September promises to be a busy month for Maine genealogists, especially “Yours truly.” There are two conferences (I will be presenting at the first) and I will also begin teaching an eight-week adult ed. course on Beginning Internet Genealogy.
It has been seven years since a genealogical workshop has been held in Washington County but the dry spell is about to end. Three Dover-Foxcroft genealogists, Jack and Nancy Battick, and I, as well as the Bangor Daily’s Roxanne Moore Saucier, will be among the presenters.
The Washington County Historical and Genealogical Society working in conjunction with the University of Maine at Machias Sunrise Senior College, the Washington County Courthouse Archives Committee and the Hannah Weston Chapter, DAR, WCH&GS will hold the workshop on Saturday, Sept. 15 at UMaine-Machias. I will be providing a 45-minute presentation on Internet Genealogy.
Other topics include: Basic Genealogy and Keeping Your Records, Maine Libraries, Research in Maine and Research in Washington County.
Pre-registration by Friday, Sept. 5th is encouraged with a fee of $10, while registration at the door will be $15. Pre-registration and any questions may be directed to Valdine Atwood, 17 Colonial Way, Machias 04654. Attendees planning to have lunch at UMM Kilburn Common are asked to so designate when registering.
The final September genealogy offering is the annual Maine Genealogical Society’s (MGS’s) Fall Conference, to be held this year in Brewer, Saturday, Sept. 22. The keynote address by Ted Steele is titled “Family Stories: Did It Really Happen That Way?” As a family searcher often led astray by family stories, I know how valuable his insight can be.
The other presentations of the day include: Using a Library Effectively, Using Tax Records In Genealogy, Genealogy and the Law, Genealogical Holdings of the Maine State Library, Using Gazetteers and Maps in Your Genealogical Research, and Maine Horse Soldiers in the Civil War.
The MGS Conference will be held at Jeff’s Catering, 15 Littlefield Way, Brewer. Registration is needed by Sept. 15 to reserve your space. You can get the form and other information at http://conference.maineroots.org/index.php/registration-form .
Genealogy is, in its essence, all about people. These offerings are a great chance to interact with others who are interested in family research, or perhaps to bring along someone who you think might enjoy it if they tried it. Involving other people is the most rewarding aspect of family history research. Hope to see you there!
Editor’s note: Columnist Nina Brawn of Dover-Foxcroft, who has been doing genealogy for over 30 years, is a freelance genealogy researcher, speaker and teacher. Reader e-mails are welcome at ninabrawn@gmail.com. The Aroostook County Genealogical Society meets the fourth Monday of the month except in July and December at the Cary Medical Center’s Chan Education Center, 163 Van Buren Road, Caribou, at 6:30 p.m. Guests and prospective members are always welcome. FMI contact Edwin “J” Bullard at 492-5501.
