2018 Meetings
January 16, 2018 Special Event
Special Event - Live Webinar on DNA Ethnicity, by Blaine Bettinger, co-hosted by North Hills Genealogists. Regularly scheduled meeting cancelled for 24 Jan, 2018.
Understanding DNA Ethnicity - Webinar presented by Blaine Bettinger
Learn how testing companies create ethnicity estimates, the accuracy of the estimates, and ways to use them in your research. DNA expert & genealogist Blaine Bettinger will compare and contrast ethnicity estimates at the big five testing companies (23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, and MyHeritage) and discuss their limitations and uses. This will be a live webinar.
February, 2018 - Using DNA to Solve Genealogical Brick Walls
Debbie Billeter will present “Using DNA to Solve Genealogical Brick Walls” She will describe her DNA case study to find appropriate candidates for the biological father of her maternal grandfather. If you have an adoption or a mis-attributed parentage in your family tree, DNA matches can be used to determine the real surname and to narrow down the generation in which the break in the family tree may have occurred. Her research combines DNA with traditional document-based genealogy. Even if your research does not have a similar “brick wall”, come and learn about how the comparison of the DNA of 2 individuals indicates their degree of relationship.
Debbie Billeter began using DNA in 2014 to help trace her husband's line. In 2016, she began the process of tracing her maternal grandfather's paternity. She has taken two GRIP seminars, read numerous books on the topic, attended presentations, and subscribed to the blogs and Facebook pages of the best experts in the field.
March, 2018 Amy Arner - PA Resources, Three Rivers program
Western Pennsylvania is dominated by three rivers--the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. Our ancestors used the rivers for boundaries and major transportation routes and as the focus of technological innovations. This lecture will cover how the rivers affected the history of the area, including migration patterns. It will also cover where to find records about people who migrated to the area.
April 25, 2018 WWI Footlocker Program presented by Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, co-sponsored with Cranberry Public Library!
A representative of Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh will join us to present “Life Behind the Scenes for a World War I Soldier” using an actual, historic foot locker as a visual aid. This free program is co-sponsored by the Cranberry Township Public Library and the Cranberry Genealogy Club. Also known as the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, World War I was a global conflict from July 1914-November 1918. As we learn about daily life of a typical solder from WWI, we will also find out about resources and suggestions to use when researching your ancestor’s military service during WWI. http://soldiersandsailorshall. org/education/footlocker/
November 11 will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. We thought you might be interested in the following Blog post from Ancestry.com. Preparing for the 100th Anniversary of the End of WWI – Ancestry Blog , posted by Jennifer Holik on April 6, 2018 in Collections, Guest Bloggers
May 23, 2018 - How researchers find hidden treasures in newspapers - Presentation by Elissa Scalise Powell
Newspapers contain more than obituaries -- they record many important events in our ancestor’s lives and can be a substitute for missing vital records. Learn how to access them online and off in order to reap the huge rewards that are hidden in their pages. Certified Genealogist and Lecturer, Elissa Scalise Powell will be our presenter.
June/July 2018 - Cemetery Walk, Zion Lutheran Church, 557 Perry Highway, Harmony, PA
Note that this event was rained out in June, so we rescheduled for July.
What is a Cemetery Walk?
Last year, a group of us got together, printed out a list of Find-A-Grave requests for pictures of tombstones, and walked the combined Zelienople Cemeteries off Route 19, south of downtown Zelie. Then we did it again, this time on Route 68, at St. John's Burry's Church near Young's Custard Stand. After finding some, but not all, of the requested stones, and taking pictures of them, we posted them to Find-A-Grave. Several thank-you's were received from grateful researchers.
We had a lot of fun (especially when we stopped for frozen custard at Young's after our second walk.) So we decided to do it again (but were rained out twice!) Since we have the extra daylight in June and July, we should have a lot of time to search.
If you'd like to attend, please send an RSVP with your name to info@cranberrygenealogy.org. That will allow us to divide the list and have sufficient copies for teams or individuals. If you forget to RSVP, or decide at the last minute, you are still welcome to join us.
Why Do a Cemetery Walk?
Many people requesting gravestone images are not local, so without our help, they might never see their ancestors' final resting places. If they are attempting to join a society like DAR, SAR, or a "First Families" group, an image of a gravestone might be the final piece of evidence they need. It falls into the category of "Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness."
Images can be uploaded to BillionGraves website. so we'll add that upload to our post-walk tasks.
