Morris Area Genealogy Society meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month, from September through May, at the Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Ave., Whippany, NJ. Refreshments are served at 6:30; the program begins at 7:00. (Directions to the Library)
While the Morris County Library meeting rooms are closed due to Covid, the general monthly meetings are being held ONLINE via ZOOM.
A list of our past monthly programs, since the startup of MAGS in 1988 through May 2021, can be found here.
In addition to its regular meetings, MAGS also sponsors Special Interest Groups.
While the Morris County Library meeting rooms are closed due to Covid, the general monthly meetings are being held ONLINE via ZOOM.
A list of our past monthly programs, since the startup of MAGS in 1988 through May 2021, can be found here.
In addition to its regular meetings, MAGS also sponsors Special Interest Groups.
2021 - 2022 MEETING SCHEDULE
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7 Sept 2021
Online via ZOOM.
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Stories From Ellis Island - by Fred Voss
Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892 as the nation's first federal immigration entry point. During the next 32 years, it was by far the busiest US inspection station, processing 12.5 million people, each hoping for a chance at a new life. It is estimated that 40% of all Americans can trace their roots back to immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Did you have relatives who came through Ellis Island? Did the inspectors detain them? Were they treated at the island's hospitals? Did your family names get changed by the inspectors?!
Mr. Voss will provide an overview of the workings of the Island—how immigrants arrived, how they were processed through the different parts of the Island, and what might mean a long stay on the Island or a return-ticket home. He will also dive into those squiggles on the manifest and how to decipher them. Fred Voss is a professional genealogist and a volunteer tour guide at Ellis Island National Park. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the International Society of Genetic Genealogists as well as various regional societies. He has been doing personal genealogy for over 25 years and is a Trustee and Education Chair for the Genealogical Society of Bergen County.
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5 Oct 2021
Online via ZOOM.
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They Died From What? Medical Terms and Old Diseases - by Mark White
Have you looked at a death certificate and wondered how did they know about that disease? Aside from the fact that about one-third of the time reading the cause of death is difficult. An example that comes to mind from Hollywood; made me think how they diagnosed John Wayne’s character in The Shootist with cancer around 1900? We will discuss old medical terms and what they are called today, medical codes and variations of medical descriptions. Compare death certificates to obituaries.
Mark White started doing genealogy back in 1990, his interest sparked by talking with an aunt who said her father, his grandfather, was orphaned by age 6 and raised by an aunt and uncle who owned a large farm in Manalapan. His ancestors lived mainly in New Jersey’s Monmouth and Hudson counties. They arrived here between 1845 and 1880. Mark joined MCGS (Monmouth County Genealogy Society) when they were just a club affiliated with Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold. He has been a member of their Education and Speakers committees for about 12 years and president for the past 4 years. He travels with his job and is on the road about 40 weeks a year. He is a project manager for Vallen Distribution and manages the start up of new accounts in manufacturing facilities. |
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2 Nov 2021
Online via ZOOM.
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Who Do You Say I Am? Leaving a Trail - by Bev Seward Yackel
This presentation will serve as a wake-up call for historians and genealogists! Rooted as we are in the past, we don’t always think about the remote future and what researchers will be able to learn about us from the documents and personal belongings we leave behind. The speaker will be discussing her father’s life and how to document YOUR life for future generations with photographs, vital records, letters, and many other types of documents and papers. She wants you to think about what YOUR descendants, 50-100 years from now, will be able to say about YOU. What will they know besides the basic info re your birth, marriage & death? Beverly Seward Yackel is a Past-President of the Monmouth County Genealogy Society and a member for many years of their Education & Speakers Bureau Committees. She has spoken to many groups in central and northern NJ as well as Orange Co., NY. She is an Assistant Director at the Eatontown NJ Family History Center. Beverly enjoys helping others start their genealogy research. She specializes in census records and organizing your genealogy research. You are warned that she loves to assign homework during her talks. |
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7 Dec 2021
Online via ZOOM.
