Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Towne Family DNA Project

The following announcement was written by the Towne Family Association:

The Towne Family Association (TFA) is pleased to announce the formation of a Towne Surname DNA Project. The primary purpose of the project is to establish a baseline yDNA profile for William Towne (1598/99 - c 1673; married Joanna Blessing) by testing documented male descendants of his sons Edmund (married Mary Browning), Jacob (married Catherine Symonds), and Joseph (married Phoebe Perkins).

On the Road Again

I am packing my bags and hitting the road again. I am leaving home for three weeks and will be traveling by land, sea, and air.

I'll spend the first week on board a cruise ship with several hundred other genealogists. This is the annual cruise sponsored by Wholly Genes, producers of The Master Genealogist genealogy software and of Archive CD Books USA, which makes digital reproductions of old books and other materials of value to genealogists. I have been on this cruise before and always found it to be top notch. I suspect this year's cruise will be at least as good. This year's cruise will depart Fort Lauderdale and make stops in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Princess Cays, Bahamas. The ship returns to Fort Lauderdale at the end of the one-week cruise.

Like most genealogy cruises, the Wholly Genes Cruise combines genealogy classes at sea, daytime excursions in exotic ports, and luxurious accommodations at all times. Three things differentiate the Wholly Genes cruises: the large number of speakers, the large number of presentations, and the large number of attendees.

The United Church of Canada Archives Finds a New Home

The following announcement was written by the United Church of Canada:

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- In a statement released today, The United Church of Canada is pleased to announce a new location for its archives that are housed in Toronto.

In early 2008, The United Church Archives (Toronto) will be moving from the Victoria University campus at the University of Toronto to The United Church of Canada's General Council Office at 3250 Bloor St. West in west-end Toronto.

Currently The United Church of Canada supports a regional network of archives situated in 10 different locations throughout Canada. In Ontario, the United Church Archives (Toronto) manages the records of the General Council, the antecedent denominations, and the records of Bay of Quinte, London, Hamilton, Manitou, and Toronto Conferences and their respective presbyteries and pastoral charges.

GenealogyBank Expands Online Historical Newspaper Collection

The following announcement was written by GenealogyBank:

Over Four Million New Articles Available for Family History Research

NAPLES, FL -- GenealogyBank, a leading online provider of historical and recent newspapers for family history research, announced today the addition of over 100 fully searchable historical newspapers. This includes more than 4 million articles brimming with significant genealogical content.

Next week, GenealogyBank will add another 2 million articles from over 100 more newspapers. Complementing more than 200 million family history records, this latest addition will expand coverage to over 2,200 U.S. newspapers in all 50 states.

Attention French-Canadian Descendants: Did You Inherit Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy?

Not only do genealogists have the opportunity to learn about their ancestors, but they can also learn about various inherited diseases. Some of these medical conditions could be life-threatening while others are merely an inconvenience. By studying inherited diseases floating around in your family, you may save or prolong your own life or the lives of your loved ones. By identifying the risks early in a person's life, medical treatment often can be much more effective than the limited choices available after the medical condition becomes obvious.

I find it interesting that one French-Canadian couple in the 1600s who are the ancestors of millions of living people have tentatively been identified as carriers of a common form of muscular dystrophy. It became more than "interesting," however, when I recognized the names of this couple as my ninth great-grandparents. Suddenly it wasn't just "interesting;" it was personal!

If you have French-Canadian ancestry, now is the time to check your pedigree charts.

(+) Waymarking for Genealogists and Historians

This article might be subtitled "How to Have Fun with Your GPS Receiver and Simultaneously Provide a Public Service for Others."

A new hobby has appeared that is a "natural fit" for genealogists, historians, and many others. It is called "waymarking." It is fun, gives you a chance to get a little exercise, and also provides a great public service. If you join in the waymarking activities of today, you can help future genealogists and others for decades to come.

GeneTree - a New DNA & Genealogy Social Networking Site

The Sorenson Foundation is well known as a major DNA testing organization that is interested in genealogy. Now the same foundation is branching out by starting a brand-new, DNA-enabled social networking site, again with a focus on genealogy and family. GeneTree.com is a place that allows people to share photographs and videos and collaborate on sharing their family history. The web site's goal is “… to be able to take any two people in the world, sit them down and tell them exactly how they are related.”

Genealogy social networking sites seem to be popping up everywhere these days. GeneTree enters a crowded field, already filled with the long-established MyFamily.com as well as more recent sites such as Geni.com, FamilyLink, FamilyRelatives.com, Zooof.com, and Famillion.com. According to GeneTree, the web site is unique due to its digital media software and a tie into the DNA database run by Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF). The site will also offer mitochondrial DNA testing as part of its suite of services.

NPRC Opens more than Six Million New Military Personnel Files

The following note was forwarded by Dear Myrtle. (Thanks Myrt!) Her blog is available at http://blog.dearmyrtle.com.

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just released by the NARA Public Affairs office. Please address all inquiries to Public.Affairs@nara.gov  or contact Bryan McGraw, Director of Archival Programs at NPRC, at 314-801-9132.

National Personnel Records Center Opens more than Six Million New Military Personnel Files
St. Louis, MO

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) will open for the first time all of the individual Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) of Army, Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard military personnel who served and were discharged, retired or died while in the service, prior to 1946.

Video: Midwest Genealogy Center

The Mid-Continent Public Library's Genealogy and Local History Branch in Independence, Missouri is a world class genealogy center. It attracts genealogists from all over the country. However, the Genealogy and Local History Branch has outgrown the available room and a new $8 million building is now under construction. The new building is now scheduled to open in May, 2008. I wrote about this some time ago at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2006/09/new_8_million_g.html.

A new video now describes the many services of the Mid-Continent Public Library's Genealogy and Local History Branch, interviews a number of patrons and the describes the new building. If you are thinking about visiting the Mid-Continent Public Library or if you are not familiar with this great facility, you will want to see this video.

MyFamily.com Launches Updated Social Networking Site

The following announcement was written by The Generations Network, parent company of MyFamily.com, Ancestry.com and several other web sites:

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 23 -- Myfamily.com, the leading social networking service for families, today announced a new release of myfamily.com 2.0 beta available at http://www.myfamily.com/. The new release lets families connect online to share news, recipes, family history, photos and video in a safe, private and media-rich environment. Myfamily.com 2.0 beta offers several new features and services, including the ability to leave voice messages directly on the site or narrate photo slideshows using a phone.