2024 Meeting Dates and Topics
All topics are tentative. Please check this list to see if any changes have occurred.
Meetings are currently being held at 10:30 am on the second Saturday of the month. We are trying to meet both in person at the Prospect Library and on Zoom if you cannot attend the in person meeting. Members in good standing are automatically emailed Zoom details.
For information about guest Zoom access, please email nvgcguestz2020@gmail.com with full name, address, telephone, and name on Zoom. Deadline for guests requests is noon on Thursday noon before the scheduled event. Guest access is limited and on a first come, first served basis.
2024 Meeting Schedule
- January 13 – Members’ Show & Tell – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- February 10 – Brian Rhinehart – Navigating the Records from the War of 1812
- March 9 – Dorena Wasik – Nonvital Records – More Vital Than You Think
- April 13 – Lynn Mallery – Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Genealogy – See updated description
- May 11 – Dr. David Kathan – No Longer a Dead End Kid: Discovering the Ancestry of the Gorceys
- June 8 – Toni – McKeen – Hart Island
- July – No meeting for Summer Vacation
- August – No meeting for Summer Vacation
- September 14 – Carol Whitmer – Putting the Gene Back in Genealogy
- October 12 – Katherine R. Willson – Tips and Sources for Location Ancestral Photos Online and Offline
- November 9 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Decoding French Civil Registration
- December Holiday Party – TBD
2023 Meeting Schedule
- January 14 – Members’ Show & Tell: Vignettes from our own Trees and Brick Walls – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- February 11 – Marian Wood: Researching Military Records (and More!) on FOLD3 – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- March 11 – Jeanette Sheliga – Navigating Fultonhistory.com Zoom only due to weather.
- April 8 – Toni McKeen – Exploring the Card Catalog in Ancestry.com – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- May 13 – Jolene Mullen – Researching your French Canadian Ancestors – In-person/Zoom
- June 10 – Toni McKeen – Letting City Directories Work For You – In-Person/Zoom
- July – TBD
- August – No meeting due to summer vacation.
- September 9 – Brian Rhinehart – I have a Civil War Ancestor… Now What?
- October 14 – Jeanette Sheliga – Getting Acquainted with the GPS Genealogical Proof Standard
- November 11 – Bryna O’Sullivan – DNA for More than Ethnicity: the Paternity of John Hingtgen
- December 9 – Members Holiday Party – Details by email.
2022 Meeting Schedule
- January 8 – Member Show & Tell – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- February 12 – Michael Cassara – Cemetery Crowdsourcing – Possible In-person/Zoom hybrid
- March 12 – Marian Wood – 1950 Census – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- April 9 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Beyond the Gravestone: Researching Death Records in Connecticut – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- May 14 – Diana Elder – Who’s Her Daddy? Testing an Ancestry DNA thruline hypothesis for a female ancestor – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- June 11 – Toni McKeen – Why Can’t I Find… – Hybrid Zoom and In-Person at Prospect Library
- July 9 – Porch Party – The invitation has been e-mailed to members.
- August – No meeting due to summer vacation.
- September 10 – Bryna O’Sullivan – In The Vault – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- October 8 – Toni McKeen – Visas, Passports, Alien Registrations, and how to request those documents – Hybrid Zoom and In-Person at Prospect Library
- November 19 – (Postponed from Nov. 12 due to an emergency) – Mel Smith – Connecticut Divorces – Hybrid Zoom and In-Person at Prospect Library
- December 3 – Holiday Party –
NOTE THE DATE– Invitation to be e-mailed to active members.
2021 Meetings
- January 9 – Paul Hadzima – Central and Eastern Europe: How Shifting Boundaries Affect Your Search for Ancestors – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- February 13 – Member Show & Tell – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- March 13 – Toni McKeen – The Immigrant Experience – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- April 10 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Discover the Connecticut State Library Online Resources – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- May 8 – Dick Kreitner – The 1710 German Palatines to America – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- June 12 – Penny Hartzell – Deeds, It’s not just about Land – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- July & August – NO MEETINGS – Porch Picnic planned for August – Details to follow
- September 11 – Bryna O’Sullivan- Trace Your Revolutionary Roots – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- October 9 – Tracy Tomaselli – House History and Resources – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- November 13 – Luana Darby – It’s the Details that Count: Using Religion, Ethnic Groups, and Locations – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- December 11 – Nationally known presenter, Judy Russell – “Don’t Forget the Ladies” a Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law in early America
2020 Meetings
- January 11 – Member Show & Tell
- February 8 – Marty Podskoch – The Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut
- March 14 – Marian Wood – Insider’s Guide to Genealogical Cousin Bait – CANCELLED
- April 11 – Bryna O’Sullivan – The Revolutionary War Lineage Society – CANCELLED
- May 9 – Marian Wood – CousinBait – WEBINAR
- June 13 – Janeen Bjork – DNA: What to Expect When You’re Testing – CANCELLED
