 - My Take

There were hundreds of genealogy news announcements in 2015.  Some of them were outstanding - advanced technology, advanced genealogy research, added new record collections, etc.

The ones that I think are the most significant for my own research are (referring to my own blog posts):

1)  Ancestry.com Announces Retirement of Family Tree Maker Software (posted 8 December 2015) -- This was a major surprise and caused a lot of heartburn with Family Tree Maker users.

2)  Ancestry.com Adds 170 Million Indexed U.S. Probate Record Images (posted 2 September 2015) -- This major database release was greeted by appreciation, but not all FamilySearch images are indexed yet, and they subsequently removed some probate records due to licensing problems.

3)  New Ancestry.com Database: U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 (posted 23 July 2015) -- This new database provides more information for many Social Security applicants, including parents names and alternate names.

4)  Records from New York’s Largest Genealogical Organization Now Available to Search at Findmypast (posted 21 September 2015) -- The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record quarterly periodical is now online at Findmypast.

5)  MyHeritage Introduces Instant Discoveries to all Users (posted 20 April 2015) -- This feature adds more relatives to your MyHeritage tree based on other MyHeritage trees.  This is especially useful for new researchers.

6)  Mocavo Has FREE U.S. Census Images Available Forever (posted 22 May 2015) -- There is much to like about a free site with all of the U.S. census indexed and imaged!

7)  The "New Ancestry Experience" is Active for USA Users (posted 1 June 2015) -- This opened the "new" Ancestry LifeStory and look and feel of the website to all users.  There was lots of negative reaction to this!  I also posted All Ancestry.com Customers Forced to Have Only "New Ancestry" Experience (posted 14 December 2015) -- Ancestry closed out the "old" Ancestry screens and all users now have to use "new" Ancestry.

8)  HistoryLines Launched This Week - Post 1: First Look (posted 22 April 2015) -- I posted a series on this website that meshes your family history events with historical events.

9)  Ancestry Academy Launched Today (posted 16 April 2015) -- This education site has free and pay options for online genealogy and family history educational courses.

10)  FamilySearch Relative Finder - Finding Famous (?) Cousins (posted 15 May 2015) -- If you are in the FamilySearch Family Tree, you can find famous cousins on the Relative Finder website.

What other product or resource announcements were significant for you during 2015?  Tell me in Comments to this post.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/top-10-genealogy-news-items-for-2015-my.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. 

GenSoftReviews Announces its Users Choice Awards for 2015

I received this press release from Louis Kessler earlier this week:

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GenSoftReviews Announces its Users Choice Awards for 2015

GenSoftReviews.com is the site users go to rate and review their genealogy software and to find out about other genealogy software to try. The site lists more than 930 programs, and users have contributed over 3,500 ratings and reviews.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 1, 2016

The 7th annual Users Choice Awards have been announced at the GenSoftReviews website based on more than 900 reviews submitted by users during 2015.

33 programs were eligible having a minimum of 10 reviews, at least one review in 2015 and still being sold and supported by the vendor. Of those, 17 programs achieved a user-assigned average score of at least 4.00 out of 5, and were awarded a 2015 GenSoftReviews Top Rated Genealogy Software award.

The Winners include:

• 8 Windows programs: Evidentia, Ahnenblatt, Family Historian, Clooz, Ancestral Quest, Brother's Keeper, RootsMagic, and Family Tree Builder
• 2 Mac programs: Heredis for Mac, and Reunion
• 2 programs built for Windows, Mac and Unix:  Evidentia and Familienbande
• 4 Online programs: Famberry, Genealogie Online, The Next Generation and MyHeritage
• 1 Handheld program: Heredis for iOS

New to the list of winners for 2015 were Evidentia, Familienbande, Genealogie Online and webtrees.

The top program for 2015 was Evidentia, a source-centric genealogy tool by Ed Thompson, which ended the year with a weighted user rating of 4.96 out of 5 based on 10 reviews. Second was Famberry, an online family tree building social network with 4.91 out of 5. All 8 of Evidentia’s ratings and all 17 of Famberry’s user ratings in 2015 were the maximum 5-stars.

Ahnenblatt dropped from first in 2014 to fifth in 2015 but still retained an excellent score of 4.85 out of 5.

