Pennington Research Association

PRA "Old" MyFamily.com Website Closing Now

2012-01-16T16:41:00.001-08:00

Dear Members,

As of February 10, 2012, any photos, or files must be moved over to the new site or they will disappear. Also, if you have not asked to join the new site yet or you have asked and I have missed your message, please send me a message to invite you to our new site. I have found a few messages caught in the past in my spam folder. While I do my best to check them, I don’t always find them. Please let me or Gene know if you have any questions.

Carmen Johnson
Board Member

http://www.penningtonresearch.org
PRA Family Group 7 & 32 Leader
http://pragroup7.genheirlooms.com
Blog – http://genheirlooms.blogspot.com

PRA Board of Directors Elected to New Term

2011-12-21T08:45:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Betsy VanAuker, Melinda G. Pennington and Frank Loy for being elected to a new 3 year term of office starting 1/1/12.

My thanks to Kathy Allman and her Election Committee for their help with making this a smooth election.

Sidney M. Graveston | Seriously Ill

2011-12-07T13:14:00.001-08:00

We have received a message from Helen France, Solicitor, on behalf of Sidney M. Graveston. Mr. Graveston is a long time PRA Member and is well known and respected for his Pennington genealogy research.

His Solicitor has requested that we let our Members and other genealogy researchers know of Sidney's poor health and to stop sending messages and/or postal mail to him.

If you do have any matters involving Mr. Graveston, please contact his Solicitor. Her information is listed below.

Thank you.

Helen France, Assistant

Livingstons Solicitors Limited

9 Benson Street

Ulverston

Cumbria

LA12 7AU

Tel: 01229 585555

Fax: 01229 584950

Extension No: 211

PRA Board Election - Vote Now!

2011-12-07T12:55:00.001-08:00

If you have not yet voted for the Board of Directors, please do so now and mail your ballots before 12/10/11!

If you don't have a ballot, please let me know and I'll send it to you. You can also download the ballot from our website in the Members-only section in the Materials for Members area.

Thank you!

RootsMagic Blog » New RootsMagic 5 Software Released

2011-11-28T09:42:00.001-08:00

Just announced by RootsMagic – and just in time for Christmas!

RootsMagic Blog » New RootsMagic 5 Software Released

PRA 2011 Board of Directors Election

2011-11-27T19:09:00.001-08:00

It is time to vote for three (3) positions on the Board of Directors. There are three (3) candidates but there is room for write in candidates. Biographies of each candidate are attached to the ballot.

An e-mail message has been sent to each PRA Member with an official ballot.

The official PRA 2011 Board of Directors Ballot can also be downloaded by signing in to our website and then go to the Members-only section, then to Material for Members. The ballot is located in the 1st row of the download table.

Please download the ballot and print page 1 (ballot) and mark your votes (vote for 3).

PLEASE Return Completed Ballot by December 10, 2011 To:

J. Nell Truitt

648 Majestic Hills Road

Ardmore, OK 73401-8353

*All envelopes postmarked later than December 10, 2011 will not be counted.

Thank you.

PRA Needs You! Another Call for Help!

2011-11-21T16:07:00.001-08:00

Your response to our last call for help was outstanding but guess what? That's right - we still need your help to fill more important but vacant volunteer positions.

Here are some factoids about the PRA.

We have about fifty (50) volunteer positions ranging from Group Leaders to Board of Directors.

The average time most volunteers devote to the PRA is less than 5 hours a month to perform their duties and carry out their responsibilities.

The PRA is a small non-profit public benefit corporation that relies COMPLETELY on volunteers! We do not have any paid staff or employees!

The PRA operates on a very small budget each year - less than $3,000.00 - and yet we manage to provide valuable services to our Members each year.

Here is a list of the vacant positions we need you to volunteer for to help us.

1. We need a Sales Manager who can devote a few hours each month to help the PRA manage its sale of publications. We are moving in an exciting direction with all of our publications. Our goal is to completely digitize our publications so our Members and the public can download them directly from our website stores.

2. We need Group Leaders for several of our Family Groups. Visit our website at http://www.penningtonresearch.org/Family_Groups to see which Group need a Leader! This is one of the most important positions in the PRA.

3. We need Members to work on our Archive and Library project which is located at Earlham College, Richmond, ID. The PRA's Archive and Library project includes both printed material and digital material. Ideally the Members of this Committee will travel to Earlham College every other year to review the material that has been submitted to our Archives and Library.

4. We need Members with some background in bookkeeping and/or accounting to serve on our Audit Committee. This appointment is usually for a few months starting in early February and ending by the end of April.

5. We need Members to serve on our Fundraising Committee to help the PRA plan and execute fund raising ideas to continue to fund our important projects.

These are all important volunteer positions and help the PRA to stay focused on our goals and objectives and to continue to bring value to our Members.

If you're interested, please let me know. I can send you more information on our PRA Volunteer positions if you like and I can answer your questions.

Remember all but one of these positions do not require you to travel. You can perform all of the work by computer, the Internet and an occasional phone call.

Please consider volunteering to help the PRA. We need YOU NOW!

Nominations for Board of Directors Now Closed

2011-11-20T22:57:00.001-08:00

Nominations for the Board of Directors for the PRA are now closed. We will post the ballot for the election in a few days. It will be available on the PRA's main website at www.PenningtonResearch.org in the Members-only section.

Nominations for Board of Directors Now Closed

2011-11-20T22:54:00.001-08:00

Dancing Green Leaves aka 'Hints'

2011-11-14T05:51:00.000-08:00

It’s not that long ago that I decided to begin my journey into genealogy. I signed up for a free 14 day free trial at Ancestry.com. I had intended to find all the information I could within my time limit, but I soon realized it was too late. I was hooked! If someone had told me before, that genealogy was addictive, I would have said, “That’s pure nonsense!” Ah, but I know better now.

Since, I was so new to genealogy and had never done any genealogical research before; I thought this is going to be easy because, I kept seeing all these little green wiggling leaves (hints) on my ancestors. So, I kept clicking on them until I had several hundred ancestors, and one line all the way back to kings and queens from the 12th century! I also thought that because it was in someone else’s tree, that it must be true, after all they know more than I do. I soon discovered that if I made up dates for birth and death, I could get more hints to come up. Then a flash of insight, what if others were making things up as well?

As I learned how to use all the resources at Ancestry.com, I started finding mistakes in many of the public member trees. I soon realized that I needed to just start over with a new tree, so I did. When I do research now, I look for sources and I check the citations. I open the census forms and I read them. Sometimes I find transcription errors and omissions, which I correct by submitting the correct data.

Ancestry.com is a great resource which I would absolutely recommend to anyone wanting to do genealogy research. I have learned that Member Trees can be a valuable resource, just as I have learned that the information may not always be accurate. They certainly should never be used as a source for your research unless they have good citations. Be sure to always check the sources, make sure, before you cite it.

One of the great pleasures in life is friends and family and especially sweet is finding a long lost cousin. I would love to hear from you, so please take a moment to share your thoughts, comments, suggestions, questions, or just say hello.

by Marsha Hanson-Smith (Group 4)

PP Vol. 43-2 is Available for Download

2011-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that the Fall 2011 issue of the Pennington Pedigrees (Volume 43 Issue 2) is available for download for PRA members. This is free for current members.

You will need to login to the PRA website and go to the 'Members Only' section. After clicking on 'Pedigrees' you will see a small window below the release information which contains the Pennington Pedigrees issues that are available for download.

I have learned so much, and I am looking forward to beginning work on the Spring 2012 issue. My sincere thanks to the Pedigrees Team for all their great work. I couldn't have done it without you!

