Save on Eastern European Certificates

  Ready to explore your Eastern European roots? Now’s the time to take advantage of our sale. Get 20% off  any ONE Eastern European Packages including: Eastern European Certificate in Genealogical Studies-40 Courses-Complete Eastern European Certificate- Basic Level-9 Courses Eastern European Certificate- Intermediate Level-9 Courses Eastern European Certificate-Advanced Level-7 Courses Eastern European Records- Complete-11 Courses Eastern European Records- Basic Level-4 Courses Eastern European Records- Intermediate Level-5 Courses Eastern European Records-Advanced Level-2 Courses   Enter Code 20RT18EE at checkout. Save up to $570.00!   Hurry! This discount ends on August 26, 2018 at midnight (EDT). Only one discount code can be used per person.

Join Us!

Don’t forget! We have some great virtual meetings left for July. Attend any Virtual Meeting you want. Ask questions or just listen in. We look forward to seeing you there! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday, July 17th at 5:00 AM EDT – Australian Record courses with Kerry Farmer Time zones: Tuesday, July 17th – 5:00 AM Eastern; 4:00 AM Central; 2:00 AM Pacific; 10:00 AM in London, England; 7:00 PM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/australian/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursday, July 19th at 5:00 PM EDT – English Record courses with Brenda Wheeler Time zones: Thursday, July 19th – 5:00 PM Eastern; 4:00 PM Central; 2:00 PM Pacific; 10:00 PM in London, England; Friday, July 20th – 7:00 AM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/english/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, July 20th at 8:00 PM EDT – Methodology courses with Brenda Wheeler This session is appropriate for ALL students no matter which country you are researching in. Note: This Virtual Meeting is available for the convenience of our Australasia students; however, everyone is welcome. Time zones: Friday, July 20th – 8:00 PM Eastern; 7:00 PM Central; 5:00 PM Pacific; Saturday, July 21st – 1:00 AM in London, England; 10:00 AM in Sydney, Australia MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/methodology/(Note: “Enter as a Guest”) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Saturday, July 21st at 11:00 AM EDT – Canadian courses with Kathryn Lake Hogan Time zones: Saturday, July 14th – 11:00 AM Eastern; 10:00 AM Central; 8:00 AM Pacific; 4:00 PM in London, England; Sunday, July 15th – 1:00 AM in…

Continue reading

Your German Migrant Ancestor

  By Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD. If your ancestor was an auswanderer – one who left the area now called Germany – with a group of other like-minded individuals, he/she was an emigrant and might be found in any number of locations. You are probably already familiar with the phenomenon of “push-pull” when it comes to emigration/immigration. North America was hardly the only option for those seeking a better life. For some, it was a “stop along the way,” giving them a chance to perhaps make some money or reunite with family before traveling on to Canada and Nova Scotia, South and Central America, the West Indies, Asia, and even Africa. All of which eventually had German settlements. Possibly, after coming to North America, some of your ancestors elected to return to one of the ports of call along the way on their initial trip. But, of course, large numbers of German immigrants populated the big cities in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc. And full colonies of Germans began to populate the Southern states, such as the Carolinas and Georgia, and throughout the Appalachian territory.[1] In 1822, a German encyclopedia explained German emigration as follows (giving us a perspective of how this phenomenon was viewed in the first quarter of the 19th Century): It was not overpopulation alone which was the essential cause of emigration, but rather the hopelessness that conditions would ever improve, the fear that still more adversity was approaching, and the total lack of trust in the…

Continue reading

7 Reasons to Register for Research: House and Farm Histories

By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS (student) Have you noticed that the covers of genealogy magazines use teasers to get you to look inside them?  Titles like “Three tips to tear down your brick wall” or “Four ways to become a better genealogist.” Not to be outdone, I’m offering seven reasons for you to take Research: House and Family Histories. Reason 1. You’ll learn architectural styles. Do you know which style has a mansard roof? Can you tell the difference between French Colonial, Southern Colonial, New England Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Dutch Colonial? These and others are detailed in this course. Reason 2. You’ll learn about the companies who sold mail order homes. We’ve all heard about Sears homes, but did you know other companies sold them as well? Do you know which American company sold mail order homes in Australia, England, and other countries? Reason 3. You’ll learn which farm buildings were sold by mail and the companies that manufactured them. Do you know there are different styles of barns? Reason 4. You’ll learn the definition of farmer was not static. How many times do you think the definition has changed between 1850 and 1974? For what purpose was it changed? Reason 5. You’ll learn that a farm could be included in another census schedule besides agricultural. Do you know which one?  What information does an agricultural census contain? Reason 6. You’ll learn the sources you’ll need to research and the information they contain to do a house or farm history.…

Continue reading

Incorporating Social History Into Family History

  By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS (student) When I first started doing genealogy I collected names, dates, and places. I was a genealogist. Years later I became a family historian. Besides those names, dates and places, I wanted to know the what, when, where, and how. I needed the meat on the bones. The transition was not a deliberate course of action. I think it started because of my paternal grandfather. He died three years before I was born. My father was raised by his maternal grandparents and he couldn’t tell me much about him. I set out to find more about my grandfather. One of the first things I learned about him was that he was in World War I. He didn’t see active duty but he graduated from the Cooks and Bakers School at a nearby training camp. That led to information on his training at the camp. The search was on. I read every newspaper in the town nearest the camp from February 1917 through the end of the camp’s life plus the camp’s newspapers. I read every publication on the camp both government issued and commercial, as well as journal and magazine articles. I bought photos, negatives, letters, postcards, training materials, and maps of the camp. I even sought out  artifacts, such as teaspoons and salt & pepper souvenirs. I know all the churches and YMCAs, the locations of barracks, buildings and streets, and their names. I know about the sports and training activities. Even today, 40+…

Continue reading