Greetings Fellow Family History Sleuths,

Well, I seem to be in contest mode this month as this issue includes opportunities to win cool, heritage-based t-shirts (customized to suit your roots!), a trip to Belgium (check out "Do You Know this Girl?" below), or (if you're 45+ and American), $2,500 worth of prizes from AARP including five hours of my time. Take your pick and good luck!

Follow me on Google+ to win a customized t-shirt that flaunts your heritage!

Hey Everyone!

A few months ago when I spoke in New York, I met Rachel Mehta of Meonatee.com who showed me some fun heritage-based t-shirts she was custom-designing. I've included one of the flag designs below and you can see pie-chart versions on her website.

Diane Haddad’s entertaining Genealogy Insider article, "If You Were a Pie Chart," made me think of Rachel's shirts again, so I checked with her and she's kindly agreed to give three of my readers a free t-shirt designed especially to reflect their roots! 

To enter, all you have to do is add me to one or more of your circles on Google+ by midnight of July 22nd. If you're one of the early birds who's already following me, you're already entered!  Once the contest is over, I'll post the winners and contact them directly as well.

But if, like me, you're into an occasional dash of instant gratification and just can't wait to see if you've won one of the shirts, Rachel has also generously agreed to offer a 25% off for those who purchase from Meonatee.com by August 15th.  The discount code -- naturally enough! -- is roots. 

Please do me a favor and share this with your genealogical friends!  And good luck!

Megan

P.S. I don't think you still need an invitation to join Google+, but if you do, just email me at megan@honoringourancestors.com with your name and email and I'll send you an invitation.

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Genealogy Round Up, June 16

For many Illinois adoptees, door will soon open to the past

Seriously?
Box Labeled 'Grandma's Urn' Left At Goodwill Store

If you like this, please "like," "recommend," tweet or share. Thanks!
Genealogy Tips from Megan Smolenyak - AARP The Magazine: 5 Genealogy Secrets

Solve a mystery & win a trip to Belgium.
Talking "Do You Know This Girl?" with Master Genealogist Megan Smolenyak

Willow Tree: The Roots of Pink and Carey Hart's Baby Girl

My kind of guy!
Leo Plass, Man Who Quit College In 1932 Graduates At 99

An article Elyse Doerflinger recently wrote ("Finding Mom in the SSDI: http://t.co/pKSNL0u) reminded me of one I did back when I lost my mother. Really wish the comments hadn't been removed. As I recall, they were the best part.
SSDI Blues

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Genealogy Round Up, June 22

 Argentine Siblings Volunteer for DNA Tests to Determine if they were Stolen from Political Prisoners 

Can you believe this?! A WDYTYA cake at Homerville, GA reception! 

More great genealogy records!
FamilySearch Adds Free Records for 10 Countries | FamilySearch.org

Whether she knows it or not, she got the crown back.
Besse Cooper Is Oldest Living Person At 114

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Genealogy Round Up, June 30

CHESTER | Chester County man gets birth certificate after 63 years - almost

Wow. Just wow. Check out these 4 photos.
Timeless Reflections - ReflectionOf.Me

With my mother buried at Arlington National, this turns my stomach.
More Problems at Arlington National Cemetery - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Warning for the sensitive- some language here, but amused by the concept.
My Daguerreotype Boyfriend: Archive

This year's Who Do You Think You Are? celebrities revealed | BBC Who Do You Think You Are Magazine

I hate it when that happens.
Woman Dies At Her Own Funeral: Fagilyu Mukhametzyanov Dead At 49

Obama Genealogies Megan Smolenyak - Your Ancestors Stories (radio interview with Jane Wilcox)

Ksenija Yoder Batic, one of my genealogy grant winners, just published this in English for kindle! I'm going to download it later today and check it out!
The Curse of the LeRoys

Should be lot of photos of my relatives!
Every Jersey City high school yearbook since 1900 being collected by library

Just wrote the checks for the latest two Honoring Our Ancestors #genealogy grants. Are you next?
Genealogical Research Grants - Apply for a grant - Current Grants Awarded

My family lived in house #88, so isn't here, but this gives a feel for Osturňa, the village all Smolenyaks come from.
Osturňa House Tour - Houses 175 to 210

Good. Maybe now we'll get some answers.
Arlington Cemetery's mishandling of remains prompts FBI criminal probe

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Honoring Our Ancestors Grants

Congrats to our recent grant recipient! Don't forget that you can apply here.

June 2011
Amy Brown-Arneil has been creating an obituary index from the mircofilms of the Marlette Leader Newspaper while she researches and writes a book on the pioneers that settled before 1900 in Marlette, Elmer, Flynn, Lamotte, Moore and Evergreen Townships of Sanilac County, Michigan. She has currently compiled information on over 300 pioneers for the book. The grant award will help cover book publishing and printing expenses, as well as assist with the cost to print copies of the obituary index for the Marlette Leader Newspaper.

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Upcoming Events

If you plan to be near any of the events where I'll be speaking, I would love to meet you. It's always a kick for me when folks mention that they read this newsletter, my blog, Huffington Post or whatever, so don't be shy about introducing yourself!

For more information on these events, please see my Events Calendar. And if you're interested in scheduling me, just click here.

• October 8, 2011 - Salt Lake City, UT - American Society of Genealogists - "Giving Back: A Look at 10 Years of Genealogy Grants"
• February 8, 2012 - Princeton, NJ - Present Day Club
  
• May 19, 2012 - Valley View, OH - East Cuyahoga County Genealogical Society - "Trace Your Roots with DNA," "Reverse Genealogy: Techniques for Finding Your Lost Loved Ones," "Find The Obituary! Online Newspaper Research" and "Cases That Made My Brain Hurt"
• September 29, 2012 - Manassas, VA - Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC) for Genealogy and Local History - "Cases That Made My Brain Hurt"

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