Gen Friends Events - Research At The Library

 

Join Genealogy Friends at W.O. Haggard Library on Saturday, November 8, 2026 from 10:15 to 1:00 pm CT. 

Program: 10:30-11:15 "Delving Into Divorce: Finding Family Details in the Civil Court Docket" by Susan Ball. 

Research Help 11:15 -1:00 Experienced Researchers will be on hand to help. Here's just a few ideas:

• Getting Started on Family History Research - bring what you know about your family. Create a free account on the National Genealogical Society website and download the free Pedigree Chart and Family Group Sheet. Fill in what you know and bring them to the library. https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/free-resources/charts/
• Brick Wall - bring your research question and research log/report. 
• Start a New Research Project - bring what you know about the research subject. We'll help you develop a research question, provide tips on researching the location, and starting your research. 
• Research in Restricted Records on FamilySearch.org. The Plano Libraries are Affiliate Libraries so you can access records you can't see from home.   

WPA Guide to Churches in Manhattan

 The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society added digital images of the WPA Guide to Vital Records in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan: Churches on their website. https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/online-records/wpa-historical-records-survey-new-york-state-research-volumes/572-030/1

This is one of five volumes covering the vital statistics records of religious organizations in New York City published by the Historical Records Survey of the Works Progress Administration. There is a volume for each borough. The publication is designed to help locate proof of birth or marital status facts. 

Here is a sample entry:

1926 Census of Ireland

 For the first time following the independence of the Irish Free State a census was taken in 1926. This census will be released to the public on 18 April 2026. Learn about the census https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQn7dxNAgzk

Ancestry Released Custom Cluster

 Ancestry is rolling out Custom Match Clusters as a new addition to ProTools. I don't have it yet so I haven't been able to try it, but I can't wait. 

Custom Match Clusters

With match clustering, we compare not only whether you match each person, but also whether 

those people match each other. In addition to standard clusters, which don’t focus on any 

particular match, you can create custom clusters, which do. 

Pick a DNA match to find people who are related to them, based on a centimorgan (cM) 

range of your choice.

Why create custom clusters? 

Clustering around a certain match can help you fill in missing parts of your tree. 

Discover matches who share DNA with a match of your choice—likely because they 

all come from the same ancestor. 

You can even add up to four additional related matches—which we call “sidekicks”—to 

narrow your results even further.

Custom clustering goes beyond enhanced shared matches, showing you not just matches

 you share with a match, but also who’s related to those matches.

When you create a custom cluster, you can also choose the centimorgan (cM) ranges

you want, from 20 cM on the low end to 1,300 cM on the high end.

Read more https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Custom-Match-Clusters?language=it

Dallas Genealogical Society Fall Seminar - Kelli Bergheimer - Strategies for DNA Breakthroughs

The Dallas Genealogical Society Fall Seminar "Strategies for DNA Breakthroughs" features Kelli Bergheimer. 

Saturday, October 25, 2025 9:30-3:30 CT

Topics:

Successful Sleuthing, Not Stalking, for DNA Matches

Ancestry Pro Tools: Increase Your DNA Analysis

The Power of Ancestry Clusters and Inferred Matching

The Tale of Two Grandfathers and an Adoption - Privacy and Ethical Concerns with DNA

For more information or to register https://dallasgenealogy.org/meetings-events/2025-fall-seminar/

New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Free Seminars

 NYG&B is offering a free week of seminars Nov 3-7. Programs include getting started with New York research, what to do if your ancestor's military personnel file burned in the fire, veterans of WWI, resources available at newyorkfamilyhistory.org, and more. 

For more information or to register https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/events/nygb-week-november-2025

My Heritage DNA Testing Change

 MyHeritage announced they are changing from array-based DNA testing (used by all the testing companies in the industry) to whole genome sequencing. The price of their testing won't change and the test provides more data. Here is a link to their press release https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251014913163/en/MyHeritage-Upgrades-Its-Consumer-DNA-Tests-to-Whole-Genome-Sequencing 

From their press release:

Whole Genome Sequencing reads almost the entire human genetic code, covering around 3 billion base pairs (nucleotides). This is superior to the standard genotyping arrays used by most consumer DNA tests, including MyHeritage until recently, which read only about 700,000 base pairs. More data enables deeper insights across all types of genetic analysis. Whole Genome Sequencing is now being applied to most new MyHeritage DNA kits currently being processed at the lab, and to every new MyHeritage DNA kit sold moving forward. MyHeritage DNA kits already processed with the older genotyping array technology will not be reprocessed with Whole Genome Sequencing. Customers whose MyHeritage DNA kits are processed with Whole Genome Sequencing will be able to download their entire genome from MyHeritage at no cost, in CRAM format. They may also unlock additional insights by uploading their data to other trusted genetic service providers that support such uploads.

Diane Southard's Blog Post explains the new testing and some of the implications. You will need to setup a free account to read the blog post.  https://my.yourdnaguide.com/c/diahan-s-corner/a-big-change-at-myheritage-what-it-means-and-why-i-m-watching-closely