Doppleganger in the Family Tree? Ancestor Look Alikes?

Lisa Lisson

Curious about what your ancestors may have looked like? Do you share a striking resemblance to one side of the family? Have you ever wondered if any family photographs of your forebears exist? Dive into both online and offline resources to uncover old family photos and finally put a face to your ancestors' names

Lisa is a leading genealogy expert and the founder of Are You My Cousin?, a comprehensive online resource dedicated to empowering family history enthusiasts worldwide. Through her website, engaging YouTube channel, and sought-after speaking engagements, Lisa equips researchers with practical strategies and clear tutorials to navigate the exciting world of genealogy and cultivate their family trees with confidence. Recognized for her expertise, Lisa has authored numerous genealogy articles, created hundreds of helpful YouTube videos, and presented internationally. Her latest book, 100 Questions for Grandma, published by Callisto Media, offers a valuable guide to unlocking cherished family stories.

Meeting registration will close Thursday, November 7. Meeting link and handout will be emailed to registrants on Saturday, November 9

Monmouth County Surrogate, Maureen Raisch and Joy Neighbors, “The Tombstone Tourist” will present virtually

Monmouth County Surrogate’s office has records dating to the late 1700’s. The Surrogate is the custodians of all estates, wills, guardianships, and adoptions, key records to unravel twisted family relations. Maureen will explain the office holdings and how to access them.

Joy discusses how to find and read tombstones, search for records, and shares what graveyards can tell us about their ancestors and their lives. Joy will also discuss the artwork seen on tombstones and explain their meanings.

Gena Philbert-Ortega’s “What You Didn't Know About Ancestry.com”

In this presentation, we will discuss Ancestry's offerings, the different ways to conduct a search, databases you didn't know existed, and new features. Whether you are new to the website or a seasoned member, you will learn something new about Ancestry.com

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, researcher, and instructor specializing in the use of social history and material culture to tell the story of historical women's lives. She holds two Master's degrees: one in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women's Studies) and the other in Religion. As an author, Gena has published two books, Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing) and From the Family Kitchen (F+W Media), and hundreds of articles in print magazines and online publications. Her writings can also be found on her two blogs, Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera, as well as the GenealogyBank and Legacy Family Tree Webinars blogs. A highly sought-after instructor, Gena has taught material culture and social history at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and is a frequent presenter at seminars and conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Her professional associations include the American Quilt Study Group, the Association of Gravestone Studies, and the National Genealogical Society. Gena has conducted research for PBS, HGTV, and the Travel Channel and has collaborated on research for the Gemological Institute of America. Gena's current research projects focus on American cemeteries, cookbooks, signature quilts, and 20th-century women's lives.

Registration closes on September 5. Meeting link will be emailed Saturday September 7.

Widen the Net: Online “Fishing” Strategies

No matter how thorough our research plan is, sometimes the evidence we need hides somewhere we never expected to find it. This session will cover strategies for finding, evaluating, and piecing together information gleaned from various online sources, including the information we didn’t know to look for!

Kimberly is especially passionate about researching hard-to-find families in the Carolinas and Virginia and sharing her love of genealogy with others through teaching. She is the Director of Education for the National Genealogical Society and a past president of the Association for Professional Genealogists. She served as the Genealogy Expert for About.com for sixteen years and is the author of several books, including most recently “The Challenge of Endogamy and Pedigree Collapse” in Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies and The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 3rd edition. She has also contributed to several popular genealogy magazines, including BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, Family Tree Magazine, and the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly.

Kimberly enjoys teaching in courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), and the GRIP Genealogy Institute, as well as for the online genealogy programs offered through Boston University. She also loves researching land records, reconstructing neighborhoods, writing up her family history, and using genetic evidence to help solve complex genealogical problems. You can find her online at Level Up Genealogy, https://www.levelupgenealogy.com.

August 20, 2024 meeting link click on the button above to join

Researching your British Ancestors

Learn the basics of how to research ancestors from the United Kingdom. This lecture covers civil registration, census records, wills, parish chest records, military records, court records, tax lists, immigration and emigration, federal records from The National Archives, and resources available locally at county record centers and local history libraries.

