Old Bones Family Research of New England: Genealogy Courses

Having just finished a successful 4-week program at the Chicopee Public Library in Chicopee, Massachusetts, we continue to run our "Genealogy Clinics" on Thursdays from 9 AM to 4 PM. As this is becoming more than just an idle past-time for many, the interest is growing and so is the class time!

I have just booked 3 series totaling 10 weeks of classroom at the Library:

February 3 and 10, 2014

June 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2014

July 21, 28 and August 4, 11, 2014

Subjects we cover include basic pedigree charts and family group sheets, relationship charts (What's a 3rd cousin twice removed?), getting the most out of vital records (birth, marriage and death) as well as census records, military records (enlistments, draft registrations, pension applications), newspapers, immigration and naturalization records, deeds, tax records, probate and even criminal records.

Most are pretty comprehensive and seem to satisfy everyone's curiosity. We certainly demonstrate that you can't find it all on the internet! Much of the research is carried out by getting out and visiting various repositories, city and town clerk's offices, libraries...wherever you might be able to turn up a clue.

Now wold be a good time to explain a little about Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. There are 2 basic types of information that can be found at either site: personal family trees and historical records. The personal trees and the data within them are not necessarily the best resource. That is unless there is PLENTY of supportive documentation and sources...other than other people's uploaded trees! I'll give you a quick example: Someone has uploaded my own family tree to FamilySerach.org. Nothing inherently wrong with that. However, they have my 3rd great grandfather and his wife having a baby when he was 11 years old and she 9!! It's not the end of the world, but the problem here is that there's no way of telling how many people will just download that information without checking the details! If only I had the time. Those of you who know me have heard me call myself the Cobbler with No Shoes!

Anyway, the point of all this is that if you're any where near Chicopee and would like to attend, please call the Reference Department at 413-594-1800.

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