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Join us for the next meeting on 
Saturday, October 1, 2016
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
at the David Library of the American Revolution
1201 River Rd., Washington Crossing, PA
(Park behind the building and use the Conference Center entrance.)
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Great-Grandpa Bought a Bridge: 
Genealogical Scams, Frauds & Hoaxes
presented by Gideon Hill

Deception in genealogy has a long history.  Unfortunately for the modern researcher, the legacy of genealogists who were less than honest may impact the results of our efforts even today.  This presentation will evaluate deception in the context of the Genealogical Proof Standard while taking a bemused, retrospective look at some of the more notable scams, frauds, and hoaxes from the past.

About the speaker:
Gideon Hill has been researching his family for over 45 years.  His research interests are pre-1750 Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.  He's completed the Genealogical Research Certificate of Boston University and is especially interested in how the academic field of Social History can inform genealogical research and the compiling of a family history.
His professional background is in the field of Family Medicine.  He attended the University of Delaware and Jefferson Medical College.  He had the honor of serving n the United States Air Force Medical Corps -- and was delighted to have been stationed in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, one of his ancestral homelands.
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The meeting is open to the public; reservations are not needed. Cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members.  Come early at 9:30 am to socialize, shop in the BCGS store, and get help in our Beginners Corner!
REFRESHMENTS ARE NEEDED!

I f you are willing to get coffee at Dunkin' Donuts in Washington Crossing, you will be reimbursed at the BCGS meeting. Please contact Marilyn Cook (so that we don't have too many folks getting coffee) to discuss quantity and to get directions. 
 
If you would like to bring cookies, munchkins, etc., your meeting fee will be discounted.

Marilyn may be reached at  secretary@bucksgen.org

Eric R. Feltyberger
1973 - 2016

We are sad to report that Eric Feltyberger, son of BCGS President Mary Butash, died
suddenly on Sep. 7, 2016 due to a fall from a third floor balcony. Eric was a life-long volunteer firefighter and served  for many years with the Pioneer Fire Company in Jenkintown, PA, beginning as a teenage junior firefighter and rising to the rank of lieutenant.

If you would like to get in touch with Mary Butash, she may be reached at info@bucksgen.org or by mail c/o BCGS, PO Box 826, Washington Crossing, PA  18977.  

10th Annual 
Bucks County Ancestry Fair
Saturday, November 12, 2016

This year the event will be held at Upper Bucks Campus of Bucks County Community College, One Hillendale Rd, Perkasie, PA.

Our Keynote speaker for this event will be Judy G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist.  Judy will provide two lectures in addition to the Keynote presentation. We have confirmed several additional presenters; the schedule will be posted on the Ancestry Fair website soon.

New features this year include bigger classrooms, more time between lectures, longer lunch break, pre-registration, and lunch options for pre-registrants.

We need lots of help on the day of the event. The next meeting of the Ancestry Fair Committee will be held on Saturday, October 29th, 10 AM in the 2nd floor Community Room at McCaffrey's Market, Yardley.  If you would like to be part of the committee - or just want to find out what is going on, please join us at the meeting.

Also, if you think you can spare an hour or two to help at the November event, please contact Peg Felter at  volunteer@bucksgen.org .

If you can't come to the meeting but would like to help, we can suggest an easy way for you to help. Just print out some copies of the Ancestry Fair poster, take them to your local stores, and ask that a poster be placed in the window.  
Here it is:      Ancestry Fair poster
INSIDE BCGS

Cathy Ivins is a member of the BCGS Board and is the Director of Publicity. She spends lots of time publicizing BCGS events in newspapers, on our website and Facebook pages and sending updates to other online calendars.  She often comes up with fun ideas to promote BCGS. If you see BCGS tables at other events, Cathy probably made the arrangements. She has lots of funny and interesting family stories to share here.

Born Catharine Godish in the Bronx, NY, Cathy grew up very close to her Italian, Irish and Polish relatives. In fact, she lived with her great-grandmother who spoke only Italian which was the preferred language in the household. Sadly, as the elders passed away, she lost her Italian language with it.

Cathy moved to East Windsor, NJ, at age 11 and lost touch with many of those cousins. Her mother kept in contact with everyone however, so her address book was something Cathy greatly treasured when her mom passed away.

Her mother Mary Ann was the family historian - a walking-talking ancestry.com. Any given day she would announce, "Thirty-two years ago Uncle So-and-so passed away and would have been such-and-such today. He was married to..." and so forth. It was when Mary Ann decided to write the family history with Cathy's help for her own mother's 90th birthday, that the genealogy bug bit Cathy but good.

