The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Unlock essential family tree information with our latest Findmypast Friday releases

United States Marriages

Findmypast have added over 5.7 million new marriage records from four American states. The latest additions to this huge collection include:

• • California marriages, 1850-1945
  • Indiana marriages, 1811-2007
  • Iowa marriages, 1809-1992
  • Massachusetts marriages, 1841-1915

This collection contains all the United States marriage records that are currently on Findmypast. Dating from the 17^th to the 20th century, records will continue to be added to this collection as they are obtained.

There are both images and transcripts in this collection; however, some records only provide a transcript. Various marriage record types are included: applications, licenses, certificates, intentions to marry, registers, bonds, and affidavits. Based on the type of record and where it was created, the amount of available information will vary. There is also a small collection of banns records included.

Essex Marriages and Banns 1537-1935

On the other side of the Atlantic, we've also released thousands of marriage records from four parishes in Essex, England. The new arrivals join us from:

• • Chingford
  • Leytonstone
  • South Chingford
  • Walthamstow

Check Findmypast’s Essex parish list for full details of the records covered in this collection. If your heritage lies in Essex, Findmypast is an essential resource. From parish records to newspaper archives and monumental inscriptions, you’ll find everything you need to piece together your past.

Newspapers

Findmypast’s ever-expanding newspaper collection has been bolstered with eight new publications and updates to 15 others.

This week’s new releases include:

• • Cornish Post and Mining News covering 1889-1895, 1898-1899, and 1919-1944
  • Deal, Walmer & Sandwich Mercury covering 1989
  • Liverpool Chronicle 1767 covering 1767-1768
  • Newark Advertiser covering 1989-1990
  • North-West London Times covering 1861-1866
  • Paddington Advertiser covering 1862-1866
  • Surrey & Middlesex Standard covering 1835-1840
  • West Londoner and Select Advertiser for the Borough of Marylebone covering 1870-1872

While additional pages have been added to:

• • Australian and New Zealand Gazette from 1852, 1855, 1864 and 1866
  • Bury Free Press from 1993-1994
  • Croydon Times from 1924 and 1926
  • Diss Express from 1988-1990
  • Faversham News from 1936-1949 and 1951-1980
  • Fenland Citizen from 1986 and 1989
  • Grantham Journal from 1993
  • Haverhill Echo from 1888 and 1993
  • Lynn News & County Press from 1873 and 1924
  • New Milton Advertiser from 1989
  • Newmarket Journal from 1987 and 1993
  • North Londoner from 1869-1875
  • Saffron Walden Weekly News from 1994-1995
  • Spalding Guardian from 1993-1994
  • Suffolk and Essex Free Press from 1987 and 1993

Today is the first day of the month. That is still a good time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Your backups aren't worth much unless you make a quick test by restoring a small file or two after the backup is completed.

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first day of every month, if not more often. (My computers automatically make off-site backups of all new files every few minutes.)

Given the events of the past few months with genealogy websites laying off employees and cutting back on services, you now need backup copies of everything more than ever. What happens if the company that holds your online data either goes off line or simply deletes the service where your data is held? If you have copies of everything stored either in your own computer, what happens if you have a hard drive crash or other disaster? If you have one or more recent backup copies, such a loss would be inconvenient but not a disaster.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first day of each month? or even more often?

There is an interesting article by Jason Gruenauer published in the DenverChannel.com web site that will interest many genealogists:

"They've happened over and over again since 2020 — news conferences where law enforcement announce arrests in cold cases. What they have in common is how investigators ultimately arrived at a suspect so many years later: the technology known as genetic genealogy.

'Denver7 looked at several cases where this technique was used to help law enforcement and prosecutors get closer to a suspect. Anchor Jason Gruenauer dug through file footage, heard from family members, and interviewed those who are on the front lines of using genetic genealogy to help crack cold cases.

"What is it?

"Genetic genealogy is a law enforcement technique that combines two well-known and widely used things. First, genetics or DNA — something found at a crime scene that is statistically specific to a single person. Second is genealogy, the creation of a family tree that connects relatives to a common ancestor.

“This is the man who killed this victim some nearly 40 years ago,” Mitch Morrissey said during a recent news conference announcing a cold case arrest."

You can read the full story at: https://bit.ly/3AWT5hb.

