Wake Genealogy Watch - Summer Edition

The new issue, Vol. 2 Issue 4 of Wake Genealogy Watch, is available and brings you informative topics and news of upcoming events to help enhance your genealogy skills over the hot summer season.  In this issue you will find an article by Cyndi Deal about her selection and use of a scanner which makes easy work of converting slides, negatives, and film into JPEGs for preserving and sharing photos.  She supplements this topic with a short discussion of her photo editing software and presents a few resources on how to date 19th century images. Cynthia Gage shares some newspaper resources that North Carolina residents can use from home with just their library card! Ted Bainbridge shares his analytical process using family lore, census records, and maps to help prove/disprove the story of one of his ancestors. 

The summer WGW issue also provides details on the June-August WCGS meeting theme, “Summer of DNA”.  And whether local or not, everyone can take advantage of the free webinars on “Tarheel” research by the late Helen Leary, our recognized expert on North Carolinian research.  

All these and many more recommendations and helpful hints from this WGW issue will keep you progressing and successful during the heat of summer!  As always we welcome your articles, comments, or other items for the newsletter, so please contact Cyndi at newsletter@wakecogen.org if you have something to share.

View past issues of our newsletter here.


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Upcoming Events at Wake County Genealogy Society - Summer of DNA

 WCGS Summer of DNA series focuses on Autosomal DNA. The series includes three programs geared toward beginner and intermediate skill levels. All will pick up a new trick or two. Topics are as follows:

June - Make Your Autosomal DNA Matches Work For You. 1) Get Familiar with Your Shared Matches, presenter - Sallie Szymczyk. 2) Sort Shared Matches along family lines with Leeds Color Matching process, presenter - Cyndi Deal.

July - Use Science to Refine the Placement of Autosomal Matches Into Your Tree. Introduction to the What are the Odds tool at DNAPainter.com, presenter - Jean Lansford.

August - Autosomal DNA Q&A Panel group. Submit your questions with contact info, question and drawing of the relationship in question by July 25. The drawing will help us with context (nothing fancy, a sketch will be fine). We will collect and cover as many as possible and may contact you for further clarification. Submit to Newsletter@wakecogen.org.

Just starting out and want to be up to speed by our summer meetings? You will find lots of resources to help you master the basics in this resource list from a previous DNA presentation. I especially like 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 time. This progress tracker will guide you through the steps and get you started so you can be ready for the summer meetings. Progress Tracker for DNA Study. Work the progress tracker and the reading list. Both of these study aids live on the WCGS blog so you can reference them any time you like.

Important Location Change: Starting with our August meeting and for the duration of the upcoming renovation of Olivia Raney Family History Library, WCGS will meet at the Cameron Village Library, 1930 Clark Ave, Raleigh, NC 27605. Meeting times and dates will remain the same. I can’t wait to see ORL’s new look.

Wake County Genealogical Society Announces Transcription Workshop on June 29

By popular request, WCGS is pleased to announce a 2-hour workshop for everyone interested in learning about transcribing historical documents.  This is a skill useful for both producing material for our Wake Treasures journal as well as for our own family history research.  

The program will consist of a presentation with tips and examples followed by a live hands-on transcription (with a buddy) session.  Coming to this workshop does not obligate you to participate in future sessions, but we are looking forward to possibly meeting on a regular basis to work together on transcriptions for our award winning journal, Wake Treasures.  Everyone is welcome! The workshop is FREE!

All skill levels are welcome!  Please bring a laptop to the session if you have one (not required).  You are welcome to remain in the library following the workshop for additional help or to do research. Olivia Raney library is open until 2pm on Saturdays.  If you have questions, please contact Carla Stancil at CarlaStancil@gmail.com

Date:  Saturday, June 29, 2019

Time:  10am – 12 noon ET

Where:  Olivia Raney Local History Library, Raleigh, NC

Hope to see you there!