Marsha Hanson-Smith
Editor@PenningtonResearch.org

NGS discount (Oct 27-29 only) for RootsTech conference

2011-10-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

For anyone interested in attending the RootsTech 2nd annual conference in Salt Lake City February 2-4, 2012, NGS (National Genealogical Society) FGS members are being offered special pricing for registrations between 27-29 October (that's this Thursday through Saturday). Normally $189, it will be only $99 using promotion code FGS during those 3 days only.

The PRA is a member of FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies).

For more information go to: http://rootstech.org/

I just registered for this great conference at the discounted price. I may drive if anybody wants to ride share from S.F Bay Area. If not, I'll take Amtrak.

FYI, a couple of the hotels with the special price of $89.00 per night are filled up so if you plan to attend, you should register now and make your hotel reservations.

Let me know by 11/1/11 if you are interested in sharing a ride.

Election Committee Members Needed

2011-10-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

We urgently need PRA Members willing to serve on our Election Committee. Katherine Allman, PRA VP, has offered to serve as the Election Committee Chair. We need at least two (2) more PRA Members to serve on this committee with Katherine.

If you are willing to serve on the Election Committee, please contact Katherine Allman at: kallman@comcast.net.

This is a description of the position for the Chair and Members.

Election Committee Members & Chair

These are not Officers of the public benefit corporation. The appointments are made by President at the Annual Meeting/Reunion which this year will be on 10/29/11. Since Betsy is a candidate this year, Katherine has agreed to handle this job. The election to be held in November this year.

These positions need a Member who:

- Is computer "savvy" and has Internet access (preferably broadband/high speed connection).

- Is willing to serve on a committee that is comprised of a minimum of 3 PRA members who do not currently hold an office (can be waived by Board which it has been this year) and who are not candidates for election.

i. The committee must have an odd number of members.

ii. The Committee chair to be selected by the President.

iii. The Committee members shall refrain from discrimination in favor of or against any candidate.

iv. The Committee oversees all voting activities, to assure absence of compromise.

v. The Committee assures all voting results are reported to the membership.

Call for Nominations for Board of Directors Election

2011-10-20T07:38:00.001-07:00

This is a call for nominations for the Board of Directors election that will be held in a few weeks. There are three (3) Board positions whose term of office expires on 12/31/11.

The three Board Members whose terms expire on 12/31/11 are:

1. Richard F. Loy

2. Betsy VanAuker

3. Melinda G. Pennington

The elected persons will serve from 1/1/12 to 12/31/15.

If you would like to nominate a person for a Board of Directors position, please send your nomination to:

Katherine Allman, Vice President at: kallman@comcast.net

OR to:

Gene Pennington, Board Chair and Research Director at: RD1@PenningtonResearch.org

Below is a description of the Board of Director for the PRA.

All Board Members, Officers and volunteers must be a current PRA Member.

Board of Director

The Board of Directors is required by our Articles of Corporation and Bylaws. The Board is charged with the management and oversight of the Corporation. Board Members have a fiduciary and legal responsibility to manage the Corporation according to current statutes.

The position is elected by PRA Members to a 3 year term of office. Each year 3 of our Board Members terms expire so we have a smooth transition each year. While there are no assigned tasks or jobs assigned to any Board Member, many of us do serve as an Officer or in some other volunteer position. We need our Board Members to take an active role helping the PRA meet our goals and objectives.

The position needs a Member who:

- Wants to be a contributing member of our team and is eager to help us succeed.

- Is computer "savvy" and has Internet access (preferably broadband/high speed connection).

- Is able to meet at least twice a year online (we use online meeting software).

- We are required by our bylaws to meet every other year but for financial reasons we've been holding our meetings online.

- Is able to communicate on a regular basis with other PRA Members to keep them informed and ask their opinions about the PRA.

- Is able to work with and communicate with other Board Members, Officers and other volunteers.

- Is willing to aggressively reach out to PRA Members and seek their input.

- Is willing to aggressively reach out to PRA Members and keep them informed of current PRA activities.

To learn more and to read/download the PRA's Bylaws and current policies/procedures, go to: http://www.penningtonresearch.org/About_Us (Note: The Bylaws and current policies/procedures are down the page a little so scroll down the page).

A Note From The New Pennington Pedigrees Editor

2011-10-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

My mother has been interested in genealogy for as long as I can remember. Even my husband researched his Irish ancestors to find the documents needed to become an Irish citizen, but not me. That is, until last year when my mother told me she had a grandfather from Ireland. Suddenly everything changed, I knew I was moving to Ireland, and I wanted to learn about my Irish heritage. Turns out it was her great-grandfather, but nevertheless, I’m hooked now. It’s so much fun locating new information about one of my ancestors, and I especially enjoy connecting with long lost cousins. I never realized how addictive genealogy can be, but I love it!

I was researching my great-grandmother, Mary (Pennington) Hanson, online when I found the Pennington Research Association. I couldn’t wait to become a member even though most of the year was past. Soon after I joined, I received an email asking for volunteers, so I enquired about the Editor’s position, and well, here I am!

I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that being the new Pennington Pedigrees Editor will bring. I would like to see more members actively involved, so don’t be surprised if you receive an email from me! I would love to hear from you, so please take a moment to share your thoughts, comments, suggestions, questions, or just say hello.

Marsha Hanson-Smith (Group 4)

Appointment of New Group Leader

2011-10-10T19:27:00.001-07:00

It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Glenda Clemens (glendanp@comcast.net) as the new Group Leader for Group 1.

I know you will all join me in welcoming Glenda and that she can count on you for your support and help.

Ric Blake, Group Leader for Group 26 Has Passed

2011-09-24T08:17:00.001-07:00

This morning I received the message below from Diane Blake, Ric's wife, letting us know of Ric's passing. Ric has been in a struggle with cancer for many years and his heroic efforts are well documented.

Ric has made major contributions to the PRA through his research and many important publications.

Ric will be missed. I know you all join me in sending condolences to Diane and her family and friends.

Dear Pennington families,

It is with deep sadness that I am informing you about the death of my dear husband Ric.

I am so sorry that I did have contact with you earlier and it was only by going into Ric's computer last evening that I realized that I had not informed you of his passing.

I know how much Ric held you in such high regard and so enjoyed his correspondence with all of you. I know he has touched so many lives and will be missed by all who knew him.

Sincerely,

Diane Blake

This is a link to the online obituary for Ric, where people can leave messages, memories, etc.

http://www.tributes.com/condolences/leave_memory/92148798

PRA Membership Meeting

2011-09-12T14:19:00.001-07:00

PRA Membership Meeting

Join us for a Webinar on October 29

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/800518857

This is a meeting of current PRA Members.

Title:
PRA Membership Meeting

Date:
Saturday, October 29, 2011

Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

New Pennington Pedigrees Editor

2011-09-08T10:39:00.001-07:00

It is with great pleasure to announce the PRA Board has approved my appointment of Marsha Hanson-Smith as our new Pennington Pedigrees Editor!

As you know we’ve been without an Editor for almost two (2) years. I am so very happy that we now have an Editor on board so we can continue to move forward.

Marsha and I have exchanged several messages over the past couple of weeks and we spoke on the phone yesterday. I am very impressed with Marsha’s positive attitude, her skill set and background, all of which will be of help to her in her new job.

One of our first discussions had to do with where Marsha lives. She lives in Ireland. She was concerned this may be a problem but after I reviewed the position requirements and what our Editor needs to be successful, a person’s residence was not a requirement nor was it, in my opinion, a critical component to be a successful Editor.