Programs that dropped off the list from 2014 include Genbox Family History, Family Echo, My Great Big Family and Behold.

Five programs have won a Users Choice Award all 7 years since the award was established in 2009. They are The Next Generation, Brother’s Keeper, RootsMagic, Family Tree Builder, and Reunion.

GenSoftReviews uses a time-weighted average score. The weight of every user rating goes down 50% every year, so newer opinions will be better reflected in the average score.

Congratulations go to all the 2015 winners. They are producing a product that their users like. GenSoftReviews hopes all genealogy software developers will use the feedback these reviews provide to improve their programs for their users.

For more information and a complete listing of current and past winners, see the GensoftReviews Users Choice Awards page.

UPDATE:

GenSoftReviews has taken the advice of genealogical technologist Tamura Jones who has suggested that unsupported software be eligible for the Users Choice Awards.

These are, after all, user choices of the software they use, and it is irrelevant of the fact that the software may not be supported or even available. It is only fair that all programs still in use be rated equally against each other.


As a result, there are 6 more programs eligible for the awards and 3 additional award winners, namely Personal Ancestral File (PAF) with a 4.77 out of 5 rating, Ultimate Family Tree (UFT) with a 4.20 out of 5 rating, and Family Tree Maker – up to Version 16 with a 4.11 out of 5 rating.

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About Louis Kessler

Louis Kessler has been a genealogist and a programmer for over 35 years. He developed and maintains the GenSoftReviews site. He is also the author of his own genealogy program known as Behold that can be found at www.beholdgenealogy.com

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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/gensoftreviews-announces-its-users.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Tuesday's Tip - Watch SCGS Webinars Live for FREE

This week's Tuesday's Tip is:  Watch the 2016 Webinar Series from the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) for FREE.

If you are an SCGS member, you can watch them live or at any time after the live presentation.  If you are not an SCGS member, you can only watch them live for free.

All SCGS webinars are open to the public and free to attend. Webinars are offered the first Saturday (10:00 a.m. Pacific time) and third Wednesday (6:00 p.m. Pacific time) of each month.

Sign up (remember - it's FREE) by going to the SCGS website page with the 2016 Webinar Series information, http://tinyurl.com/2016-SCGS-Webinars. Click on the links to register for as many webinars as you'd like. A confirmation email will be sent, along with the link to attend the webinar. You can attend the webinars on your computer, or smartphone. If you don't have an internet connection, you can even dial in by phone and listen to the session.

SCGS members never need to worry about missing a webinar. As a benefit of membership, members enjoy access to over 130 archived webinars and select Jamboree sessions to view at their convenience 24/7 on the SCGS website behind the member wall. Visit the SCGS membership web page for more information on this and other valuable membership benefits.

Download the 2016 Jamboree Extension Series Webinar flyer and share it with family, friends and neighbors today!

A list of the dates, times, speakers, presentation subjects and talk description is at  http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html

This is an excellent roster of speakers and a diverse listing of topics.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/tuesdays-tip-watch-scgs-webinars-live.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Season 3 of Finding Your Roots on PBS Starts Tuesday, 5 January 2016

The third season of Henry Louis Gates' "Finding Your Roots" series on PBS starts on Tuesday, 5 January 2016, at 8 p.m. (EST, MST, PST) and 7 p.m. (CST).

The series is described on the web page for the series (http://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/):

Since the premiere of his groundbreaking series, African American Lives, in 2006 through the first two seasons of Finding Your Roots, noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has unearthed the family histories of influential people helping shape our national identity. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.

The third season of the Finding Your Roots series will continue to explore how diverse racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds challenge many of our long-held national myths. Hosted and written by Gates, this new season will continue to be compelling television, filled with emotional moments that enrich our national discussion on race, ethnicity, and identity.

In this season, Gates traces the ancestral trails of 28 new guests including Maya Rudolph, Richard Branson, Soledad O’Brien, Bill Hader, Julianne Moore, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Senator John McCain, Norman Lear, Shonda Rhimes, and more. Each of their stories illuminates the vast patchwork of ethnicity, race and experience that make up the fabric of America.

