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This was historic. For the first time, we co-sponsored an event with Connecticut Society of Genealogists. At the Housatonic Community College, Jonathan Shea, Janet Pestey and Daniel Lynch presented on Irish Genealogy. With over 150 attendees, we squeezed more chairs around the aisles and all got to know our neighbors really well.

There were three very knowledgeable speakers that took us on a journey from initial research here in American records, crossing the ocean back to Ireland and searching the Internet.

We will be having an Irish Workshop in the near future to give everyone an opportunity to more directly work on their brickwalls.

Hindsight is 20/20. Our Holiday Social 2007 was scheduled for the same day, November 18th, as the Stamford Balloon Parade. Well, if you cannot beat ‘em, join ‘em, so, I (with my daughter, father, and son) at least enjoyed the parade before our Social.

While we scheduled our start time to follow the parade, traffic was a challenge, but several members persevered and we had a grand time at the Ferguson Library.

Nora Galvin, Bob Ferry and Rick Roof (above) listen to stories from Lloyd Sturges,

from Shirley Jessup,

from Nan Crowthers,

and others. We all got a chance to share some of our favorite stories of our ancestors in a little genealogical “show-and-tell”. I think we all had a grand time.

To finish up at Ferguson, we celebrated Fred Hart’s election as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists with cake.

The party could not end there, so we went out to dinner to continue the festivities and honor both Fred and Norma.

It is such a privilege for me to be able to learn from Fred and all the wonderful people that make Connecticut Ancestry Society a fun place to be. I cannot wait for our next meeting….

Yesterday, we visited the Mark Twain Library to explore the Margaret Wixted Collection and present our latest issue to the First Selectman of Redding and other officials.

Above, Library Director Heather Morgan welcomes us.

Above, our President Richard Roof presents a copy of our Journal with newly discovered Redding Vital Records to Redding First Selectman, Natalie Ketcham.

Our Editor, Harlan Jessup, renowned expert on Barbour Collection Errors and Omissions, explains the discovery of new Redding Vital Records.

Jean Taylor, reference librarian, details the resources available in the Margaret Wixted Collection at the Mark Twain Library.

We visited the Trumbull Library yesterday to present newly discovered Vital Records to town and library officials.

Pictured are Ray Baldwin (Trumbull First Selectman), Lois Levine and Warren Blake (Directors of the Trumbull Historical Society), Mary Rogers (Associate Director of Library Information Systems), Walter Dembowski (Head of Reference Services) and Richard Roof (President of Connecticut Ancestry Society).

The presentation was followed by a rousing presentation by lecturer Bill Stansfield entitled Genealogy 101.

Today, we had a wonderful lecture by award-winning Master Graphoanalyst, Irene P. Lambert at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in Newtown. The lecture was both informative and entertaining as Irene took us in to the world of handwriting analysis. I am also enthusiastic about our sponsoring her for the upcoming NERGC Conference.

As so many of us endeavor to put character and personality into our genealogical research, this investigation into our ancestor’s handwriting can paint a picture of why our ancestors made some of the choices that they did. My great-great grandfather’s handwriting showed some of that determination and quick-thinking that must have been necessary to be a successful entrepeneur in Greenwich.

I think I will be trying to locate more writing samples that can be looked at by Irene in the future.

On October 5th, 2005, we had a wonderful presentation at the Fairfield Historical Society. It was a lecture on Eastern-European Research with a Focus on Poland done by Professor Jonathan D. Shea, A.G. of the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast.My grandmother, while born here in the United States, was of Polish descent. Both of her parents had individually emigrated to the United States and were married here. I had always been led to believe that most of the records had been destroyed by the ravages of war through Central Europe or by the Communist occupation. This lecture pleasantly opened my eyes to an opportunity to research a side of my family that I had given up hope on.It will not be easy. First, and of utmost importance, is going to be locating the exact place of origin for my g-grandparents. Jonathan presented several good ideas on places to look. Second will be struggling with the language since records may be written in Polish, German, Russian, Latin, or even others given Poland’s fluid borders. I did purchase Jonathan’s book at the lecture entitled, In Their Words: A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin, and Russian Documents, Volume I: Polish. I am anxiously looking forward to beginning my research in this area.