Monday in the United States is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who died in our nation's service. The origins of this day of remembrance are in doubt, with more than two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. 

Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic: "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land." 

It is believed that the end of May was chosen for the first Memorial Day because "flowers would be in bloom all over the country." 

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York, in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May. In addition, several southern states have an additional, separate day for honoring their Confederate (Civil War) dead as follows:

Memorial Day is the perfect time to pause and remember our ancestors who fought in defense of their country. Now is the time to learn of the sacrifices, large and small, that they made so that we can all enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Here is a list of web sites that will help you learn about Memorial Day and our military heroes:

This is something that will appeal to a LOT of genealogists:

As we approach Memorial Day, a time of year dedicated to remembering and honoring the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, we at MyHeritage believe it’s important to make their stories accessible to all. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that, in honor of Memorial Day, we are offering free access to our extensive collection of military records from May 25–30, 2023.

Search military records on MyHeritage for free! 

Our 83 million military records, which are part of our vast collection of historical records, provide invaluable insights into the lives of those who served their country in times of war and peace. They allow us to piece together the stories of their service, honor their memories, and connect on a deeper level with our past.

Our collection includes draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and military biographies from various countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many more. These records can reveal a wealth of information about your ancestors, such as their rank, unit, date of enlistment and discharge, physical characteristics, and even their next of kin.

Sailors from the H.M.S. Repulse, enhanced and colorized on MyHeritage [Credit Ken McGuire]

Exploring these military records not only helps to honor and remember those who served but can also bring you closer to your own family history. You might discover ancestors you didn’t know you had, uncover stories of heroism and sacrifice in your family tree, and gain a deeper appreciation for the past.

So this Memorial Day, join us in remembering our military heroes. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore our military records for free and uncover the stories of bravery and sacrifice in your own family’s past.

The words different cultures use to describe family members have revealed some intriguing insights—including why in Balto-Slavic languages there is a complicated relationship between in-laws and weasels.

University of Bristol researchers have published a new study in PLOS ONE exploring the links between kinship names in different languages.

Fiona Jordan, professor of anthropology from the University of Bristol, has been working with colleagues from Australia, Finland, and Brazil to develop KinBank—a catalog of more than 1,200 languages and their words for family members—known as kinship terminology. It features more than 210,000 kinship terms ranging from cousins to great-grandparents.

One of the interesting findings the team have discovered is that the sounds of parental kinship terms can be predicted by the gender of the parent.

"Across the world, parent words often sound like baby babbling, with ma, ba, da sounds," Professor Jordan from Bristol's Department of Anthropology and Archaeology explains.

"We were surprised that while father words showed a bias to pa -and ta-, the ma- words could refer to either mum or dad, showing the need for large-scale databases to test these ideas about language variation."

The team are currently investigating claims that languages that distinguish certain types of cousins do so because some cousins are considered marriageable.

As KinBank grows, Professor Jordan believes it will be an invaluable tool for investigating recurring patterns for kinship terminology across cultures.

"We hope this can spark conversations about diversity and family between people from different cultural backgrounds—this is how it is in my family, but do you do it that way?" Professor Jordan said.

"Anthropologists have documented kinship variation for decades, but our database is the first time the data will be widely accessible.

You can read more in an article by the University of Bristol and published in the phys.org web site at: https://phys.org/news/2023-05-database-family-members-languages.html

NOTE: This article is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, I am a big fan of Proton and its products. As I write this article, I am using the following Proton products in my computer: Proton VPN, Proton Drive, and Proton Calendar. I also have created a Proton Mail account although I have not yet switched to it for all my email use because I am rather committed to my previous email service. But maybe someday...

In short, I decided to share my Proton experiences and satisfaction with the readers of this newsletter in case some of them might be interested in using Proton's various services.

The following is a press release written by Proton:

Today, we’re introducing Proton Family, our all-in-one plan to protect your family’s privacy. 

When you’re a parent, you do everything you can to prepare for the unexpected and keep your family safe. But extending this protection online is difficult unless you’re particularly tech-savvy — until now. The Proton Family plan lets you protect your loved ones by giving them access to all Proton services and premium features. Up to six family members share 3 TB of storage space, and everyone gets their own encrypted email address, calendar, secure storage for their files, and VPN to browse securely.

It’s a great way to quickly improve your family’s digital security and privacy. Proton makes things simple by handling all the encryption automatically in the background.  

