Hartford 2007 e-zine #13
Permission to email, copy, and print it in part or whole is granted.
And don't forget to check out our NERGC 2007 blog at http://nergchartford2007.blogspot.com.
The blog will help you to get the most out of the conference and your research trip.
AN UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRATION CHAIR
A WARM WELCOME FROM THE VOLUNTEER CO-CHAIRS
PROGRAM SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS
DON’T MISS SUNDAY’S SESSION ON JONATHAN EDWARDS
WORKSHOP SLOTS STILL AVAILABLE BUT GOING FAST
WEIIIFM? ("WHAT ELSE IS IN IT FOR ME?”)
SOCIETY FAIR UPDATE
ANCESTORS ROAD SHOW CORRECTION
CT STATE LIBRARY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN CONFERENCE
EXTENDED HOURS AT CT STATE LIBRARY ON APRIL 25
GOT WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT CONNECTIONS?
NOW IS THE TIME FOR NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY!
ABOUT THIS EZINE
AN UPDATE FROM THE REGISTRATION CHAIR
With two months still to go, we're up to over 450 registrations for the Conference! Also, we've received 23 Librarian's Day registrations to date. Still, there’s plenty of room for more!
Although the early registration deadline has passed, at $125 New England CONNECTions remains a bargain when compared to the registration fees for other conferences. Review the Registration Brochure and other information about the conference at www.nergc.org
Already registered for the conference but thinking about joining in on another luncheon, banquet or workshop? It’s not too late! Just send in a registration form with the words "ALREADY REGISTERED" at the top. Check off the meals, meal choices, and workshops you would like to add and send it to me, Mary Choppa, with your check or money order to the address indicated on the form. You'll receive an additional confirmation of added items.
The registration form is available online.
A WARM WELCOME (AND AN INVITATION) FROM THE VOLUNTEER CO-CHAIRS
Welcome to CT.
Welcome to Hartford.
Welcome to NERGC’s Hartford Conference, “New England CONNECTions”
Want to help folks feel connected, welcomed, appreciated?
A good place to start is by helping at the volunteer table.
Volunteers are critical to the success of our conferences and we need flexible, “can do” individuals to staff the Volunteer Table. The conference Information/Hospitality table will not be manned until Thursday, so on Wednesday, in addition to welcoming and orienting volunteers, the Volunteer Table will be the general everything table.
Janet Wallace, the Hospitality Chair, will provide some materials to assist with Wednesday’s hospitality/information component of the task, and the volunteer co-chairs will provide volunteer information and materials, but it is the PERSON, the PEOPLE, who will make this work. During less busy times the volunteer table host will be assisting with registration or other nearby tasks. Are you flexible? Are you a “can do” person? Do you have some time to volunteer for this critical opportunity?
Are you willing to be a host at the volunteer table? Help is needed Wednesday 8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.; Thursday 11:00 A.M. - 2:15 P.M. and 3:45 - 9:00 P.M.; Friday 7:30 A.M. - 11:30 P.M. and 1:30 - 7:30 P.M.; and Saturday 7:00 A.M. - 7:30 P.M. These hours have been tentatively broken down into two hours or less per time slot, but we’re flexible. Just tell us when you would like to volunteer and we’ll take it from there.
Contact the volunteer co-chairs:
Cheryl Willis Patten: cwpatten@localnet.com, Tel. (207) 634-2156 1161 East Pond Road, Smithfield, ME 04978
Pam Roberts: pamela.roberts@uconn.edu, Tel. (860) 429-8751 596 Gurleyville Rd., Storrs, CT 06268-1408
From time to time, the E-zine highlights one or more aspects of the program we think you will find particularly interesting.
Henry Z “Hank” Jones, Jr., FASG, one of our three featured speakers, was a film actor for 25 years, and his credits include eight Disney movies and many television shows. His background as an entertainer makes him a captivating lecturer. But beyond that, he has been a professional genealogist since 1965 and is a respected Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. He specializes in tracing 18th century German emigrants and is the author of The Palatine Families of Ireland, The Palatine Families of New York, More Palatine Families, Weesterwald to America, and Even More Palatine Families and his popular books, Psychic Roots and More Psychic Roots.
Hank’s lecture topics are “Tracing the Origins of Early 18th Century Palatine and Other Emigrants” (Session F-215) and “When The Sources Are Wrong!” (Session S-302). At Saturday evening’s banquet, sponsored by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, he’ll share his adventures behind the NBC-TV dramatization of his ground-breaking bestseller Psychic Roots and even more amazing serendipitous experiences contributed by genealogists worldwide for his sequel More Psychic Roots. You won’t want to miss this entertaining presentation!
