Upchurch & Allied Families Newsletter - Dec 2019

For those following UAFA, click thru the link for the latest news.

Upchurch & Allied Families Newsletter - Dec 2019

Topics include:
Open House in Cary, Dec 19
Upchurch Enclaves
Ancestry Says, “Your Privacy is Our Top Priority”
Retiree Gift
 AS MEMORY DIMS—A Poem By Dr. Robert Phillip Upchurch


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Wake Wednesday - Saving Oberlin

"Oberlin was not part of Raleigh. It was a proud freestanding, self-sufficient community of former slaves, free blacks, and their descendants, founded after the Civil War. In 1914, a New York newspaper described Oberlin as 'a unique little village of nearly twelve hundred inhabitants. The neat-looking buildings are artistically painted, and the front yards are planted with rose bushes and other shrubberies.' Oberlin actually surpassed Raleigh on some measures of homeownership and education."

Visit the N&O for Myrick Howard's account of saving the Hall House and the Graves home, formerly known as Oakcrest and the families they housed.


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Online Learning Opportunity - DNA Day, December 7

Florida State Genealogical Society will offer a Fall Virtual DNA Conference on Saturday, Dec 7 from 9am until 4:30pm EST. Five speakers, five sessions. (On demand viewing available with registration for two weeks after the live sessions.)

Speakers include;
Blaine Bettinger
Diahan Southard
Angie Bush
Mary Eberle
Judy G. Russell

Visit FlSGS for pricing and details here.

Looks like a great way to get smarter with out even leaving your sofa!



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November update from Upchurch and Allied Families.

Attention all Upchurches and kin -

Visit the link for the latest news, including details on the Dec. 19  Open House in Cary, a really great covered wagon story from Robert Harrell Upchurch and a really wonderful Thanksgiving memory from Cindy Hale.

https://uafaupchurchandalliedfamilies.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Nov2019Newsletter.pdf

The new newsletter format is really attractive. Great job from Cindy Hale.


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Three Preservation NC Events in early November

From the Preservation NC website:

FALL SYMPOSIUM 2-day educational event at Shaw University filled with speakers and topics related to the headquarters renovation project. November 7-8, Raleigh. Dix Park and Historic Oberlin Village tours are also part of the symposium. Prices vary, registration required. Click HERE for more or to register.

HISTORIC BLOUNT STREET TOUR & RECEPTION Get social with us and tour several of the newly renovated grand old houses of Blount Street, including: Norris House, Lewis-Smith House, Higgs-Coble-Helms House, Lamar-Brown-Arthur House and more! November 7, 6-9pm. $40 per person, registration required.  Click HERE for more or to register.

OPEN HOUSE TOUR of NEW HQ  - November 17, 1-5pm. $10 suggested donation at the door.
Tour the newly restored Hall and Graves houses.

source

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Official Transcription Session Dates for 2019

TRANSCRIPTION RETREATS

WCGS is pleased to host the following transcription events to be held at Olivia Raney Local History Library at 4016 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC from 10:30 am – 12:30pm:

▪ Saturday, October 19, 2019
▪ Saturday, November 16, 2019
▪ Saturday, December 14, 2019
▪ Dates for 2020 events TBD

These events are not educational workshops, but time set aside for us to work together on transcription projects to benefit either the WCGS journal, Wake Treasures, or your own research. You can bring your own photocopies or digital files of documents or records needing transcription. We will also provide photocopies and digital files of Wake County-related records needing transcription.
These transcriptions will be used in future issues of Wake Treasures.

Need a refresher on how to properly transcribe a set of records for genealogical research and analysis? This video was recorded by past President Diane L. Richard and provides excellent instruction:

VIDEO LINK: Accurate Transcriptions for Historical Records: https://www.ncgenealogy.org/accurate-transcriptions-historical-records/

Questions about providing transcriptions or articles for Wake Treasures? Email Journal@wakecogen.org
Questions about WCGS or these events in general? Email President@wakecogen.org


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Look for more Transcriptions Time from Wakecogen

Update:
New dates for Transcriptions Parties this fall - all on Saturdays 10:30-12:30 at Olivia Raney Library.

October 19

November 16

December 14

Original story:
We had such a great turnout for our recent Transcription Workshop on June 29. Results were so positive that more transcription events will be planned for the future. If you love old documents and the wonderful unexpected discoveries within, you will want to join us. Stay tuned for more info.

Here are the attendees getting some video instruction prior to starting our transcriptions. 

Photo: Monique Bunch

Photo: Monique Bunch

Photo: Monique Bunch

Here is the cool deed that I got to work with that day. This is the original that dates back to 1796. Full of long S's (fs) and thence's! Definitely white glove work.

