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. Return to the WakeCoGen Website

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 Har...

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. Return to the WCGS Website

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. Return to the WCGS Website

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 Return to the WakeCoGen Website

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. Return to the WakeCoGen Website

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.