Melissa is a board-certified genealogist with 13 years of experience as a practicing professional genealogical researcher. Her genealogy practice, based in New Jersey and New York City, specializes in family history research on New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, British, Irish, Italian, and Eastern European families, as well as forensic genealogy; using DNA to solve difficult genealogical problems; unknown parentage; genealogical writing, editing, and publishing; and genealogical education. Melissa has conducted forensic genealogy research for estate, insurance, adoption, title, criminal, trust, death penalty, unclaimed property and mineral rights cases.

Melissa’s work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey. Melissa has previously served as editor and a columnist for NGS Monthly. She served as reviews editor for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ) for eleven years.

Melissa is a well-respected genealogical educator. She has designed genealogical courses on a variety of topics for; Boston University, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, the Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research (University of Georgia-Athens), the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, New Jersey Family History Institute. She is Program Director for Boston University’s Genealogy Studies program and serves as a Mentor for the ProGen Study Group

Registration closes on Thursday, July 11. The meeting link and handouts will be emailed on Saturday, July 13.

There’s Gold in Federal Government Records

Our March meeting will be virtual and will be on Sunday afternoon March 10.

Not all the Federal records are online, some you need to request. Four records sets are discussed, how to request those records, and what you can find. Social Security, CCC, Railroad Retirement Board and National Personnel Records Center will be discussed.

Mark White is the president of MCGS and a member of our Education and Speakers Groups. He has been a member of MCGS since 1992. He has been researching his family history since 1991.

Registration closes on Thursday, March 7. The meeting link and handouts will be emailed on Saturday, March 9.

Jon Bozard from the New Jersey State Archives presents “Taking Advantage of the New Jersey State Archives”

 Jon will discuss the types of records available at the New Jersey State Archives that will help with genealogical research of New Jersey ancestors. These records include vital records, wills, state census, court records and military records among others. He will discuss the difference in records available in person and what is available to customers by mail reference.

Jon Bozard is a Senior Library Assistant with a degree in History from Rutgers University. He has been working at the New Jersey State Archives for 18 years. He has represented the Archives over the years at various events and given many presentations around the state.

To expand access to the State Archives collections Jon has entered thousands of death records for online databases. He is currently working on data entry for a future database of New Jersey Tax Ratables 1772-1822. A lifelong Civil War enthusiast, he has organized and processed the Civil War Regimental Records and  completely reorganized the Muster Rolls by Congressional District, 1863-1865.

This meeting will be in person at the Middletown Public Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, Middletown. No registration is necessary

AI & Genealogy

Steve’s talk dives into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in genealogy, focusing on the utility of chatbots like ChatGPT. The talk emphasizes both the growing potential and ethical considerations in using AI for genealogical research. It equips genealogists with practical strategies for interacting with chatbots, urging human guidance in leveraging AI's efficiency and capabilities. Steve concludes with a future-forward outlook, signaling that human-AI partnerships will increasingly empower genealogists to focus on high-value tasks.

AI has been used by major genealogy websites for years. We have been hearing AI in the news lately attend the meeting and find out how it can impact your research.

You must register to attend the meeting, limited to 150 people. Registration closes November 9. Meeting link and handout will be emailed on Saturday November 11.

Nancy is professional genealogist and has worked in libraries and archives for four decades. A graduate of The Catholic University in Washington D.C. she was able to intern twice at the Smithsonian during her college years. Nancy currently lives in California where she continues to work managing archive and library special collections. In 2010 Nancy started Sassy Jane Genealogy, where she has a blog, ebooks, monthly newsletter and presentations. She has assisted hundreds of people with their family research in the United States, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Germany, and Prussia (Poland). Nancy has presented at NGS, RootsTech and at conferences in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Registration closes September 7 . Limited to 150 people. Meeting link and handout will be emailed to registrants on Saturday September 9.

David Fryxell presents Researching Colonial Ancestors before the Revolutionary War

David Fryxell will discuss key record groups to research if your ancestors arrived in colonial America between the early 1600s and the American Revolution.   

David A. Fryxell founded Family Tree Magazine, the nation’s most popular genealogy publication, and continues to write for the magazine as a contributing editor and “Now What?” columnist. He is the author of eight books, including The Family Tree Guide to Scandinavian Genealogy, MicroHistory, and Good Old Days, My Ass!. He edited The Family Tree Guide Book and The Family Tree Guide Book to Europe and contributed to The Family Tree Resource Book for Genealogists. He has given genealogy presentations in Tucson, Rancho Vistoso, and Saddlebrooke, Ariz., and Albuquerque, NM, as well as online for Family Tree University. He lives in Aurora, Colo. See his website for a complete resume: www.davidfryxell.com

Registration will end on Thursday July 6th, the handout and meeting link will be emailed to registrants on July 8th.