Thanks to Diane Richard for the video and allowing Wakecogen to host on our website. It is on our home page after you scroll down to the end of the page.

Come join us!

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Latest Newsletter - Wake Genealogy Watch - Fall 2019 now available

The new Fall 2019 issue of Wake Genealogy Watch (Vol. 3 Issue 1), is now available online for reading or download. 

This issue contains the following topics:

• Use WorldCat to find old and not-so-old books to enhance your research
• Create an art quilt to celebrate a favorite ancestor
• Enrich the context of your ancestors life and times by visiting a historical reenactment
• Transcription Time Sessions for Fall
• A very full events calendar
• Underused records for researching your elder Revolutionary War era ancestors
• AncestryDNA power tools for sorting your no tree/private tree matches

View and download your copy of the Fall 2019 Wake Genealogy Watch here.

Or, click this newsletter page link to view this and all past newsletter content.

Photo Note: When reading from a printed copy, please refer back to the online edition where you can enlarge the photos for better viewing. 

We welcome your feedback, input, and submissions for inclusions in future editions. Please address all concerns to newsletter@wakecogen.org.

Notice: Raleigh Family History Center closed September 21- 28

The Raleigh Family History Center will be closed September 21-28th due to the Raleigh North Carolina Temple Open House. If you were planning a research trip to RFHC, add these dates to your calendar. 

For more Information visit RHFC. https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/raleigh-north-carolina-temple/




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Great Learning Opportunities for New and Newly Interested Genealogists

There are some excellent classes and opportunities offered around Wake County this fall. First up, is this great series offered by Wake County Public Libraries and taught by members of our own WCGS.

The topics will vary by library. Please consult individual libraries for details. These presentations are free. See flyer below.

Other opportunities exist as well. Raleigh Senior TechEd will offer multiple series of genealogy content this fall including a five part series on using Ancestry.com from starting to research and build a tree, to working with DNA results. Also offered, Genealogy Basics, Library & Archive Research, and Organization Tools. Consult the Raleigh Senior TechEd schedule here for dates and pricing.

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DNA Q&A Handouts here

We had a great time and a good turnout at our August DNA Q&A meeting. 

Handouts for the meeting are located on the Wakecogen publication page:

DNA Q&A slides

DNA and Family History handout (provided by Kathy Ruse)

All handouts from our Summer 2019 DNA series can be reviewed by clicking the Summer of DNA tab above or going directly to the Wakecogen website publication page

Photos will be uploaded soon.

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Wake Wednesday - Hardimont

I remember the huge mansion off Wake Forest Road just before you get to the Beltline. It used to fascinate me when we first moved to Raleigh in the 70s. Of course, this spot held other significance for Wake County and North Carolina, but I will get to that later...

source

"On the estate to the other side, the matriarch was even older, and of even a higher level of artistocracy, and she lived in a house so big it had its own name — Hardimont. Margie Biggs was the widow of James Crawford Biggs, who, in addition to serving as dean of UNC’s law school and being founder of the state’s bar association, served as solicitor general under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Inside the country manor home, when her husband was still alive, they entertained the likes of FDR, Adlai Stevenson and William Jennings Bryan, and held large and lavish parties, it is said, that featured silver service for up to 500 people."

Visit this blogpost for a great account of Margie Biggs and Hardimont.

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Reciprocal Journals available at Tuesday night's meeting

The following journals were received by Wakecogen within the last month.

Rowan - June 2019,
Alleghany - Summer 2019
Broad River - Aug 2019
Wilson - Aug 2019


***Please note*** as our location is changing in prep for ORL renovation, Linda Hames (Correspondence Secretary), will have these available for review at our next meeting at Cameron Village Regional Library.

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Wake Wed - Bloomsbury Park c.1912

Bloomsbury Park once hosted a roller coaster and a carousel. Both are shown in the photo below.

source

Bloomsbury Park was built in 1912 as the last stop on the Glenwood Trolley line. The park was the finest amusement destination in Raleigh for almost a decade. By 1920, its popularity had waned. Perhaps the stress of the war and the Spanish Flu epidemic had stolen residents attention for more practical pursuits.

Bloomsbury Park is just a distant memory now, but portions of it remain for those nostalgic for old Raleigh lore. The carousel is easy to find, now restored and residing at Pullen Park. The other fixtures - the roller coaster, the trolley stop, and the dance pavilion - require a keener eye. Thankfully, Heather Leah, has that keen eye and has done the exploring for us. Please take a minute to read her article for ABC11 news. You will be glad you did.