You are invited to attend a genealogy seminar in October. You won't even need to travel to any distant city as it is a virtual (online) conference. The following was written by the Anchorage Genealogical Society:

AGS' 2021 Fall Seminar  (Special Events)

Saturday, October 2

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Via Zoom

The fall seminar is FREE to all AGS’ Members. FOR NON-MEMBERS: AGS is offering a special deal for you. It is a combo AGS’ membership + our virtual seminar on October 2, 2021, for just $20.

*Once you have initially signed into the Seminar on Zoom, you may "pop in and out" of the sessions as needed.

ANCHORAGE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Fall Seminar LISA ALZO Lisa is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Slovak/Eastern European genealogical research, writing your family history, and using the Internet to trace female and immigrant ancestors. She is the author of nine books and numerous magazine articles. Lisa Alzo’s Seminar Topics and Schedule: Zoom logon and access granted plus a five-minute welcome: 9-9:30 by President Gretchen Bersch.                      Session 1:         9:30 - 10:30: “10 Ways to Jump Start Your                                            Eastern European Research."                      Session 2:         10:45 to Noon: “Immigrant Cluster                                            Communities: Past, Present, and Future."                      Lunch/Break:   Noon to 1:30.                      Session 3:         1:30 to 2:30: “Make Those Skeletons Dance”                      Session 4:         2:45 - 3:45: “Show Don’t Tell: Creative                                            Non-Fiction Writing for Genealogists."                      Closing:            3:45 to 4:00.    The Zoom Link for this Seminar is: Topic: AGS Fall Seminar Zoom Meeting Time: Oct 2, 2021 09:00 AM Alaska Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83143538550?pwd=U3hxbjh0QU9zK0NXMld2VWVuOW5hZz09 Meeting ID: 831 4353 8550 Passcode: 311430 One tap mobile +12532158782,,83143538550#,,,,*311430# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,83143538550#,,,,*311430# US (Houston) Dial by your location         +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)         +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)         +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)         +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)         +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)         +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Download: Membership Form

The following announcement was written by FamilySearch:

The following was written by the Southern California Genealogical Society:

REMINDER: FREE WEBINAR from SCGS on Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 10:00 AM Posted: 25 Sep 2021 06:00 AM PDT Community Research Using the National Register of Historic Places Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG®, FOGS Free Webinar from SCGS Saturday, October 2, 2021, 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4611131176144427279 ABOUT THE PRESENTATION The National Park Service provides valuable information on historic places, tribal lands, homes, or even an area. Coupled with the “The Historical Marker Database”, these two sites can take you to your ancestors’ area of residence from the comfort of your home. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG®, FOGS, has become a favorite speaker at conferences and webinars.  She serves as a Family History Center director and is an instructor and author at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, Ancestry Academy, Family Tree University, and a columnist for Reminisce Magazine.  She received the 2018 Laura G. Prescott Award for Exemplary Service to Professional Genealogy. HANDOUT A handout will be available shortly before the presentation. A link will be included in a reminder that will be sent the day before the session. 2020 Webinar Times 1st Saturdays                                   3rd Wednesdays 10:00 AM Pacific                             6:00 PM Pacific 11:00 AM Mountain                        7:00 PM Mountain 12:00 PM Central                            8:00 PM Central 1:00 PM Eastern                              9:00 PM Eastern ABOUT THE SCGS JAMBOREE EXTENSION SERIES WEBINARS A goal of the Southern California Genealogical Society is to offer educational opportunities to genealogists and family history enthusiasts everywhere. The Jamboree Extension Webinar Series helps delivers those opportunities. COST The initial webcast of each session is offered to the public free of charge.  Webinars are archived and available only to SCGS members as a benefit of membership in the society. The webinar archive can be found at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/archive-index.html. UPCOMING WEBINARS The list of upcoming webinars can be found at http://scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html. JOIN SCGS TODAY Learn about all the SCGS member benefits at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/about/benefit-memb.html. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. View System Requirements Please direct any questions to the SCGS Webinar Committee at Webinar@scgsgenealogy.com

I would love to try this on some of my ancestors' DNA! Imagine the thrill of seeing their faces.

OK, so collecting DNA samples might be "unpleasant" at this late date but I still think the end results would be a thrill

The following was written by Tom Yun and published in the CTVNews.ca web site:

Thanks to DNA analysis, researchers have been able to generate 3D facial reconstructions of three Ancient Egyptian mummies -- named JK2911, JK2134 and JK2888 from left to right. (Parabon NanoLabs)

TORONTO -- DNA researchers have given us a glimpse of what Ancient Egyptians may have looked like. Researchers from Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based DNA technology company, have created 3D reconstructions of the faces of three men after processing DNA samples from mummies.