MCGS June Fireside Roots Presents

Just Imported from Ireland: Irish Indentured Servitude in New Jersey

This exciting program explores the history of one of the state's little-known labor sources: imported men, women and children from Ireland who signed on to work as indentured servants. It's thought that over 3,000 immigrants worked in the state of New Jersey from the early years of European settlement until the 1840s. Although indentured servants were English, Scottish, German, and Dutch, the majority of those working as indentured servants were the Irish. The talk includes first-person accounts by 18th century indentured servants as well as a look at information gleaned from period newspaper advertisements.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. EDT on June 20th, please click on the link below to join the meeting

Improving Your Italian Research: Not the Same Old Thing!

Researching American and Italian families over 40 years with a focus on PA and NJ, Southern Italy and Sicily. Studied under the tutelage of Sr. Giulio Salemme here and in Italy; served as a volunteer at FHC in Cherry Hill, NJ. Along with genealogical research services, she has provided seminars and workshops for private groups, libraries, historical societies, Sons of Italy lodges, and community colleges throughout northern Maryland and New Jersey. She also offers mentoring services for individuals and volunteer services for the local Family History Center. Loretta translates Italian civil and church records.

Loretta’s website http://www.genealogyyourway.com/

Registration closes May 18th the meeting link and handout will be sent on Saturday May 20th.

Learn about the resources available at these four large research facilities and their websites: AmericanAncestors.org, FamilySearch.org, NARA.gov, NYPL.org. We will have 4 sessions each lasting about 60 minutes with a Q & A session. The cost for the workshop is $15.00 for members and $20.00 for non-members. Presenters will be Katherine Willson, Karen Fortin, NYPL’s Serena Dressler & NARA’s Meredith Doviak. Program starts at 9 am eastern

You must register to attend this online event. Handouts and meeting link will be emailed on Friday March 17. Registration closes March 15

Finding Your Roots in the Land Records of Monmouth County

Joe Grabas

MCGS is lucky to have Joe speak to us about land records. He has researched historical land records in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties and in other states. Joe is one of only a few dozen individuals in the State of New Jersey who hold the designation of Certified Title Professional and is one of the first five individuals in the United States to be designated as a National Title Professional by the American Land Title Association. He is the author of the award winning book Owning New Jersey: Historic Tales of War, Property Disputes and the Pursuit of Happiness. Joe is a Commissioner on the Monmouth County Historical Commission. Joe will explain lands records in simple terms, and how to find genealogical information in those records. Joe is passionate about land records and how they tie into our history, his talks are both humorous and informative.

The meeting registration is closed. Handout and meeting link will be emailed on March 11th.

Before Facebook and Twitter, the local paper was the place to get the scoop on your neighbors. Historical newspapers are indispensable to genealogy research and learning about your ancestors and their community. This program will highlight the importance of this resource as well as the range of details that can be discovered, including how and where to access digitized newspapers, plus search techniques and tips.  

Laura has been engaged in genealogical research for over 20 years. A New Jersey native with deep Pennsylvania and German roots, she is a genealogical researcher, presenter and volunteer. What began as an interest in her own family history grew into research projects for friends and a local historical society. She has a passion for understanding family histories and sharing with others.  This led to her creating LCD Genealogy Services.

In addition to being a member of the MCGS, Laura belongs to the Association of Professional Genealogists, and to genealogical societies in New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Please use the link below to access the meeting on Feb. 22 at 7:30 EST.

Putting Things in their Place: Paying It Forward in the Digital Age

Have you ever found an old photograph, scrapbook, or family keepsake from someone else’s family, and wondered how you might track down a descendant? Michael’s talk explores the many fascinating ways in which people are doing just that – helping to preserve our unique heritage and return things to the family.

Michael Cassara is a professional genealogist and lecturer with over 25 years of experience. He is based in New York City and specializes in Italian/Sicilian genealogy, 20th century US immigration and genealogical technology. He has frequently presented at national conferences.

Michael has served on the board of the Italian Genealogical Group for a number of years and currently serves as its President. In his “other” life, Michael is a leading casting director for theatre and film, having cast over 500 musicals, plays, and movies – in New York City and worldwide. He blogs about his research at DigiRoots.net and can be found online at @DigiRoots.

