|
Honoring Our Ancestors Newsletter
By Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
Greetings Fellow Family History Sleuths, In this newsletter. . .
I
wish I could say I worked on this one, but I wasn't that lucky.
Still, I'll definitely be among the viewers. If, like many
genealogists, you're obsessed with cemeteries, this show is a
must-see. Go to PBS
to
learn more about the show, which
is
airing at 8:00 p.m. (EST) on October 26th on most PBS stations and again at
10:00 p.m. (EST) on October 31st. Now that's an appropriate way to
celebrate Halloween! As many of you know, there's a 'library' on my Honoring Our Ancestors site which includes many of the articles I've written on assorted topics, as well as occasional interviews I've done. If you haven't been there in a while, you might want to make a visit. With the kind permission of my editors, I've recently added pdf versions of a number of my print articles, such as Demystifying DNA for Family Tree Magazine and Getting the Most from Your Genealogy Trips to Europe for Family Chronicle. I've also included a pair of podcasts from recent interviews with The Genealogy Guys and Written Voices, so if you've got an iPod (or just some speakers on your PC), you can hear me babble on about genealogy! And by the way, if you don't know who The Genealogy Guys are, you'll definitely want to take a listen and find out. I
coined the word 'genetealogy' a few years ago for the merger of
genetics and genealogy – and it's been slowly gaining currency.
I suspect it would catch on a little more quickly if it were easier to
pronounce! At any rate, three recent internet mentions give me hope: The
Genealogue:
If you're a genealogist
and you have a sense of humor, I command you to visit this site – now!
Just the Top 10 Lists will have you in stitches. I promise, you
will thank me. Among my favorite musings so far:
You'll
also want to check out the Double-Tongued
Word Wrester,
"a
growing dictionary of old and new words from the fringes of English."
Apparently, 'genetealogy' is being considered for addition to this
dictionary, so I encourage you to use it liberally around the internet
in your websites and postings! And finally, the Wikipedia entry for genetic genealogy now includes a reference to genetealogy. A
Trio of Intriguing Websites: Katrina Migration, Famous DNA and NANOWRIMO Katrina
Migration:
I've been intrigued with internal American migrations ever since I
began tracing the families of servicemen for the U.S. Army several years
ago. Since most of my cases focus on soldiers unaccounted for from Famous
DNA:
Want
to know if you're related to someone famous? Well, the
International
Society of Genetic Genealogy
(ISOGG) is here to help. Here you can find the DNA results from all those
history's mysteries cases you've been hearing about – Thomas
Jefferson, the Romanovs, Marie Antoinette, and so forth. Get
yourself tested and see if any of them are your genetic mate!
Incidentally, those of you who saw me at FGS in
Congratulations
to the August, September and October Honoring Our Ancestors grant
awardees. I seem to be on a bit of a cemetery kick because the
last three grants have all had something to do with cemeteries. A
big Thank
You to everyone who took the time to send in their
grant proposals. It was a lot of fun to read them and, as usual,
difficult to choose the winners. I'm in the midst of debating
the many tempting proposals for November! Please visit the Honoring Our Ancestors Grants page to read about our awardee projects, and how you can apply for a grant to support your genealogical project. Recent
Articles by Megan, Published in Ancestry Daily News October
6, 2005 - Mystery
of Cipriano Pedrini – This
is another one of my orphan heirloom cases – this one involving a
Masonic document discovered by Linda Mulhall. A descendant of
Cipriano's – a genealogical buff, as it happens -- was thrilled to
be contacted by Linda. Her response? "Oh, I am so
delighted!! Cipriano Pedrini is indeed my ancestor . . . I would love to
have the document or a copy of it. Thank you so much for following up on
your find!!" Read how this mysterious document found its way
home. September
13, Name
Dropping -- I have the good fortune, as a genealogical
writer, to share with large audiences how I conduct research and test
various new online resources by using family names in both my husband's
and my family. When I "drop names" in these articles,
sometimes a new relative comes forward -- and in this particular case, a
whole new branch of my husband's relatives. For more hints on how to
name drop on the Internet, check out this article. September
1, A
DNA Success Story -- I love this story! During a
DNA workshop I did earlier this year
at the Oklahoma Genealogical Society, Jim Shields decided
to have his DNA tested and subsequently "found" about 750 new
relatives when he came up with a perfect 25/25 DNA match with another
Shields. Find out why now is a good time to jump in and get your
DNA tested. You may read lots more articles of genealogical interest, by category, at the Honoring Our Ancestors Library. In an attempt to satisfy my curiosity
and rectify the fact that genealogists – although there are countless
millions of us – are ridiculously understudied and understood, I've
taken to running surveys through one of my websites. If you've got
a few minutes to spare, I would be very grateful if you would go to http://www.genetealogy.com/results.html
and complete the latest one on the impact of the Internet and DNA
testing on genealogy. As with earlier surveys, results will be
shared on the website and in articles I write, mostly for Ancestry
Daily News. Thanks in advance for your time! I had a
great time speaking in If you plan to be near any of the events where I'll be speaking, I would love to meet you.
2006 Events
Please forward this newsletter to your family and friends who are interested in genealogy - thank you! Wishing you an abundance of genealogical
serendipity!
www.honoringourancestors.com Note: You are receiving this because you have demonstrated an interest (e.g., you have a story in one of my books, applied for a grant, attended previous events, etc.) or subscribed via my website, but please let me know if you do not want to receive any further emails, and I will promptly remove you from my list. And rest assured, this is my personal list and not shared with anyone else! Thanks, Megan |