Here is a summary of Marsha’s background:

She has a BS in Computer Science so she is "computer savvy".
She has some volunteer experience as an Editor and knows how to use MS Publisher, Word, Excel, Access, and even QuickBooks.
When she lived in Turin, Italy, she was the Editor for the IWCT (International Women's Club of Torino) for a short time after the current editor resigned.
- The IWCT Bulletin she worked about 24 -32 pages and published each month.
- She created a template in Publisher so she could easily add the material as I received it from the contributors.
Marsha is only beginning to learn about her ancestry and only became interested when she discovered she had a great grandfather from Ireland.
She says she does not have years of genealogical research or experience to share with readers but can do all the other tasks needed to publish the Pedigrees.

Marsha will become a Member of the Pedigrees Team and work with them to learn how the Pedigrees are assembled and published. Melinda, Pedigrees Team Leader, will continue as such during this transition period which will allow Marsha to learn and ask questions as the Pedigrees move through this next publication cycle.

I know you all join me in wishing Marsha well and that she can count on you for help and support.

USA Flag of Hero's

2011-08-22T12:24:00.001-07:00

I just purchased the Flag of Hero's. This is a wonderful flag. It is outstanding and I will display it with honor in memory of those who perished on 9/11.

I’m sharing this information with you in the hopes you will consider flying the flag in honor of the 9/11 ten year anniversary.

There are two (2) flags available to honor those who perished on 9/11.

The Flag of Honor includes the names of everyone who perished on 9/11; on all of the planes, at Shanksville, PA, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.
The Flag of Heroes includes the names of all the Emergency Services personnel, including FDNY, PAPD, NYPD & Court Officers. This is the flag I purchased.

You can also purchase a special streamer to hang with your flag.

Proceeds from the sale of the flags go to several charities including the Voices of 911 (supporting the families of the victims), the National 911 Museum at Ground Zero, the Flag of Honor Fund, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Flag of Hero's is made by Annin Flagmakers, the oldest and largest makers of flags in the United States since 1847.

Click here to learn more about the Flag of Heros.

Both flags are available from a number of retailers. The one I purchased from is located in Sonoma, California. They are Embassy Flag. I called my order in and it was delivered within 3 days.

Click here to purchase the Flag of Heros from Embassy Flag.

We Will Never Forget!

September 11, 2011

Appointment of New PRA Treasurer

2011-08-21T09:07:00.001-07:00

It is a pleasure for me to announce the appointment of our new Treasurer, Larry Pennington. Larry has an excellent background in the private financial sector is currently the CFO of the Boys and Girls Club of Memphis, Tennessee.

During the next few weeks, Steve Kelly will work with Larry to ensure a smooth transition and transfer of the PRA funds and day to day operations and responsibilities.

I know you all join me in welcoming Larry and that he can count on all of you to help him in his new role as our Treasurer.

1940 U.S. Census will be available to search and explore for FREE!

2011-08-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

Ancestry.com has just announced that images and indexes from the upcoming 1940 U.S. Census will be available to search and explore for FREE! Access to these 130 million plus records will be available from mid-April 2012 until the end of 2013, in the hopes of giving people the resources to make the all-important first discovery in their family history.

By: Ancestry.com

PRA Needs You! A Call for Help!

2011-08-15T15:58:00.001-07:00

I know you get requests from many non-profit organizations asking you to volunteer your time. I know you must get tired of having to say "No" to many of them and that you have little or no time to spare.

That's why I'm a little shy about sending this call for help, but we really, really need YOU!

Here are some factoids about the PRA.

We have about fifty (50) volunteer positions ranging from Group Leaders to Board of Directors.
The average time most volunteers devote to the PRA is less than 5 hours a month to perform their duties and carry out their responsibilities.
The PRA is a small non-profit public benefit corporation that relies COMPLETELY on volunteers! We do not have any paid staff or employees!
The PRA operates on a very small budget each year - less than $3,000.00 - and yet we manage to provide valuable services to our Members each year.
We have not had a Pedigrees Editor for about two (2) years now.
We have an outstanding Team dedicated to helping the Pedigrees Editor. This Team has published the Pedigrees for the past couple of years.
Our current Treasurer wants to resign to devote more time to his personal and professional responsibilities.
We have three (3) Board Members whose term of office expire each year. We have nine (9) Board Members and each one is elected for a three (3) year term of office. Each year three (3) of them have their terms expire.

Please consider volunteering to help the PRA. We need YOU NOW!

PRA Board of Directors Meeting To Be Held August 20, 2011

2011-07-25T13:00:00.001-07:00

Announcement: There will be a PRA Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, August 20, 2011 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM PST. The meeting will be held online using the Internet.

If you have any items you want the Board to consider, please send them to me before August 6, 2011 so they can be placed on our agenda.

I will publish the agenda along with reports submitted to the Board and membership following the meeting.

Gene Pennington, Chairman

The Web Browser | TechTips

2011-06-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

A great tip! Be sure to read it. This is part 3 of 2 in the series “Researcher’s Digital Toolbox”. If you have read the other tips, click on the link in the 1st sentence to read the other tips.

The Web Browser | TechTips

New FamilySearch TechTips Website Brings Together Genealogy and Technology - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-06-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

Hat’s off to FamilySearch and their website! I now subscribe to the RSS feeds and can’t wait to dive into the many informative articles and blog postings.

I highly recommend this website and I’m sure you’ll find this of great value.

Click the link below to read Dick’s complete article.

New FamilySearch TechTips Website Brings Together Genealogy and Technology - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

New Online Tool uses Google Maps to Show Historical County Boundaries - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-06-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

This looks like a great resource tool! I don’t know about you but I have experienced the frustration of searching for historical facts only to find later that I was looking in the WRONG county! My most recent experience was when I was part of our research trip to the NC State Archives in 2009. I was searching index cards and microfilm for hours before our guide pointed out that the location I was looking for was not part of the current county and in fact was part of another State!

Read Dick’s article for more information about this great tool from Randy Majors.

New Online Tool uses Google Maps to Show Historical County Boundaries - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

GRC's | Password Haystacks: How Well Hidden is Your Needle?

2011-06-01T14:20:00.001-07:00

You need to read this article by one of the best in security for the web and computers, Steve Gibson.

GRC's | Password Haystacks: How Well Hidden is Your Needle?

Wild Apricot Blog : How to Keep Track of Your Passwords (and Keep Them Safe)

2011-05-20T08:40:00.001-07:00

This is a great article that gives you some great suggestions on how to keep track of your passwords and how to keep them safe. This article is worth your time to read.

Wild Apricot Blog : How to Keep Track of Your Passwords (and Keep Them Safe)

Gaming pioneer William Pennington dies at 88 in Reno

2011-05-18T16:20:00.001-07:00

William Pennington, a Reno, Nevada gaming pioneer, entrepreneur and one of the state’s leading philanthropist has died at age 88.

Click here to read the full article.

Free Online File Converter - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-05-16T19:25:00.001-07:00

A great website that Dick has discovered for us! Check it out! I know you’ll find this a useful website and service.

Free Online File Converter - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

North West Evening Mail | News | Tributes paid to ‘rock’ of Muncaster Castle

2011-05-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

Phyllida Gordon-Duff-Pennington of Muncaster Castle, Cumbria, England has died. Many of our PRA Members had the pleasure of meeting this lady and enjoyed her hospitality. The link below will take you to the North-West Evening Mail newspaper where the story can be read.

North West Evening Mail | News | Tributes paid to ‘rock’ of Muncaster Castle

Picture Archival Supplies–Where to Find

2011-05-14T17:10:00.001-07:00

During our webinar of a couple of weeks titled “Organizing your genealogy research, paper and digital,” a question was asked about where to obtain archival supplies to help preserve historical and personal pictures and similar material.
Jeanne Thomas, Group Leader for Group 5, did some follow up work and sent me a message with the information below. It list a few locations online where you can purchase archival supplies.
Thanks Jeanne!

