News that's New!

In Case You Haven't Heard . . .

Family History Microfilm Discontinuation takes effect September 1, 2017. The last day to order microfilm from the Family History Library is August 31, 2017.

This announcement brings up a lot of questions and one of the best blogs to read and get answers is from Amy Johnson Crow: The End of Family Search Microfilm Loans: What it Means to You.

The Official Announcement from the LDS Church can be read here.

New Members and current members can now join and renew online. See Join Now and Membership Renewal Tabs on the left.

Check out the Photo Tab. A photo of the Hollywood School Body in 1928 has been posted.

Oct 22nd, 2012 the Arlington National Cemetery announced a new interactive database.

Click here to read more about this wonderful resource for families and genealogist.

Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research

by Laura Schmidt

Click on the image above to launch this

free downloadable publication on using archives.

George Washington Portrait Donated

by our Society to the

Mechanicsville Elementary School in 2012

and St. John's Elementry School in 2013

Presentations were made at each elementry school.

The St. Mary's County Genealogical Society agreed to underwrite the cost of one Washington portrait. A number of local schools were given portraits from a large financial grant received by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Other schools were sponsored by donations from private individuals. The St. Mary's County Genealogical Society is the first community organization to sponsor a school. We were there when the Sons of the American Revolution presented the portrait to principal Jeffrey D. DiRenzo and several of the photos from the presentaion can be viewed here. Presentation photos.

Spoils of War Return Home - Book Returns to Virginia after 150 years.

A follow up on the article written by David Roberts in the Winter Generator. "On Thursday, October 20, staff from the Library of Virginia’s Local Records Services Branch were in Jersey City, New Jersey, to formally accept one of the Commonwealth’s long-lost treasures – a Stafford County record book taken from Virginia in 1863 by a Union officer serving in a New York regiment." The quote is from the Library of Virginia's "Out of the Box" Notes from the Archives dated 4 November 2011.

If you want to keep up with the future of this book and the images that will in the future be scanned and added to the Library of Virginia website, here is the link: http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2011/11/04/spoils-of-war-return-home-to-virginia/

If you want to read the story from the Jersey City Library click the following link:

http://www.jclibrary.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:new-jersey-room-returns-220-year-old-book-to-library-of-virginia&catid=21:gallery&Itemid=74