As 2021 draws to a close, it’s time to look toward next year and some of what’s in store for genealogists in Georgia.
The release of the 1950 Census in April certainly will be a highlight. Before that, the reopening of the Georgia Historical Society’s renovated research room on January 19 will be a boon to those who need to use that facility. Several Georgia counties will be celebrating their 200th anniversaries, which may yield some festivities. Those include Bibb (Macon), Crawford (Knoxville), DeKalb (Decatur) and Pike (Zebulon).
In 2021, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it had digitized most of the microfilmed records on its site FamilySearch.org. Many records still have to be viewed at a Family History Center or affiliate library, but it’s great news that so many records from all over the world are now available from home.
DNA end-of-year bargains
All the major DNA companies will have discounts during the last week of the year. So, if you have put off ordering a DNA kit, now is the time. You can’t beat the discounts. And anyone who is seriously researching genealogy should be using DNA testing as a parallel resource, along with research in courthouse records.
I know DNA testing has helped me confirm a number of family stories and verify family surnames. The testing also has helped adoptees find links to their birth families. You can copy your results from some DNA sites to others, reaching more potential matches.
Georgia Archives lectures online
The Georgia Archives has been posting online, for free, many of its Lunch and Learn lectures and other seminars over the past two years. The easiest way to find them is to go to the website GeorgiaArchives.org, then to the Lunch and Learn announcement area. At the bottom, you will see several options. Go to YouTube, which leads to the Archives’ channel and then click “videos” or “playlists.” You can pick from over 30 lectures. It’s a goldmine waiting for you.
Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P.O. Box 901, Decatur, Ga., 30031 or www.kenthomasongenealogy.com.
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