The Maine Genealogical Society is going to bring you something new, exciting and free in the New Year. The MGS Genealogy Fair is set for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Maine State Library, Maine State Archives and Maine State Museum Atrium in Augusta. All three locations are in the same building next door to the State House.
The fair is not the same as the MGS Annual Conference, which will continue to bring great speakers to its yearly event in September.
Rather, the July fair will offer the opportunity to visit with people from a broad variety of genealogical and historical organizations — and discuss genealogy resources.
In addition, admission to the Maine State Museum will be free that day.
The recent MGS Newsletter is full of Save the Date items, including next year’s meeting dates and places for the Maine Old Cemetery Association: May 16 in New Gloucester, July 25 in Brunswick and Sept. 26 in Bryant Pond.
In my family history, New Gloucester is one of those places where Revolutionary War soldiers and their families settled after leaving Massachusetts, and before they moved on to places such as Guilford, Parkman and Greenville. For me, that includes Bennett and Haskell relatives.
I noticed recently on one of those surname-counters online that Maine is the state with the most Haskells. A good part of the credit for that goes to Deer Isle, which had and has its own Haskell settlement apart from the lines that came to Piscataquis County.
Another important Save the Date involves the second annual Southern Maine Genealogy Conference, which will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Ave., Portland.
The Greater Portland Chapter of MGS will sponsor this event, which will feature certified genealogist Margaret Dube, whose immigrant ancestors came to seacoast Maine at the turn of the last century. Her talk will be “A Home Among Yankees.” For more information, visit gpcmgs.org.
The MGS Newsletter also has a page with more than 35 listings of vital records books and other items you can get a discount if you are a member of MGS.
Speaking of membership, at $25 a membership or renewal in the Maine Genealogical Society is a terrific gift for a relative or friend, perhaps someone you want to see get a little more involved in genealogy. And of course, senior citizens and others on fixed incomes would be very pleased with a renewal.
Further, I’m certain that Mom, Grampy and great-aunt Marian would receive a new or renewed membership as evidence that the younger generation really does appreciate all they have done to preserve family history.
My Christmas request to my children is always for pictures of my six grandchildren, who fill my heart with memories at every turn.
When we were in Minnesota last month, I climbed the stairs from the family room to the kitchen as an angel’s voice floated above me — that of 6-year-old Aidan, who had no idea that my favorite hymn is “On Eagle’s Wings.”
He will raise you up
On Eagle’s wings,
Bear you on
The breath of dawn,
Make you to shine
Like the sun
And hold you
In the palm of His Hand.
“Who is the hymn about,” I asked Aidan when I reached the top of the stairs. “God,” he told me, before looking at his little sister, just five months old. “But I can hold her in the palm of my hand.”
Once back in Maine, Pepere and I couldn’t wait to take 5-year-old Dylan and 3-year-old Emilee to see the huge display of Christmas lights in front of the orthodontist’s office at State Street and Green Street in Augusta, where the lights are synchronized to songs broadcast 4-9 p.m. daily on 91.7 FM.
The lights were worth the trip, but one particular song came on at just the right moment to put the experience solidly into Christmas Memory History.
With background vocals by recording artist Idina Menzel of “Frozen,” our Emilee and Dylan sang their hearts out: Let it go … let it go.
I wish you a merry Christmas and many blessings in the new year.
For information on researching family history in Maine, see Genealogy Resources under Family Ties at bangordailynews.com/browse/family-ties. Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402, or email familyti@bangordailynews.com.