List of 2021 Meetings
January 27, 2021 Digging in the Digital Archive: Discovering Your Family's History in Digital Collections
This lecture will present a how-to guide for finding online sources outside of the major genealogy websites for Western Pennsylvania and beyond. It will give an overview of discovering free digital collections relevant to your research and tips and tricks for getting the most of these sites. It includes an introduction to the various digital collections available, the sources contained within, strategies for discovery, and finally, case studies that demonstrate the power of using digital collections to enhance family history research.
About our presenter: Kristin Britanik is a professional genealogist and owner of Deep Genealogical Services based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She previously worked in archival digitization within the University of Pittsburgh's Archives & Special Collections, coordinating digital collections sites, including the Historic Pittsburgh project. She was also the digitization program manager at The Andy Warhol Museum. Before moving to Pittsburgh, Kristin worked as a researcher at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in the Research Services department and as an archival digitization specialist for Ancestry.com.
February 24, 2021 The Barry Family’s Journey from Ireland to Pittsburgh: A Genealogy Adventure. 6:30 PM Zoom
The Barry Family’s Journey from Ireland to Pittsburgh: A Genealogy Adventure. Jim Barry of Reston, Virginia. Jim has been an avid genealogist for over 30 years. He is the project administrator for the Earls of Barrymore DNA Project and the Barry DNA Surname Group.
This will be a live, virtual presentation of Jim's case study for his Irish ancestry, starting from his Pittsburgh-born parents and involving an essential Pittsburgh document trail.
March 24, 2021, Miners and Means: Life in a Coal Town. 6:30 PM Zoom
Amanda Peters, archivist at the Coal and Coke Heritage Center will share insights into the life of a coal miner and his family. She will explore immigration and migration, working in the mines and around the coke ovens, company and employee dynamics, and culture. Plus, we will take a live, virtual tour of the Heritage Center; learn more about artifacts in the collection and resources available for research. The Coal and Coke Heritage Center is a part of the Penn State Fayette Campus Library. https://fayette.psu.edu/visit/coalandcoke
Matt Scislowicz, President of the Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation Miners Memorial in Windber, PA. Until recently, there was a Coal Museum in Windber, but it was disbanded. Matt is very friendly and well-informed, and would be a great resource during a Genea-Break, to answer questions. He would LOVE to talk with us. His group's website is: http://echf.org/
April 28, 2021. A Genealogist’s Guide to the Pennsylvania State Archives. 6:30 PM Zoom
The presentation will cover various types of records of interest to genealogists in our collection and what records from our collection are available online. Our presenter will be Aaron McWilliams | Archivist, PHMC | Pennsylvania State Archives, 350 North Street | Harrisburg PA 17120. Phone: 717.787.8953 | Fax: 717.787.4822
Website: www.pastatearchives.com Email: RA-StateArchives@pa.gov
May 26, 2021 - Facebook: A Tool for Genealogical Research. 6:30 PM Zoom
At first glance, Facebook doesn’t seem like a good fit for genealogy research. Yet, many genealogists and family historians are using the world’s most popular social media platform to locate other researchers, post queries and lookups, and to harness the power of Facebook Pages and Groups. Facebook, like many other websites, can be a distraction and time waster. However, with a little practice and a focuses approach to using the site, you will be amazed at how much Facebook can help advance your research.
Who is Thomas MacEntee? What happens when a “tech guy” with a love for history gets laid off during The Great Recession of 2008? You get me, Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional who’s also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, marketer, network builder, and more. Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High-Definition Genealogy. He shares many of his articles and videos for free at GenealogyBargains.com!
Thomas describes himself, “I’m a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics and I’ve finally figured out what I do best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. I believe in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success.”
June 23, 2021 - Triangulating Looking for your Ancestors? With Ryan Henrie
Do you want to learn how using a combination of Find A Grave plus Ancestry.com plus FamilySearch to cross-reference your research is an advantage to genealogists? Then attend our June Zoom meeting to hear Ryan Henrie's talk on this topic.
Ryan Henrie, a local Family History Consultant, will present details about how to get the most from Find A Grave, an American website of cemetery records, to add to your genealogical research. Find A Grave, now owned by Ancestry.com, is a rapidly growing free database thanks to volunteers who photograph and transcribe headstones in their local area.
July 26, 2021 - Picture Perfect Picnic
Our first in-person meeting since early 2020 was a “Picture Perfect Picnic,” held at the Cranberry Community Park. We enjoyed beautiful weather, lemonade, cookies, and chatting about our genealogical searches. Many members brought a “brick wall” photo to share, and we put our heads together to share ideas about the time frame of the photos based on clothing, setting, and hairstyles. There were some great conversations with 22 members in attendance!
