WMGS Training Session: Genealogy 101 - Session #4
2023-04-27 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Online
We’re excited to share the news with you! Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, one of our favorite presenters, will be teaching “Genealogy 101: A Four-Session Course in Beginning
Genealogy” for WMGS members at our monthly training sessions from January through April 2023.
These sessions will be held virtually on the 4 th Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The recordings and handouts will be archived in the Members Only section of our website, in case you miss a class or want to watch it again.
For some time, we’ve been searching for a beginners’ course in genealogy that we could offer to potential, new, and current members.
This course could be a way to bring more members to our society and introduce more
people to the joy of family history research.
Many of us are self-taught and could benefit from learning other aspects of genealogy
research. Whether to learn new skills or brush up on unfamiliar areas, we think current
members will be interested in attending such a course as well. We’ll have more information in our January newsletter about the sessions and what topics Peggy will
cover in each class.
If you have friends or family who have been thinking about doing their family genealogy,
please let them know about this wonderful opportunity. For the low cost of an annual
membership, they’ll be able to take this course (either live on Zoom or at their leisure),
attend our monthly meetings, and have access to all of the archived webinars,
handouts, and other content in the Members Only section of our website as well.

WMGS Annual Meeting & Tech Talk with Dave
2023-05-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
Our annual meeting will be held on May 3rd at 6 p.m. This will be a hybrid meeting.
Members can choose whether to attend in person in the Chicopee Public Library conference room or participate virtually on Zoom.
At the meeting, our Treasurer will give a brief financial report. Next, the Nominating
Committee will present the slate of candidates for election to open positions as officers
and directors of our society. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor. Voting
will be conducted in person and virtually through an anonymous poll on Zoom.
The following positions are up for election to two-year terms:
• President
• Treasurer
• Director (Two positions)
A Nominating Committee consisting of Dave Lapierre and Cara Seitchek has been appointed. If any member is interested in running for election to a position and/or wishes to know the requirements for the position, please send an email to the Nominating Committee at westmassgen@gmail.com with Nominating Committee in the subject line. Please include a brief description of your qualifications and experience for the position you are seeking.
We’ll also announce our Founders Award recipient and review our plans for the
upcoming year.
Following the business portion of our May 3rd annual meeting, we will be hosting “Tech Talk with Dave.”
Dave Lapierre will field and (hopefully) answer your technology questions. Rather than giving a prepared presentation, Dave will answer questions from the audience.

WMGS May Board Meeting
2023-05-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Online

WMGS Training Session: Hillary Schau presents Roots Magic Software - Part 1
2023-05-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Online

WMGS June Monthly Meeting: An Introduction to the Courthouse with Michael John Neill
2023-06-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
Now that we can get back to in-person research, many of us will be heading to a courthouse to research our ancestors. Michael will present an overview of the records typically found in a county courthouse: land, probate, court, and vital records. He’ll talk about the basics involved in courthouse research, including how to prepare for a visit, what you need to know before you make that trip, what records you might find, and what to expect from the courthouse and its staff.

WMGS June Board Meeting
2023-06-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Online

WMGS Training Session: Hillary Schau presents Roots Magic Software - Part 2
2023-06-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
At our June training session, Hillary Schau will be offering Part 2 of her presentation on the features of RootsMagic 8 software, along with demonstrations on how to do the most common tasks of logging your family history and research. Time will be allowed
at the end of the session for questions.
If you missed the first session, the recording and handout are available in the Members
Only section of our website.

WMGS July Monthly Meeting: War and Change in the Post-Civil Ware Era Until World War I
2023-07-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
At our July 5th monthly meeting, genealogist John Putnam will join us to present War and Change in the Post-Civil War Era Until World War I.
This presentation is part four of John’s New England series and covers the incredible immigration and growth from the Civil War until World War I.
Following the Civil War, there were many changes in New England society. Reconstruction, immigration, advances in travel, burgeoning industries, and other issues contributed to the vast changes that affected our ancestors and their families
prior to World War I. Knowing about these factors will help you understand their lives
and expand your research.