You must register to attend the meeting. Registration will close on January 5. Meeting link and handout will be emailed to registrants on Saturday January 7

“Revolutionary and Civil War Research: New and Overlooked Resources”

Explore the resources available, online and off, getting to know more about your Revolutionary and Civil War ancestors—and if they were from New Jersey, you may be in for some surprises. Michelle D. Novak will share her favorite collections and sites for researching records including Fold3/Ancestry and the National Archives, the New Jersey State Archives, the DAR Library in Washington DC, and the New York Public Library, among others; and share some examples from her personal research files.

Michelle is a brand-designer (mnd.nyc), historian, genealogist, and teacher. She holds a master’s degree in Archives and Preservation from Rutgers University, a BFA from RISD, a Certificate of Genealogical Research from Boston University’s CE program, and certificates from Gen-Fed and GRIP. Michelle is a Trustee for the Genealogical Society of Bergen County (GSBC), NJ, and a former Trustee of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey (GSNJ). She also served as Grant Administrator for the GSNJ New Jersey Early Land Records Project at the New Jersey State Archives; as editor of the GSBC’s national award-winning newsletter, “The Archivist;” and is involved with numerous transcription, indexing, publicity, and digitization projects.

You must register to attend, meeting registration will close on November 10, the meeting link and handout will be emailed on November 12.

October Fireside Roots Meeting

Lisa Alzo’s “No Easy Button: Using Immersion Genealogy to Understand Your Ancestors”

Family history is so much more than just names, dates, and places, or boxes, lines, and charts. For 21st century genealogists, it is easy to limit our research to the documents or other facts we find online, or to what others tell us to be true. Learn how to take your research a step further to understand your ancestors’ lives through “immersion genealogy”—the process of discovering where they lived, worked, and worshipped, and experiencing those customs and traditions they passed down through the generations. Key resources, methodology, and tips for reaching out to relatives and repositories, and how to make the most out of a trip to your ancestor’s hometown (whether in North America or across the pond) will be discussed.)

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A., is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Eastern European research and writing your family history She is the author of eleven books and hundreds of magazine articles.

Lisa works as an online educator and writing coach through her website Research, Write, Connect, <https://www.researchwriteconnect.com>.and developed the Eastern European Research Certificate Program for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  Visit <https://www.lisaalzo.com> for more information.

Meeting is October 19 at 7:30 pm eastern, click on the link below to join the meeting.

MCGS September 11 General Meeting with Karen Fortin

We’ve all heard the story of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony in 1620 but who were these intrepid souls, what did they believe, why did they come to New England, and who left descendants? This presentation explores these topics and provides information on resources available for learning more about our Pilgrim ancestors.

Use this information to find out how many of us are related.

Karen worked for many years as a librarian before becoming interested in genealogy. Karen’s lectures help individual understand the historical context in which their ancestors lived.

Meeting registration will close on September 8. Meeting link and handout will be emailed to registrants on Saturday September 10

MCGS June Fireside Roots with Rick Geffken

Author Rick Geffken will present Hidden History of Monmouth County Families, Rick has authored and co-authored five books and written numerous articles for the local newspapers, historical societies. Rick is a trustee of the Shrewsbury Historical Society, and the Jersey Coast Heritage Museum at Sandlass House, member of Monmouth County Historical Association, and Monmouth County Genealogy Society

MCGS presents Melissa Ziobro’ s

The History of Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

Melissa Ziobro is the Specialist Professor of Public History at Monmouth University. Melissa is the adminstatror of the Monmouth Memories Oral History Program and the Department’s social media and newsletter. currently serves as the President of Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region and as the editor for New Jersey Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, a joint venture of the NJ Historical Commission, Rutgers University Libraries, and Monmouth University. She is currently a trustee of the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation, InfoAge Science and History Learning Center, and Ocean County Historical Society. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Preservation NJ, and works regularly with other public history organizations such as the Monmouth County Park System, Monmouth County Historical Association, Monmouth County Historical Commission, Monmouth County Archives, Asbury Park Historical Society, Asbury Park Museum, Middlesex County Office of Culture and Heritage, National Guard Militia Museum of NJ, Princeton Preservation Group, to name a few. She worked as a command historian at the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, NJ from 2004-2011.

Registration for the meeting will close on Thursday, May 12th.

On Saturday May 14, the meeting link will be emailed to everyone who registered