There are profiles of some of the personalities at http://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/profiles/.

The schedule appears to be:

1)  5 January 2016:

*  Ty Burrell
*  Kara Walker
*  Donna Brazile

2)  12 January 2016:

*  Bill O'Reilly
*  Soledad O'Brien
*  Bill Maher

3)  19 January 2016

*  Shonda Rhimes
*  Maya Rudolph
*  Keenen Ivory Wayans

4)  26 January 2016:

*  Norman Lear
*  Bill Hader
*  Jimmy Kimmel

The publicity says there are 28 celebrities, including Richard Branson, John McCain and Julianne Moore, who are not on the list above.  Perhaps there are more episodes?

The episodes should be interesting!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/season-3-of-finding-your-roots-on-pbs.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Pre-Order The Evidentia Companion book

I received this press release from Ed Thompson, the creator od Evidentia software, today:

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Evidentia Software is now accepting pre-orders for The Evidentia Companion

(Matthews, NC) January 4, 2016 - Evidentia Software is now accepting pre-orders for the book, The Evidentia Companion.  Written by lead designer Ed Thompson, The Evidentia Companion is the perfect complement to the Evidentia desktop application. The software helps users organize their information so it can be  used as evidence, then helps users find answers to their research questions.

The book details the 4 tasks that define the Evidentia workflow.  

•  Identify a Source
• Catalogue the Source
• Analyze Evidence
• Write a Conclusion

With over 100 screen shot images, the book helps users become productive with Evidentia as quickly as possible, focusing on the features that support the 4 tasks.

In addition to the book, Evidentia Software is offering The Evidentia Quickstart Guide, a laminated quick sheet that supplements the book by distilling the 4 tasks into 4 pages for quick reference.

Evidentia Software has created the coupon code "PRE-ORDER", which will discount purchases from the website 15%. Bundled discounts are also available.

For more information, or to purchase the book and/or quick start guide, go to http://evidentiasoftware.com/companion.

Edward Thompson
Evidentia Software, LLC
ed@evidentiasoftware.com

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For more information about Evidentia software, see http://evidentiasoftware.com.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/pre-order-evidentia-companion-book.html

New or Updated Record Collections at FamilySearch.org - December 27, 2015 to January 2, 2016

I'm trying to keep up with the new and updated record collections at FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list).  

As of 2 January 2016, there were 2,055 record collections on FamilySearch (an increase of 1 from last week):

The new or updated collections are:

*  Alaska, Vital Records, 1816-1959; 57,479 indexed records with record images, updated 31 Dec 2015

*  United States Census, 1860; 27,150,234 indexed records with record images on Fold3.com, updated 31 Dec 2015

*  Missouri, Pre-WWII Adjutant General Enlistment Contracts, 1900-1941; Browse Images only, no record index, added or updated 30 Dec 2015

*  BillionGraves Index; 18,259,763 indexed records with record images on BillionGraves.com, updated 29 Dec 2015

*  United States Census, 1880; 50,471,461 indexed records with record images, updated 29 Dec 2015

*  Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1800-1870; 395,152 indexed records with record images on a partner site, added or updated 28 Dec 2015

*  Italy, Udine, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1815, 1871-1911; 252,037 indexed records with record images, added or updated 28 Dec 2015

*  Italy, L'Aquila, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1865, 1911-1943; 75,870 indexed records with record images on a partner site, added or updated 28 Dec 2015

Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which collections are brand new and which ones are updated.  The asterisk they use is for "Recently added or updated."  I am particularly interested in new collections, for the obvious reasons.  FamilySearch does provide a listing of which collections are new or updated several days after my post.
 
In order to select a specific collection, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list and use the "Filter by collection name" feature in the upper left-hand corner.

Each one of the collections listed above has a Research Wiki page (use the "Learn more" link).  It would be very useful if the Wiki page for each collection listed the dates for when the collection was added as a new collection and the dates for major updates also.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/new-or-updated-record-collections-at.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Amanuensis Monday - Post #301: 1707 Will of Samuel Hale (1639-1709) of Woodbridge, N.J.