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August Events Update

Several events of note happening in the next few weeks:

This coming Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9-12 @ Edgecombe Community College, Historic Preservation Program offers a Census records workshop with focus on population, agriculture, mortality, and industrial records and finding valuable clues within. Contact ECC HPP for fees and details, (252) 618-6653.

Next Tuesday, Aug. 27,Wake County Genealogical Society meeting and presentation.  6:30pm-8:15pm @ Cameron Village Regional Library. Topic: DNA Q& A. Details on WakeCoGen homepage.

Sept 4. NCGS Live Webinar: Mysterious Relatives. Speaker: Ari Wilkins. 7pm. (NCGS members only) Details

Sept. 7 & 8, Wake county Libraries, Oasis Spaces- NC Green Book Project. See this post for details.

Return to the WakeCoGen Website

Event Notice: Green Book Project Lecture Sept 7 and Sept 8

This lecture will occur twice in early September. Olivia Raney Local History Library will host from 11am - 1:30pm on September 7. Richard B. Harrison Library will host from 2pm - 4pm on Sunday, September 8.

DNA Handout for July WCGS meeting - WATO tool

Presented by Jean Lansford, July 23, 2019

We had a great turnout and a powerhouse DNA topic! Thanks, Jean.

The full handout will be published at the WCGS website shortly. Our webmaster is traveling.  In the meantime the links here will get you started.

Links 

Science the Heck Out of Your DNA Series, Leah LaPerle Larkin, The DNA Geek
 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki 

Tools at DNAPainter

WATO Tree Template

GreenShot Screen Shot and Image Editor

Demo

This includes the slides from the presentation. It will walk you thru the process.
Check here: Summer of DNA (2019) Handouts

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Followup to Leeds Color Sorting DNA Matches presentation WCGS - June 25

Followup to last weeks Leeds presentation - 

In my effort to cover the topic in the time allowed, I was using a very simplified data set that was edited (think one of those home shows) for time. 

If you are trying to create your own spreadsheet from memory of my steps, take heart, Dana Leeds will walk you thru in her blog posts (Links in the handout and here). 

I wish you much fun and success. As always start small and give yourself permission to start over when you start to get the hang of it.

 https://www.danaleeds.com/leeds-method-dna/

I like this description too.

https://www.yourdnaguide.com/leeds-method

Good luck with your DNA Match sorting!

Cyndi Deal


PS - Also, keep watching the Summer of DNA link at the top of the blog home page. All handouts and links will be posted there for reference.

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Rescheduled Olive Family Reunion - September 2019 - Details within

If you are a member of the James Olive family association and planned to attend the reunion last year only to be foiled by a hurricane, here is your chance to regroup and regather.

Here is an excerpt of the Olive Branches newsletter with a brief description:

click to view original size

If you need more information, you can check their Facebook group or send me a message I have pdf files of the newsletter and the pre-registration sheet.

Reunion is Sept. 27-29 in Williamsburg.

DNA Handout #3 from June WCGS meeting - Things you can do with your autosomal DNA results

 This handout was curated and created by Cini Gage. She wanted to share some of the many tools that we have been working with over the last couple of years. Please click on the images to view a larger version. This was formatted as a landscape spreadsheet and requires screenshots to get it to fit blog format.

Things you can do with your autosomal DNA results

click to see larger size

DNA Handout #2 from June WCGS meeting - Leeds Color Matching

Leeds Color Matching Sorting Method for atDNA Matches
Presenter: Cyndi Deal

DNA with DANA LEEDS - blog for Color Clustering Matches - https://dnawithdana.com

¡  1) DNA Color Clustering: The Leeds Method for Easily Visualizing Matches

¡  2) DNA Color Clustering: Identifying “In Common” Surnames

¡  3) DNA Color Clustering: Does it Work with 4th Cousins?

¡  4) DNA Color Clustering: Dealing with 3 Types of Overlap

¡  5) Check Your Work! (The “How”)

¡  6) 7 Organization Tips for Your DNA Color Cluster Chart

Dana Leeds’ Presentation at I4GG2018

¡  Creating and Analyzing Genetic Networks with a Spreadsheet - Dana Leeds ($)

http://i4gg.org/conference-videos/

Color and Tag with Ancestry’s new features –

·        Video from Blaine Bettinger - Sub-Clustering Your Shared Matches at AncestryDNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ApidzEyA_k

