Our October Meet-up event at the Apex FamilySearch Center was well attended by ten inquisitive WCGS members. The award for farthest traveled goes to new member, Nancy Coombs who drove up from South Carolina!  Barbara McGeachy's take-aways: FamilySearch offers free 30-minute virtual consultations. Sign up at https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/online-genealogy-help All FamilySearch Centers provide visiting researchers access to their twenty paid subscriptions. If you subscribed to each as an individual, it would cost over $2,500! The list includes MyHeritage, Ancestry, Fold3, American Ancestors, Find My Past, Goldie May, Newspaper Archives, and lots more that I never heard of! ( See the full list here. Scroll down to Premium Websites.)  When you use Full Text Search and find something useful, download it immediately! Every time you search, you'll get different results because they continually update the site. The Apex center offers genealogy classes the first and 3rd Satur...

Have you spent much time working with your DNA matches using Ancestry Clusters? Ancestry Custom Cluster - UnknownMatch LD, gather = 20-70cms. Red square includes known clusters, Lower right cluster is consists of unknowns. The clustering tool* is part of the add-on Ancestry Pro Tools subscritption . If you are working to validate your research or break through any major brick walls, this tool can be very helpful. If you choose to use the cluster tool, you may want to take a passing glance at your large personal cluster map for familiarity, but then take a look at the custom cluster layouts to work with specific lines and questions. I confess that, as offered, I have found both of these tools a bit awkward. If you worked with the standard cluster map of your ancestors, you have likely realized how much information is provided on one screen. It is useful, but it is large and like eating the proverbial elephant. If you have followed the Ancestry suggestion when creating custom cl...

For those following along, here is the latest Upchurch and Allied Families Association Newsletter. October 2026  - Features include family history preservation and a focus article on Edward Gray Upchurch of Alabama and California, founder of the Commercial Tire Company (1924). View past UAFA newsletters here Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website - Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Wake Genealogy Watch Newsletter | WCGS Facebook | Wake Cemetery Survey Images | Resources |  Contact - info(at)wakecogen(dot)org

**This announcement is information only. The event is hosted by the Wake Forest Genealogy Club . Announcement per WFGC: The Wake Forest Genealogy Club at the Senior Center is hosting a Family History Month Celebration this Wednesday, Oct 14, and on Wednesday, Oct 28.  We are holding an "open house" type deal for folks to come by and find out more about genealogy, do some genealogy help with them and encourage them to join the Genealogy Club at WF Senior Center.  We have free handouts for them and several volunteers to assist them with questions. Feel free to stop by -- the Wake Forest Senior Center on E. Holding Road in Wake Forest from 10am-1pm on October 14  and from 1-4pm on October 28.  Questions - contact Jennie Gunther (jengunther@bellsouth.net) for more details. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website - Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Wake Genealogy Watch Newsletter | WCGS Facebook | Wake Cemetery Survey Images | Resources |  Contact...

RootsTech is fast becoming the largest genealogy conference event of every year with topics focused on all aspects of genealogy research and family history preservation - from the basics to Artificial Intelligence, to DNA. Whether you need instructions in metes and bounds, help with unfamiliar family locations or ideas for creating a family history story that will draw in your whole tribe, you will find help at RootsTech.  Early bird pricing for in-person attendance is available now. Virtual attendance is free and includes access to their ever-expanding learning library (dating back to 2019 ). Visit the Rootstech 2027 page to check out the class and speaker lists. This year's keynote speakers are Jane Seymour (actress, philanthropist) and Cece Moore a well known genetic genealogist who has taught us much about DNA and its use in law enforcement as well as spending 13 seasons as the genetic genealogist for the Finding Your Roots show on PBS. You can read more about both keynote sp...

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the newly updated Wake County Genealogical Society website!  You’ll still find us at the same familiar address: www.wakecogen.org . The biggest improvement is one you may notice right away: the website now adapts more easily to the device you’re using, whether you’re visiting from a computer, tablet, or phone.  While the site has a fresh look and some updated organization, all the WCGS information and resources you rely on are still there: Upcoming WCGS meetings, programs, and educational events Access to past issues of the journal and newsletter Wake County Cemetery Survey Wake County Genealogy Watch Society news and information Members-only resources, including recordings and handouts from past meetings and programs Jump right in!   Our updated website also reflects the continuing growth of WCGS as an educational resource for genealogists. While preserving and sharing Wake County history remains an important part of who we are, ou...

Excerpts from  the Ancestry announcement  about this record set -  These records were "Created after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade but prior to emancipation, these registers documented and tracked the former legally enslaved people in the British Colonies." They span years from 1813-1840 and "detail enslaved individuals across 20 former British colonies including Jamaica, Barbados, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and the Cape of Good Hope." "Unlike many documents from this era, the Former British Colonies Enslavement Registers include details like names, ages, family relationships, places of origin, and life events." There is a short introduction video at the announcement page hosted by Nicka Sewell-Smith. There is also a lengthy blog post at Ancestry that provides instruction on record types, information held in the records and tips of overcoming stumbling blocks within. The post also includes guidance on dealing with emotions that may come from t...

It was a busy weekend for learning and reconnecting with fellow genealogists last week when the NC Genealogical Society held court at McKimmon Center in Raleigh for the two day 2026 Fall Conference on September 18 and 19. The featured speaker was the Legal Genealogist - Judy Russell. She was joined by 24 expert genealogy researchers,  writers, archivists, librarians, and historians. There was much to share and much to be learned. Here are photos shared by members of the festivities and activities.  Clockwise from top left - Kathy Ruse and sister-in-law attend together every year;  WCGS members turn out for our alumni speaker Diane Richard; The WCGS info table in fine form manned by Cynthia Gage and Carla Stancil; Monica Fleming and Cynthia Gage compare notes with featured speaker Judy Russell.  Photos by Cynthia Gage, Carla Stancil, and Jennie Gunther.   Click image to view larger. Left to right lower images -Diane Richard commands attention as she sh...

The Family History Group hosted by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is run by  our own WCGS President Barbara McGeachy. She wants to let you know that there is still time to join OLLI and take advantage of this study group this year. The topic for the first meeting was a presentation by Cynthia Gage on finding WW2 records in Federal Repositories. (Was it a preview of the upcomming WCGS meeting on Oct. 27?) Message from Barbara -  We are OLLI members researching our own family history - beginner to advanced. We meet once a month on the second Friday morning both in the McKimmon Center and on Zoom. We discuss our research, learn about upcoming local events, share tips, ask questions, and hear a presentation from a member or guest. This group is free to members of OLLI at NCSU. For details visit   https://olli.lifelonglearning.ncsu.edu/      More topics planned for the 2026-2027 season:      Mining digital records at federal repositories ...