Learn How to Use Gedmatch at Our February Meeting

The next CCGS general meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at the Brewster Ladies Library. We will be welcoming back Thomas Greve as our featured speaker. Thomas will be discussing the use of Gedmatch for your DNA results.

Anyone who has purchased an autosomal DNA test from any company (Ancestry, FTDNA, 23 and Me, My Heritage) can upload their data to GEDmatch, a third-party database. By doing this, you will be able to access a larger pool of matches, increasing your chances of finding significant matches.

In addition to a basic overview of genetic inheritance, find out how to create an account on Gedmatch and take advantage of free tools including DNA matching and comparison, a chromosome browser, and more. Premium features of the site, such as matching segment and triangulation tools and their uses, will also be discussed. If you are unsure how to get the most from your DNA results, you will find this presentation valuable.

After pursuing the history of his own family for more than ten years, Thomas began researching professionally in 2016. He holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and currently serves as the president of Falmouth Genealogical Society.

Join us on Tuesday, February 19,  in the auditorium of Brewster Ladies Library. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 AM; but plan to join us at 9:30 for coffee and donuts and an opportunity to socialize with others who are researching their family history.

Out of consideration for the Library's regular patrons, we ask that you use the adjoining parking lot behind the Baptist church, unless you are disabled and need to park close to the building.

CCGS Member David Martin to Speak at NERGC 2019

The 15th New England Regional Genealogical Consortium's 2019 Conference will take place on April 3 - 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton conference facilities in Manchester, New Hampshire. As a participating member organization of the the Consortium, the Cape Cod Genealogical Society (CCGS) is pleased to announce that one of our own highly regarded members, David Martin, will be giving a presentation at the Conference on Friday, April 5. The title of David's presentation is "Will the Real John C. Fowler Please Stand Up?" This promises to be an absorbing account of confronting a genealogical brick wall that led David on a journey of false leads and frustrations with final resolution achieved through the persistent application of genealogical research principles.

David S. Martin

David S. Martin is Past-President of the Cape Cod Genealogical Society, chairs its Education Committee, co-chairs its Publications Committee, and is past-Chair of its Computer Users Special Interest Group. He is a valued member of a CCGS team that teaches genealogical-education courses at various locations throughout Cape Cod. He is also a member of our neighboring Falmouth Genealogical Society. David's New England roots are apparent from his memberships in the Mayflower Society, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the Flagon and Trencher hereditary society. Also, of special note, David was honored with the NERGC 2015 Volunteer of the Year award. 

Professionally, David has been a teacher, school principal, curriculum director, teacher educator, and retired as Professor/Dean Emeritus from Gallaudet University (the world's only university for deaf persons) in Washington, DC. He teaches part-time in the Graduate Program in Critical and Creative Thinking at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He lives with his wife, Susan--a retired director of university libraries--in Marstons Mills, here on Cape Cod.

Registration for NERGC 2019 is currently underway. For further information on the Conference and for online registration, please visit the website at www.NERGC.org.