Protect what matters most with end-to-end encryption

Your online security is only as strong as your weakest link, but it’s not realistic to expect every member of your family to know how to protect their privacy online. That’s where the Proton Family plan comes in. Help them move to Proton, and we’ll take care of keeping their information safe. 

By bringing your family together on Proton, you can protect what matters most. Our apps use end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption to ensure no one can access your family’s information, not even Proton, without your permission. All this encryption happens automatically in the background — you simply send your emails or plan your day as you normally would and Proton will handle the rest. 

And since Proton is headquartered in Switzerland, your emails, files, events, and browsing history are also protected by strict Swiss privacy laws.

Unlike other “free” service providers that make you pay with your data, you pay Proton to provide you with security and privacy, meaning we’re only incentivized to keep your information safe. Our first and only obligation is to you, your family, and all the members of the Proton community. 

Easy-to-use apps that put you first

With support for up to six family members, Proton Family gives you all Proton services starting at €19.99 ($21.55 US ) a month, or €3.33 ($3.59 US) per user/month for six people. Not only do you protect your family, you also support Proton’s mission to build an open-source, private alternative to Big Tech that advances freedom and puts people first.

Proton Family includes:

The full press release is much, much longer. You can read the full announcement at: https://proton.me/blog/proton-family-plan.

A lot more information about Proton's various services may be found at: https://proton.me.

NOTE: I am not compensated in any way for publishing this article. I am simply a (very) satisfied Proton customer and decided to share my opinions of the services with my readers.

The following is a press release written today by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

In June, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, at its Presidential Libraries nationwide, and online. Programs this month include our annual Genealogy Series and our Juneteenth Family Day celebration. 

MyHeritage has just announced the addition of millions of new theories to help you uncover how you’re related to your DNA Matches.

Thanks to this new update:

 • The total number of theories has grown to 136,713,021, representing a 61% increase.

 • The number of DNA Matches that include a theory has increased by 78%, to 95,691,486.

 • The total number of paths has grown by 51.2%, for a total of 998,325,515 paths.

 • The number of DNA kits with at least one theory has grown by 23.6%, to 2,353,769 kits.

 • An additional 402,255 users have one or more Theories of Family Relativity™.

Full details are available in the MyHeritage Blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/05/new-update-to-theory-of-family-relativity-2/.

The following is a press release issued by the Georgia Genealogical Society:

Atlanta, GA, 25 May 2023 - Georgia Genealogical Society seeks Executive Director for the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research beginning with IGHR 2024. To apply, submit cover letter and resume by 21 June 2023 to Madelyn Nix, GGS President, president@gagensociety.org.

About Us

The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), sponsored by the Georgia Genealogical Society (GGS), provides an educational forum for the discovery, critical evaluation, and use of genealogical sources and methodology through a week of intensive study led by premier genealogical educators who are leading researchers and scholars in the field. IGHR consists of 12 to 13 courses that take place either in person or online during the last full week of July. Students choose one course that lasts throughout the week.

Course levels range from basic skills to advanced methodology and evidence analysis designed to solve complex research problems; course topics range from resources for specific geographic locations to in-depth skill development on specific subjects, such as land records, military records, and DNA analysis.

Visit ighr.gagensociety.org to learn more.

Job Summary

The IGHR Executive Director coordinates the development, implementation, evaluation, and supervision of institute goals, objectives, and activities with the help of the IGHR Steering Committee, comprised of IGHR committee coordinators and select GGS officers, and the IGHR Advisory Council, comprised of IGHR faculty members. This is a part-time position with planning occurring throughout the year. Virtual meetings are held with the IGHR Steering Committee and IGHR Advisory Council. Hybrid meetings are held with the GGS Board. Compensation is paid annually based on a percentage of the net income and number of attendees for the current year’s institute. Payment based on our previous year’s institute would have been $9000 - $15,000. Planning for IGHR 2024 begins in August 2023, and it is expected that the IGHR Executive Director will begin orientation immediately with the IGHR 2023 Executive Committee and Steering Committee.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Key duties should be interpreted as being descriptive and not restrictive in nature.

• Oversees IGHR and reports to GGS Board. Attends GGS Board meetings as required.

• Liaises with IGHR Advisory Council, IGHR Steering Committee, IGHR faculty, libraries staff, and event venue staff to provide a high-level educational experience. Georgia Genealogical Society • P.O. Box 550247 • Atlanta, GA 30355-2747

• Serves as contact person with IGHR faculty and libraries staff.

