Ellis Island springs to mind when considering the immigrant experience. But it is likely that your ancestor did not arrive through Ellis Island. Professional genealogist Diana Crisman Smith will discuss other ports of entry, the immigration process, and changes in the laws over time. Diana will be presenting via Zoom.

Attendance Options: In person at Schweitzer Brentwood Branch or by Zoom.  Members will receive a Zoom link by email or find the link at ozarksgs.org > programs. Members must login for access.

The website DNA Painter developed by Jonny Perl has developed into a veritable toolbox for genetic genealogists. Primarily it provides a way to visualize DNA matching on chromosomes, but it has evolved to provide other helpful tools. The program led by Patti Hobbs will demonstrate how to make the most of DNA Painter. Patti will be presenting in person.

Attendance Options: In person at The Library Center or by Zoom.  Members will receive a Zoom link by email or find the link at ozarksgs.org > programs. Members must login for access.

A family signature quilt from the 1930s helped break through a long-standing brick wall of Jan Hinsey’s 2^nd great-grandmother, Minnie McGee. Multiple family trees were built based on the signatures. These combined with newspaper articles, family histories, and DNA matches revealed Minnie’s family. Jan will be presenting in person.

 

Charity Rouse, Director of Local History for the Spartanburg County Public Libraries in South Carolina will look at a variety of genealogical records available for both North and South Carolina. While the records are similar, how they were kept and how they are accessed differ between the two states. We will look briefly at early county names/geography, early land records, vital records, bastardy bonds, and some Revolutionary War resources. Charity will be presenting via Zoom.