Read more about Hank Jones on our featured speakers
Horace Waters, one of the speakers on the NARA track, will be presenting “Beyond the Census” (Session T-114) and “19th and Early 20th Century Crew Lists” (Session F-216). He has worked for the National Archives and Records Administration, Northeast Region, Waltham, MA, for four years. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. degree in Life Sciences, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A ninth-generation New Englander, he has 15 years experience with New England genealogical and historical records. He is a member of the NEHGS, NGS, and the Society of American Archivists. Our deep apologies to Horace for previous misspellings of his name.
DON’T MISS SUNDAY’S SESSION ON JONATHAN EDWARDS
In addition to the outstanding sessions that will be presented by our nationally known speakers, there are many others you won’t want to miss, including Special Session, S-401 on Sunday, 29 April 2007 sponsored by the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor.
In 1733, a religious revival began in Northampton, Massachusetts and was followed in 1739-1740 by the Great Awakening. During this time, Jonathan Edwards, a Connecticut native – father of twelve, preacher, scholar, missionary, and President of Princeton University -- preached his most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Rev. Söderberg will begin the session with a short introduction to Jonathan Edwards and this very famous sermon and then deliver the sermon in period costume.
Reverend Söderberg is a native New Englander, born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated Triton Regional High School in Byfield, Massachusetts in 1980 and was a drummer/songwriter for the next sixteen years. During this time, he was also employed by the United States Postal Service, ending up as a postmaster in Salisbury, Massachusetts. In 1997, he answered the call to pastoral ministry and entered seminary. He graduated from the ! Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies; American Christian College and Seminary with a bachelor's degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Religious Studies; and Bangor Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity degree. He served the Congregational Christian Council of Maine on the State Youth Ministries Committee 1998-2000; as a Summer Youth Camp Co-Director 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006; and as Vice Moderator 2004-2005. He has also served on the Nominating Committee of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches 2001-2003. After a nine year pastorate in Maine, on December 4, 2005 he was installed as the 17th Senior Minister of South Congregational Church, Hartford, Connecticut.
WORKSHOP SLOTS STILL AVAILABLE BUT GOING FAST
There are still openings in all our specialized workshops, but don’t delay – space is going fast. In the last E-zine, we mentioned Emery Roth’s Photoshop Elements workshops. Here are two more to consider.
Family History 101
On Thursday, April 26, Marcia Melnyk will present Family History 101, a beginner’s primer to genealogy. After outlining ways to get started, she’ll provide information on recording data, separating fact from fiction, and accessing places to locate records. Cost of the workshop is $35 and includes a copy of Marcia’s book, Family History 101.
Marcia is no stranger to the genealogical community – in New England and around the country. In recognition of her many accomplishments, in 2004 she was awarded NERGC’s Donna Holt Siemiatkoski Genealogy Volunteer of the Year Award, and the citation read in part, “Marcia Melnyk lucidly and enthusiastically shares her tremendous genealogical knowledge and expertise with beginners and experts alike. She has presented her extraordinary lectures to many organizations” and “Marcia Melnyk has made outstanding contributions to the field of genealogy through lectures, writing, and participation in and devotion to the organizations in which she has been involved.”
Locating Digitized Images Online
On Saturday, April 28, Laura G. Prescott will present Locating Digitized Images Online, an exploration of how and where to find digitized images and hidden treasures on websites across the Internet. Cost of the workshop is $30. Participants are required to bring their own laptop computer (either Windows or Macintosh) with a wireless internet card.
Laura will also be presenting “Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective on Thursday, April 26 (Session T-113).
Laura is a professional researcher, writer, and speaker who speaks to national audiences on the use of manuscripts in genealogical research, genealogy on the Internet, and computerized genealogy for Mac users. She writes for Ancestry and New England Ancestors magazines and is NERGC’s Webmaster and chair of the conference’s Librarians Day.
WEIIIFM? ("WHAT ELSE IS IN IT FOR ME?”)
Lots more is happening during the conference. The full program is available online at the Conference website (www.nergc.org
Society Fair Chair Nancy Pexa reports that the list of organizations booked for the Society Fair (Thursday, April 26, 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.) continues to grow!
The Coventry (Connecticut) Historical Society, Lebanon (Connecticut) Historical Society, Middlesex (Connecticut) Genealogical Society, Indian & Colonial Research Center (Old Mystic, Connecticut), and the Genealogical Society of Rockland, County, New York will all be represented. Also, look for tables hosted by the Avery Family Association, the Harriman Family Association, the Welles Family Association, and the Roberts Reunion Association [Descendants of William Watson and Nancy Hoyt (Bean) Roberts].
Remember, the Society Fair is open to the general public at no cost so that anyone can “CONNECT” with society representatives, pick up brochures and registration material, or perhaps even make a more permanent connection by joining the group.
ANCESTORS ROAD SHOW CORRECTION
The Ancestors Road Show will take place until 5 P.M. on both Friday and Saturday during the conference, not until 6 P.M. as previously reported.