GRIP JUNE EVENING SESSIONS - free and open to the public
GRIP JULY EVENING SESSIONS at La Roche College - free and open to the public
August 22, 2018
Are you Scottish? Irish? Neither? Learn where the term Scots-Irish originated, how it was used in the past few centuries, and what it really means to be Scots-Irish.
Our presenter, Rebecca Kichta Miller is past president of Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, the current editor of their newsletter, and an experienced genealogist and presenter.
Click here for meeting brochure.
September 26, 2018 - Field Trip to Preservation Technologies, L. P.
Preservation Technologies, L.P. (PTLP) provides deacidification and digitization products and services for libraries, archives and businesses worldwide, and their headquarters is right here in Cranberry Township. PTLP successfully developed the patented Bookkeeper® process, which extends the life of books and manuscripts by neutralizing harmful acids found in paper. PTLP partners with the Library of Congress to treat their valuable manuscripts. Bookkeeper® is the only deacidification method to meet the standards of the Library of Congress, as well as current and projected OSHA, FTC and EPA consumer and environmental requirements. Over 550,000 assets from library and archival collections are sent to Preservation Technologies' global facilities each year to be deacidified.
Please RSVP on the Cranberry Library website, so our hosts can plan to accommodate our group. Here's the link to RSVP: www.cranberrylibrary.org/GenealogySept26
We will meet at 6:30 PM, at: Preservation Technologies, 111 Thomson Park Dr., Cranberry Twp., PA 16066. (turn from Rochester onto Executive Dr. and immediate right into parking lot) Learn more about PTLP on their website: https://ptlp.com/en/
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Voices through Time: What I Learned from My Mother's Roller Skate Case
We are delighted to welcome local librarian and genealogist, Faith Jack. "After my father passed away in 2013, my siblings and I cleaned out our parents' house. Being the family historian, I wanted to keep almost everything while my siblings wanted to purge. As a child, I can remember my mother taking out her old roller-skate case and showing me letters, photos, and mementos from her childhood. Little did I know that taking the case home with me would be the impetus for progress in my genealogical journey." Guest Presenter: Faith Jack.
Friday, November 9, 2018 - Cranberry Library Ancestry Lock-In event
Location: Cranberry Public Library - after hours
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
December - no meeting due to the proximity to Christmas.
Last updated 5 February 2018
Special Event - Live Webinar on DNA Ethnicity, by Blaine Bettinger, co-hosted by North Hills Genealogists. Regularly scheduled meeting cancelled for 24 Jan, 2018.
Understanding DNA Ethnicity - Webinar presented by Blaine Bettinger
Learn how testing companies create ethnicity estimates, the accuracy of the estimates, and ways to use them in your research. DNA expert & genealogist Blaine Bettinger will compare and contrast ethnicity estimates at the big five testing companies (23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, and MyHeritage) and discuss their limitations and uses. This will be a live webinar.
February, 2018 - Using DNA to Solve Genealogical Brick Walls
Debbie Billeter will present “Using DNA to Solve Genealogical Brick Walls” She will describe her DNA case study to find appropriate candidates for the biological father of her maternal grandfather. If you have an adoption or a mis-attributed parentage in your family tree, DNA matches can be used to determine the real surname and to narrow down the generation in which the break in the family tree may have occurred. Her research combines DNA with traditional document-based genealogy. Even if your research does not have a similar “brick wall”, come and learn about how the comparison of the DNA of 2 individuals indicates their degree of relationship.
Debbie Billeter began using DNA in 2014 to help trace her husband's line. In 2016, she began the process of tracing her maternal grandfather's paternity. She has taken two GRIP seminars, read numerous books on the topic, attended presentations, and subscribed to the blogs and Facebook pages of the best experts in the field.
March, 2018 Amy Arner - PA Resources, Three Rivers program
Western Pennsylvania is dominated by three rivers--the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. Our ancestors used the rivers for boundaries and major transportation routes and as the focus of technological innovations. This lecture will cover how the rivers affected the history of the area, including migration patterns. It will also cover where to find records about people who migrated to the area.
April 25, 2018 WWI Footlocker Program presented by Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, co-sponsored with Cranberry Public Library!
