The Webster County Genealogical Society was closed due to weather yesterday and today. We generally follow the Fort Dodge Community Schools and close if they have a late start, early release or closing due to weather. Tomorrow, however, we do have a volunteer planning to come in). Please check our Facebook page to see if that changes.
The Webster County Genealogical Society will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday due to weather conditions. Wednesday’s high is predicted to be -11. If we will be closed on Thursday, we will post here and on Facebook.
Stay safe!
The January meeting of the Webster County Genealogical Society has been postponed until Jan. 12. It will be held at 1 p.m. at the society’s room at the Fort Dodge Public Library, 424 Central Ave.
With each new year, many consider making changes in their lives such as losing weight, getting more exercise, etc. Even genealogists like to get in on the act and in 2015 there’s a special online educational program that can help you get rid of “bad research habits” and learn some new tricks.
The Genealogy Do-Over™ is the brainstorm of genealogy author and educator Thomas MacEntee and since its announcement in mid-December 2014, has attracted over 1,000 participants from around the world. And the best part? The entire 13-week program which starts on January 2, 2015, is FREE. Visit the Genealogy Do-Over at http://www.genealogydo-over.com to see the announcement and the latest news.
Here is the short summary of Genealogy Do-Over as Thomas sees it:
I set aside everything* related to my genealogy research including notebooks, papers, and even digitized files and my genealogy database files and START OVER. I’m hitting the reset button. I’m allowing myself to have a do-over! (*certain items such as vital records ordered and paid for or research gathered on a long-distance trip will be retained).
Since genealogists started their research 10, 20 or 30 years ago (or more), much has changed in the areas of genealogy research methodology and education. Many now realize the need to collect facts and track them properly, including the use of source citations. Many understand the process of analyzing evidence and proving facts to reach a conclusion. In essence, as Thomas puts it: “I know a lot more about the ‘process’ of genealogical research and I want to put it to use.”
The Genealogy Do-Over journey is constructed of 13 mileposts or journey markers spread out over 13 weeks. Participants can choose any pace they want, and even spread the topics out over the course of a year. Or some may decide to drop some of the less important tasks and add different topics. The goal is to do whatever it takes to ensure that a firm footing to finding ancestors.
A synopsis of the planned route – the Schedule of Topics – can be found at http://www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-doover-schedule-topics/. As each week progresses, participants will continue researching and add more and more skills and areas of focus including citing sources, tracking searches, building a research toolbox, creating an educational plan, researching offline as well as online, and more.
By the end of the 13 weeks – or 13 journey markers – the group will have covered a firm foundation in genealogy and family history research. For individual participants, some focus areas may differ; participants have the freedom to add or remove content from their own Genealogy Do-Over plan. As Thomas says, “This program has to work for you and not something that you dread each week or that you find you are working against.”
There is no price. A journey that could very well revolutionize the way you’ve been doing genealogy research is priceless. When you join the Genealogy Do-Over (see below), you’ll receive weekly updates about the current topics, you’ll be part of an active and passionate collaborative group sharing genealogy tips and tricks, and more. Legacy Family Tree is hosting a FREE webinar entitled My Genealogy DO-Over – A Year of Learning from Research Mistakes (http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=461) presented by Thomas MacEntee on Wednesday, January 21, 2015.
Visit the following sites to get involved and set out on your own Genealogy Do-Over journey in 2015!
Week 1 – January 2-8, 2015
Week 3 – 16-22 January 2015
Week 4 – 23-29 January 2015
Week 5 – 30 January-5 February 2015
Week 6 – 6-12 February 2015
Week 7 – 13-19 February 2015
Week 8 – 20-26 February 2015
Week 9 – 27 February-5 March 2015
Week 10 – 6-12 March 2015
Week 11 – 13-19 March 2015
Week 12 – 20-26 March 2015
Week 13 – 27 March-3 April 2015
©2015, copyright Thomas MacEntee. All rights reserved.
Our monthly meeting for December will be an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 1 (Monday). We will give away free family history forms and there will be refreshments. We are located in Room 134 of the Fort Dodge Public Library, 424 Central Ave.
A funeral was held today for Staff Sgt. Maurice J. Fevold. He was born near Badger in 1923. He died Dec. 23, 1944, when his plane was shot down in Germany. The plane wasn’t found until a few years ago, and his remains were identified this year.
Carol Foltz (Webster County Genealogical Society president) attended the funeral.
An honor guard from the Patriot Guards waited outside before the funeral started.
William Bushman (left) is Maurice Fevold’s great-nephew. Maurice had an older sister, Jeanette. She was William Bushman’s grandmother.
The medals that Maurice Fevold earned with his service. The box will hold the flag that was draped over his casket.
Members of the military honor guard have loaded the casket into the hearse.
The procession leaves for Blossom Hill Cemetery near Badger.
We have a small display in the Fort Dodge Public Library. We decided to feature ancestors who served in World War I. Many Webster County residents, both men and women, either served in the military or aided the war effort at home.
Webster County Genealogical Society President Carol Foltz stands next to the society’s Family History Month display at the Fort Dodge Public Library.
The back of the display focuses on men from the area who served in the military during World War I.
We will meet at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, in our room at the Fort Dodge Public Library. We will set the officers for the coming year, and finish working on our display for Family History Month. The display should be installed in the library next week.
We are meeting at 1 p.m. today in room 134 of the Fort Dodge Public Library, 424 Central Ave. The slate of officers will be presented, but we’ll vote on them at the October meeting.
Our September meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on September 8, due to the Labor Day holiday. We will present potential names for officers for 2014-2015. Voting for officers will be held in the monthly meeting on October 6.
We will also ask for updates on projects for the Family History Month display in October. If you have volunteered to have something for this, let us know how you are progressing.