Here is a list of archival places to find assorted size photo pages.

I have used both light impressions and century products, but it has been probably at least 8 years ago.
I received a Print File-archival storage catalog last year. I have not ordered from them as yet. The prices tend to be expensive, but when you are dealing with precious photos it is worth the extra you have to pay. You can order a catalog at the websites.
If you order more than one packet of photo pages the price is a little less. In the Print File catalog you can get sizes for 4x6, 3.5x5, 5x7, 8x10, 3.5x10 for panoramic prints and 2.5x3.5 wallet sizes. For 25 pages the price is $10.55. There are various albums and archival storage boxes and just photo sleeves, both archival paper and clear sleeves.
Our son gets supplies from a place in New York, but he said their main products are for photographers and not many archival pages.

Hope this helps.
Jeanne Thomas

--------------------------------------------------------

Rev. Jasper Green Pennington sent me a message with this information.

The Hollinger Company, 9401 Northeast Dr, Fredericksburg VA 22408 (info@metalegeinc.com) are the pioneers in archival storage boxes which fit on shelves and come in a variety of options. These are the ones used at the Pennington Archives at Earlham. Hollinger has a full range of archival supplies. The other one which I use is University Products, 517 Main St., POB 101, Holyoke, Ms. 01041-0101 (www.universityproducts.com) Attached is a photo of Hollinger boxes in my own archives.

Jasper Green Pennington, PRA Archivist

Free Online Records Cast Historic Light on South Carolina - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-05-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

A major announcement from FamilySearch. If you are looking for records from South Carolina, here is a new found resource.

I know many of our Pennington ancestors have their roots in this area so this could be a treasure chest of information.

When the PRA visited the North Carolina State Archives in 2009, we discovered that many of the records we wanted to view were actually kept in South Carolina so this could be a wonderful new resource for us.

Enjoy!

Free Online Records Cast Historic Light on South Carolina - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Genealogy's Star: The Dominant Genealogical Resource on the Internet -- The FamilySearch Wiki

2011-05-08T10:12:00.001-07:00

I like this article by James Tanner on his blog, Genealogy Star.

I think he has some valid points to make and I have a feeling his prediction about FamilySearch Wiki is right on the money.

Genealogy's Star: The Dominant Genealogical Resource on the Internet -- The FamilySearch Wiki

The Countdown has Begun: Pennington Day is Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 10am - 4pm -- Rain or Shine! See you there. | Pennington Day

2011-05-06T14:34:00.001-07:00

This is something new for me. I just read about this great celebration and the events being held in Pennington, New Jersey.

If you’re near Pennington, you probably already know about this annual event. If not and you live nearby, stop by and say “Hi” for the PRA!

The Countdown has Begun: Pennington Day is Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 10am - 4pm -- Rain or Shine! See you there. | Pennington Day

Genealogy's Star: Multiple changes to FamilySearch websites

2011-05-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

A good article by James Tanner explaining the recent multiple changes to the FamilySearch websites.

If you use FamilySearch you should read this article to let you know how this affects your access and use of their websites.

Genealogy's Star: Multiple changes to FamilySearch websites

Pennington Pedigrees Spring 2011 Issue Released

2011-05-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

The Pennington Pedigrees Spring 2011 Issue (Volume 43, No. 1) has been released and is now available for PRA Members. Login to the PRA website and then go to the Members-only section and then click on "Pedigrees".

You'll see a small window below the release information which contains all the Pennington Pedigrees since Spring 2010 for you to download.

This is a FREE service to current PRA Members.

My thanks to Melinda Pennington and our Pedigrees Team for all their hard work in getting this issue published.

Free PRA Webinars for May 2011

2011-04-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

The PRA is pleased to announce 4 FREE webinars for May 2011. These are webinars you asked us to give to help you with your research.

Saturday, 4/30/11 – 10:00 am – 12:00 Pacific
Organizing Your Genealogy Research - Paper and Digital – You can register now for this webinar. Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/225190128

Saturday, 5/7/11 – 10:00 am – 12:00 Pacific

How to access and use the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com (holds the JFMF) – You can register now for this webinar. Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/348930041

Saturday, 5/14/11 – 10:00 am – 12:00 Pacific
Tips For Printing and Publishing Family Histories – You can register now for this webinar.
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/453413689

Saturday, 5/28/11 – 10:00 am – 12:00 Pacific
Sources, Citations and Documentation – You can register now for this webinar. Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/119382656

Free Webinar - Organizing Your Genealogy Research - Paper and Digital

2011-04-24T21:16:00.001-07:00

Organizing Your Genealogy Research - Paper and Digital

Join us for a FREE Webinar on April 30

Looking for help in getting your genealogy research organized so you can find it? Loosing control of your paper filing system? Can't find anything on your computer's hard disk drive? How about some help?

Join us for this free presentation with tips and tricks for you to help organize your genealogy research in both paper form and as computer data.

Title:
Organizing Your Genealogy Research - Paper and Digital

Date:
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/225190128

The Easy Way to Add Maps to Your Family History Projects - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-04-24T15:55:00.001-07:00

Check out Dick’s article for a great tool to add to your family history. Neat!

The Easy Way to Add Maps to Your Family History Projects - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Obituary: Marvin T. Jones, Family Group 4 and PRA Honorary Member

2011-04-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

We are sad to learn the PRA lost one of our founding Members on March 18, 2011. Rick Crume, PRA Group Leader for Group 17, posted a message on the PRA mail list today (4/23/11) letting us know of Marvin’s death.

Marvin will be missed but certainly not forgotten. Marvin was one of the original founders of the Pennington Research Association. He served in almost every position on the Executive Board and contributed many articles and genealogical research to the Pennington Research Association. Marvin remained active in the PRA and continued to share his research work until a few years ago.

Marvin served as the official Historian for the Pennington Research Association and published two significant articles to help document the Pennington Research Association's history and the formation of many of its' Family Groups.

His articles were written in two (2) parts. Part 1 discusses the publications of the PRA and Part 2 discusses the Family Groups. Below are links to both articles.

Part I: History of the Pennington Research Association

Part II: History of the Pennington Research Association

Marvin was one of the first Members to contribute genealogical material to the new PRA Archives/Library when it was created. Several boxes of his material have been sent to the PRA Archives in the Lilly Library at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Many of his articles and family history publications are included in the Pennington Pedigrees and the Pennington Periodicals.

The Pennington Research Association awarded an Honorary Membership to Marvin in 1999 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the PRA.

Published Obituaries:

The Forum, Fargo, N.D.

Published March 23, 2011, 12:00 AM

Marvin T. Jones. Wyndmere, N.D. Died Friday, March 18, 2011, at age 85 in Sanford Medical Center, Fargo. Survivors: son, Tom (Linda) Jones; daughter, Carol Jones; and sister, Juanita (Vern) Neff. Services: Visitation will be Thursday from 5 to 7, with a prayer service at 7, and Friday from noon to 1, followed by the funeral at 1, in United Methodist Church, Wyndmere.

Burial: Elk Creek Cemetery, Wyndmere. (Vertin-Munson, Wahpeton, N.D.)

Daily News, Wahpeton, N.D.

Published/Last Modified on Monday, March 21, 2011 10:27 AM CDT

Marvin T. Jones, 85, Wyndmere, N.D., died Friday, March 18, 2011, at Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, March 25 at the United Methodist Church, Wyndmere, with the Rev. Michael Ward officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 24 with a 7 p.m. prayer service at the United Methodist Church, Wyndmere, and also one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Elk Creek Cemetery, Wyndmere.

Arrangements are with Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton, N.D.