• Submits new course and evening session proposals to IGHR Advisory Council for approval. Communicates status of proposals and scheduling of approved proposals.

• Prepares, distributes, and manages course coordinator and instructor contracts. Submits new faculty information to IGHR Advisory Council for approval.

• Leads IGHR Steering Committee in planning the institute and recruiting committee volunteers.

• Develops, implements, and monitors IGHR budget with input from the Steering Committee. Reviews and approves all invoices before submitting to GGS for payment.

• Provides assistance to attendees with admissions, advisory, and registration services.

• Coordinates with GGS President on in-person institute venue contracts and orders.

• Consults with IGHR Technology Coordinator to select video conferencing platform for virtual institute and purchase necessary licenses.

• Facilitates event space for institute bookstore.

• Conducts faculty and attendee orientation.

• Researches, compiles, prepares, and reviews data-based reports on the institute and shares with IGHR and GGS. Shares faculty evaluation reports with relevant course coordinators and individual faculty members.

Performs such additional duties and responsibilities as defined in the Georgia Genealogical Society Policies & Procedures Manual and/or other duties as requested by the GGS President.

Qualifications and Skills

Supports and facilitates positive interaction with others by demonstrating individual maturity, respect for others, and a team-centered approach.

Possesses and utilizes:

• working knowledge of event management skills

• ability to manage a collaborative process

• effective communication skills (both written and oral)

• effective organizational and time management skills

• ability to apply analytical and critical thinking skills and prepare accurate report of results

• familiarity with genealogy research skills

• broad understanding and knowledge of marketing and the importance it has for the viability and long-term success of IGHR

• knowledge of grant writing process and financial management 

Experience with a genealogy institute as an attendee, instructor, or organizer is preferred but not required.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2023 – Acting Archivist of the United States Debra Steidel Wall has awarded 47 grants totaling $6,510,701 for projects in 27 states and the District of Columbia to improve public access to historical records. The National Archives grants program is carried out through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). A complete list of new grants is available online.

Two projects went to support professional development: the Archives Leadership Institute for training mid-career archivists and eLaboratories for online training for practitioners in historical and scholarly digital editions. Each project is located at the University of Virginia.

Grants went to 17 edition projects to publish the papers of key American figures such as Frederick  Douglass and Jane Addams, as well as cross-cutting projects such as the Chinese American WWII Veterans Online Resource and Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery, which is digitizing records of “Information Wanted” advertisements placed in newspapers across the United States by formerly enslaved people searching for family members and loved ones after emancipation.

Five projects will enhance Public Engagement with historical records:

“Teaching Care: Building a History Curricular Library of Chicago’s Black Nurses,” an initiative of the Midwest Nursing History Research Center at the University of Illinois, Chicago;  

Stillman College’s collaborative research program on African American female land owners in Alabama’s Black Belt;

Lewis & Clark College’s Vietnamese Portland Archive;

A new embedded Exhibit Tool for the University of Northern Iowa Fortepan.us, a digital archival platform; 

The Chicago Covenants Project, which draws on volunteers to locate, digitize, and make available racially restrictive covenants in the analog land records from Cook County, through a project sponsored by Virginia Tech University.

An additional 21 archival projects will preserve film and video, and manuscript collections documenting Black American history, labor records, theatrical collection, early legal records in Arizona, colonial diaries from Westchester County, feminist history collections at West Virginia University, women’s history at the University of Utah, a history of the 1939 sit-in at the Arlington (VA) Public Library, and the records of Quaker-operated Indian Boarding Schools.

Christopher Eck, Executive Director of the NHPRC, presented the grant applications and policy issues to the full Commission. The Archivist of the United States, Colleen Shogan, is the Chairman of the Commission. Established in 1934, the NHPRC awards grants for preserving, publishing, and providing access to historical documents.  

The UK version of Who Do You Think You Are? will broadcast its first installment on Thursday 1st June 2023. An article in the RadioTimes.com web site lists everything you need to know about the 2023 season.

Check it out at: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/who-do-you-think-you-are-2023-release-date/.

Colleen Shogan just became the Archivist of the United States at the National Archives and Records Administration.  Joe Napsha apparently interviewed Ms. Shogan and then posted an article in the triblive.com web site describing how she developed her strong interest in history.

You can find the interesting article at: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhcdpu