Schenectady County Historical Society Hosts Speakers for Genealogy Day
When: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2011.
Where: Schenectady County Historical Society, 32 Washington Avenue,
Schenectady, NY 12305
Admission: $5.00; Free for Society members. Seating is limited:
pre-registration is suggested.
Contact: Melissa Tacke, Librarian, at 374-0263, option “3” or
[log in to unmask]
Who are we? Where do we come from? These are questions that
genealogists, new and experienced alike, love to reflect upon and
research. By collecting family stories and photographs, following the
paper trails left behind across generations, and learning about the
history of communities and nations, you can discover your lineage,
develop awareness about the lives of your ancestors, and better
understand your place in history and in your family. On Saturday,
October 29, participants in Genealogy Day at the Schenectady County
Historical Society will explore many possible ways to uncover your
family history.
Genealogy Day will feature four speakers. The morning speakers,
Phyllis Budka and Alan Horbal, will focus on their experiences in
researching Polish and Polish-American genealogy. Genealogist Nancy
Curran will discuss using New York State vital records in tracing your
genealogy. Chris Hunter, Curator at the Schenectady Museum &
Suits-Bueche Planetarium, will speak about the resources available for
researching your GE ancestor.
The afternoon portion of Genealogy Day offers participants the
opportunity to explore the resources available at the Grems-Doolittle
Library. The Librarian and library volunteers will be on hand to field
questions, assist researchers, help participants get started in their
genealogy research, or brainstorm strategies to overcome “brick wall”
genealogical research problems that appear too difficult to solve.
Pre-registration for Genealogy Day is suggested, due to limited
seating. The cost of admission for the day is $5.00; admission is free
for members of the Schenectady County Historical Society. Attendees
are asked to bring their own bag lunch. Beverages and desserts will be
provided by Grems-Doolittle Library volunteers.
Genealogy Day Schedule for Saturday, October 29:
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Pieces of Me
Speaker: Phyllis Budka
“To me it is a mystery why I must study history” – Those cheeky words
form the opening line of Phyllis’ poem that appeared in “The
Watchtower,” the Mont Pleasant High School student newspaper, over 50
years ago. Her recent research in family genealogy has awakened her
interest in European history and she suddenly feels like a human
archeological dig. Phyllis Rita Zych Budka was born in Schenectady and
attended St. Adalbert’s School, McKinley Junior High and Mont Pleasant
High School. She received a degree in Russian Language from the
University of Rochester. In 1964, she married Alfred Budka, also a
native Schenectadian. Phyllis earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Union College in 1982. Phyllis and Al owned a
welding supplies firm at that time. In 1991, Phyllis became a GE
employee and retired in 2008. She has three children and seven
grandchildren.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Research in Southern Poland and Hints for You in Doing Research in Poland
Speaker: Alan Horbal
Alan Horbal will share his experience in doing genealogical research
in Poland and present strategies and tips for learning about your
ancestors from Poland. He has worked as a volunteer at the National
Archives and Record Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts since 2001,
where he instructs users on how to use government records in their
research. He has also taught courses on genealogy research at Williams
College.
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Vital Records in New York State
Speaker: Nancy Johnsen Curran
This talk will concentrate on the valuable Department of Health vital
records indexes at the NYS Archives in Albany. Nancy Johnsen Curran is
an experienced genealogist who focuses on the capital region of New
York State. Her research takes her to the NYS Library and Archives in
Albany as well as to repositories such as courthouses, historical
societies and cemeteries in the area. In the fall 2011 semester Curran
will teach a course on genealogy research at Schenectady County
Community College. Curran is a member of the board of trustees of the
New Netherland Institute and has served on the board of the
Schenectady County Historical Society.
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch Break – Please bring your own bag lunch; drinks and desserts
will be provided.
12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Using the GE Archives for Genealogy Research
Speaker: Chris Hunter
Learn about the variety of resources that are available for
researching your GE ancestor, and about digital initiatives that will
improve accessibility to valuable sources like the GE Schenectady
Works News employee newsletters. Chris Hunter is Curator at the
Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium, and has overseen the
Museum’s industrial history archive since 2000.
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Q&A in the Library and Open Research Time with Library Volunteers
Explore the resources available in Schenectady County Historical
Society’s Grems-Doolittle Library, including family files,
photographs, family genealogies and lineages, church records, cemetery
records, vital records indexes, wills, deeds, local and New York State
histories, maps, collections of personal papers and organizational
records, genealogy publications, and more. The librarian and library
volunteers will be on hand to assist researchers and answer questions.
For more information about Genealogy Day, or to pre-register, contact
Melissa Tacke, Librarian/Archivist at the Schenectady County
Historical Society, by phone at 518-374-0263, option “3”, or by email
at [log in to unmask] The Schenectady County Historical Society is
wheelchair accessible, with off-street parking behind the building and
overflow parking next door at the YWCA.
--
Bob Sullivan
Schenectady Digital History Archive
<http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
Schenectady County (NY) Public Library
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