An Outage in the Cloud - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-04-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

A good article to read to help you better understand the “Cloud” when you hear others discussing the advantages.

As Dick points out, if you are using, or considering using, “Cloud” based genealogy software, you use take notice of this outage.

My advice is to always keep a copy, if not the original, of your genealogy database on your local computer and back it up with an external hard disk drive and/or thumb drive, etc.

I back up my genealogy databases on my local computer and back it up with an external hard disk drive plus I use Carbonite to back up all my data using the Internet. I’ve learned the hard way after suffering a couple of computer crashes and after the 1st crash I decided to use all the back up systems and options available to me.

Click the link below to read Dick’s informative article.

An Outage in the Cloud - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Genealogy's Star: When is a source not a source? In New FamilySearch?

2011-04-21T15:38:00.001-07:00

A very interesting and informative article by James Tanner. In the 1st paragraph he quotes another person from FamilySearch who describes “sources” in FamilySearch more like a “source link” which allow you to create links in a family tree to sources found on FamilySearch.org I think you will agree with the author, as I do, that this presents a big problem for a genealogy researcher.

He also has a good discussion about online family trees. I agree with his concerns about these online family trees and I really like the way he details his concerns and issues with each of the major companies and/or organizations that offer this service.

I think you will find his article to be of interest and value.

Genealogy's Star: When is a source not a source? In New FamilySearch?

Use your Phone as a Scanner with scanR - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-04-19T14:31:00.001-07:00

I have an iPhone so it has the capability but I’ve never used the scanR service. I have taken pictures of documents and photos with my iPhone as well as a digital camera and they have all turned out well.

Read this interesting article from Dick to learn more about using a smartphone as a scanner and the new scanR service.

Use your Phone as a Scanner with scanR - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Southern California Genealogical Society: 2011 Jamboree:

2011-04-11T19:15:00.001-07:00

If you want to attend one of the best genealogy conferences (my opinion) on the West Coast, this is the one for you!

You can learn more and register by clicking on the link below.

Southern California Genealogical Society: 2011 Jamboree:

PRA on FamilySearch.org

2011-04-07T16:43:00.001-07:00

PRA has its own FamilySearch.org wiki page. Click here to visit the PRA FamilySearch.org wiki page.

This is the early stage of development but we anticipate it will grow with your help. You'll be able to add, comment and help the wiki page become one to share all kinds of information.

UpFront with NGS: (AP) Archives, Ancestry.com post-Civil War files online

2011-04-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

Another great resource if you’re researching the Civil War.

UpFront with NGS: (AP) Archives, Ancestry.com post-Civil War files online

PRA Now on Twitter

2011-04-04T09:07:00.001-07:00

The PRA is now on Twitter. Follow us at: @PRAGenealogy

Virginia Tech Launches First of Civil War Newspapers Online - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-04-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

Coinciding with the observance of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, Virginia Tech starts a very interesting new resource and research website.

I haven’t had time yet to check it out but I plan to spend some time reviewing the site in a couple of days.

Read Dick’s article below for all the details and Dick’s comments.

Virginia Tech Launches First of Civil War Newspapers Online - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

PRA Members-only Website Hosted by MyFamily.com - Invitations Sent

2011-04-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

I just "cleaned up" our membership list on the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com (NOT our main website at www.PenningtonResearch.org).

I also sent out re-invitations to those Members who have not visited the website in 2011.

I'm hoping this will encourage Members to visit the website soon and become familiar with the new features and the planned changes coming in the next few months.

Don't forget about our FREE webinar on how to access and use the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com (NOT our main website at www.PenningtonResearch.org) set for tomorrow, 4/2/11.

If you want to attend, please see the news article posted a couple of weeks ago with a link to register.

GeneaWebinars: Relative Roots Webinars - March Schedule!

2011-03-22T16:05:00.001-07:00

This looks like some great webinars for our genealogy researchers. Many of the topics are ones you have requested we present in our own webinars.

Take a minute and review the webinars and don't be afraid to sign up for any of them that look interesting.

There is a cost associated for each webinar between $10 - $15.

GeneaWebinars: Relative Roots Webinars - March Schedule!

Free Webinar - Accessing and Using our JFMF Website

2011-03-16T17:40:00.001-07:00

You've asked us to present a webinar on how to access and use our JFMF website. Here it is! Please join us for this FREE webinar to learn how to not only access our JFMF website but how to make the most of it's functions. Presented by Carmen Johnson and Gene Pennington.

PRA Members Only Website Training-Accessing JFMF

Join us for a Webinar on April 2

This webinar will cover the many features and resources available on the PRA Members only Website hosted by MyFamily.com and how to access the JFMF. We will cover how to login to the website and how to find and use the great features available to PRA Members. We will also have a question and answer period.

Title:
PRA Members Only Website Training-Accessing JFMF

Date:
Saturday, April 2, 2011

Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/659721424

Mocavo.com - a Genealogy Search Engine - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-03-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

According to Dick, this is a website you should remember. He adds, “I bet you are going to hear a lot about it in the next few weeks and months. In fact, I’d suggest you try it right now.”

Intriguing! I’m going to visit this new genealogy search engine and see why Dick thinks this is a “keeper” as a research and resource website.

Mocavo.com - a Genealogy Search Engine - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Let’s Help Cyndi’s List!

2011-03-14T17:55:00.001-07:00

Cyndi’s List has been with us since 1996 and if you’ve done any genealogy research you’ve most likely used this outstanding website many times.

Cyndi’s List is FREE for everyone to use and she needs our help to complete a major upgrade of this great genealogy resource.

Cyndi needs our help. Click here to learn why Cyndi needs our help with her website project so she can keep this outstanding website working!

I’ve donated. How about you?

The Best Way to Archive Anything: L.O.C.K.S.S. - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-03-13T15:09:00.001-07:00

Another great article by Dick. Every genealogy researcher needs to read his article.

The Best Way to Archive Anything: L.O.C.K.S.S. - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Revolutionary War Southern Campaign Pension Application Transcriptions Online - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-03-08T18:26:00.001-08:00

This could be a great resource if you’re researching ancestors who may have fought/served in the Revolutionary War.

Revolutionary War Southern Campaign Pension Application Transcriptions Online - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Appointment of New Group Leaders

2011-03-06T17:09:00.001-08:00

It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of these new Group Leaders.

Groups 6 & 23: Linda Robertson

Group 14: Gerald Pennington

I know you will all join me in welcoming them and that they can count on your for your support and help.

Group Leader Resignations

2011-03-06T16:31:00.001-08:00

It is with regret that I announce the resignation of several Group Leaders. They are:

James W. Pennington – Group 31

Peggy Camp Pennington – Group 24

Doug Pennington – Group 2

Roy D. Howell – Groups 6 & 23

Each of them will be missed and I know you will all join me in wishing them well.

PRA Webinars - Suggestions for Topics

2011-02-24T11:34:00.001-08:00

The recent webinars we've offered have been greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm and requests for the PRA to offer more of these free training sessions.

Before we setup any more free webinars, I'd like to hear your suggestions for topics. What would you like the PRA to present? Some suggestions offered to date are:

- DNA

- Specific Family Group research

- Sources and citations

- How to access and use the PRA website

- How to access and use the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com (holds the JFMF)

Post your suggestions to this blog post or on our website in the news blog.

Thank you.

Who Do You Think You Are - Isaac Pennington - Reposting of Message

2011-02-12T14:35:00.001-08:00

The follow abstract is from a message by Debbie Moore that was sent to the Pennington mail list hosted by Rootsweb.com. My reply message has with some interesting information that helps to answer her questions.

