Meetings
Regular meetings are temporarily suspended due to Covid 19 precautions. Meetings will be held via Zoom until further notice.
Regular Meetings:
Held at William K. Sanford Library
Town of Colonie
629 Albany Shaker Road
Loudonville, NY 12211
4th Saturday of month, except 5th Saturday in 2020 in May for the Conference and the 3rd Saturday of month in November; no meeting in December.
All regular meetings begin at 1:00 PM.
Election of Officers - November
We welcome you to a year of interesting and informative programs at CDGS!
1:00 - 2:30 Meeting and Speaker
During the presentation questions can be submitted using the chat feature on Zoom. Our speaker will address submitted questions at the end of the presentation.
Temporarily Suspended:
2:30- 3:00Refreshments with meet and mingle time (our
speaker usually is usually available for questions during this time)
3:00 - 3:30 Internet Resources Discussion
Additional Genealogy Related Events in the Capital District
Although the New York State Library remains closed to visitors, they will be offering some upcoming free webinars of interest to genealogists. Here’s the link to register: www.nysl.nysed.gov/programs.
Southern California Genealogical Society Genealogy Jamboree
The Genes in Your Family
Online, Virtual Genetic Genealogy Conference
Friday and Saturday June 4 - 5, 2021
and
The Stars in Your Family
A world class virtual genealogy conference with
51 Speakers from the USA, Canada, Ireland, Israel, and the UK
Friday and Saturday, June 11 - 12, 2021
Family History Fanatics
3rd annual Research Your Way to Genealogy Answers
Virtual conference on Saturday, 5th June 2021
Sessions:
Research Over My Shoulder: A Practical Guide to Researching Your Ancestors (Devon Noel Lee)
How To Effectively Research Newspapers For Your Ancestors (Lisa Lisson)
How to Research German Ancestors from the US to their Hometown (Miles Meyer)
Dissecting a Civil War Pension Record-Union & Confederate (Jill Morelli)
The online sessions will begin at 10am Eastern Time on Saturday, 5th June 2021.
As with past events there will be a 5th hour panel discussion where you can ask questions about any of the topics or even anything else related to genealogy and research.
Early bird registration is only $19.99 until May 22nd. The regular registration price is $24.99.
Learn more at the website (https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/researchconference) and register today.
May 22, 2021
Genealogy and German Jews: A Success Story in Reconstituting an Entire Family
Michael Tuteur
Jewish genealogy presents multiple challenges: Before 1800, Jews typically had no last names; records were not kept in family bibles or at the synagogue; and tradition dictated that children were to be named after deceased relatives, leading to many relatives having the same name. Despite these challenges, Jewish genealogy in Germany can yield highly successful results, in part because German society excelled in keeping and maintaining records, even of Jews. This presentation will offer tips and tricks for finding your German Jewish ancestors and relatives (and European Jews generally). It will do so through the lens of a 30-year effort to document and connect all persons who descended from two half-brothers with a unique last name: Tuteur.
Michael Tuteur has been an amateur genealogist for over 30 years. Michael is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and is a practicing litigation partner at a national law firm, residing in Boston. Michael has spent countless hours in the U.S. and Germany researching and documenting his ancestors and relatives, all of whom were Jews from German-speaking locations within Europe. Beginning in 1990, Michael committed to uncovering the roots of his own, very unusual last name – a French legal term that appears to have nothing to do with the original “family business” of boiling and manufacturing soap. Michael ultimately established through his research that every person who carries the name “Tuteur” is a descendant of two half-brothers who, in accordance with a Napoleonic decree, first adopted the Tuteur surname in the tiny German town of Winnweiler in October 1808.
This course will give the participant an overview of forensic genealogy and the role of the genealogist in these types of cases. We will discuss some of the major types of cases in which a forensic genealogist may be involved, such as guardianship, oil and gas, unidentified and unclaimed persons, and probate. The role of the forensic genealogist as an expert witness will also be discussed.
“Wha’s like us? Damn few, an’ they’re aw’ deid!” Although Scotland is currently part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, its historic records and traditions are very different compared to the rest of the UK, with many institutions remaining independent from England at the time of the Union in 1707. These include the Presbyterian based state church, the legal system (Scots Law), the education system, and considerably more.In this session, Ayrshire based family historian Chris Paton outlines the records needed to explore your Scottish ancestry, noting where to find them online and offline, and exploring how they can help to trace your forebears back through time. He’ll discuss church records, civil registration records, censuses, land records, inheritances processes, and along the way flag up some of Scotland’s more interesting historic traditions to help researchers better understand their Caledonian heritage. Originally from Northern Ireland, Chris Paton is a genealogist and writer today based in Ayrshire, Scotland, where he runs the Scotland’s Greatest Story research service at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk. As well as contributing to many of the UK’s best known family history magazines, Chris also writes for his own Scottish GENES news blog at www.scottishgenes.blogspot.com, and regularly gives talks to family history societies across the UK and worldwide. His recent publications include Tracing Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition), and Sharing Your Family History Online.
July 24, 2021
Researching Your Scottish Ancestry
Chris Paton
August 28, 2021
The Legacy of Kate Mullany
Paul F. Cole
September 25, 2021
A one-day virtual conference with multiple speakers
October 23, 2021
Using Fulton History Website
Dennis Hogan
June 26, 2021
Introduction to Forensic Genealogy
Kelvin L. Meyers
November 20, 2021
Don't Forget the Ladies - A Genealogists Guide to Women and the Law
Judy Russell "The Legal Genealogist"
"Save the Date"
Join us September 25, 2021 as the Capital District genealogical Society celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a special event in place of our monthly meeting. The Society will hold its first virtual Conference! Set your day aside to join us at what promises to be a fun educational day.
Interested in DNA? Have you received a genealogy DNA kit and want to understand what it means? How can you make the best use of those matches? We’re offering two sessions by Fred Voss who will help us by sharing some case studies and techniques.
Are you looking to take that first step into the genealogy world? Have so many challenges and sorting of surnames tangling your efforts? Let Tom Jones share his knowledge as only he can. Perhaps you’re an avid genealogist who wants to publish your own family history. Did you uncover a “sensitive” piece of history and struggle with how to present if you do? Tom will also provide a talk about dealing with those “sensitive” findings.
Have a photograph you love, but don't know when or where it was taken? Maureen Taylor The Photo Detective" will join us for a session that includes an opportunity for a few attendees to have their photos scrutinized.Registration will open in June on our website
