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President's Message

To all BCGS members and friends:

I have a hungry brain. When I was at LaSalle University for my BSN and MSN, I did not take summer classes, but that didn't mean I didn't study. I would pick a topic I discovered over the semester and follow that tangent until I felt I had enough information. Now that I do genealogy, I have so many topics or paths to pursue.

While in Fort Lauderdale visiting my daughter and her husband and their extended Venezuelan family, I thought about language. I have been studying Spanish for a few years and I wondered how language came about and how it changed. Did Spanish morph into French or the reverse? How did there become several romance languages that are alike? So the new subject of study will be pursued by reading a book I ordered in Florida and was waiting for me when I arrived home: Empire of the World: A Language History of the World.

I have also been reading about how the Austrian-Hungarian Empire became separate nations. While I read a book about Slovakia in the 19th and 20th centuries, I found that a nation can be defined by common language, culture and territory. This was how many nations came to be. There had to be a unique "national idea", a language to express it and a territory where they could live together and rule themselves. I listened to two wonderful webinars while alone in FL about researching Eastern European ancestors by Lisa Alzo and Jonathan Shea and learned so much new information and areas to research.

The message here is simple. It is spring. Learn something new. Learn more about genealogy. Follow a tangent. If your grandfather mined coal, find out about coal mining and what that life was like. Like nature is doing, put leaves and flowers on your family trees. 

Mary C. Butash, President,  [email protected]

Join us at our meeting on 
Saturday, May 6, 2017
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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The Family Detective
presented by Bob Stein

Using a detective's methodologies to research your family history. This presentation is helpful to both new genealogists starting out as well as experienced researchers looking to break down brick walls. It utilizes methods you may have seen on TV, or read about in detective stories such as Visiting the Scene and Interviewing Witnesses.

About the speaker:

Bob Stein began his ancestral search in 1998, initially focusing on his paternal line.  That search ended in 1650 in the town of Elbingerode in the Kingdom of Hannover, present day Northern Germany.  While searching for his own roots, he was elected to four terms as president of the Morris Area Genealogy Society (MAGS).  Bob currently leads the Crossing the Pond Special Interest Group at MAGS, helping others to find their European ancestors.  Bob is also a member of the Bernards Township Family History Interest Group, another genealogy society.

These experiences created opportunities to share what he has learned with other experienced and beginning genealogists. Bob is a popular presenter across New Jersey speaking to genealogy societies, library groups and civic societies.  He has also appeared four times on the Family Historian TV show.
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Come early to enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks while socializing with like-minded genealogists! Our Beginner's Corner is available for genealogy newbies at 9:30 a.m. for consultation. The Bucksgen Store will also be open at 9:30, featuring genealogy buttons and magnets, jewelry, tote bags, front license plates, BCGS shirts, and other societies' publications. 

Open to the public; cost: $5 Members / $10 Non-Members
COFFEE AND REFRESHMENTS ARE NEEDED!

If you are willing to get coffee at the Dunkin' Donuts in Washington Crossing, you will be reimbursed at the meeting. Please contact Roxan Schneider so that we don't have too many folks bringing coffee - and to get directions. 

If you would like to bring cookies, baked goods, munchkins, etc., your meeting
fee will be discounted. Please send an email to Roxan so that she knows about the refreshments.  Thank you!

Roxan Schneider may be reached at  [email protected] 


WORLD WAR I WALL OF HONOR

2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the entry of the United States into World War I. To mark this occasion, BCGS has constructed a Wall of Honor for those who served. Each entry on the Wall of Honor features a short description of the soldier and a photograph, if available.

Click on the this link Wall of Honor to reach our list and then click on the image to view a slide show of the World War I heroes submitted by members of the Bucks County Genealogical Society.

WEBSITE ASSISTANT NEEDED

Would you like to help BCGS maintain and improve our  bucksgen.org  website, and in the process learn about building and editing website pages?   

If you are interested and have some time to contribute, please contact Nancy Heath, Website Director, at [email protected]  or see her at our next meeting.
OUR DATABASE HAS GROWN AGAIN! 

Since our last report our free, searchable database has grown by over 17,000 names!  We have recently added:
  • Births, marriages, confirmations, and deaths from Solomons Reformed Church (UCC) Bedminster
  • Burials from St. Peter's Union Cemetery, Hilltown
  • Baptisms and marriages from the church records of St. Andrews Reformed Church, South Perkasie
Volunteers are still working on records to put them in a format that can be posted on our database. We have 355,739 records online now!    
 
Check the site on a regular basis to see what is new; here is the link. 

L to R: Cindy Wahlig, Betsey Davis,
Roxan Schneider (front), Sara Brower (back),
Donna Barr, Kathy Rice, Wayne Campbell, Annette Eubank
April Field Trip

As you may remember from an earlier newsletter, Wayne Campbell volunteered to organize field trips for BCGS.  On April 7th, the group in the photo went to the NJ Archives and Library in Trenton. 

Wayne had arranged for introductory tours of the Archives and Library and then the group did research on their own.  There were lots of positive comments from attendees but this one says it all: "Great people, great day! Yeah, Wayne!"
Museum of the American Revolution

The new museum, located at Third & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, opened yesterday. It could be a great site to visit. The website is  www.AmRevMuseum.org  and it states:

"Over one hundred years in the making, the Museum explores the dynamic story of the American Revolution using our expansive collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, theater experiences, and recreated historical moments bring to life the events, people, and ideals of our nation's founding and engage people in the history and continuing relevance of the American Revolution."

Family Tree Maker 2017

Family Tree Maker: The 2017 version is in final review and there is still no release date.  Look for updates here:   https://support.mackiev.com/498640-RELEASE-OF-FTM-2017

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:  

RESEARCH TIP

Family Tree Magazine is a great research source.  In addition to the print media, there is lots of information on the website.  There are free genealogy forms, free downloads, blogs and lots of helpful articles.  For example, check out this article on eight hints for using Family Search:

Membership Fees for One Year Membership

   Individual $20      Dual/Household $35         Lifetime $250       

Or ganization $75   

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