September 2013 Evening Meeting

Be sure to join us at the Elgin Genealogical Society"s evening meeting this Thursday night, September 19. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm at the Gail Borden Public Library at 270 N Grove in Elgin, Illinois. We are looking forward to the presentation by Elgin Historian Steve Stroud regarding Elgin Cemeteries.

Cemeteries are favorite haunts for us as genealogists. Why not come out and learn about our local sites?

Hope to see you there.

~ Becky

As first announced at the FGS 2013 Conference last month, the Federation of Genealogical Societies announced a new member benefit: discounts on technology purchases through the Dell Member Purchase Program. Simply visit the Dell website at http://www.dell.com/mpp/FGS or call 1 (800) 695-8133 and start shopping! You'll need this ID once you are ready to purchase: SS131372490. You'll find amazing discounts on more than just laptop, tables and desktop computers. You can shop for printers, cameras, smartphones and even televisions with big savings! You'll find Dell brands as well as Samsung, Nikon, Canon, Microsoft, and more. Visit the Dell site today and look for exclusive deals just for FGS members and friends. And as a member of the Dell Purchase Program you always save an extra 5% on all Dell brand electronics and accessories. I mentioned this at the morning meeting but didn't have the details. Here they are. Happy Shopping!

EGS August evening meeting 2013

Sorry this is a bit late but we're hoping everyone can join us this evening at 7:00 at the Gail Borden Public Library  at 270 N Grove in Elgin. Cheryl Waterman will be presenting Researching Pension Records in the National Archives. Come and learn the hows, whys, and wherefores of finding these important records at our National Archives.

Pension records can provide information about your veteran ancestors and the their families you may never have dreamed of. More than just facts and dates, these records often provide intimate details you may not find anywhere else.

Hope to see you there,

~Becky

August Morning Meeting Presents Evidentia

Join us Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 9:30 at the Gail Borden Public Library for our monthly morning meeting.

This month we will be looking at a different type of genealogy software. Rather than another family database, like Family Tree Maker, Legacy, Roots Magic, and such, this software, Evidentia, is designed to assist the genealogist in accomplishing the five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS):

1.       A reasonably exhaustive search

2.       Complete and accurate source citations

3.       Analysis and correlations of the collected information

4.       Resolutions of any conflicting evidence

5.       S soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion.

Evidentia is the creation of Ed Thompson, a software developer and genealogist. He wrote the program, and has been improving it along the way, when he became aware of the need from other genealogists and realized he needed it as well.

Evidentia is a wonderful tool which helps the user “properly analyze their sources, account for discrepancies, and capture their conclusions.”  Using the various reports can help the user determine what and where additional research is needed. Taking a good hard look at what evidence one has can lead a researcher to other sources necessary for a knowledgeable conclusion.

I’m looking forward to this opportunity to show this new way to review genealogy information and share my experiences using it.

Hope to see you there

~Becky Higgins 

July 2nd Morning Meeting

Please join us for our July morning meeting this coming Tuesday! You may be travelling out of the area for the holiday and, if so, we will miss you. If you happen to be travelling in our area for the holiday, we'd love to see you! If, like me, you won't be travelling at all, make your Tuesday special and join us for a time of genealogical education and fellowship.

Our speaker on Tuesday July 2 will be Sarah Kirby. Her program, "Beyond the Begats: Adding Biographical Detail to Your Genealogy" will begin after the business meeting and our usual break for snacks. The business meeting starts at 9:30 am in the Community Rooms at the Gail Borden Library. Visitors are always welcome. We hope to see you there.

~ Becky

Free Military Records

FYI: Ancestry has announced military records on its site will be free now (May 23, 2013) through Memorial Day (May 27, 2013).

Good Hunting!!

~Becky

EGS May 7th meeting with Jennifer Holik

The EGS morning meeting on May 7 at 9:30 am at Gail Borden Public Library welcomes Jennifer Holik as our speaker. Through her program "Finishing The Story"she will demonstrate military records that add details about the service and death of soldiers of World War I and World War II. Jennifer will use case studies of her own ancestors.

Jennifer Holik is a genealogical research professional and the owner of Generations and co-founder of The In-Depth Genealogist. Jennifer has over twenty years of research and writing experience. She has authored articles for local and national genealogical publications; authored and published a set of kids' genealogy curriculum books in 2012; is an Expert Author for Archives.com; and writes for several blogs. 

Be sure to join us for an exciting and interesting morning.

~Becky