Last fall I learned that my ancestors were descendants of Germans who came to Virginia in 1717 in what is known today as the Germanna colony.
The Germanna Foundation coordinates information and research about the two groups of German colonists brought to today’s Fauquier, Madison and Culpeper counties in Virginia in 1714 and 1717, and other Germans who came later.
By the time mine showed up in Rowan County, N.C., their German names had been Anglicized — Majer or Mayer had become Myers, Johannes Gerhard had become John Garrett (died 1757), and descendants of his grandson, John Blankenbuhler, today are Picklers.
If you think your ancestors could be part of this group, check www.germanna.org to see the list of early settlers. The foundation has a great collection in its library, leads research trips to Germany, and has published a number of books about these early settlers and their descendants. Their annual conference July 17-20 marks the 300th anniversary or jubilee of the first arrival.
For more information, contact the Germanna Foundation, P.O. Box 279, Locust Grove, VA 22508-0279.
Georgia book wins national award
Ted O. Brooke’s book “Georgia Stray Wills, 1733-1900” won the NGS Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources at the recent National Genealogical Society annual conference in Richmond.
The best newsletter award went to Penn in Hand, the newsletter of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, a group worth checking for their activities and collections as well as leads to research sources. Contact them at 2207 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 or www.genpa.org. Past newsletter issues can be read on their website.
Conferences worth attending
The National Genealogical Society’s recent meeting had 2,500 registrants, showing the popularity of genealogy. If you contemplate attending future conferences, it’s best to plan ahead, especially with regard to hotels.
The 2015 conference will be held May 13-16 in St. Charles, Missouri, in the greater St. Louis area. The local host will be the St. Louis Genealogical Society (www.stlgs.org). In 2016 the conference will be in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Check www.ngsgenealogy.org for details. If you join, you have access to past issues of the society's quarterly, notices about their home study course, and a lot more.
