Losing a loved one is never an easy thing to deal with, and trying to find meaningful ways to remember them can be difficult. Obituaries and memorials are a great way to highlight your loved ones' experiences through the lives that they lived. But when you are mourning, it can be difficult to think about how to structure an obituary and what to include in it. I know about this as I have been the one to write several of my relatives' obituaries. It can be a gut-wrenching experience at a time when you are coping with grief.

Fortunately, there are online tools available online to guide you during that process. In this article, you’ll find seven websites to help you create obituaries and memorials for your loved ones.

You can find a list of them in an article by Omega Fumba published in the Make Use Of (MUD) web site at: https://www.makeuseof.com/websites-create-obituaries-memorials/.

IrishCentral has published an article that will interest many people with Irish ancestry: Irish Ancestry Unearthed - Every Census Since 1926 Online.

However, be aware this article does not contain names and addresses of individual Irish residents. Instead, it is a collection of statistical information.

As stated on the web site:

"In a move that will open up a treasure trove of statistical information, censuses from 1926, 1936, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1979, 1981, 1986, and 1991 are all now just a few clicks of the mouse away.

"For sociologists, genealogists, or any member of the 70 million-strong Irish diaspora around the world, this development could provide a huge amount of valuable information about the development of Ireland and its people.

"The censuses contain standard data like population and valuation of each area, occupation, religion and birthplace, housing, ages, orphanhood, and conjugal conditions, industrial status, Irish language, dependency, and general report."

The article is available at https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/irish-ancestry-census-1926-online.

Kimberly Dawn Neumann has written a review of MyHeritage DNA and the article has been posted in the Forbes web site.

Note: MyHeritage is the sponsor of this newsletter.

This interesting review may be found at https://www.forbes.com/health/body/myheritage-dna-review/

The following is a press release written by IGGnite DNA, LLC.:

Hartford, Connecticut Oct 10, 2022 – Alumni of the first cohort to graduate from the new Forensic Genetic Genealogy certificate program offered by the University of New Haven have launched their own Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) company called IGGnite DNA, LLC.

The founding members met during the program, and in the summer of 2021 were selected to intern with the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit organization that uses genetic genealogy to assist law enforcement agencies with unidentified remains cases. During their internship, the women recognized the growing need for forensic investigative genetic genealogy involving suspect identification in cases of violent crimes.

Together, the founding members of https://www.iggnitedna.com, have worked more than 80 cases as volunteers with non-profit organizations including Search Angels, the Cold Case Coalition, and the DNA Doe Project.

IGGnite DNA, LLC will offer forensic investigative genetic genealogy to law enforcement agencies as well as genetic genealogy services for private individuals in need of assistance with their own family DNA research.

“We are all very dedicated to bringing resolution to unsolved cases. We have combined our unique skill sets and diverse experience in forensic science, biological research, and unknown parentage cases to create a genetic genealogy powerhouse”.

About IGGnite DNA, LLC:

IGGnite DNA, LLC is a women-owned small business based out of Connecticut. Team members are located across the country, allowing for a diverse set of skills to conduct the research needed for each case. It is their mission to spark new investigative leads while ensuring the use of best practices and adhering to industry guidelines.

My thanks to the organizers of the Family History Show for writing this report (and video) AFTER the show to document the success of the show:

The Family History Show, London that took place at Kempton Park Racecourse on Saturday 24th September 2022 was a resounding success. The show, organised by Discover Your Ancestors Magazine went down extremely well in its new venue.

Visitors flocked to the free talks in the large lecture theatres and had the rare chance of asking the experts for help in a one-to-one session to break down the brickwalls in their research.

“I do like the venue, it's really easy to get to from the station, I came on public transport and it was easy; I just got off at the station, walked down and there it is!”

– Elsa Churchill from the Society of Genealogists

Steve, who attended with his wife, emailed “Just wanted to say thank you for the excellent event you laid on this weekend. First time my wife and I have been and we really enjoyed it… We loved the day and look forward to returning again soon!”

Another visitor to the show said:

“I just felt that the location is brilliant. I love the light and the airiness of the venue. I think the venue is super, you should come here again… I'll definitely come again if you hold it here.”

Exhibitors comments were also positive about The Family History Show and its venue:

“Terrific location, well signposted off the main roads and motorways…the catering was excellent with efficient staff, with good food and drink” – This Way Books

“It’s been really interesting coming back again and just seeing the family history community coming together again…to promote what we do and just say how friendly, collaborative and helpful this community can be.”

– Elsa Churchill from the Society of Genealogists

“Easy to get to, easy to park, easy to unload, good facilities, lovely food, plenty of loos, nice and airy with plenty of room to walk around in.” – The London Westminster & Middlesex Family History Society

The organisers of the Family History Show London were very happy with the way the event went and are bringing it back to Kempton next year on the 2nd September 2023. With the on-site railway station, plentiful parking, food court and the courteous and friendly venue staff this is set to become a regular for family historians in London and the South East.

