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 Bucks County
Genealogical Society
December 2013 Newsletter
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2014 MEETING DATES
February 1
March 1
April 5
May 3
June 7
July - no meeting
August 2
September 6
October 4
November 1
December 6 |
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TEXT TO JOIN
OUR MAILING LIST
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Text BUCKSGEN to
22828
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 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings to all BCGS Members and Friends, Thanks to all of you, and especially to Jerry Smith, for the outstanding program and attendance at our December meeting! Jerry's presentation on researching with land records was extremely informative, well presented, and well received. I especially enjoyed Jerry's story about identifying his ancestor, with the dreaded name of John Smith, through land records. If you are a member, you can find the handout posted in the members only section of our website. We expect our January program to be equally excellent, with Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist, teaching us about the records of widows and orphans. We hope you can all join us! We have some very exciting news to report about our long-awaited database of Bucks County records. Please see the article in this newsletter regarding transcriptions donated to BCGS by Tom Myers, and the hard work of Nancy Heath, the Society's webmaster, to get the data uploaded in searchable format. Our membership has grown an amazing 35% since this time last year! I'd like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you to all of you who continue to support BCGS through your membership, attendance at the monthly meetings, and volunteering to assist. If your membership expires at the end of the year, we hope you choose to renew for 2014. On behalf of the entire BCGS Board of Directors, we hope you are all enjoying a happy holiday season, and we wish you all the best for the New Year! Warm Regards,
Christine Roberts
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2014
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
at the David Library of the American Revolution
1201 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA
(Park behind the building and use the Conference Center entrance.)____________________________ DOWERED OUT OR BOUND OUT: RECORDS OF WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
presented by JUDY G. RUSSELL, CG, CGL
Widows and orphans have always had a special place in the law. But it's not always the place that 21st century researchers might expect. An orphan in the early days wasn't a child whose parents had died, but rather a child whose father had died. The law didn't care much about the mother. She was just the widow, entitled to her dower rights and generally not much more. Learn more of the way the law treated widows and orphans, and what the records may tell us about them.
About the speaker: A Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer with a law degree, The Legal Genealogist Judy G. Russell is a lecturer, educator and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, including the interplay between genealogy and the law.
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The meeting is open to the public. Cost for members is $5 and for non-members it is $10.
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DO YOU KNOW OF A GOOD MEETING PLACE?
The Bucks County Genealogical Society is always looking for ways to make available the best possible programs for our members and guests. This includes providing for the most comfortable, convenient and affordable venue possible. We are turning to our members to assist with the process of identifying possible meeting/lecture facilities for 2014.
We are looking for a venue that:
- Is in the Bucks County area
- Allows refreshments
- Large enough to seat 50 people comfortably
- Allows fees to be charged (to cover expenses)
- Has adequate parking
- Is speaker/lecture friendly
- Is budget friendly
If you have any suggestions, please forward the name of the facility and any available contact information to me at [email protected].
Thanks, Jeff Sipler, VP-Programs
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You're Invited to Attend a Special Webinar!
Our BCGS President, Christine Roberts, is enrolled in a Lecturing course through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Her objective is to develop a presentation which could be used to speak at various organizations in the Bucks County area, to contribute to our Society's mission of educating the public about genealogy.
The final exam for Chris' course is the presentation of a 30 minute webinar, which is scheduled for 12 Jan 2014 at 7 pm. You're all invited to attend "Who Are My Peeps?: Six Easy Steps to Beginning Your Family History Research", and assist Chris by participating in the poll after the presentation. There will also be a ten minute question and answer period, so please allow about 45 minutes for the entire process.
To attend the webinar, go to: Please note that no user name or password is required. Just type in your first and last name, and then click "Enter as a Guest".
Chris will appreciate the attendance and the feedback!
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SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Volunteers will be needed...
The Bucks County Genealogical Society has been invited to host an information table at Ancestry Day at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Saturday, March 15, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. This event is sponsored by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania along with Ancestry. com. Last year over 1,000 people attended the Ancestry Day. This is a great opportunity for BCGS to spread the word about our Society! Please let us know if you can help to staff our table. Contact [email protected].
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DATABASE NEWS!!
Since the inception of BCGS in February of 2012, we have had the goal (some might have called it a fantasy!) of providing an online, searchable database of Bucks County records for free to the public. Well, that goal will be reached very shortly, thanks to Tom Myers and Nancy Heath.
Tom Myers has spent many thousands of hours transcribing various Bucks County records over the last twenty five years. He has published several books with compilations of some of these records. We are very fortunate that Tom is a Charter Member of BCGS and the Society's Query Coordinator. Tom has now donated many of his transcriptions to BCGS for inclusion in our database.
Nancy Heath, the Society's webmaster, has worked tirelessly over the past year and a half toward the goal of creating a database. She first had to analyze and research options for a new website, and then make the transition, which was all a tremendous amount of work. Once the transcriptions were received from Tom, Nancy had to create a database and then manipulate the data so it could be uploaded.
The Society is deeply grateful to both Tom and Nancy for their tremendous contributions to BCGS.
We would also like to thank Sara Good, Collections Manager and Archivist at the Mercer Museum, for granting permission to BCGS to use data which had been originally transcribed by Tom Myers as a volunteer for the Bucks County Historical Society.
The database will be launched in phases as the records are prepared for uploading, and any necessary permissions are obtained. Please watch this newsletter and our website for updates. The first phase will include the following records:
Bucks County Births, 1893-1907 Bucks County Marriages, 1885-1907 Bucks County Deaths, 1893-1907
The database is expected to be launched in mid-January, 2014. A special email will be sent to the BCGS email list when it is available. Your feedback is welcome! Please email Nancy Heath at [email protected] with your comments.