CT STATE LIBRARY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN CONFERENCE
Members of the Connecticut State Library staff are playing key roles in organizing the conference, with Richard Roberts, Unit Head of the History and Genealogy Unit serving as Conference Co-Chair and Jeannie Sherman, also of H&G running the conference blog.
Speakers representing the State Library are Nancy Peluso of the State Library’s Government Information Services Unit, and Carol Ganz, Kevin Johnson, and Richard Roberts of the History and Genealogy Unit. On Thursday morning, Nancy Peluso will present “Government Secrets: Discovering Genealogical Resources in Federal, State, and Town Documents,” providing tips on how to find information about ancestors. On Thursday afternoon, Richard Roberts presents “Connecticut Connections: Genealogical Research in the Constitution State,” providing an overview of state and local records, printed and electronic resources, and repositories. On Saturday afternoon, Carol Ganz presents “Genealogical Revelations in Church and Related Records at the Connecticut State Library,” providing information on how to locate and interpret information in church membership and vital records and techniques and resources to track clergy and their congregations through church, ecclesiastical society, and related records. Also on Saturday afternoon, Kevin Johnson performs “William Webb, An African-American Civil War Soldier, presenting the struggle for freedom through the eyes of a soldier in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry.
In addition, members of the Library staff will be staffing Booths 4 and 5 in the Exhibit Hall. Be sure to stop by to find out more about the Library’s resources and services.
EXTENDED HOURS AT CT STATE LIBRARY ON APRIL 25
To accommodate those coming to town early for the conference – as well as others wanting to spend some extra time in conducting family history research -- the Connecticut State Library’s History and Genealogy Unit will remain open until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, with light refreshments served from 5:30-6:30 in the Library’s Museum of Connecticut History. The Library will be open regular hours Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27 from 9:00 until 5:00 and on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 until 2:00.
GOT WINDSOR CONNECTions?
OPEN HOUSE AT WINDSOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY APRIL 29
The Windsor Historical Society will hold a special Open House on Sunday April 29, 2007 from 1 until 4 pm. The Society is particularly inviting the attendees of the NERGC Conference to visit and become acquainted with the resources in the research library. The collections include books, manuscript collections, cemetery records, regional and state histories, town reports, local newspapers, school yearbooks, city directories, and maps which relate to the town of Windsor and its people. Visit Connecticut’s oldest English settlement, tour two historic homes, and explore the exhibition gallery. The Windsor Historical Society, located at 96 Palisado Ave., Windsor, CT, preserves and interprets over 370 years of Windsor’s history. For more information and directions please visit the WHS website at windsorhistoricalsociety.org
A CELEBRATION AT THE OLIVER ELLSWORTH HOMESTEAD APRIL 29
The Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth Chapter, NSDAR invites you to visit the home of one of Windsor’s notable 18th century sons, Oliver Ellsworth and his wife Abigail Wolcott. Elmwood, built for Ellsworth by Samuel Denslow and later expanded by Thomas Hayden, has furnishings from the Ellsworth and Wolcott families as well as wonderful antiques period to Oliver’s life there. Located at 778 Palisado Avenue in Windsor, Connecticut, it will be open on Sunday, April 29, 2007 to celebrate the 262nd ! anniversary of Oliver Ellsworth’s birth. Tours, special exhibits, and refreshments will be available from 10:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. All are welcome to celebrate the life of this remarkable American. For additional information and directions, stop by the CT DAR booth, Booth 6, in the Exhibit Hall.
THE DESCENDANTS OF THE FOUNDERS OF ANCIENT WINDSOR will be among the many other exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall. Open Thursday, April 26 from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. and on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 from 8:20 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., the Exhibit Hall will be filled with exhibitors from across the U.S. and Canada offering genealogical products and services. The Exhibit Hall, like the Society Fair, is open to the general public without charge.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY!
Right about now is the ideal time for newspapers and other media to start giving the Conference some publicity -- through feature articles, interviews with the Conference speakers and publicity pieces throughout our area, particularly in the "hometowns" of the Participating Societies. We have an informative Press Kit to give editors the background they need to give the Conference some "ink" in their publications. Can you help us by contacting editors and other media people in your area? The Press Kit is available in hard copy from KSB832@verizon.net and is coming to the Conference website (www.nergc.org) soon.
ABOUT THIS E-ZINE
This e-zine is sent to you at your request or because of your involvement in NERGC 2007.We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for items to appear in future issues. Please send them to Michael Spellmon, at rootsearcher@email.com.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with others. Permission to email, copy, and print it in part or whole is granted.
If you received this newsletter from a friend and you'd like to receive future issues directly:
a) Send a message to: rootsearcher@email.com
b) Put "subscribe" in the body of the message
Your address will NOT be shared and there will be no advertising as a part of the e-zine.
© 2007 New England Regional Genealogical Conference