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Annual Holiday Party. Members Only
Join in the fun! We will hear interesting stories of genealogical or historical interest from members. You are invited to enjoy a holiday treat during this party. Save your "gifts" for our "gift exchange" table when we meet again in person some time in the future. |
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4 Jan 2022
Online via ZOOM. |
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1 Feb 2022
Online via ZOOM. |
Revolutionary Princeton 1774-1783 - by William L. (Larry) Kidder
The story of Princeton between 1774 and 1783 is a microcosm of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans during the Revolution, struggles intensified by Princeton’s geographic location within the State which saw more military activity than most and on a road constantly used to move troops and their supplies. Life in Princeton connected to just about every aspect of the Revolution. The stories of people who lived in Princeton, or who spent time there because of the Revolution, helps us better understand the hitherto untold importance of this town beyond the one, well-known, day of battle. William L. (Larry) Kidder is an author and speaker on history. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania and is a retired high school history teacher who taught for forty years in both public and private schools, including 32 years at the Hun School of Princeton. For close to 33 years, he has volunteered at the Howell Living History Farm, part of the Mercer County Park System, in Hopewell, New Jersey and has served as an historian, interpreter, and draft horse teamster. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Crossroads of the American Revolution and works with Crossroads as volunteer coordinator and editor of its Meet Your Revolutionary Neighbors project. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Crossroads of the American Revolution and work with Crossroads as volunteer coordinator and editor of its Meet Your Revolutionary Neighbors project. |
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1 Mar 2022
Online via ZOOM. |
Brick Wall Breakthroughs - by Thomas MacEntee
Want to see first-hand how to break through that persistent “brick wall” in genealogy? Using actual research problems submitted by webinar attendees, professional genealogist Thomas MacEntee will walk participants through a step-by-step research methodology process to find clues and possible solutions. Participants will have access to research logs, digital images and more during and after the presentation. Also included is a “habit recipe” to implement the same techniques used in the presentation on your own genealogy research. Thomas MacEntee is a professional genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community. |
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5 Apr 2022
Online via ZOOM. |
Intro to NJ Genealogy - by Regina Fitzpatrick
Interested in tracing your New Jersey Family History? Not sure where to start? Regina Fitzpatrick, Genealogy Librarian at the New Jersey State Library, will review genealogy basics and strategies for collecting information before visiting a repository. We will also discuss great resources to discover your ancestors at the New Jersey State Library and other repositories.
Regina Fitzpatrick is Genealogy Librarian at the NJ State Library. In addition to the Genealogy Collection, a non-circulating 18,000 plus item collection, she also oversees the Map and Atlas Collection, and the New Jersey State Library Archives collection. Prior to working at the Library, Regina worked for the New Jersey State Archives, where she became an expert on New Jersey Genealogical Collections and helping to conduct family history research. At the State Library, Regina currently provides general Reference Services, in addition to specific Genealogy assistance, and teaches classes on conducting New Jersey Genealogy research. |
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3 May 2022
Online via ZOOM. |
How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records - by Sunny Morton
Records created by the major Christian denominations before 1900 in the United States are an underutilized resource for family historians. In these records, you may find ancestors’ births, maiden or married names, marriage details, deaths, family relationships, other residences, and even immigrants’ overseas birthplaces. You may uncover information about ancestors who have been unnamed in other records–women, children, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the poor. You may find details about your ancestors recorded long before the existence of civil records.
Sunny Morton is a popular lecturer for the global genealogy community. She's a Contributing Editor at Family Tree Magazine and the author of hundreds of articles and blog posts, as well as the brand new book How to Find Your Family History in U.S. Church Records, co-authored with Harold Henderson; Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy, and the quick reference guide, "Genealogy Giants: Comparing the 4 Major Websites," She is an official FamilySearch blogger and past Contributing Editor at Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems Podcast.
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There are generally no meetings in June, July and August.
© Morris Area Genealogy Society