The mummified men -- named JK2134, JK2888 and JK2911 -- are estimated to be between 2,000 and 2,800- years-old. They come from Abusir el-Meleq, an ancient Nile River community in Egypt. JK2134 is thought to date back from 776 to 569 BC and JK2888 is estimated to be from 97 to 2 BC, while JK2911 is from approximately 769 to 560 BC.

The researchers shared their findings at the 32nd International Symposium on Human Identification earlier this month.

Using a process called DNA phenotyping, they were able to extract genetic information about the men's physical characteristics and ancestry to generate 3D models of what they may have looked like when they were around 25 years of age.

The researchers found that the three men were primarily of Middle Eastern ancestry, with some Southern European ancestry mixed in. Their ancestry turned out to be more similar to modern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern people rather than present-day Egyptians.

Because the DNA samples were so old, some key genetic information was missing or damaged, so the researchers had to make a few predictions to fill in the gaps. The samples were missing the genetic information associated with eye colour and hair colour, so researchers applied dark brown hair and eyes -- the most common hair and eye colors in the Middle Eastern population.

Much of the genetic information for skin colour was also missing, so the researchers similarly predicted that the men had light brown complexions.

"It's great to see how genome sequencing and advanced bioinformatics can be applied to ancient DNA samples," said Ellen Greytak, Parabon's bioinformatics director, said in a news release.

Many police departments around the world use this technology to generate reconstructions when unidentified remains are found. Parabon researchers say it's the first time that such DNA analysis has been done on specimens that are this old.

My thanks to newsletter reader Terry Mulcahy for telling me about this story.

The following was written by FamilySearch:

SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Accelerate family disoveries this week at FamilySearch in 8M new records added to collections for Canada (Ontario Tax Assessments 1834–1899), England (Yorkshire Bishop's Transcripts 1547–1957 and Middlesex Parish Registers 1539–1988), France (Mayenne Parish and Civil Registrations 1427–1897), New Zealand (Electoral Rolls 1865–1957), Switzerland (Catholic and Lutheran Church Records 1418–1996), and still more Catholic Records for Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

Find new facts about US ancestors in Georgia Tax Digests 1787–1900, Hawaii Voter Registrations 1920–1966 and Montana County Voting Records 1884–1992. 

(The full list of newly-added records is lengthy, too long to fit here. However, you can find the original article, including a full list of all newly-added records, at: https://media.familysearch.org/new-free-historical-records-on-familysearch-week-of-27-september-2021/)

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 5,000 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to a submission filed late last week, plaintiffs in the personal information misappropriation case have asked the trial court to take another look at whether they sufficiently alleged standing. The motion asserts that the Supreme Court’s TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez decision, issued 10 days after the plaintiffs’ case was dismissed with prejudice, constitutes an “intervening change in controlling law.”

In their complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that the Ancestry.com defendants operate a network of genealogical and historical record websites and sued them for misappropriating personal information without consent and using it for advertising and other promotional purposes. In its June opinion, the Northern District of California court overseeing the case found that the plaintiffs failed to show that the usage caused harm to those searchable on the defendants’ websites.

You can read a lot more details of this case in an article by Christina Tabacco published in the Law Street Media web site at: https://lawstreetmedia.com/tech/post-appeal-motion-for-indicative-ruling-filed-in-ancestry-com-right-to-publicity-case/.

A turned-over gravestone served as the perfect surface to make fudge for a woman living in Michigan.

How the gravestone got inside the home in Okemos, Michigan, outside Lansing? Now that's a mystery, according to Friends of Lansing's Historic Cemeteries (FOLHC) President Loretta S. Stanaway.

The monument was discovered in August on an estate auction site after the matriarch of the family was placed in a care facility for Alzheimer's, Stanaway said. A former citizen of Lansing recognized it was probably from a city cemetery and got in touch with the FOLHC, and they started investigating.

"The family hired an auctioneer to take care of the items," Stanaway told CNN. "As he was going through things, he saw this slab of marble in the kitchen and turned it around and discovered it was gravestone. The family told him they used it to make fudge. The family could not say how or when the gravestone got there."

You can read more of the story on CNN at: https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/24/us/gravestone-returned-after-missing-150-years-trnd/index.html.