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A Special Thank You to Roxan Schneider!!
Many of you know that BCGS has received donations of publications from Susan Koelble, a professional genealogist in the area. We have also received donations from Marion Groff (see separate article in this newsletter), and most recently some additional donations from Susan Koelble. Roxan has volunteered to catalog and organize these items. She has already completed some of it, and has done a terrific job!
Roxan will be bringing these items to each meeting so attendees may have the opportunity to review them. Once the list of items is completed, we will be posting it on our website. The Board is currently considering options for more permanent publicly accessible housing for these materials.
Thank you very much, Roxan!!
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MARION GROFF'S GENEALOGY RECORDS
In the summer of 2013, Barbara Watkins of Shelby, Ohio, contacted BCGS with an offer to donate the genealogy records of her late mother, Marion Groff. Barbara had four boxes of books, brochures, files, maps, wills, and charts that her mother had collected over many years. The material covered Bucks and Montgomery Counties, and the list of items was three pages long of single-space type.
Barbara and her husband, Larry, drove to Bucks County and delivered the genealogy records to BCGS Vice President- Membership, Pat Gessner, in October 2013. BCGS was delighted to receive this collection and is working on a project to make this material available.
Photo: BCGS VP-Membership, Pat Gessner, on the left; Barbara Watkins, daughter of Marion Groff, on the right.
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MARION GROFF
This spot is usually called "Member Spotlight" but we thought we would use it this month to tell you a little about the woman who wasn't a member but who researched and gathered all the material mentioned in the above article. Her work was a labor of love, done at a time when computers weren't available. The information we have about Marion came from her daughter, Barbara Watkins; and we are grateful to Barbara for sharing it with us. Marion Anna Kepler Groff was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1910. She was an only child and grew up in Schwenksville, Montgomery County, PA. Rural living meant that she minded cows in an unfenced pasture for morning and evening shifts. Marion was a good student and attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA which was something of a challenge. She walked two miles to the train station, rode the train, then walked another mile to college. When she graduated it was during the Great Depression, so she was fortunate to find a teaching job - one of only six people in her class to find work.  Barbara told us that Marion enjoyed singing and was paid to sing solos for local weddings and funerals. There is an impressive list of solo and choral performances - some in the 1920's and 1930's - at the Monmouth Hotel, Keswick Theatre, and many churches and schools. Marion is pictured here in 1932 in her�� "first evening gown bought with teaching salary of $100 per month ($900 per year)!"
She married Madison Groff in 1938 - (met him on a blind date!) - and they had three children. Taking care of a family didn't stop her from other activities. Over the years, Marion was active in Women's Strike for Peace, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. She wrote to government officials regarding nuclear waste disposal, human rights and environmental matters. When Marion wasn't involved with singing, oil painting, activism, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she was researching genealogy. We are delighted to know about her and to have received the Marion Groff Genealogy Records. Marion was 91 years old when she passed away in 2002.
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Genealogy information in The New York Time s
The genealogy column in The New York Times under the "Boomer" category by Elizabeth Shown Mills concluded with Parts 3 and 4. If you missed the first two columns, you will find a link to the articles in our November newsletter which is on our website.
The third article appeared on November 20th . Here is a link to it: Advice on How to Research Family History - Part 3 http://nyti.ms/19GgvCE The final article, Part 4, appeared on November 27th. Here is a link to that installment:
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COMPREHENSIVE EVENTS CALENDAR
 Click the link for a listing of upcoming genealogy events for our organization and others in our area:
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MakeUseOf
Mary Butash, BCGS Secretary, found a helpful technology website that has lots of free cheat sheets and guide downloads. Check it out at: MakeUseOf
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WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE
BCGS NEWSLETTER?
The BCGS newsletter is emailed on the 20th of each month. The content comes from various sources. If there is something that you would like to see in our newsletters, let us know. Email Pat Gessner, VP-Membership at [email protected]
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Have you looked at our Facebook page?
Cathy Ivins, BCGS Director of Publicity, posts great genealogy information almost every day. Click here and take a look... www.facebook.com/bucksgen
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Membership Fees for One Year Membership
Individual: $20 Dual/Household: $35
Our membership fees help to pay for speakers, facility rental, website costs, insurance and more. Membership in BCGS is on a rolling basis and lasts one year from the month you join. Won't you join and help us continue to grow?
Member Benefits - with more to come: - Discount on Society educational programs and events.
- Members can have their surnames posted on our website with a link to the member's email address.
- Members-Only section of the BCGS website. Participate in discussion forums, share files, photos, and information with other members; see members' favorite genealogical websites and contribute your own.
- Meeting handouts are available to members unable to attend the Society's regular monthly meetings.
- GenealogyBank: 20% ($14) discount - members may subscribe for $55.95 per year.
- Fold3: 37% ($30) discount - members may subscribe for $49.95 per year.
- Saving Memories Forever: 12% discount - members may receive a one-year premium subscription for $35.00.
- Dell Purchase Program: provides discounts on products sold through the Dell website to FGS member societies' members, their families, and their friends. BCGS is a member of FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) and the discounts are available to our members.
Join or renew by mail using our membership application/renewal form, on line on the Society's website via PayPal or by paying with cash or check at our next meeting.If you have questions, please contact: [email protected]
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YOUR QUERY HERE
Would you like your research query posted in our newsletter? Just send your query to [email protected] and we will include it next month.
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More information about us:
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