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President's Message

To all BCGS members and friends:

I just finished analyzing a data set that is very novel. My godmother and maiden aunt left a box of snapshots, but, because she was a real eccentric, she included 74 driver's licenses and motor vehicle registration cards. They date from 1928 to 1979. Obviously strange items to keep, but so were outdated store coupons and return envelopes...part of her collection. What did the cards tell me?
 
She moved 11 times, to 5 different addresses. She had 3 cars: a Studebaker from 1928 to 1949 (21 yrs.). The new Studebaker she bought in 1949 was on the road til 1965 (14), which she replaced with a Chevy Coupe which was still in her possession when she died in 1979 (14). Her weight varied from 118-125 lbs. In PA, driver's licenses were issued yearly until 1961 when they were given every two years. When she moved from NJ back to PA, she had to get a learner's permit, even though she had already been driving 28 years. From 1942 to 1953, skin color was listed on NJ driver's licenses along with height, weight, eye and hair color. In 1968 zip code was added to her address.
 
So take an extra good look at odd documents you find in the "stuff" your ancestors kept. It might just give you leads and fill out the picture of that ancestor.

Mary C. Butash, President,  [email protected]

Join us at our meeting on 
Saturday, April 1, 2017
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

at Council Rock High School - North Library
62 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA
Please note this is not at our usual meeting place!

COMPUTER LAB SESSION
Research and Technology Assistance

  • Research your family history with your friendly, experienced peers from Bucks County Genealogical Society.  
  • Free use of Ancestry.com Library Edition, and other databases, will be available at Council Rock High School North using their library computers.  
  • Receive tips or assistance from starting your genealogy research, to scanning demonstrations, and using Family Tree Maker Software.
  • Bring your own laptop using the school's WiFi, or use one of the library computers. Be sure to bring a flash drive to save any information or scans.
  • Free admission - Open to the Public 
BCGS NEW SECRETARY

Tina Termyna saw the article in our January newsletter about an opening on the BCGS board and has volunteered to serve as BCGS secretary.  We are delighted to have her on the board.

Tina lives in Langhorne, PA with her husband Mark, son Henry and tuxedo cat "Gato".   She has worked for Domain Associates in Princeton, NJ for 22 years.  Her interest in genealogy began back in the 1990's with a box of old family photographs that needed names, dates and family affiliation.  She considers herself a novice at genealogy and when time permits she enjoys researching her Italian and Irish ancestors.
 
Safe Surfing for Genealogists

By Cathy Ivins
Director of Publicity at
Bucks County Genealogical Society

In our January 2017 BCGS Newsletter I published a warning about a genealogy website, www.familytreenow.com, which listed information on living people. I had included instructions for opting out to keep your information private. I also had mentioned that this info is available through public records but that this particular site made it very easy to find all of the information at once.

Unfortunately, that site is not unique. There are several paid sites that offer the same information on living people: names and current/former addresses and phone numbers, birth dates, email addresses, associated people including family members, social network pages (Facebook, Instagram), and sometimes even criminal and traffic violations. Again, these are comprised from public records.

At G.R.I.P. last year I had taken an outstanding class in Forensic Genealogy, which deals with finding living heirs for legal matters. Not long after that class I was able to put that education to good use. Someone posted a photo of dog tags on a news team's Facebook page asking for help locating the owner. He had found them using a metal detector. I used one of those public information sites for clues and found the owner and "associated people". I relayed this information and the dog tags were returned to the family. Although the WWII Veteran had passed away a few years back, his family was stunned and deeply appreciative.

Unfortunately, these sites can be utilized for criminal intent and fraud. The information is just enough for someone to hack your email or Facebook accounts by trying different passwords. They also can break past security questions this way. These son-of-a-guns have constructed algorithms to hack accounts, when they probably have the IQ to help find a cure for cancer!

