Wake County Genealogical Society Blog: 2026

Monday, January 5, 2026

Search Past Issues of the Wake Genealogy Watch Newsletter!

I have a little New Years surprise for you! I needed to find a previously written article last week. After nearly 10 years of writing this newsletter, I could not find it to save me! My frustration led to the creation of this Cumulative Index for Wake Genealogy Watch 2017-2026. It is arranged by issue and searchable. You can use the categories to get you started or try any search term you like. The Search feature is in the Tool Menu at the upper left. The size can be increased using the plus in the gray bar.

Each article is linked to its issue. You can view it by clicking the "volume.issue" link. Note the page number before you leave and find it in the issue!

I hope it helps you find an article you wanted to revisit but forgot.

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Wake Genealogy Watch - Winter 2026, 9.2 - Live now!

The Winter 2026 issue (Vol. 9, Issue 2) of our award-winning newsletter, Wake Genealogy Watch, is now available online for reading or download. Visit the WCGS website or click here: Wake Genealogy Watch, Winter 2026

This issue includes:

Recap and photos of our Fall 2025 events
News from the NCGS Fall Conference
A house history from WCGS member Gayle Williams focusing on history, genealogy and evolution of building materials through 200 years of maintenance and preservation
A revisit of the WCGS Surname Search feature at our website
A fantastic workflow for identifying and researching your Revolutionary Ancestors
Our winter calendar of upcoming events
A new cumulative index to all published issues of Wake Genealogy Watch

Dive in and explore all the resources and stories designed to enrich your genealogy journey. Be sure to visit the last page for the link to the index!

Photo Note: If you choose to read a printed version of this newsletter, some of the photos will be difficult to view due to size constraints. Please refer to the online edition where you can enlarge the photos to accommodate better viewing.

Click this newsletter page link to view this and all past newsletter content.

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

Friday, January 2, 2026

Genealogy Resolutions for 2026

Have you made any Genealogy Resolutions yet?

I haven't specifically, but I recently got caught up in an effort to identify any ancestors that would be Revolutionary War Patriots. It looks like that is becoming my resolution! Watch for more on that in the next issue of the Wake Genealogy Watch newsletter that will publish shortly.

If you haven't made your resolutions yet, you might like to try one or both of these ideas from Connie Knox. Each is inspired by her latest videos.

Resolution #1 - Adopt a comprehensive and consistent workflow that is informed by the Genealogy Proof Standard. (Don't panic, she has a template for that.) Her plan is covered in this video and she has even made it easy to know what you are looking for and remember where you found it. If you are intrigued, watch Research Notes Updated for 2026 - Game Changer for Family History Brick Walls

ai image generated with Gemini Nano Banana

Resolution #2 - Create an online storage system (with automatic backups) for your genealogy research logs, photos, documents, media, etc. that you can access from any of your devices - PC, laptop, tablet, and/or phone. Going online immediately makes you more efficient since you can research from wherever you happen to be when the mood or opportunity arises. Watch New Workflow for 2026 - Avoiding Disaster

Whether you decide to go all in on research notes or you dream of seamless access to your genealogy on all your devices, I hope you have great success with your New Years Resolution.

Happy New Year!

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