May 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Jill Morelli: “Dissecting a Civil War Pension Records- Union & Confederate”
Pension files are rich in genealogical information as well as historical context for your ancestor. We will look at the law that gave us military pension, what is in a typical file, how to analyze a file and how to obtain them.
A Certified Genealogist (CG) and Certified Genealogical Lecturer (CGL), Jill is the founder of the Certification Discussion Group, an online class which demystifies the Board for Certification of Genealogists certification process. She is also a co-founder of Applied Genealogy Institute, a practicum-based educational opportunity for intermediate and advanced learners.
Jill is also program director of her local chapter of the Association for Professional Genealogists, is past president of Seattle Genealogical Society, and belongs to many local genealogical societies.
She loves to share her passion for genealogy with others. She has published a number of books about her family, and recently self-published a book, The Orphans of Hamilton County, Iowa, about 46 unnamed orphans from NYC who arrived in Iowa in autumn 1890. Her articles have appeared in Illinois State Genealogical Quarterly, Swedish American Genealogist, and in several other genealogical periodicals.
Reservations Required
Please email genclubnewtownct.secretary@gmail.com by May 11 receive the link. You must include your name, address and phone number.
April 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM Via Zoom
Tina Beaird, “Old MacDonald Had a Farm: Researching Your Farming Ancestors”
Farm records can be an insightful tool for understanding your ancestor’s place in the world. Were they wealthy, prosperous farmers or scratch farming to survive? Agricultural census, land records and mortgage books, court records, farm directories, newspapers, and personal ledgers and diaries can each provide an additional layer of insight into your family tree.
Tina Beaird, owner of Tamarack Genealogy, lectures nationally on topics including, military records, Scottish research, and archival preservation. Tina has assisted researchers for over 20 years, and occasionally still finds time to conduct her own family research, which she has been pursuing for over thirty years. Tina is the First Vice-President of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, and board director for the Oswegoland Heritage Association. She volunteers her time, when available, with several Chicagoland historical and genealogical societies.
Reservations Required
Please email genclubnewtownct.secretary@gmail.com by April 7th to receive the link. You must include your name, address and phone number.
February 12 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Jeanette Sheliga, “Above the Fold: Your Ancestors in the News”
Newspapers are a fantastic source of research leads, information, and historical context for your family history. The stories of our ancestors' lives can be found in the pages of archived newspapers. Most genealogists know the value of newspaper reports of major life events, including births, engagements, marriages, and especially obituaries. But many of our ancestors were also mentioned in news articles of various kinds. This presentation will help teach you how to better search for your ancestors in the news, and how that can help lead you to the answers to your research questions.
Jeanette Sheliga of “Jeanette's Genealogy.com” lives in Lockport, NY, and has been researching her family tree since 2002. She has been lecturing on Genealogy topics since 2011. She has had the privilege of speaking to societies and libraries locally and virtually all over the world. Jeanette is the President of the Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA). She holds positions in local, state and national societies, and she has completed the study groups of ProGen 49 and Certification Practicum 02, which are self-study programs designed to prepare participants for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She has attended many genealogy institutes to enhance her skills as a professional genealogist.
Registration is required for the virtual meeting on February 12. Send an email request with your name,address, phone number and email address to genclubnewtownct.secretary@gmail.com by February 10. An email with a link to the meeting will be confirmation.
March 12 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Stephanie O'Connell, "Finding Irish Female Ancestors"
Researching female ancestors can be an incredibly rewarding yet, at times, a frustrating journey. Meeting these challenges requires employing multiple research strategies.This presentation will showcase strategies for uncovering the identities and life stories of these women.
Stephanie O'Connell is a professional genealogist who holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists. With a specialty in Irish research, Stephanie is passionate about delving into the social histories of our ancestors, especially illuminating the often-overlooked stories of women. She has served as a SLIG instructor and has spoken at major genealogy conferences, including RootsTech, NGS Family History Conference, and the New York State Family History Conference.
April 9 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Christine Cohen, "Online Cemeteries: Who Lies Beneath"
Christine will review the awesome resources of deceased online, Interment.net, GraveStonePhotos.com, FindAGrave and BillionGraves and many others to advance your research. They have US and International information about your ancestor's final resting place. She will also detail how you can help fellow genealogists by volunteering to take photos of gravestones, transcribe headstones or create memorials for posting online and connecting with long lost cousins.
Christine is a long-time member of the Whittier Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) and currently is the Program Director. In addition to WAGS, she is a member of the El Redondo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (Past 1st Vice Regent), the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames and the Association of Professional Genealogists. Her interest in genealogy began in 1977 with the airing of the TV mini-series “Roots”. Her enthusiasm was piqued when she was given a typed pedigree chart, commissioned by her maternal grandfather, of their Dutch heritage from the New Netherlands in the 1650’s. Christine is a native Californian, and a graduate of UCLA in Political Science. She is retired and pursues her genealogy journey full time.
May 14 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Nick Sheedy, Genealogist for the PBS television show, Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Topic to be determined.
Nick Sheedy has more than 30 years of experience conducting genealogical and historical research. His sleuthing has taken him to innumerable libraries, archives, courthouses, and special collections across the United States and Canada. His personal interests include the early colonial era, western Americana, fur trade, frontier, and gold mining history, Quaker genealogy, African American genealogy, and the history of slavery in North America. As a professional genealogist, he has worked on a wide variety of genealogical and historical projects, including general family histories, slave research, unknown parentage, probate cases, and large population studies for genetic medical research. This experience has given Nick an unparalleled depth and breadth of genealogical research skills.
Starting in 2012, Nick served as the Associate Genealogist for the acclaimed PBS television show, Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., working with his mentor and dear friend Johni Cerny for Seasons 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the first half of 7. He became Lead Genealogist in early 2020, and served in this capacity for the last half of Season 7, and Seasons 8, 9, 10 and 11.
Since early 2020, Nick has owned and operated Finding Your Ancestry, LLC, a full-service genealogy firm
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