Off the Charts : Presenting Ancestors’ STories (PAST) meets 3rd Wednesdays via Zoom @ 1:30 pm

We are a genealogy group for people who like to think outside the box and beyond the chart. We exchange support for our work and excitement about how we’re sharing it. Our meetings include topics and speakers on writing, crafts, photo projects, organization, trips, reunions, issues, and much more.

Wednesday August 17th @ 1:30-3:30 ==> Contact Kathy knielsen68@gmail.com or Karen 917-2042 for Zoom meeting details.

This Month: “Sharing stories of Ancestor’s Journeys”

My goodness do we have a great meeting today!! Thirteen of our members have volunteered to show n tell with photos and stories of their ancestors’ journeys. This topic definitely resonated with all of us. We will share the thirteen that contacted us first. If we have extra time we will share stories from those who might want to add a story. If we have more stories to share, we will continue Part 2 next month during our updates. Thank you Gail for coming up with a wonderful topic,,,one that definitely appealed to many. I look forward to seeing you today and hearing your stories.

Every meeting includes a chance to connect, ask questions, and update genealogy friends on your latest discoveries or roadblocks. We also have an opportunity to receive inspiration from others and to help.

The Family History Center in Seaside is now open on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, and people are coming in.

Gary Carlsen, one of the volunteer Librarians, reported we once had 14 Librarians, and now have 2. Volunteer positions are available.

Gary stated that the Monterey Public Library has Ancestry.com available, as do the Monterey County Free Libraries, and that his first Ancestry subscription cost $26 in 1990.

The Family History Center has Ancestry.com of course, for free, as well as training with FamilySearch.org.

Monthly Meeting – August 4th, 2022 – “Monterey County Historical Society and Pat Hathaway Collection” by James Perry

James will provide a fascinating presentation with the introduction of the Monterey County Historical Society, its institutional history, campus, collections and highlighting the breadth and depth of Mr. Pat Hathaway’s Collection, followed by Q and A time.

James Perry has a M.A. in Museum Studies with an emphasis on Collections Management & Public History. He has served as Curator of Collections & Exhibits for the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive in Valdez, Alaska as well as the Museum of the Aleutians in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Locally, he has served as consultant to various organizations for special project initiatives, including the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Royal Presidio Chapel and Missions Carmel, San Juan Bautista, Soledad, and San Antonio de Padua. He has served the Monterey County Historical Society in various capacities since 1990, and is currently the Executive Director.

The Zoom meeting will start at 7:00 pm sharp. Zoom meeting details will be sent by invitation only. If you are not a member and wish to attend, send an email with your email address to our Membership VP, Marilyn Ruccello .

For additional information, call (831) 915-9465.

If you are not familiar with Zoom, click here.

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”You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.” – Yogi Berra

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Mocogenso DNA Group is Paused through 2022

The MoCoGenSo DNA Sig is on hold for the remainder of the year. We will reevaluate its resumption in 2023.

In the meanwhile, there are many great DNA Sigs and Discussion groups throughout the country that are free for the joining. In fact, we have a few right here on the West coast. For example, have you heard of Randy Seaver? He is a long time genealogist who runs a DNA Sig for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. This link goes to their main page where there is link to the next DNA meeting! Their meetings are via Zoom and are quite interesting. The last one I attended had 32 folks present!

chulavistagenealogysociety.wildapricot.org

For those who want pure genealogy, Randy Seaver runs a blog that is worth checking out.

www.geneamusings.com/p/randys-genealogy.html

And do not forget the Genealogy Society of Santa Cruz County right here in the Monterey Bay area. They also have a DNA Sig that can be found the calendar on their main page at:

https://scgensoc.org/

Monthly Calendar – August 2022

Genealogy Puzzles (?)

Through the years, I’ve learned a lot about the right way to do genealogy at the blog Genealogy’s Star by James Tanner.  I follow him using Feedly.  Today he had a post about errors he has found in data in the FamilySearch family tree.  He presents them in a puzzle fashion and I found myself getting a kick out of trying to find the error.  Perhaps you will find this particular post fun and informative too. 

https://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2022/06/lets-just-think-about-what-we-are-doing.html

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RootsTech 2023 Will Include Online and In-Person Event

http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/2022/06/rootstech-2023-will-include-online-and.html

Off the Charts : Presenting Ancestors’ STories (PAST) meets 3rd Wednesdays via Zoom @ 1:30 pm

We are a genealogy group for people who like to think outside the box and beyond the chart. We exchange support for our work and excitement about how we’re sharing it. Our meetings include topics and speakers on writing, crafts, photo projects, organization, trips, reunions, issues, and much more.

Wednesday June 15th @ 1:30-3:30 ==> Contact Kathy knielsen68@gmail.com or Karen 917-2042 for Zoom meeting details.

This Month: “Cemeteries; Mysterious Resources and Artistic Family Treasures”

This month’s special topic will be “Cemeteries; Mysterious Resources and Artistic Family Treasures”. Caroline Miller will show her discoveries, and others are welcome to share their experiences. Please send photos to Kathy at least a day ahead, if you’ve got a picture to share.

Every meeting includes a chance to connect, ask questions, and update genealogy friends on your latest discoveries or roadblocks. We also have an opportunity to receive inspiration from others and to help.

We will NOT meet in July.

A Sideview Quickie Observation

When you view the Ethnicity breakdown by parents, be careful in your interpretation to others. The system can only show parts that you inherited! It is accurately split by side, but it is only showing the 50% that you received and retained from that parent.

A given parent had 50% of something else that isn’t showing and we don’t know what that is unless you test your parent.

Perhaps my Dad was 50% Prince and my Mom was 50% Princess and I only inherited the Leprechaun-ish stuff.

Ancestry DNA Ethnicity Estimate has a Sideview

If you have tested your DNA at Ancestry . com, you need to check in with the recently added “Sideview” display that breaks your ethnicity estimates down by your parents, without testing your parents! It is really intriguing and potentially useful for improving the accuracy of your own paper research. I for one didn’t know my maternal side had Welch DNA floating around. I knew about the Irish. When you realize that Wales is only about an hour boat ride from Ireland, you begin to realize that some wily sailor could have joined my ancestors a few generations ago! To see your Sideview, follow these steps.

Go to DNA in the menu bar and select DNA Story

In the Ethnicity Estimate section, select See What’s New

Select View Breakdown

Notice that the two sides are labeled Parent 1 and Parent 2. They can’t tell which half of your genome is which, but maybe you can. Play with the ethnicity sections at the bottom and se if you can decide which side is Mom and which is Pop.

If you can determine “Sides”, like my Maternal has the Irish genes, then select Edit Parents below.

You pick for the Left side. You can always change this later, or even clear and start over.

Once you have chosen sides, you get a nice breakdown like this. Looked at like this, you can see there are subtle differences in my background.

I just wish I knew where that Aegean Islander snuck in from!

Ethnicity Estimates often change, but when they do it is because they are becoming more accurate. I like this new breakdown. When I share this type of data with my family, they seem understand it better than just seeing what my Personal breakdown was. This is meaningful to siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles.

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