Events

Don’t know where overseas your family originated from? This presentation covers a variety of sources to explore to locate your ancestor's point of origin before arriving in the United States. Examples and strategies will be provided including: resources for locating town of origin, strategies for name changes, tips for boundary changes, and overcoming handwriting & language challenges.

Speaker: Lisa Vogele, CTA

Lisa is a professional Genealogist, Certified Travel Associate, and Chief Tree Climber at Travel Your Tree: Where Ancestry meets adventure. Lisa helps her clients discover their roots throughout Europe by blending her genealogy research with designing unforgettable heritage trips. She’s the author of “Food &Folklore: A Year of Italian Festivals” and holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University.

When she’s not happily caught up in researching Italian or Irish records, you’ll find her speaking around the country on heritage travel, genealogy, Italian, and Italian festivals or leading research tours to Ireland and Italy. Combining genealogy and travel is Lisa’s passion.

Sunday, June 8

HCGS Family Picnic

1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Pavilion 1 at Alpha Ridge Park, 11685 Old Frederick Road, Marriottsville, MD

Since we haven't been regularly meeting in person for the last four years and have welcomed a number of new members in that time, we thought it would be a good idea to have a picnic to reacquaint ourselves with each other, meet the new members, and congratulate the newly-elected and the out-going officers.

Accordingly, we have reserved Pavilion 1 at Alpha Ridge Park, 11685 Old Frederick Road, Marriottsville, MD 21104, on Sunday, 8 June 2025, for the picnic. The schedule will be as follows on 8 June:

12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM Setup and get charcoal grills started

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Picnic Gathering with grilled food available beginning at 1:30

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Cleanup

It will be a "Pot Luck" style picnic for members and their families and significant others. The HCGS will supply the hot dogs and hamburgers. We will have a sign-up list (to get headcount numbers) HERE and ask that each adult participant bring a dish (snacks, salads, side dishes, deserts, drinks, etc.) or needed items (tablecloths, charcoal, plates, cups, utensils, etc.). We will ask for a $5 per adult donation (to be paid at the picnic) to help us defray the expenses. Minor children will be free. We will also have a volunteer sign-up list for set-up, cooking, and cleanup team members HERE.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED: (1) Please reserve the date (Sunday, 8 June) and sign up to bring needed food and items and volunteer for at least one of the set-up, cooking, or clean-up teams. (2) Participate in the 14 May Election Meeting and General Society Business Session at which we will further discuss the picnic and start the sign-up list process. (3) Please review the following link which includes a sign-up sheet, a schedule for set-up and clean-up, a volunteer sign-up sheet for helping with the grilling and cooking, and a potluck sign-up sheet.

HERE

You are all invited. We look forward to seeing you there.

Peter Kicza, President

Howard County Genealogical Society, Inc.

Wednesday, July 9

Beyond the Basics: Effectively Using Ancestry.com

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Virtual via Zoom

This presentation will be joint with AAGS

Whether you're a newbie or you consider yourself an old pro, there is always more to learn on Ancestry.com. Make sure that you're using the best research practices possible while using the site. Learn how to efficiently gather as much information as possible about your ancestors and prevent yourself from climbing up the wrong branch of your family tree.

Speaker: Kate Townsend

Kate Townsend has been working on her own family history since she was sixteen, however, her interest in investigating and researching on a professional level was piqued when she served as an Archives Technician at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) while completing her undergraduate studies. She worked as a resource for amateur and professional genealogical researchers, alike, assisting them in conducting database and archives records research. Additionally, she gained experience with primary source documents in her first position with NARA, where she worked in the holdings maintenance department, preserving and cataloging records dating back to the 1800s.

Kate completed Boston University's Certificate in Genealogical Research in May 2020. Since then, she has completed continuing education at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). She is a graduate of ProGen 58. She previously served as the Chair of the National Genealogical Society Delegate Council. Kate holds the Certified Genealogist® credential as of February 2024.

Kate has spoken at national and local genealogical societies, libraries, and conferences, including the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference, New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, and RootsTech.

VISITORS ARE WELCOME

Members will be sent the Zoom meeting ID by email or may go to the member’s only page to obtain it. If you are a visitor and not a member yet - click here to obtain the Zoom meeting ID.

Wednesday, August 13

No Meeting This Month

Wednesday, September 10

Discovering Unknown Family History through DNA Research

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Virtual via Zoom

Description:

Have you DNA tested with Ancestry, MyHeritage, or 23andMe and do not know what the next steps are? In this presentation, Rebecca will share different research techniques and methodologies specifically for analyzing those unknown DNA matches, finding those connections, and the ways in which these results can provide further insight into the lives of our ancestors. A case study will be shared of how Rebecca utilized DNA and genealogical documentation to solve the whereabouts behind her Irish great-aunt’s infant son who went “missing” shortly prior to her sudden death in 1916.

Speaker:

Rebecca Dobbs is an aspiring genealogist with a specialty in (U.S.) Jewish research. She became interested in genealogy at the early age of 16 and her methodology includes utilizing individuals’ DNA results to connect them with their ancestral pasts. During the summer of 2018, she interned with AncestryProGenealogists, conducting client research for the Eastern European/European Jewish team, and since then she has researched her own family lineage, in addition to helping others with theirs. Rebecca has successfully completed the GenProof Study Group in 2021 and the American Genealogy Studies program through the National Genealogical Society in 2022. In 2023, she was awarded the LauSra G. Prescott SLIG Scholarship recognizing her volunteer efforts. Rebecca is currently taking courses through the International Institute for Genealogical Studies, participates in a monthly NGSQ study group, and gives genealogical presentations within her local community. Recently Rebecca has presented for the Utah Genealogical Association Summit of Excellence (2024). She has a future goal of obtaining a Certified Genealogist credential.

VISITORS ARE WELCOME

Members will be sent the Zoom meeting ID by email or may go to the member’s only page to obtain it. If you are a visitor and not a member yet - click here to obtain the Zoom meeting ID.