Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Ireland's Family History Year

Tourism Ireland has announced that 2013 is to be Ireland’s “Family History Year” in a bid to encourage people around the world to find out more about their Irish ancestry. Hundreds of clan gatherings, as well as genealogy and local history events, are planned all over Ireland this year, as part of The Gathering Ireland 2013.

Wholly Genes Cruise

Want to attend a genealogy conference and seminar at sea? One such opportunity is the Wholly Genes cruise. The 9th Annual Wholly Genes Genealogy Conference and Cruise will depart Baltimore on Thursday, October 17, 2013. The ship will then visit Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine (one of my favorite places); Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and will return to Baltimore on October 25.

The cruise will be on the Grandeur of the Seas, owned and operated by Royal Caribbean. This modern ship holds 2446 guests and 760 crew members.


The planned presentations include approximately 17 hours of genealogy and technology lectures. You do not need to be a Wholly Genes customer to join this cruise. While Wholly Genes is the producer of The Master Genealogist software for Windows, these 17 hours will be completely software-neutral. That is, these presentations are not related to any specific genealogy software product. Past cruises have delighted users of competitive Windows and Macintosh products as well as non-computer owners alike.

Have Irish Ancestry? Research the Records in Ireland!

Donna Moughty leads a group of Irish descendants to Ireland every year to research records and possibly even walk where their ancestors walked. I know people of have taken her previous trips and they speak highly of the experience. I now see that Donna is planning another expedition this year:

October 2013 - Genealogy Research Trip to Dublin, Ireland

My Busy Days Traveling

You may have noticed there weren't many newsletter articles posted in the past few days. The reason is that I have spent most of my time sitting in airports and train stations, quite a few hours riding trains and buses, and not enough hours riding airplanes.

I had a scheduled flight yesterday from Orlando to Baltimore, followed by a change of planes, and then a second flight from Baltimore to Boston. The entire trip from end-to-end was scheduled to take about five hours. That should have been simple. I have done the same many times before.

Instead, I arrived at my final destination this evening, about 30 hours later than planned. Along the way, I spent a lot of time at the airport in Richmond, Virginia, a city I had not planned to visit. I also spent too many hours riding buses and trains, something I had not planned to do.

Scotland Urged to Refocus on Genealogy Tourism

I am always amazed at how little attention is given to genealogists by the various tourism boards and agencies. Thousands of people travel the world to visit the lands of their ancestors. These travelers probably spend millions for airfare, hotels, restaurants, rental cars, and other expenses. I would think these genealogists add a lot to local economies.

A new study estimates people searching for their roots will be worth £2.4 billion ($3.82 billion US dollars) to Scotland over the next five years. The potential of so-called ancestral tourism has been outlined in a report by consultants TNS, which estimates a potential market of 50 million people of Scottish ancestry. But services need to be improved if Scotland is to cash in, including promoting existing research facilities, specialist tour operators and the creation of budget “genealogy packages”.

Researching Aliens in Roswell

I have a "brickwall ancestor" who has frustrated me for years. I know a great deal about his adult life but have not been able to prove where Washington Harvey Eastman was born or the names of his parents. I have long joked that "he must have been deposited here by a Martian spaceship."

Today I found myself in Roswell, New Mexico, best known for what is now called the 1947 Roswell UFO Incident. An alien spacecraft reportedly was found near Roswell and its occupants were captured. Many people believe the military then engaged in a cover-up. The incident has turned into a widely known pop culture phenomenon, making the name Roswell synonymous with UFOs. One of the better-known local organizations that popularizes the spacecraft theory is the International UFO Museum & Research Center on Main Street in Roswell. What better place to look for documentation about an ancestor who was "deposited here by a Martian spaceship?"

Today, I visited the International UFO Museum & Research Center and consulted with the staff. No, that is not a picture of the staff above. Instead, that is a mock-up of what some artist believes happened in June or July 1947. Any resemblance to my relatives is purely coincidental.