"Did anyone catch the name Isaac Pennington in George Washington's journal when Tim McGraw was looking through the journal in the Library of Congress during Friday night's TV series Who Do You Think You Are? I stopped the recording to see if that was really what I had seen and it was. This was the journal that George Washington wrote when he was 16 traveling through the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia with a group of surveyors.

I was just curious to know if anyone knew that Isaac Pennington's name was in the journal. I'm not sure which Isaac Pennington this was.

Anyone know any info about this?

Thanks,

Debbie"

=================================

My reply message to her:

Debbie:

Great catch! I watched the show and did not see Isaac Pennington in the material. I did note the area and recalled we have some information on our website about George Washington, the Shenandoah Valley and one Capt. Isaac Pennington. The web page has information provided by one of our Group Leaders. Joanne Pennington, and has abstracts of some of George Washington's papers with references to Isaac Pennington. There are also links to the entire papers located in the Library of Congress. Interesting reading.

If you're a PRA Member, login to our website at www.PenningtonResearch.org and go to the Members-only section and then look for "George Washington Page".

I believe the Capt. Isaac Pennington referred to in these papers is Isaac Pennington, b. 16 May, 1715, VA, d. 17 Sep 1760, SC, sp. Mary Williams.

They had nine (9) children. He belongs to PRA Family Group 8. In fact, he is the son of the Group 8 progenitor, Abraham Pennington, b. 6 Oct 1694, d. bef. 29 May, 1756.

Feel free to distribute this message on the Pennington-L mail list.

I hope this helps.

Genealogy's Star: RootsTech -- The Blind Men and the Elephant

2011-02-11T07:57:00.001-08:00

I like this article because I relate to the topic so much as well as having been through some of the similar experiences Dick Eastman talked about in his session titled “Is the future of genealogy in the Cloud, on your phone or on the Desktop”.

Click on the link below to read this blog post on Genealogy’s Star. I think some of you may identify with Dick’s examples.

Genealogy's Star: RootsTech -- The Blind Men and the Elephant

UpFront with NGS: RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online

2011-02-05T08:01:00.001-08:00

If you’re not able to attend this conference here is the next best thing. FREE video you can watch on your computer as the sessions are presented live in Salt Lake City.

The sessions look very interesting and I plan on watching at least 4 of them.

UpFront with NGS: RootsTech Conference Will Broadcast Select Sessions Free Online

Major Changes on MyFamily.com Website for PRA Members

2011-01-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

Announcing major changes to the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com.

The online Family Tree system that allows our Members to view a Family Tree (gedcom file) no longer works on our website. The Family Trees (gedcom files) on our website were created primarily from the John French Master File (JFMF). However, there are several Family Trees (gedcoms) that have been created and uploaded by our Members.

To view the changes and the announcement, login to the PRA Members-only website hosted by MyFamily.com with your user name and password. Then click on “Family Tree” in top menu line.

You will see the following warning message:

Online Family Tree system has been retired - Updated 19 January 2011

As we have announced in the past, the Online Family Tree system has now been retired.

Your family tree file is still available, though the Online Family Tree program is not accessible to view or edit your tree. To use your family tree file you can simply download it as a GEDCOM file by clicking on the download icon next to your tree below. You can then open it in any standard family tree software program.

You can also move your tree to the Ancestry Member Tree system, which will allow you to have full access to your family tree without having or running a family tree software program on your computer. Just click on the “Move to Ancestry Member Tree system” link under your tree below.

The Ancestry Member Tree system has many helpful features not previously available in the Online Family Tree. This includes the ability to add photos or stories to individuals or events in your tree, as well as Ancestry Hints which will automatically search for historical records matching individuals in your tree. Again, to move a copy of your family tree to the Ancestry Member Tree system, just click on the “Move to Ancestry Member Tree system” link below.

The online viewing software that used to work on our website no longer works! They had told us a couple of months ago about the change coming but I thought they would give us advance notice and time to decide how to handle the new setup. Unfortunately, they did not.

Now we have to decide what to do with the Family Trees (gedcom files) that are on the site. I'll be meeting soon with Carmen Johnson (site administrator) asking if we can get together for an online meeting to see exactly what changes we can make using the existing site or if we need to move to the newest version of MyFamily.com.

Either way, we can no longer view the Family Trees (gedcom) online like we used to do. Now you have to download a Family Tree (gedcom) to your local computer and then use your own genealogy software program to view them.

You can no longer upload your own Family Tree (gedcom) to the website either.

We’ll keep you informed.

RootsMagic Webinars

2011-01-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

If you’re a RootsMagic user, or thinking about becoming one, you’ll be interested in these free webinars.

These are free webinars provided by RootsMagic. You can download them and watch them when you have time.

RootsMagic is providing these free webinars, as well as future webinars, to anybody who wants to view them.

The current free webinars are:

Getting Started with RootsMagic
Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic

Click here to download these free webinars and to learn more about them. To download the webinars, look towards the bottom of the webpage for “Past Webinars” and follow the directions.

How to improve your wireless network and boost its signal

2011-01-18T08:39:00.001-08:00

If you have a wireless network in your home or office, this is a great article. It is easy to understand and comes with instructions on what you can do to improve your wireless network and its signal – it even has diagrams!

How to improve your wireless network and boost its signal

Magic with Your Digital Camera: Geocoding Your Images with Chris Bair - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-01-15T17:27:00.001-08:00

If you’ve ever wondered what Geocoding is and how you can use it with your digital camera and smartphone, this is an excellent article.

Magic with Your Digital Camera: Geocoding Your Images with Chris Bair - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

How to Enter Data on a Tiny Smartphone - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-01-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

This is cool. Too bad it’s not available now!

How to Enter Data on a Tiny Smartphone - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

PRA Website Training Webinar

2011-01-12T09:08:00.001-08:00

PRA Website Training

Join us for a Webinar on January 22

This webinar will cover the many features and resources available on the PRA Website. We will cover how to login to the website and how to find and use the great features available to PRA Members. We will also have a question and answer period.

Date:
Saturday, January 22, 2011

Time:
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/126631729

PRA Board Meeting Set

2011-01-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

There will be a PRA Board of Directors online meeting on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 10:00 am (PST).

The meeting is open to PRA Members. If you want to attend the online meeting, please contact Gene Pennington.

Store Your Digital Data Forever - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-01-09T15:50:00.001-08:00

What a concept, and service. This may be an answer for the problem of how to preserve your digital data for many, many years into the future and for a reasonable cost.

Read Dick’s article for more information and links to the new non-profit company.

Store Your Digital Data Forever - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

UpFront with NGS: MyHeritage.com Releases New Personalized Family Memory Game

2011-01-08T13:28:00.001-08:00

An interesting announcement from MyHeritage.com. If anybody plays the game, share your experiences and comments.

UpFront with NGS: MyHeritage.com Releases New Personalized Family Memory Game

Announcing the Formation of the Society of Sons & Daughters of World War II Veterans - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2011-01-07T07:27:00.001-08:00

I found this article from Dick to be most interesting since my Dad served in WWII. I haven’t decided to join this new organization yet but I’ll do some research and make a decision later.

Click on the link below to read Dick’s article which contains links to the announcement from the new organization.

Announcing the Formation of the Society of Sons & Daughters of World War II Veterans - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T11:19:00.001-08:00

I wish each of you and your families a very Happy New Year!

Note: Happy New Year picture courtesy of Google.

Holiday Wishes

2010-12-22T13:13:00.001-08:00

Judy, Dad and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Old Pennington Home to be Torn Down

2010-12-21T14:56:00.001-08:00

Another sign of the times. This is a story from London, KY about a very hold home that will be torn down to make room for parking.