August 25, 2021 - Restore, Relive, and Share Your Photos - Rick Voight
See how to use easy software to quickly and easily restore scanned prints, slides, document and digital camera images. Our presenter, Rick Voight says, “The ability to connect with our roots through online records, documents, and photographs is the result of dedicated individuals and organizations that identify, scan, and make available vast quantities of information." This program is both a discussion and demonstration but not a sales pitch. Although, you may choose to consider this other similar image restoration software to enhance your genealogy finds.
Our presenter: Rick Voight has spent his career helping people take/make/share pictures and with his clients has created billion-dollar business through consumer and business research, business development and marketing for Kodak, HP, and Vivid-Pix.
September 22, 2021 - The Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel Disaster
On Christmas Eve 1917, an overcrowded, out-of-control streetcar exited the Mount Washington tunnel, crashing into pedestrians. Twenty-three were killed and more than eighty injured in the worst transit incident in Pittsburgh history. The crash scene on Carson Street was chaotic as physicians turned the railway offices into a makeshift hospital and bystanders frantically sought to remove the injured and strewn bodies from the wreckage. Most of the victims, many women and children, were from the close-knit neighborhoods of Knoxville, Beltzhoover and Mount Oliver. In the aftermath, public outrage over the tragedy led to criminal prosecution, civil suits and the bankruptcy of the Pittsburgh Railways Company, which operated the service.
Our presenter: Dr. Mary Jane Kuffner-Hirt is an author and genealogist and has published in Familia, the journal of the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Society, and presented at the 2017 FGS conference; and to an international migration studies conference in Northern Ireland. Now retired from teaching and management positions at IUP and city and state government, she is applying her research skills to historical and genealogical research.
October 27, 2021 - Become a ‘Smart Searcher’ with Newspapers.com
Newspapers.com is the largest online newspaper archive consisting of 666 million+ pages of historical newspapers from 21,000+ newspapers from around the United States and beyond. Newspapers provide a unique view of the past and can help us understand and connect with the people, events and attitudes of an earlier time. It's a terrific tool for genealogists - if you are a "smart-searcher'. We'll explain how to efficiently search for the results you want.
Our presenter: Sue Ennis, our club president and newsletter editor, has enjoyed teaching genealogy virtually and in-person in Western Pennsylvania since retiring as a school librarian four years ago. Her specialties are research skills and methodology and writing and editing. Ennis has editorial credit on five published books and is a leader among genealogical educators with her organized, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic style.
Future Club Meetings – topics TBD
November 17
January 2022
Last revised 1 November, 2021
This lecture will present a how-to guide for finding online sources outside of the major genealogy websites for Western Pennsylvania and beyond. It will give an overview of discovering free digital collections relevant to your research and tips and tricks for getting the most of these sites. It includes an introduction to the various digital collections available, the sources contained within, strategies for discovery, and finally, case studies that demonstrate the power of using digital collections to enhance family history research.
About our presenter: Kristin Britanik is a professional genealogist and owner of Deep Genealogical Services based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She previously worked in archival digitization within the University of Pittsburgh's Archives & Special Collections, coordinating digital collections sites, including the Historic Pittsburgh project. She was also the digitization program manager at The Andy Warhol Museum. Before moving to Pittsburgh, Kristin worked as a researcher at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in the Research Services department and as an archival digitization specialist for Ancestry.com.
February 24, 2021 The Barry Family’s Journey from Ireland to Pittsburgh: A Genealogy Adventure. 6:30 PM Zoom
The Barry Family’s Journey from Ireland to Pittsburgh: A Genealogy Adventure. Jim Barry of Reston, Virginia. Jim has been an avid genealogist for over 30 years. He is the project administrator for the Earls of Barrymore DNA Project and the Barry DNA Surname Group.
This will be a live, virtual presentation of Jim's case study for his Irish ancestry, starting from his Pittsburgh-born parents and involving an essential Pittsburgh document trail.
March 24, 2021, Miners and Means: Life in a Coal Town. 6:30 PM Zoom
Amanda Peters, archivist at the Coal and Coke Heritage Center will share insights into the life of a coal miner and his family. She will explore immigration and migration, working in the mines and around the coke ovens, company and employee dynamics, and culture. Plus, we will take a live, virtual tour of the Heritage Center; learn more about artifacts in the collection and resources available for research. The Coal and Coke Heritage Center is a part of the Penn State Fayette Campus Library. https://fayette.psu.edu/visit/coalandcoke
Matt Scislowicz, President of the Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation Miners Memorial in Windber, PA. Until recently, there was a Coal Museum in Windber, but it was disbanded. Matt is very friendly and well-informed, and would be a great resource during a Genea-Break, to answer questions. He would LOVE to talk with us. His group's website is: http://echf.org/
April 28, 2021. A Genealogist’s Guide to the Pennsylvania State Archives. 6:30 PM Zoom
The presentation will cover various types of records of interest to genealogists in our collection and what records from our collection are available online. Our presenter will be Aaron McWilliams | Archivist, PHMC | Pennsylvania State Archives, 350 North Street | Harrisburg PA 17120. Phone: 717.787.8953 | Fax: 717.787.4822
Website: www.pastatearchives.com Email: RA-StateArchives@pa.gov
May 26, 2021 - Facebook: A Tool for Genealogical Research. 6:30 PM Zoom
At first glance, Facebook doesn’t seem like a good fit for genealogy research. Yet, many genealogists and family historians are using the world’s most popular social media platform to locate other researchers, post queries and lookups, and to harness the power of Facebook Pages and Groups. Facebook, like many other websites, can be a distraction and time waster. However, with a little practice and a focuses approach to using the site, you will be amazed at how much Facebook can help advance your research.