WMGS August Monthly Meeting: Genograms for Genealogists
2023-08-02 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Have you ever noticed common threads in your family tree and wondered why they happened? At our August monthly meeting, genealogist, and member, Edwin Strickland II will present an intriguing and useful topic for our members, “Genograms for Genealogists.”
Edwin will show us how the concepts behind the genogram (McGoldrick-Gerson Studies or Lapidus Schematics), typically used in counseling and therapy, can be applied to genealogy to open a third dimension to our research. Going beyond the family group sheet and pedigree chart, you can extend patterns of behavior and medical history beyond the family into the community. Genograms can help explain some of the hows and whys we encounter. They can also be used as predictors to focus further research.

September Meeting: Mining Information from City Directories
2023-09-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
Before phone books, many municipalities had city directories. Updated annually, the directories were comprehensive listings of adult residents, along with their addresses,
their occupations, names of spouses, and other helpful facts. Initially intended for salesmen and merchants who wanted to contact people in the area, city directories
are a gold mine for genealogy research.
Participants in this session will learn about the variety of information contained in city directories and how to use this information to find their ancestors and learn what
they were really like. Through the use of a case study, a portion of the presentation will focus on how to use spreadsheets to record, organize, and manipulate the data and to use city directory information as a gateway to other resources.

September Board Meeting
2023-09-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Online

September Training Event: Tech Talk with Dave
2023-09-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Online
At our September training session, Dave Lapierre will host another session of “Tech Talk with Dave.” Dave will field and (hopefully) answer your technology questions.
Dave will spend some time teaching us useful Zoom techniques, including how to mute and unmute your mic, turn your camera off or on, set up a virtual background, navigate
Zoom rooms, use the chat and reactions functions (for example, raise your hand to ask a question or applaud), share a document or website on screen, change viewing options from speaker only to gallery view, and more.
Our Program Committee is planning several interactive Zoom events for the next
year, so Dave’s review of Zoom techniques will be helpful for everyone. He’ll then give members an opportunity to ask questions about computer and software problems that they might be experiencing.

October Meeting: The Hub of the Wheel: How Tracing a Brother With No Children Connected Ten Siblings
2023-10-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
Finding the origins of immigrant ancestors can be challenging for sure. For anyone with Irish ancestors, finding their origins in Ireland can be especially difficult. Most of our ancestors left few clues to where they were born and where they lived prior to
immigration. However, we know that most immigrants followed family and friends to travel across the ocean and settle near each other in their new country. That knowledge and good research skills can help us solve those challenges.
At our October 4th monthly meeting, nationally known genealogist Mary Kircher Roddy will join us to present “The Hub of the Wheel: How Tracing a Brother with no Children Connected Ten Siblings.” Mary will use a case study showing how a family from Ireland emigrated in a chain migration scheme to western Pennsylvania between 1825 and 1845 and how using the standards for researching connected the siblings and their descendants and led to their origins in County Tyrone.

WMGS Board Meeting
2023-10-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2024-01-08 18:30 - 20:30 | Online

October Training Session: Back to the Future
2023-10-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
Remember the old days when members could chat about their genealogy research interests, talk about discoveries and brick walls, meet up with old friends, and make
new friends at meetings?
Well, a worldwide pandemic upended all of that. We miss those opportunities and suspect that you do as well. The world has changed in many ways since COVID-19
arrived on the scene. Working from home and buying groceries online weren’t on our
radar back then, but we learned how.
Social and educational opportunities have changed as well. Virtual meetings and hybrid events needed an explanation, but we’ve all become used to them now.
But what’s missing is our social time with members. Well, that can still happen on Zoom and we’ll show you how at our October 19th training session!
This training session will be a follow-up to our Tech Talk with Dave – Take Two session
in September. We’ll be practicing how to use Zoom breakout rooms, the chat function,
and other options to visit with each other. We’ll have a chance to visit and get to know
more about our genealogy interests.
We hope you’ll join us for an evening of “Back to the Future” and enjoy spending some time with each other.

November Monthly Meeting: Forensic Genealogy: Law and Order Meets Family History
2023-11-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Have you ever wondered what forensic genealogists do? How they use genealogical research techniques to find both living and deceased individuals to solve legal issues? At our November meeting, genealogist Michael Brophy will return to WMGS to present “Forensic Genealogy: Law and Order Meets Family History.”
Forensic genealogy is an emerging field involving cases with legal ramifications. This fascinating area of research includes heir research, adoption, citizenship, immigration
casework, and military repatriation involving living people.
We hope you’ll join us on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 at 6 p.m. for a virtual
presentation on Zoom.