Click on the link below to read the entire story and to watch a video of the news cast.

http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/The_fate_of_the_Pennington_house_decided_112226564.html?ref=564

New FamilySearch Website Now Available!

2010-12-14T11:19:00.001-08:00

It’s here! The NEW FamilySearch website is open and waiting for you to jump in and test it out!

There are so many new features and it is much easier to navigate.

There are easy to follow online lessons, help sections and so much more!

Check it out! Click here to visit the NEW FamilySearch website.

PRA Publications Page Now Available

2010-12-08T14:40:00.001-08:00

Just in time for Christmas! The PRA Publications web page is now available. You can order directly from our Publications Orders page and make shopping for your favorite genealogy researcher, or yourself, easy as pie!

We offer the following items for purchase:

“Pennington ‘s, The Family Genealogy – Pennington's In England and Edmund Pennington In America” by Ayvonne A. Roach.
Pennington Periodicals Volume I CD - A digital compilation of all Pennington Pedigrees and Pennington Cousins’ Couriers from 1968 – 1979. Our CD allows you to read all Pennington Periodicals from this formative era of the PRA AND you can search for your favorite (or infamous!) ancestors.
PRA Lapel Pin – Lapel pin with the PRA’s official Coats of Arms.

Happy Holidays!

Pedigrees Now Available for Download from Website

2010-11-30T19:31:00.001-08:00

Pedigrees Volume 42, No. 2 is now available for download.
The Pennington Pedigrees has been the main publication of the Pennington Research Association for a number of years and now it is available for downloading for PRA Members.

The Pennington Pedigrees, Volume 42, No. 2 (Fall 2010), is now available for downloading from our Members-only section on our new website.

After you login, go to the Members-only section and you’ll see the new section titled “Pedigrees”. Click on it and you’ll go to the page where you can download the Pedigrees.

Call for Help! PRA Needs an Editor for the Pedigrees.

2010-11-14T09:56:00.001-08:00

This is a call for help. We need an Editor for the Pedigrees. Our outstanding Pedigrees Team has published the last two issues of the Pedigrees for 2010 and they’re looking for a leader!

The PRA needs a willing volunteer to step forward and become the new Editor of the Pennington Pedigrees. This is one of the most, if not the most, important jobs in the PRA. The Pedigrees has been published since our beginnings. It is the VOICE of the PRA and the thousands of researchers and PRA Members who wish to share their family history, stories and pictures.

Without an Editor, we can't sustain the publication as we know it today. Without an Editor, the future of the Pedigrees is very, very cloudy.

Not having the Pedigrees published twice a year will be a tremendous setback for the PRA and our Members. Without the Pedigrees, the PRA will lose our most important method to share information with other Pennington family researchers and "cousins" throughout the world.

We will do our best to publish the Pedigrees, but let’s face it, without an Editor to lead our dedicated Team, the work is very hard. We need YOUR help!

If you think you might be interested in this wonderful opportunity, please contact Betsy VanAuker, President, or Gene Pennington, Chairman of the Board.

Familypedia: the Biggest Genealogy Site You Probably Never Heard Of - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2010-11-12T06:45:00.001-08:00

This appears to be a great resource, but, like all online websites, it does have some pitfalls. Read Dick’s article to get a better understanding of this interesting website to record your family history.

Familypedia: the Biggest Genealogy Site You Probably Never Heard Of - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

UpFront with NGS: Discovering the Civil War -- NARA

2010-11-11T17:03:00.001-08:00

Looks like another great resource for researching your ancestors who served in the Civil War.

UpFront with NGS: Discovering the Civil War -- NARA

Call for Help - Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Volunteer Needed

2010-11-09T09:56:00.001-08:00

This is a call for help!

The PRA needs a PRA Member to step forward and become the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) (aka Treasurer) of the PRA effective January 1, 2011.

Steve Kelly, CFO (Treasurer), has served for the past few years and his personal and professional needs more and more of his time so he is stepping down. Steve has agreed to stay until after 1/1/11 so he can complete work on the current fiscal year, prepare and present the yearend report and send the data to our Tax Attorney so our tax forms can be completed and submitted in a timely manner.

The job requires about 1 - 2 hours per month on average with a few more hours at the end of each year when membership checks are received and need to be deposited and when the fiscal year is closed and reports are prepared.

You do not have to be a CPA, an account or a bookkeeper but at some bookkeeping skills will help.

The CFO (Treasurer) is an Officer of the PRA, Inc. and is an appointed position approved by the Board.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) duties include but are not limited to:

1. Establish a financial ledger including:

a. Supporting documents

b. Record of deposits and withdrawals

2. Establish PRA bank accounts at a facility approved by the Board of Directors. The PRA will maintain one (1) operational account to receive all deposits and to pay all expenses and one (1) savings type account. The signatories for authorized financial accounts shall be the following:

a. President (CEO)

b. Vice President

c. Chief Financial Officer

d. Other Board Members or Officers as deemed necessary

3. Written approval by the Board is required for the opening and closing of PRA bank accounts.

4. Signing of blank checks is prohibited.

5. The Treasurer is authorized to issue a check with their signature only when an invoice or request for reimbursement is received and approved by the President. The invoices and requests for reimbursements shall be accompanied by receipts or other acceptable forms of authentication determined by the Treasurer or Board.

6. The Treasurer is authorized to issue a check with their signature only when an invoice or request for reimbursement exceeds $1,000.00 is received and approved by the President and when correspondence approving said expenditure is received from a second PRA Officer or Board Member authorized to sign checks. A copy of the second signature authorization would be attached and maintained with the monthly bank statements on file with the Treasurer and the President. The invoices and requests for reimbursements shall be accompanied by receipts or other acceptable forms of authentication determined by the Treasurer or Board.

If you're interested and want to learn more, please contact Gene Pennington.

RootsTech 2011 Conference in Salt Lake City - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2010-11-02T17:31:00.001-07:00

This looks like it will be a wonderful conference for geeks like me! One of the tag lines on the website says the people who sound attend are “Those who want to help define the future of genealogy through technological innovation”. I like that!

I’m seriously considering attending and may drive. But, I may also take the train. The train ride from Northern California over the Sierra Nevada Mountains is spectacular in February.

The conference will be held in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City from February 10 - 12, 2011.

Registration is $99.00 for regular attendee and $35.00 for student attendee.

If anybody is interesting in attending and ride sharing, contact me.

Read Dick’s article to learn more.

Click here for the link to RootsTech 2011 Conference.

RootsTech 2011 Conference in Salt Lake City - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

It’s 2015! Do You Know Where Your Data Is? - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

2010-11-01T08:35:00.001-07:00

Which genealogy software program to use and how to move your data from one program to another if you want to change or if the software is no longer available are topics of frequent discussion on our blogs, mail lists and meetings.

I highly recommend you take a few minutes to read Dick’s great article and see what he’s learned from his experiences and talking with a lot of people.

It is well worth your time.

It’s 2015! Do You Know Where Your Data Is? - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Genealogy's Star: Google Places -- a new boon to the genealogical researcher

2010-10-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

Another new feature from Google that could be of value to genealogy researchers. Read the article from Genealogy’s Star blog to learn why.

Genealogy's Star: Google Places -- a new boon to the genealogical researcher

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally

2010-10-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

This is a must read article. Dick gives you some good background information and a link to an excellent whitepaper written by Gary Wright, an employee of FamilySearch, on the topic.

Dick says “I think every genealogist as well as every person who has heirloom documents and photographs in his or her possession should read White Paper: Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally ….”

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Are You Missing Most of the Available Genealogy Information?

2010-10-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

You must read this article by Dick. He makes some excellent, and very important, points about how we should be doing our research.