Grandma Catherine was elated with the binder they had put together. She was quite a character in her day. While her mother Mary Ann was very quiet, prim and proper, Grandma Catherine was a hoot. Cathy remembers as a child, Grandma would start a conga line in their Bronx apartment, to "Razzle Dazzle Root Beer", onto the fire escape, across the roof and back through someone else's apartment. Catherine was Italian and her husband Irish. It was like the movie Brooklyn, but backwards. She doesn't know who were louder, the Italians or the Irish!

Cathy was actually very close to her father. Joseph Godish was next to the youngest of fourteen children of Polish immigrants. He was just three when his father died from black lung in the coal mines of Lilly, Pennsylvania. Joe was the life of every gathering, spreading laughter, and singing and playing guitar.  He always saw the goodness in people. He was Cathy's hero.

Cathy was everything from a secretary and graphic artist to photographer and editor before moving to Levittown, Pennsylvania, where she and husband Bill raised their two descendants. She originally attended Bucks County Community College for graphic arts, but later obtained her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education at age 50. Cathy has been working for the Bristol Township School District for twenty years as a teaching assistant, currently in an autistic support classroom of third and fourth graders.

As she approaches retirement, Cathy hopes to obtain her board certification as a genealogist and go pro, specializing in DNA.  She blames, or should we say credits, Bucksgen with her new endeavor. Joining us as a Charter Member in 2012 has lit a fire in Cathy, who greatly enjoys helping others find their roots.  Oh, and those cousins she lost touch with so long ago? She rediscovered them through DNA! She's thrilled they gave a spit about the family too!

 NOMINATING COMMITTEE PLEA!

BCGS elections are held in November of each year. The BCGS board is pleased to have a volunteer Nominating Committee which is gathering nominees for the various elected and appointed positions. 

The BCGS Nominating Committee has nominees for several positions and is reaching out to anyone who would be interested in filling the following positions:

One elected position:   Board Secretary

Four appointed positions:  Newsletter Editor, Field Trip Coordinator, Hospitality Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator

We need you!  If you would like information about any of these positions, please contact any member of the Nominating Committee.   They are:

     Roxan Schneider, email  rcs57082@verizon.net
     Sara Brower, email  ibrow127@yahoo.com
     Wayne Campbell, email  waynecamp48@hotmail.com

ROOTS ON WHEELS!

Chris Roberts, the BCGS past president, sold her house, retired from her job, bought an RV, and is taking her genealogical research on the road!   She will be reporting on her research and travels. 

Check out her blog at www.rootsonwheels.com

COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS


The calendar is frequently updated and includes events from all over the country.  Be sure to check it every month to see what is happening. 

Here is the link:  

THE BCGS DATABASE 

This month our free, searchable database of Bucks County records has grown again! 
 
We have added over 800 new names to the database, including burials in the Neshaminy Presbyterian Church Cemetery, with dates going back as early as the 1730s, and gravestone inscriptions from the Bethlehem A.M.E. church cemetery in Langhorne.
 
Our database index now has a total of 338,708 Bucks County names, searchable by any combination of last name, first name, year, and location!  
 
Check the site on a regular basis to see what is new; here is the link:   

BEGINNERS CORNER

Do you know that we have a Beginners Corner at our monthly meetings?   Come to the meeting at 9:30 AM, look for the Beginners Corner sign, and Connie Ace will be there to help you with your research questions.

Connie will also be teaching a genealogy class,
Recording Your Family History,  at the New Hope-Solebury Community School on Tuesday, Oct. 18th.  It is a one-night course and registration information may be found at www.CSNHS.org
RESEARCH TIP
Ancestry.com has added some new full-length courses over the summer.  
Here are the titles of some of them:

The City Directory: Your Guide to the Past
Finding Your Revolutionary War Ancestor: Warrior or Patriot
Hidden Treasures on Ancestry

The recently added Ancestry courses can be found  here.

Membership Fees for One Year Membership

Check out our membership prices for October 2016 only.  

Individual memberships are reduced from $20 to $10
Household memberships are reduced from $35 to $20 

 
Our membership fees help to pay for speakers, facility rental, website costs, insurance and more.  Membership in BCGS is on a rolling basis and lasts one year from the month you join. 

You don't have to have Bucks County ancestors to enjoy the benefits of membership!  Won't you join and help us continue to grow?

See a list of BCGS Member Benefits on our website: 

Join or renew by mail using our membership application/renewal form , on line on the Society's website via PayPal or by paying with cash or check at our next meeting.  And, we now have the ability to accept credit card payments at our monthly meetings!
 
If you have questions and to get access to the above discounts, contact Pat Gessner, VP-Membership at  newsletter@bucksgen.org

Bucks County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 826, Washington Crossing, PA 18977