Who is Thomas MacEntee? What happens when a “tech guy” with a love for history gets laid off during The Great Recession of 2008? You get me, Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional who’s also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, marketer, network builder, and more. Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High-Definition Genealogy. He shares many of his articles and videos for free at GenealogyBargains.com!
Thomas describes himself, “I’m a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics and I’ve finally figured out what I do best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. I believe in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success.”
June 23, 2021 - Triangulating Looking for your Ancestors? With Ryan Henrie
Do you want to learn how using a combination of Find A Grave plus Ancestry.com plus FamilySearch to cross-reference your research is an advantage to genealogists? Then attend our June Zoom meeting to hear Ryan Henrie's talk on this topic.
Ryan Henrie, a local Family History Consultant, will present details about how to get the most from Find A Grave, an American website of cemetery records, to add to your genealogical research. Find A Grave, now owned by Ancestry.com, is a rapidly growing free database thanks to volunteers who photograph and transcribe headstones in their local area.
July 26, 2021 - Picture Perfect Picnic
Our first in-person meeting since early 2020 was a “Picture Perfect Picnic,” held at the Cranberry Community Park. We enjoyed beautiful weather, lemonade, cookies, and chatting about our genealogical searches. Many members brought a “brick wall” photo to share, and we put our heads together to share ideas about the time frame of the photos based on clothing, setting, and hairstyles. There were some great conversations with 22 members in attendance!
August 25, 2021 - Restore, Relive, and Share Your Photos - Rick Voight
See how to use easy software to quickly and easily restore scanned prints, slides, document and digital camera images. Our presenter, Rick Voight says, “The ability to connect with our roots through online records, documents, and photographs is the result of dedicated individuals and organizations that identify, scan, and make available vast quantities of information." This program is both a discussion and demonstration but not a sales pitch. Although, you may choose to consider this other similar image restoration software to enhance your genealogy finds.
Our presenter: Rick Voight has spent his career helping people take/make/share pictures and with his clients has created billion-dollar business through consumer and business research, business development and marketing for Kodak, HP, and Vivid-Pix.
September 22, 2021 - The Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel Disaster
On Christmas Eve 1917, an overcrowded, out-of-control streetcar exited the Mount Washington tunnel, crashing into pedestrians. Twenty-three were killed and more than eighty injured in the worst transit incident in Pittsburgh history. The crash scene on Carson Street was chaotic as physicians turned the railway offices into a makeshift hospital and bystanders frantically sought to remove the injured and strewn bodies from the wreckage. Most of the victims, many women and children, were from the close-knit neighborhoods of Knoxville, Beltzhoover and Mount Oliver. In the aftermath, public outrage over the tragedy led to criminal prosecution, civil suits and the bankruptcy of the Pittsburgh Railways Company, which operated the service.
Our presenter: Dr. Mary Jane Kuffner-Hirt is an author and genealogist and has published in Familia, the journal of the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Society, and presented at the 2017 FGS conference; and to an international migration studies conference in Northern Ireland. Now retired from teaching and management positions at IUP and city and state government, she is applying her research skills to historical and genealogical research.
October 27, 2021 - Become a ‘Smart Searcher’ with Newspapers.com
Newspapers.com is the largest online newspaper archive consisting of 666 million+ pages of historical newspapers from 21,000+ newspapers from around the United States and beyond. Newspapers provide a unique view of the past and can help us understand and connect with the people, events and attitudes of an earlier time. It's a terrific tool for genealogists - if you are a "smart-searcher'. We'll explain how to efficiently search for the results you want.
Our presenter: Sue Ennis, our club president and newsletter editor, has enjoyed teaching genealogy virtually and in-person in Western Pennsylvania since retiring as a school librarian four years ago. Her specialties are research skills and methodology and writing and editing. Ennis has editorial credit on five published books and is a leader among genealogical educators with her organized, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic style.
Future Club Meetings – topics TBD
November 17
January 2022
Last revised 1 November, 2021