How many of you do ALL your genealogy research on the Internet? Read Dick’s article to learn why you should NOT rely just on the Internet for your research.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Are You Missing Most of the Available Genealogy Information?

PRA 2010 Board of Directors Ballot Now Available

2010-10-19T09:53:00.001-07:00

The PRA 2010 Board of Directors election ballot is now available on our website for PRA Members. The ballot includes biographies for each of the candidates.

Login to our website and then go to the Members-only section and click on the “Materials for members” page. You’ll find the PRA 2010 Ballot-Final document for you to download. It is an Adobe Reader file (pdf).

Download the form, print it and mail it to the address listed on the ballot.

Please note the deadline for ballots to be received is 11/15/10.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Ancestry.com Labs Goes Live

2010-10-18T16:29:00.001-07:00

Big news from Ancestry.com. This new service looks very interesting. Click on the link below to read Dick’s article.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Ancestry.com Labs Goes Live

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Citing Sources

2010-10-18T08:23:00.001-07:00

This is an excellent article. It summarizes the importance of citing sources and gives you some great resources.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Citing Sources

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: New Genealogy Site: http://www.genealogycenter.org

2010-10-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

This sounds like a great resource. Read Dick’s article to get a better understand of what the new website from Allen Co. Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN has to offer a genealogy researcher.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: New Genealogy Site: http://www.genealogycenter.org

More Files Added to Pennington Periodicals Volume II - Ready for Download

2010-10-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

Four (4) Pedigrees and four (4) Cousin's Couriers have been added to the Pennington Periodicals Volume II page in the Member's-only section of our website at www.PenningtonResearch.org.

Check them out along with all the other files now available in the Member's-only section.

US-CERT Cyber Security Alert SA10-231A -- Adobe Reader and Acrobat Vulnerabilities

2010-10-06T09:04:00.001-07:00

Most of us use Adobe Reader or Acrobat so please read the alert below and follow the suggestions.

US-CERT Cyber Security Alert SA10-231A -- Adobe Reader and Acrobat Vulnerabilities

PRA Website Upgrade on Sunday September 26th from 2am to 8am EST

2010-09-24T09:34:00.001-07:00

Attn. PRA Members: Our website at www.PenningtonResearch.org will be off-line intermittently Sunday, September 26th, 2010 from 2:00 am to 8:00 am, Eastern time (GMT-5).

Make sure to save your work and log out in advance.

This is necessary to accommodate the next upgrade - version 4.0 - for our website.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Footnote.com Acquired by Ancestry.com

2010-09-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

Big change for Footnote.com. I wonder how this will eventually affect the look, feel and services provided by Footnote.com. I hope it’s for the better.

Read Dick’s article for the full story.

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: Footnote.com Acquired by Ancestry.com

Posting to PRA Blogs, Discussion Boards, Mail Lists, Forums & Social Pages

2010-09-07T15:43:00.001-07:00

The PRA committed itself many years ago to a strong Internet presence. Our primary presence is our website at www.PenningtonResearch.org. But did you know there are many other locations on the web to communicate and share information with PRA Members and Pennington Researchers?

To help you find your way around these blogs, discussion boards, mail lists, forums and social pages, here is a list with links and a brief description.

· PRA website News (blog): http://www.penningtonresearch.org/News_Blog. Open to the public to read but only PRA Members can post a message or a comment. There is an RSS Feed available.

· PRA blog (Google): http://praresearch.blogspot.com/. Open to the public to read. Anybody can post a comment to an existing message but it is moderated and must be approved before it is posted. There are a few approved contributors who can post a message or a comment without requiring an approval from the blog moderator. There is an RSS Feed available.

· PRA website Discussion Board: http://www.penningtonresearch.org/Discussion. Open to the public to read but only PRA Members can post a message or a comment. There is an RSS Feed available.

· PRA mail list hosted by Rootsweb.com: E-mail messages to: pra@rootsweb.com. Open to the public to read but to receive and/or post a message, you must “join” (subscribe) to the mail list. To learn how, go to http://www.penningtonresearch.org/Mail_List.

· Pennington Surname mail list hosted by Rootsweb.com: E-mail messages to: PENNINGTON-L-request@rootsweb.com. Open to the public to read but to receive and/or post a message, you must “join” (subscribe) to the mail list.

· Pennington Board on Genealogy.com: http://genforum.genealogy.com/pennington/. Open to the public to read but to receive and/or post a message, you must “join” (subscribe).

· Pennington Surname Message Boards hosted by RootsWeb.com at http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.pennington/mb.ashx. Open to the public to read but to receive and/or post a message, you must “join” (subscribe). Includes queries, obituaries, deeds, land records, Bible records and more.

· FamilySearch Forums – Pennington Social Group: http://forums.familysearch.org/en/group.php?groupid=143. Open to the public to read and/or post a comment. There is an RSS Feed available.

· PRA Members only website hosted by MyFamily.com: Login to www.MyFamily.com to Pennington Research Association website. Access is restricted to PRA Members only so you have to have a user name and password. Once you login, you can post news items, publish your family tree, pictures and share files such as your family history.

· PRA Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/PenningtonResearchAssociation: Open to the public to read but only “friends” of our page can post a comment, picture or a video. To become a “friend” you just click on the “like” button on the page.

To learn more about blogs, check out this link on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog.

Did you know that many of these offer you a special service known as RSS Feeds? These RSS Feeds make it very simple for you to keep up to date on messages and discussions posted to a specific blog, discussion board, forum or a social page.

To learn more about RSS Feeds, check out this link on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

I hope this helps. Remember, the more you communicate and share, the more you will receive!

PRA 2010 Survey Results Now Available

2010-09-04T08:39:00.001-07:00

The results of the first PRA 2010 survey are now available in the Members section of our website.

Thank you for participating.

Watch for more surveys to be posted for our Members.

PRA Board of Director's terms expiring 12/31/2010

2010-09-01T19:56:00.001-07:00

Following is a revision regarding the Election Committee and the upcoming Board of Director's positions coming up for re-election.

I have volunteered as the Election Committee Chairperson. I am looking for one person to help count the ballots, I'll handle the rest. We just need to use your address for the ballots to go out to all PRA members. You receive the ballots, count them and email our President or me the count. Its easy, easy.

September 1, 2010 is the OPENING for nominations for Board of Directors and October 1, 2010 is the CLOSING date for nominations for Board of Directors. For more information take a look at the “Events” web page at http://www.penningtonresearch.org/Events.

When you receive this ballot, please place your votes and then mail on to the appropriate address listed on the ballot. Ballots are mailed to our Members on October 15, 2010 and ballots are due by November 1, 2010 and we will announce the results by November 15, 2010.

Each year 3 board positions are elected.

The three BoD's whose term of office expires on 12/31/2010 are:

1. Gene Pennington, Chairman of the Board,

2. Pat Trocano

and

3. Carmen Johnson

Thanks everyone and take care,

--
-Melinda Pennington
PRA Nomination Chairman

Adopt a Wiki | FamilySearch.org

2010-09-01T17:13:00.001-07:00

I just read an interesting blog posting from Family Search describing their new service to help genealogical societies by adopting a Wiki. Click here to learn more.

Click here to view an example of what it might look like if we adopted a Wiki page.

It looks interesting but read the fine print. There is some commitment that goes with the wiki page.

I submitted a request for us to adopt a Wiki page for the Pennington Research Association. We’ll see what happens next.

I also signed up for their forums because it looks like a great resource and a great place to get our organization “out there” to the genealogy world. I created a social Wiki page on the forums for “Pennington” as well to help get the word out to other Pennington researchers.

Click here to take a look at the “Pennington” social page and see what you think. You can comment any of the discussions or add your own (if you join – which is free).