See the video of The Family History Show, London 2022:

https://youtu.be/d5g-dQMwxRE

The world’s largest family history gathering will return in 2023, and registration for the event is now open.

RootsTech is scheduled for March 2–4, 2023, including an in-person event in Salt Lake City, Utah, to complement its extensive online conference. Millions of virtual and in-person attendees are expected to gather for inspiring learning opportunities that will help them connect to their family — past, present and future.

Though 2023 marks the 13th year of RootsTech, it will be the first year since 2019 that the in-person experiences are being offered for the popular global event, which has been completely virtual since 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The incredible blessing and miracle of the RootsTech virtual experiences is that we were able to confirm that there are so many more people worldwide who are interested in learning more about their family history, stories and connecting,” said Jonathan Wing, creative manager for RootsTech.

The theme for RootsTech 2023 is “Uniting.”

“RootsTech really is about uniting … with your family first and foremost, but also to connect with stories and discovery experiences through your family history,” said Jen Allen, director of events at FamilySearch. “We connect like-minded people who want to gather and learn similar things, [and] with new knowledge, learning, innovation and services that will help you make new connections to your family history.”

In 2022, over 3 million people participated online. Since the beginning, innovation has been a guiding principle for RootsTech. Each year, the event organizers adapt the content to appeal to people worldwide and to stay current. The 2023 event is striving to do the same by bringing the best of the virtual and in-person experiences together.

“I think it would be really easy for people to assume we are having two separate events happening at the same time,” Wing said. “But we will be connecting what’s happening virtually with what’s occurring in person. We’re creating ways for virtual attendees to participate with some of the in-person activities."

There will be inspiring keynotes, entertainment and more than 200 new classes at the event. The Expo Hall will also return with over 200 exhibitors, product demonstrations and interactions with research specialists.

RootsTech is sponsored by FamilySearch. Register now at RootsTech.org.

Different cultures have varying customs of dealing with deceased ancestors. One of the more macabre is popular in Madagascar:

"All cultures have rituals and celebrations to honor the dead—Halloween among them, even if its modern form is mostly about costumes and candy. In Madagascar, the famadihana is a ceremony during which families speak with deceased ancestors. But it involves a very different type of dressing: exhuming and rewrapping ancestors’ remains.

"When a Malagasy person dies, it is traditional for their body to be wrapped in a sheet and placed in a family crypt, usually a large stone structure in the village where the family is from. These crypts will contain dozens of ancestors going back many generations. Once every six or seven years, the family will open the crypt for a famadihana, a day-long ceremony in which some of the ancestors are taken out, rewrapped in new sheets and returned.

“When you get out the ancestors, and you see their remains, you cry. But it is also a moment of happiness. You are happy to see your relatives and you ask for their blessing,” says Nancy Rahaingoarivony, a Malagasy who now lives in Switzerland.

“Physically an ancestor may be dead, but they are still there,” she adds. You talk to them, and introduce to them new members of the family. “The dead are the link between God and the living, and it is very important to respect this culture. The famadihana is when we ask our ancestors for their blessings. For the Malagasy, a successful life is one that has had the blessing of the ancestors and the grace of God.”

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/3rMZby2.

From an article by Peter White published in the deadline.com web site:

"Who Do You Think You Are?, the rebooted genealogy docuseries, is the latest unscripted series to find itself in limbo.

"Deadline understands that the network has parked the show, which returned in July after nearly 10 years after it first aired on NBC, with no current plans for a second season. A final decision is expected to come in early 2023.

"The show comes from exec producers Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky."

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/3erYxTj.

In the wake of Hawaiʻi Archaeology Week (September 26–October 2), the University of Hawaiʻi Press joins two non-profit organizations to launch the Journal of Polynesian Archaeology and Research, an open-access title that will soon accept submissions for its inaugural issue.

The new journal will be co-edited by Mara Mulrooney and Jillian Swift, who are both affiliate graduate faculty at UH Mānoa. The two editors developed the publication as a forum to bring together important research and conversations around archaeology, history and heritage management in Polynesia. The editorial board is comprised of UH faculty including Professors Patrick V. Kirch (anthropology, UH Mānoa), Ty P. Kawika Tengan (ethnic studies, UH Mānoa), Seth Quintus (anthropology, UH Mānoa) and Peter Mills (anthropology, UH Hilo), among others.

“The Journal of Polynesian Archaeology and Research will continue the tradition of publishing cutting-edge results of archaeological research in Hawaiʻi and throughout Polynesia, as well as providing a forum for discussion and debate regarding archaeological practice in the region,” noted Kirch. “I expect that the journal will be an essential resource for both scholars and the engaged public.”

Free and open access

For more than three decades, both of the journal’s sponsoring organizations—the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology and the Easter Island Foundation—have been committed to promoting research and dialogue on the archaeology of Polynesia. While distribution of previous publications were limited to members, this new journal will be published open-access and freely available to all readers.

You can read more at: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2022/10/04/new-polynesian-archaeology-journal/