Did you know that October is designated as Family History Month by the United States Congress since 2001? Since that time, genealogists, family historians, and story-tellers have helped this celebration of ancestry and history grow and evolve on a national stage.  Dozens of genealogical and historical societies promote and celebrate this month as a way to remember and commemorate each and every family’s rich and deep history.

Why is family history so important to us here at the NextGen Genealogy network?

Well…we are that next generation! We are the generation that will carry on the stories, the ideas, the values and the history of our very own people.

Who are we? The following are some of the words of the leadership of NextGen Genealogy Network on what family history means to them and why it is so important.

Theresina Lloyd: it means I’m able to discover things about my roots that I didn’t know and always wondered about. Being from a small family, just my siblings, and mother, the pull to find where things like my love of the Scotland Highlands, Irish music, the British way of speaking, and even certain tastes of food, has been a huge part of my curiosity. Plus I love a good mystery and I’m able to work on one that slowly unfolds in front of me. It has also given me a better appreciation for history and how events have shaped our lives. I’ve connected with family I never knew about and family I did but they were cut off from us. I’ve also been disappointed but that will never discourage this quest and love for genealogy.

Stephany Berry: What I love about genealogy is that there is always a brick wall to solve. It is exciting finding new details, and putting together stories about my ancestors. Reading about how my ancestors found strength getting through hardships make me proud of my family history. My favorite part is sharing my findings with my family.

Becky Zoglmann: Family history and genealogy has opened up a whole new world to me. It has given me a connection to those who quite literally made me who I am. I enjoy learning about their lives and experiences, especially as they lived through historic events like Jack the Ripper and the World Wars.

This is who we are and why we do what we do. We’d love to know more about you and why you feel drawn to family history and genealogy. Leave us a comment below on what draws you to genealogy.

Happy Ancestor Hunting!

On the first Thursday of every month, the Ontario Genealogical Society hosts an education webinar.  This month, Michael Strauss will be presenting a webinar entitled ‘Digging Deeper with City Directories’.   The presentation will begin at 7pm EST on October 3 and registration is required.

Michael says ” City Directories have been published in both the United States and Canada for more than two centuries. An often overlooked resource and neglected source of genealogy information about our ancestors many types of directories can provide details that might otherwise remain hidden.”

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity:   REGISTER HERE for Thursday’s webinar

On the first Thursday of every month, the Ontario Genealogical Society hosts an education webinar.  This month, Eva Kujawa will be presenting a webinar entitled ‘Introduction To Researching Your East European Ancestors’.   The presentation will begin at 7pm EST on September 5 and registration is required.

Eva says: ” In my presentation I will cover a historical overview of Eastern Europe, and how it morphed through divisions and border changes, from wars and battles into the countries that we have in today’s world. I cover the majority of countries and will share the impacts of the various cultures that share the borders of this magnificent area. I will guide people through various research resources, how to plan research and address potential challenges and solutions for this type of genealogical research. I will look at topics like, what is in a name, naming traditions, languages, the various handwriting styles as well as the various types of records and that can be located. I will also supply a list of websites and databases that hold a huge amount of information for this region.”

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity:   REGISTER HERE for Thursday’s webinar

The NextGen Genealogy  Network is pleased to welcome Stephany Berry as our newest Secretary.

Stephany is a deaf genealogist who lives in Marietta, GA. She graduated from University of Tennessee with Masters in Deaf Education. She enjoys researching her roots in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia and her favorite part of genealogy is finding stories about each person. She loves finding things in common between herself and her ancestors such as hobbies, personality, etc. In her spare time, she loves antique shopping, walking in cemeteries, and reading.

You can find her on Twitter @_storywhisperer and on Instagram @_storywhisperer. She also has a Facebook group, Storywhisperer, where she posts videos showing sign language signs for words related to genealogy.