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent  TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday."  John offers this definition for "amanuensis:" 

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the 1707 will of Samuel Hale (1639-1709), of Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey:

The transcription of the will of Samuel Hale is (line by line):

[page 262 (penned), near bottom of left-hand page]

                In the name of God Amen the twenty third day

of May in the year of our Lord 1707. I Samuell Hale of Wood-

bridge in the County of Middlesex and province of East New Jersey

being very aged but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given

to God therefore Calling to mind the Mortality of My body and know-

ing that It is appointed for all Men once to die doe make and

ordain this my Last will and testament that is to say principally

and first of all I give and Recomend my Soule into the hands

[page 263, top of the right-hand page]

of God that gave it and for my body I Recomend it to the earth to be buried

in Christian like and decent Manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing

doubting but at the General Resururrection I shall Receive the same again

by the mighty power of God. Aas touching Such Worldly estate wherewith it

hath pelased God to bless me in this life I Give devise and dispose of

same in the following Manner and forme. Imprimis I give to Well beloved

son in Law Moses Rolph whome I likewise Constitute make and ordain

my onely and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament all

and Singular my house Lands Messuages Tenements with My freehold

and Right of Commonage and all Manner of rights Titles profits

privilidges whatsoever belonging to Me within the towne of Wood-

bridge to him the said Moses Rolph his heirs and Assigns forever

by him ??ooly and fully he be possessed and enjoyed in witness where-

of I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seale the day and Yeare

abovewritten in the Sixth Year of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lady Anne.

                                                                     Samuell Hale {seal}

Signed Sealed published and declared by the Said Samuell Hale as his Last Will

and Testament in the presence of the subscribers Geo Ewbank Thos

Bloomfield Dan'l Poppin

                                                                By the Honorable Richard Ingoldsby

Lieutenant Governor & Comand'r in Cheif of the province of New Jersey &c

This will was proved & aproved & th? Probos? Seale the 4^th day of

Aprill 1710.                                                            ? Boss.

The source citation for this document is:

New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records, 1656-1999, indexed database with digital images,  Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com :, accessed 7 September 2015, no longer available), Middlesex County, pages 262-3 (penned), image 158, Samuel Hale will, 1707.

Note:  Unfortunately, I did not note the volume of the Middlesex County wills with this page, and now the pre-1804 wills are no longer in the Ancestry.com database.  I cannot find a reference to the will of Samuel Hale in the New Jersey Abstracts of Wills for the years  1670-1730.

Samuel Hale (1639-1709) was married twice; his second wife was Sarah Ilsley (1655-1681), and he had two children by her, Sarah and Mary.  Mary Hale (1678-????), married Moses Rolph (1681-1746) in 1702 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, and had 11 children between 1703 and 1723, all in Woodbridge.

Samuel Hale wrote his will on 23 May 1707, and died on 5 November 1709 in Woodbridge.  The will was proved and recorded 4 April 1710.  Samuel Hale names his son-in-law Moses Rolph as his sole heir and executor in his will, but doesn't name either of his daughters.  This probably indicates that Mary (Hale) Rolph and her children are his only heirs.

Samuel Hale (1639-1707) is my 9th great-grandfather, and Moses and Mary (Hale) Rolph are my 8th great-grandparents.

The URL for this post is:   http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/amanuensis-monday-post-301-1707-will-of.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Added or Updated Databases at Ancestry.com - Week of December 26, 2015 to 1 January 2016

I usually post a list of the added or updated databases at Ancestry.com on Sunday afternoon, but this week there are NO added or updated databases for the week of 26 December 2015 to 1 January 2016.  Here is a screen shot of the list of the added or updated databases:

The recently added and updated page on Ancestry.com is at http://www.ancestry.com/cs/recent-collections.

The complete Ancestry.com Card Catalog is at  http://search.ancestry.com/search/CardCatalog.aspx.  

By my count above there were 0 NEW databases ADDED this past week, per the list above. There are now 32,467 databases available as of 2 January, up 0 from last week.  

I guess Ancestry.com took a break between Christmas and New Years Day as far as adding or updating databases go.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/added-or-updated-databases-at.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 27 December 2015 - 2 January 2016

Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week:

*  2015 Year in Review by D. Taylor on D. Taylor's Genealogy blog.  D. provides highlights from his 2015 genealogy effort month-by-month and provides goals for 2016.