Other Blogs and Work Groups

¡  Roberta Estes blog post,  The Leeds Method

https://dna-explained.com/2018/09/26/the-leeds-method/

¡  Roberta Estes blog post, Painting Leeds matches to DNAPAINTER (using matches with chromosome data)

https://dna-explained.com/2018/10/02/dnapainter-painting-leeds-method-matches

¡  Diahan Southard blog post, Organizing Matches with Leeds

https://www.yourdnaguide.com/leeds-method/

¡  Facebook Workgroup – Genetic Genealogy Tips and Techniques  >> search “Leeds” in box on left sidebar

https://www.facebook.com/groups/geneticgenealogytipsandtechniques

Preprinted worksheet for Leeds Method

¡  https://memoriesintime.co.nz/collections/family-history/products/dna-match-leeds-method-worksheet

DNA Match Manager

¡  https://heirloomsoftware.com/dna-match-manager/

Conditional Formatting “recipe”  -  Included in handout

Gather Matches for excel the Fast way

DNA Match Manager

•        https://heirloomsoftware.com/dna-match-manager/

•        Free, Fast

•        Works with all main test sites and GedMatch

•        Creates csv files that you can save in Excel

DNA Match Manager

Color match options – Easy vs. Power tools

Format Cell color

Right click on cell> choose fill tool (Paint bucket)> Choose color. This is simple and works, but you can’t sort it.

“Recipe” for Conditional Formatting in Excel

Home tab on Excel task Ribbon> Conditional Formatting dropdown> New Rule> 2^nd option: format only cells that contain> fill “cell value” and define a color.
Power Tool option: Allows you to sort columns into associated family lines when they become apparent.

My Latest leeds effort

Using Power Tools:

¡  Match Manager data

¡  Conditional Formatting

¡  Color Code the starting match

¡  Rearranging the Columns as family lines become apparent

This shows how my process has evolved since first Leeds chart example that I shared with you. You can see that I have been moving the columns around as their connections become obvious.

Final Step, transfer this valuable info to your AncestryDNA match Page. Color code and Tag your matches with Ancestry’s new features. See Blaine Bettinger video (link on Resource page).

DNA Handout #1 from June 2019 WCGS Meeting - Evaluating your atDNA Matches

Presented and prepared by Sallie Szymczyk

Evaluating Your atDNA Matches

WCGS

June 25,2019

Use a unique username

Open a new e-mail account

Provide at least a skeleton tree

Start with your closest matches to determine which side of your family they are on

Look at available trees for hints

Look for common surnames and locations

Check to see if your match has posted to a message board

Use the “Shared Matches” tool on Ancestry, the “In Common With” tool on FTDNA or “shared DNA Matches” on My Heritage

Determine Paternal or Maternal match

Make a spread sheet to keep track of your findings

Contact your matches with an “informed” e-mail – Do your home workReturn to the WakeCoGen Website

Upcoming Events - Busy WCGS schedule for Summer!

WCGS Members and Wake researchers!  It’s going to be a great summer of genealogy starting with these upcoming events:

June 29, 2019:  Transcription Workshop at Olivia Raney Library. 10am – noon. More info here.

July 2, 2019:  Family Tree Maker is coming to Raleigh!  WCGS will partner with FTM for an evening of great information on using FTM, upcoming upgrade, and much more. 7pm – 9pm. More info here.

WCGS Summer of DNA – don’t miss out on 3 great programs we’ll offer over the summer geared toward beginner and intermediate skill levels.

June 25, 2019:  Make Your Autosomal DNA Matches Work for You in two parts: Get Familiar with Your Shared Matches and Sort Shared Matches along family lines with Leeds Color Matching process. Olivia Raney Local History Library in Raleigh, NC refreshments at 6:30, program starts at 7pm.

July 23, 2019: Use Science to Refine the Placement of Autosomal Matches Into Your Tree: An introduction to the “What are the Odds” tool at DNAPainter.com.  Olivia Raney Local History Library in Raleigh, NC refreshments at 6:30, program starts at 7pm.

August 27, 2019: Autosomal DNA Q&A Panel group. Submit your questions with contact info, question and sketch of the relationship in question by July 25. The sketch (nothing fancy is needed!) will help us with context. Submit to Newsletter@wakecogen.org.  Cameron Village Regional Library in Raleigh, NC starting at 7pm.

Just starting out with DNA?  You’ll find lots of great resources to help you master the basics in these articles from a previous DNA presentation. We especially recommend the Blaine Bettinger video series at Legacy Webinars. DNA links and reading list on WCGS blog.

Haven't tested yet but want to play along?  There is still plenty of time! This progress tracker will guide you thru the steps and get you started so you can be ready for our Summer of DNA!  Progress Tracker for DNA Study. Work the progress tracker, then the reading list. Both of these study aids live on the WCGS blog so you can reference them any time you like.

Questions? Email CarlaStancil@gmail.com

See you there!

Carla Stancil

President, Wake County Genealogical Society