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 12 – Mark D’Ambrosi – Italian Genealogy: General Principles and How to Obtain Dual Citizenship – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- October 10 – Toni McKeen – Documenting Covid 19 for our Future Generations – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- November 14 – Bryna O’Sullivan – The Revolutionary War Lineage Society – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
- December 12 – Dave Robison – The Mayflower – VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
2019 Meetings
- January 12 – Member Show & Tell
- February 9 – Barney Kathan – America’s DNA: The Country’s Story You Were Never Told
- March 9 – Marian Wood – Using Social Media for Genealogy
- April 13 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Using ResearchIT CT
- May 11 – Glenn Gawkowski – Genealogical Research for Legal Purposes: Stories from the Field
- June 8 – Penny Hartzell – Germans to America 1683-1883
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 14 – Carol Ansel & Al Fiacre – Learn About BU’s Online Genealogical Programs
- October 12 – Barney Kathan – Dr. E. Irene Boardman: The Woman Our Meeting Room is Named After
- November 9 – Toni McKeen – Rebooting Your Genealogy
- December – Holiday Party – Held at Middlebury Firehouse – Date to be detemined
2018 Schedule
- January 13 – Member Show & Tell – CANCELLED
- February 10 – Marian Wood – Research Like a Pro: Applying the Genealogical Proof Standard
- March 10 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Using the Website of the National Archives and Library of Congress
- April 14 – Toni McKeen – 20th Century Military Records
- May 12 – Seema Kenney – Published Genealogies
- June 9 – Jaime Aulet – The Basics of AncestryDNA
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 8 – Dick Kreitner – Researching Genealogy in Upstate New York
- October 13 – Martin Podskoch – Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: History, Memories, and Legacy
- November 10 – Marian Wood – Free or Fee Genealogy – Frugal Research and When It Pays to Pay For a Record
- December – Holiday Party – Held at Middlebury Firehouse – Date to be detemined
2017 Schedule
- January 14 – Member Show & Tell
- February 11 – Marian Wood – Planning a Future for your Family’s Past (snowed out)
- March 11 – Francoise Lampe – French Genealogy in France and the French Canadian Province of Quebec
- April 8 – Bryna O’Sullivan – Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors
- May 13 – Penny Hartzell – Setting up a Family Tree in FamilySearch.org
- June 10 – Toni McKeen – Italian Genealogy
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 9 – Janeen Bjork – Finding Your Family Online in Connecticut (and other) Newspapers
- October 14 – Jerry & daughter Julianne Garry – Bring Genealogy to Life Through Sight, Sound, & Motion
- November 11 – Marian Wood – Planning a Future for your Family’s Past
- December 2 – Holiday Party – Held at Middlebury Firehouse
2016 Schedule
- January 9 – Member Show & Tell
- February 13 – Marian Wood – Using Facebook for Genealogy
- March 12 – Sharon Dahlmeyer – German Genealogy
- April 9 – Nora Galvin – Irish Genealogy
- May 14 – Penny Hartzell – Getting the Most From FamilySearch.org
- June 11 – Toni McKeen – Finding Elusive Females
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 10 – Toni McKeen – Your Electronic Bible: Keeping Track of Your Family Information with Family Tree Maker
- October 8 – Jaime Aulet – DNA & Genealogy: How Can Genealogy’s Newest Tool Help With Your Search?
- November 12 – Paul Hadzima – Researching in New Jersey
- December 3 – Holiday Party – Held at Middlebury Firehouse
2015 Schedule
- January 10 – Member Show & Tell
- February 14 – Mel Smith – Beyond the Barbour Records, Finding your Connecticut Ancestor in the Governmental Records
- March 14 – Christine Gauvreau -Chronicling America
- April 18 – Thomas Howard -A Bridge to Ancestors and to the Old Country: New England WWI Records –
- May 9 – Toni McKeen -Tips & Tricks for Using Ancestry.com.
- June 13 – Penny Hartzell -Creating Time Lines.
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 12 – Marian Wood – Local Genealogy via Long Distance
- October 10 – Mel Smith – Connecticut Probate Records, A Gold Mine for Genealogy Research
- November 14 – Philip Hays – Cousin Encounters of the Third Kind
- December 5 – Holiday Party – Held at Middlebury Firehouse
2014 Schedule
- January 11 – Member Show & Tell
- February 8 – Barney Kathan – Search for Scots-Irish Roots
- March 8 – Harlan Jessup – Finding Your Civil War Ancestors
- April 12 – Marian Wood – Using Genealogy Message Boards & Blogs
- May 10 – Joe Camposeo – Meet the Town Clerk, What to Expect When Asking for Records
- June 14 – Toni McKeen – Navigating the Ships Manifests
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 13 -Thomas Howard – Genealogical Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them
- October 11 – Dick Kreitner – Researching my German Ancestors: A Field Trip to Germany
- November 8 – Paul Hadzima – Researching in the Old Kingdom of Hungary, Today’s Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia
- December 6 – Holiday Party
2013 Schedule
- January 12 – Member Show & Tell
- February 9 – Movie “Rediscovering George Washington” & Discussion of Washington’s Genealogy
- March 9 – Jolene Mullen – Prosopography of a Cemetery (the study of the residents of a cemetery)
- April 13 – Marcia Melnyk – Beyond the News: Using Newspapers
- May 11 – Toni McKeen – The Vitally Important Vital Records
- June 8 – Field trip to Ebenezer Avery House & Fort Griswold Battlefield, Groton, CT
- July & August – NO MEETINGS
- September 14 – Alice & Carl Charest – The Godfrey Memorial Library
- October 12 – Janet Maher – From the Old Sod to the Naugatuck Valley: Early Irish Catholics
- November 9 – Richard Tomlinson – Witchcraft Prosecution: Chasing the Devil in Connecticut
- December 7 – Holiday Party