*  What Can You Learn From A Criminal Record? by Tim Firkowski on The Genealogy Assistant blog.  Sherlock finds a fascinating record from Sing Sing prison.

*  New Toy - WordPress Plug-In - GeneAlone by Linda Stufflebean on the Empty Branches on the Family Tree blog.  Linda tried this plugin and has a family tree page on her blog.

*  2015 Top Posts: All-Time by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist blog.  Judy lists her Top 10 all-time blog posts with commentary.

*  Genealogy 2015 by Tamura Jones on the Modern Software Experience blog.  Tamura describes changes and progress made in genealogy in 2015.

*  Evening the Score! by Peggy Lauritzen on the Always Anxiously Engaged blog.  Peggy tells the story of finding her 5th great-grandfather's death story and gravestone.

*  2015 Year in Review: FamilySearch Grows as World's Foremost Family History Resource by Diane Sagers on the FamilySearch Blog.  Diane provides a summary of 2015 advances at FamilySearch.

*  My 10 Favourite Genealogy Collections and Initiatives in 2015 by Gail Dever on the Genealogy a la Carte blog.  Gail lists hers, this is a great blog idea!

*  The Challenges of a New Year for Genealogy by James Tanner on the Rejoice and Be Exceeding Glad blog.  James lists some of everyone's challenges and the his own for 2016.

*  My Genealogy Goals for 2016 by Jill Morelli on the Genealogy Certification: My Personal Journal blog.  Jill reports on her past and future goals.

*  The Best and Worst of 2015 -- Genetic Genealogy Year in Review by Roberta J. Estes on the DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy blog.  Roberta reviews 2015 in Genetic genealogy and awards kudos and lumps of coal to deserving persons and organizations.

*  19 January Blogging Prompts by Caroline M. Pointer on the Blogging Genealogy blog.  Caroline provides ideas for genealogy blogging in January.

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

*  My Memorable Monthly Mentions (AKA My Favorite Blogs This Month) by Jacquie Schattner on the Seeds to Tree blog.

*  GAGs - GeniAus' Gems - 1 January 2016 by Jill Ball on the GeniAus blog.

*  Recommended Reads by Linda Stufflebean on the Empty Branches on the Family Tree blog.

*  Happy New Year! Friday Finds Dec 26 - Jan 1 by Nichelle Barra on the Copper Leaf Genealogy blog.

*  Friday Finds - 01/01/16 by Julie Cahill Tarr on Julie's Genealogy & History Hub blog.

*  This Week's Creme de la Creme -- January 2, 2016 by Gail Dever on the Genealogy a la Carte blog.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add their blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I am currently reading posts from over 1590 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/best-of-genea-blogs-27-december-2015-2.html

Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun (SNGF) -- Best Find of 2015, and Research Challenge for 2016

It's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun! 

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  What was your best research achievement in 2015?  Tell us - show us a document, or tell us a story, or display a photograph.  Brag a bit!  You've earned it!

2)  We all have elusive ancestors.  What research problem do you want to work on in 2016?  Tell us where you want to research and what you hope to find.

3)  Put the answers in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook or Google+ post.  

Here's mine:

I wrote about my best ancestral discoveries in 2015 in My Best Ancestral Genea-Discoveries of 2015 so I won't repeat them here.  There was no real BIG discovery - no new ancestral line, no breakthrough on a brickwall ancestor.  The ones listed in the post fall into the category of enriching my family history by finding probate, land, military, newspaper, church, and vital records for my ancestral families.  

For 2016, I anticipate doing much of the same, both online and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City in February.  In the process, I may get a breakthrough on a brickwall ancestor, or perhaps another researcher will find my blog posts and be able to extend one or more lines. 

I don't anticipate being able to travel much to do onsite research in 2016 due to my and Linda's health and mobility limitations.  I want to return to Massachusetts again to do onsite research, especially at the NEHGS and in local libraries, historical societies and cemeteries.  I want to go to southern Ontario again to do onsite research on my Kemp and related lines.  I also want to visit northern New Jersey to try to find information about my Auble and Knapp and related lines.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2016/01/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-sngf-best.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.