WMGS December Monthly Meeting: An Introduction to the Courthouse by Michael John Neill
2023-12-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Online

WMGS Virtual Holiday Party
2023-12-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
We had so much fun at our virtual holiday party in 2021 that we’re going to host another one this year!
At that event, we shared photos of our members sitting on Santa’s lap as children, the tempting results of an annual sisters’ Christmas cookie bake-off, and a vintage holiday jewelry collection, among other items. We chatted about holiday traditions and hosted a genealogy trivia game that was so much fun!
Do you have photos of family tree ornaments, visits with Santa, a decorated snowman
on the lawn, or any of the gifts or toys that you received for the holidays? Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or another winter holiday with your family and friends, we hope that you will share some of your photos and memories with your fellow genealogists.
Search those boxes, albums, closets, and your online collection for your holiday photos, and send your scanned items to us. We’ll create a slide show for our party and enjoy reminiscing with each other.
Our holiday party will also be a wonderful opportunity to share your family traditions and memories with us. Do you make a special recipe each year? Do you have a family tradition that you’ve carried forward through the years?
We’ll also host another holiday trivia game to test your knowledge!
Bring your mug of hot chocolate, hot mulled wine or cider, or something stronger! Wear your holiday finest or your ugliest holiday sweater, if you dare!
Please send your scanned photos to us at: westmassgen@gmail.com by Monday, December 11th and we’ll create a slideshow of your submissions.

WMGS January Monthly Meeting: Was Your Ancestor Truly Gone or Just Hiding in the Records? with Pamela Vestal
2024-01-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
We all have ancestors who don’t seem to have any records that confirm their existence. We spend hours looking for them without any results. We know where they might have been born, lived, married, and died, but still, we can’t seem to locate them anywhere.
Why haven’t you found your ancestors in the records? Documents are often hidden from view, with information that is present but concealed, stored in a place or a manner that is unexpected, misspelled, indexed incorrectly, or separated from the other similar records. We’ll explore strategies for tracking down these elusive ancestors so that we don’t miss a single detail.

WMGS Training Session: Murder, Mayhem, and Mystery!
2024-01-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
We’ve all had research discoveries that surprised and even shocked us. Have you discovered that an ancestor was murdered or was involved in a murder? An ancestor who was a horse thief, robbed a bank, or participated in a rebellion or another illegal event? Perhaps a story was passed down through the family, and you have discovered
evidence about what really happened!
We hope you’ll share your research discoveries with us at our January training session, “Murder, Mayhem, and Mystery!” We all love a good story, and your fellow members will appreciate hearing about your discoveries.
Short (5 minutes or so) presentations about your ancestor and research will be combined with others from WMGS members for discussion and Q & A.
This will be an informal event, so it isn’t necessary to provide tons of background
information, research documentation, or other material about your ancestor or your
research. We’re planning for this event to be fun and interactive, so we hope you’ll
consider telling us about your ancestor!
If you’d like to share photos, scanned documents, or other digital material with your story, please send the items to us at westmassgen@gmail.com by Friday, January 12th, and we’ll have them ready to share on the screen.

WMGS February Monthly Meeting: Getting the Most Out of a Census Record
2024-02-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
The first database we usually consult when we research an ancestor is one containing census records. Are we taking advantage of all of the information available in them?
We’re very excited that Thomas MacEntee will be joining us again at our February 7th meeting to present “Getting the Most Out of a Census Record.”
Census records are one of the most important types of genealogical records, containing a wealth of information you may not find in vital records and allowing you to track your ancestors’ progress over time. Join Thomas for a deep dive into census records and learn some tips and tricks for extracting as much information as possible from each record.