A representative of Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh will join us to present “Life Behind the Scenes for a World War I Soldier” using an actual, historic foot locker as a visual aid. This free program is co-sponsored by the Cranberry Township Public Library and the Cranberry Genealogy Club. Also known as the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, World War I was a global conflict from July 1914-November 1918. As we learn about daily life of a typical solder from WWI, we will also find out about resources and suggestions to use when researching your ancestor’s military service during WWI. http://soldiersandsailorshall. org/education/footlocker/
November 11 will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. We thought you might be interested in the following Blog post from Ancestry.com. Preparing for the 100th Anniversary of the End of WWI – Ancestry Blog , posted by Jennifer Holik on April 6, 2018 in Collections, Guest Bloggers
May 23, 2018 - How researchers find hidden treasures in newspapers - Presentation by Elissa Scalise Powell
Newspapers contain more than obituaries -- they record many important events in our ancestor’s lives and can be a substitute for missing vital records. Learn how to access them online and off in order to reap the huge rewards that are hidden in their pages. Certified Genealogist and Lecturer, Elissa Scalise Powell will be our presenter.
June/July 2018 - Cemetery Walk, Zion Lutheran Church, 557 Perry Highway, Harmony, PA
Note that this event was rained out in June, so we rescheduled for July.
What is a Cemetery Walk?
Last year, a group of us got together, printed out a list of Find-A-Grave requests for pictures of tombstones, and walked the combined Zelienople Cemeteries off Route 19, south of downtown Zelie. Then we did it again, this time on Route 68, at St. John's Burry's Church near Young's Custard Stand. After finding some, but not all, of the requested stones, and taking pictures of them, we posted them to Find-A-Grave. Several thank-you's were received from grateful researchers.
We had a lot of fun (especially when we stopped for frozen custard at Young's after our second walk.) So we decided to do it again (but were rained out twice!) Since we have the extra daylight in June and July, we should have a lot of time to search.
If you'd like to attend, please send an RSVP with your name to info@cranberrygenealogy.org. That will allow us to divide the list and have sufficient copies for teams or individuals. If you forget to RSVP, or decide at the last minute, you are still welcome to join us.
Why Do a Cemetery Walk?
Many people requesting gravestone images are not local, so without our help, they might never see their ancestors' final resting places. If they are attempting to join a society like DAR, SAR, or a "First Families" group, an image of a gravestone might be the final piece of evidence they need. It falls into the category of "Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness."
Images can be uploaded to BillionGraves website. so we'll add that upload to our post-walk tasks.
GRIP JUNE EVENING SESSIONS - free and open to the public
GRIP JULY EVENING SESSIONS at La Roche College - free and open to the public
August 22, 2018
Are you Scottish? Irish? Neither? Learn where the term Scots-Irish originated, how it was used in the past few centuries, and what it really means to be Scots-Irish.
Our presenter, Rebecca Kichta Miller is past president of Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, the current editor of their newsletter, and an experienced genealogist and presenter.
Click here for meeting brochure.
September 26, 2018 - Field Trip to Preservation Technologies, L. P.
Preservation Technologies, L.P. (PTLP) provides deacidification and digitization products and services for libraries, archives and businesses worldwide, and their headquarters is right here in Cranberry Township. PTLP successfully developed the patented Bookkeeper® process, which extends the life of books and manuscripts by neutralizing harmful acids found in paper. PTLP partners with the Library of Congress to treat their valuable manuscripts. Bookkeeper® is the only deacidification method to meet the standards of the Library of Congress, as well as current and projected OSHA, FTC and EPA consumer and environmental requirements. Over 550,000 assets from library and archival collections are sent to Preservation Technologies' global facilities each year to be deacidified.
Please RSVP on the Cranberry Library website, so our hosts can plan to accommodate our group. Here's the link to RSVP: www.cranberrylibrary.org/GenealogySept26
We will meet at 6:30 PM, at: Preservation Technologies, 111 Thomson Park Dr., Cranberry Twp., PA 16066. (turn from Rochester onto Executive Dr. and immediate right into parking lot) Learn more about PTLP on their website: https://ptlp.com/en/
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Voices through Time: What I Learned from My Mother's Roller Skate Case
We are delighted to welcome local librarian and genealogist, Faith Jack. "After my father passed away in 2013, my siblings and I cleaned out our parents' house. Being the family historian, I wanted to keep almost everything while my siblings wanted to purge. As a child, I can remember my mother taking out her old roller-skate case and showing me letters, photos, and mementos from her childhood. Little did I know that taking the case home with me would be the impetus for progress in my genealogical journey." Guest Presenter: Faith Jack.
Friday, November 9, 2018 - Cranberry Library Ancestry Lock-In event
Location: Cranberry Public Library - after hours
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
December - no meeting due to the proximity to Christmas.
Last updated 5 February 2018