Click on the images to see larger pictures.

The Rewarding Adventures Of 'Genealogy Tourism'

Travel writer Kyle Ellison recently wrote, "Perhaps it's the rise in popularity of websites such as ancestry.com, but for some reason 'genealogy tourism' seems to be on the rise in the world's most famous 'nation of immigrants,' the United States of America. Despite the fact that millions of families took the plunge to move to a foreign land, their children many years down the road have not relinquished the curiosity to learn more about where it is they came from."

Legacy Genealogy Cruise 2013 Announced, will include the Panama Canal

This sounds like a great time: a long cruise and an opportunity to learn about genealogy at the same time! One of the most enjoyable learning experiences possible is to take genealogy classes at sea.

The following was written by the producers of Legacy Family Tree, a popular genealogy program for Windows:

The 10th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, to be held September 22 through October 7, 2013, starts in San Diego, California and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will feature speakers Megan Smolenyak, Karen Clifford, Geoff Rasmussen, Randy Seaver and others. It will visit the following ports:

Hotel Rooms at RootsTech 2013

The RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City is still more than six months away but one hotel is already almost full. I tried to make reservations online to stay at the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown, next door to the Salt Palace, site of RootsTech 2013. I wanted to stay there on March 21 through 24, 2013. I was surprised when the web site told me the hotel was already fully booked for Friday, March 22. HOWEVER, there is always some way of getting a room.

The Chart Chick's Quick Insider's Guide to Salt Lake City

Are you planning a trip to Salt Lake City? Do you know the best restaurants in the city? How do you find the best hamburger in Salt Lake City? How about the best Mexican food?  You can find all that and more in the free 22-page booklet entitled, The Chart Chick's Quick Insider's Guide to Salt Lake City.

For those of you who are not familiar with the "Chart Chick," that is a pseudonym used by Janet Hovorka. She and her husband Kim run Family ChartMasters, the company that produces the beautiful wall charts for genealogists. If you are not familiar with Family ChartMasters, you need to look at https://familychartmasters.com. Even though the web site shows numerous examples, you cannot appreciate these charts until you see them in person. The small image on your computer's screen doesn't do justice to these large charts.

Announcing the 8th Annual Wholly Genes Genealogy Conference and Cruise

The following announcement was written by Wholly Genes, Inc.:

The largest family history conference on the seas.

COLUMBIA, MARYLAND -- 5 February 2012 -- Wholly Genes, Inc. announces the 2012 Genealogy Conference and Cruise, September 16-23, 2012, to Alaska’s Inside Passage. This annual conference has a reputation for offering lectures by some of the most respected genealogists in the country on topics that are relevant to all researchers, including methodology, standards, repositories, record types, research aids, and technology. With expert presentations aboard a cruise ship plus exciting ports of call, this event offers a major educational opportunity and a unique vacation experience – all at a price that rivals a typical national conference or vacation alone.

This year’s conference offers some of the most sought-after speakers on genealogy and technology topics, including:

Family Tree Tours Announces Its 2012 Upcoming Genealogy Tours

The following announcement was written by Family Tree Tours:

For those who wish to journey to their ancestral hometowns and experience the lives their ancestors led before emigrating, Family Tree Tours announces a new website featuring research resources and German heritage trips.

WASHINGTON, MO—January 2, 2012—Family Tree Tours, a leading German genealogy tour provider for genealogy societies and individuals, announces its preplanned group heritage tours for 2012.

For those who wish to know more about their family history and ancestral origins, a genealogy tour is a unique and exciting travel experience. Travelers have the advantage of researching their ancestors while visiting the town or region they came from, learning about the culture and local customs and traditions, and even meeting relatives for the first time.

On the Road Again

It's travel time again. So what else is new? By the time you read this, I should be in Florida, moving into the motor home for a few days. However, I'll only be there for a week.