WMGW Board Meeting
2024-02-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Online

WMGS Training Session: Tech Talk with Dave - Part 3
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
Have you started (or maybe finished) scanning all the photos in those albums, boxes, and file folders? Are there now dozens, hundreds, or thousands of photos on your computer in different folders? Have you simply transformed your physical photo mess into a digital photo mess? Can you find that one specific digital photo when you want or need it?
At our February training session, Dave Lapierre will host another session of “Tech Talk with Dave.” Dave will field and (hopefully) answer your technology questions on a topic that often overwhelms many of us.
Many of you will remember Dave’s previous presentations on photo preservation and how helpful they were. For this session, Dave will give a brief overview of the basics of photo scanning and review file-naming conventions for those scanned digital photos to help you find them later. He’ll also go over some options for labelling digital photos with metadata (this is not what you name the image; rather, it’s a description of what the image is, who is in the image, and where the photo was taken). Lastly, he will talk about options for storing those digital photos so they are safe and can be retrieved when you want. He’ll also answer any questions that you would like to ask him.
If you would like to submit questions in advance, please send them to Dave at westmassgen@gmail.com. Of course, you can also ask your questions at the session. We hope you’ll join us for this very helpful presentation!

RootsTech 2024
2024-02-29 - 2024-03-02 | Online

WMGS Member Survey: 2024
2024-03-04 19:00 | Online
The survey will close on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.

WMGS March Monthly Meeting: The Real Life of New England Vital Records
2024-03-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Understanding when, where, and why vital records were created and the changes in those practices over the years can help us find those records today. At our March meeting, Diane Boumenot will present “The Real Life of New England Vital Records.” Diane will explain how to use copies, abstracts, indexes, and “substitutes” on the path to the best record. You’ll improve your family history research today by maximizing your ability to locate the records that tie generations together.
This presentation will be helpful for genealogists at all levels, as Diane will walk us through how such records are made and explain how to tell what we are actually looking at today. While suitable for those less experienced, there is also much information for skilled folks who might like to keep drilling down to find the best version of a record, but need to see some methods for doing that.

WMGS March Training Session: Our Ancestors' Clothing
2024-03-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
We’re very happy that Howard Vincent Kurtz will be joining us again at our March 21st
training session for another presentation of “Our Ancestors’ Clothing”!
If you have participated in Professor Kurtz’s previous visits to WMGS, you’ll know what a unique opportunity he provides our members. As in his previous visits, Prof. Kurtz will review a selection of photographs sent in by our members, analyzing the clothing worn and other clues in them.
Professor Kurtz’s analysis may help to identify ancestors, solve family mysteries, and add details and context to family stories. In addition, his visits provide our members with an opportunity to gain skills in photograph analysis from an expert.

Deadline for WMGS Founders Award Nominations
2024-04-01
WMGS initiated its Founders Award in 2016, in honor of our one of our founding members, Diane Ascioti. We were proud to be able to give her this award at our May meeting that year. In 2017, the Board of Directors decided to bestow this award on an annual basis and approved a set of guidelines and criteria for selecting an awardee.
Any WMGS member may nominate an individual for this award. The Board will select the award recipient(s) at the April Board meeting and announce their selection in the May newsletter. The award will be presented at the annual meeting in May.
Criteria for the award were published in last month’s newsletter and are available in the Members Only section of our website. We invite all of our members to review the nomination and award policy and to consider making a nomination.
As noted in the policy, nominees do not have to be a member of the society, but nominations may only be made by members. Nominations will be accepted until April 1st. Members may email their nominations and supporting reasons to the WMGS Board at westmassgen@gmail.com.

WMGS April Monthly Meeting: Border - What Border? Our Ancestors Who Called Both Canada and the USA Home
2024-04-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicopee Public Library & Online, 449 Front Street, Chicopee, MA, 01013, United States
Many of us have ancestors who seem to disappear for periods of time. For those ancestors who lived in New England, New York, and the Upper Midwest, have we considered that they might have periodically lived and worked in Canada?
At our April 3rd monthly meeting, nationally known genealogist Annette Burke Lyttle will present “Border — What Border? Our Ancestors Who Called Both Canada and the USA Home.”
Movement from the United States to Canada was unrestricted and unrecorded until April 1908. The U.S. began recording the entry of Canadians along its northern border in 1894. Before that, many thousands of people lived cross border lives, without visas, work permits, passports, or immigration records. Learn how to find these elusive ancestors.