While there is nothing we can do to remove these sites or records, we can protect ourselves by using more secure passwords and security questions/answers. Here are just a few good tips to keep in mind:
  • Always use a mix of numbers and letters in upper and lower case.
  • Never use proper nouns of names or places, especially those included in your public records.
  • Never use the same password for all your online accounts. Once they crack one, they'll crack them all!
  • Change passwords often and make sure you keep a good record of them somewhere not on your computer. 
  • Create different email addresses for yourself to use for different purposes (one for basic correspondence, one for genealogy, one for online shopping, etc.). 
For more information and tips for online security, I recommend visiting the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/online-security. There you can also view the latest scams as well. As far as anti-virus software for your computer, there are many to choose from. Always keep it updated for latest virus and malware threats. I'm a fan of Webroot. 

It really is a scary world out there, especially in - but not limited to - cyberspace. I've had credit cards compromised by skimming devices at a gas station and also by servers at restaurants (which is why I only use cash when eating out). I am appalled by the scams via telephone which target the more vulnerable elderly. And I have first-hand knowledge about online hacking threats, thankfully thwarted by an expert fraud department.

With the ever-growing records aiding genealogists world-wide, as well as our general internet use for online shopping and more, please remember to protect yourself from cybercrime. Online research can be such a great tool for genealogists! 

By the way, our next meeting is a computer lab workshop at Council Rock High School North on April 1st - no fooling.

BCGS FIELD TRIP PLANNED FOR APRIL 7th!

The Bucks County Genealogical Society is planning a trip to the NJ State
Archives and Library in Trenton, NJ on Friday, April 7th. There will be a brief orientation at both sites and then we can spend the day researching!

Here are websites for each facility outlining their holdings. 

The maximum number of people for this trip is 10.   We will carpool if possible. Other trip information, such as meeting location and time, parking, lunch possibilites, etc. will be given to those folks who plan to attend.

Send an email to Wayne Campbell at [email protected] if you are interested in going on April 7th.

If you would like a preview of the NJ State Archives or if you can't make it on April 7th and would like to know more about the Archives, take a look at Visiting the NJ Archives by Cathy Ivins here: http://www.bucksgen.org/images/pdffiles/NJArchives.pdf
SHIRTS, FLEECE JACKETS, NAME TAGS

In addition to the terrific items that are for sale at our BCGS store, we also have shirts, fleece jackets, and name tags.  All items are special orders and payment must be made at the time of the order.

$25 - shirts are short-sleeve polo shirts, Maui blue in color, with Bucks County Genealogical Society embroidered on the left side. 

$35 - fleece jackets may be ordered in any color with Bucks County Genealogical Society embroidered on the left side.

$10 - name tags are white 1 3/8" x 3 1/4" with a strong magnet and your name and BCGS logo in green. 

If you would like more information, and/or would like to order, please contact Pat Gessner at [email protected]


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:  

Ancestry Fair Committee Meeting

The first committee meeting for 11th Annual Bucks County Ancestry Fair will be held on Saturday, March 25th at 10:00 am.  

If you are planning to attend the meeting, please let us know so that we may reserve a venue large enough to accommodate the group.  Please contact Pat Gessner at  [email protected]
RESEARCH TIP - MORE DNA INFO

Several of you clicked on the link to last month's research tip about figuring out DNA matches on Ancestry.com.  There is a follow up article from the blog of Chris Roberts' website.   The article is titled DNA Chapter Two: Testing Companies and it is the second article from the top on this link:

100th Anniversary of The Great War


On our website:
Bucks County Genealogical Society will be featuring a Wall of Honor on our website in April.  If you know of a WWI soldier - ancestor, extended family, or family friend from any area, not just Bucks County - it is not too late to submit the soldier's information to be included in our Wall of Honor.  Please contact Connie Ace at  [email protected]

On television:
WHYY will be showing  a three-part, six-hour documentary called The Great War on the American Experience program.  It starts on  Monday, April 10 at 9 pm and will run through April 12 .


Membership Fees for One Year Membership

   Individual $20          Dual/Household $35          Or ganization $75   

Membership Fee for our new Lifetime Membership

Lifetime $250 

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.  
 
If you have questions and to get access to the above discounts, contact Peg Felter, VP-Membership at  [email protected]

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