Part of the reason for living in the motor home for only a week is to perform a bit of a "shakedown cruise" and make sure all systems are operational, ready for a longer stay. I hope to have full Internet access during my stay and should be able to post new articles here on a regular basis. However, if the computer gods don't smile at the right time, there is a risk of not being able to post new articles.

Cruising on the "Unlock the Past" History and Genealogy Conference Cruise in New Zealand and Australia

I wrote recently about the successful Wholly Genes genealogy conference and cruise. It seems the folks "down under" do the same. Auckland Libraries and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists hosted a day of family history seminars as part of an "Unlock the Past" history and genealogy conference cruise.

The 14-day cruise features a Scottish and Irish Theme. It is a cruise from Auckland, New Zealand, to Sydney, Australia, and features 8 one-day stops in between.

Wholly Genes Cruise is a Success

Last week was one of the best weeks I ever had. I took a one-week Caribbean cruise, accompanied by nearly 200 genealogists. The Holland-America ship, the m.v. Westerdam, became a genealogy hotbed.

The genealogists assembled in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, November 13. We embarked on the cruise ship without much difficulty. Late in the afternoon, we sailed out of the Port Everglades cruise terminal and headed for Half Moon Cay, a small island in the Bahamas owned by the Holland America line.

On the Road Again: Bristol, Indiana

I am traveling again. I spent ten straight days at home, which is a record for me in the past three months. I am now off to give presentations at the Elkhart County Genealogical Society in Bristol, Indiana. I wrote about this seminar earlier at http://goo.gl/oWJ0R.

I will be traveling with a 2½-pound laptop computer, a 4G/3G wireless card, and wi-fi capabilities as well. In theory, I should be able to continue publishing articles in the same manner as when I am at home. The only difficulty I can see is with time management. Due to almost constant traveling, I will be busy. Please do not be surprised if I miss a day or two of new articles. I most likely will "catch up" when I do connect online again.

2011 NGS Research Trip to Salt Lake City

Feedback I have received from those on previous trips indicates this is a great experience. If you are interested in spending a week in Salt Lake City, accompanied by genealogy experts, you will be interested in this announcement from the National Genealogical Society:

16–23 October 2011

Space is limited to 30 attendees.
Registration Deadline: 1 October 2011

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) sponsors two research trips each year to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and one is filling up now for October.

Săpânţa: The Happy Cemetery

I have written before about unusual tombstones and even unusual cemeteries. Today I found an article and some pictures about a cemetery that is quite unusual. A blogger in Budapest, Hungary has taken pictures in the village of Săpânţa in the far north of Romania. According to the blogger, the most popular activity in the village appears to be drinking and the fact is well illustrated on the tombstones. For instance, here is a picture of a bartender's tombstone in the "Happy Cemetery:"

[Click on the image to see a larger picture.]

You can read more and view the many pictures in the "dumneazu" blog at http://goo.gl/Zeg0K.

Legacy 2011 Genealogy Cruise is Now Sold Out, Announcing the Legacy 2012 Genealogy Cruise

Do you think genealogy cruises are popular? The 2011 Legacy Genealogy Cruise is now fully booked. There are no more cabins available. However, the folks at Legacy Family Tree have reacted quickly and have already announced the 9th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, to be held May 12-21, 2012. It starts and ends in Oslo, Norway, and visits the following ports: Le Havre (Paris), France; Cherbourg, France; Dublin, Ireland; Liverpool, England; and Edinburgh, Scotland.

If you are thinking of taking a cruise, you should attend a webinar, Crusing with Legacy Family Tree in 2012, on Friday, June 3 to have all your questions answered.

Details may be found at http://goo.gl/qWat2.

Wholly Genes Genealogy Conference and Cruise adds Two More Presenters

Last week I published an article of Wholly Genes, Inc. Announces a Genealogy Cruise and briefly described the cruise to the southern Caribbean. In the article, I wrote, "The announcement also states that additional speaker(s) will be announced." That has now happened. In fact, two additional speakers have been named: