Courses – Page 81 – International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Meet our Student Blogger: Debbie Dale

Meet our newest student blogger, Debbie Dale! We sat down with Debbie and did a little Q & A to learn more about her. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I currently live in a small town called Hermiston in Eastern Oregon. The town is very close to the desert but I’m happy to say I’ve made my difficult peace with the sagebrush. I’m originally from Washington State, where I’d always been able to view tall green trees and water from the Puget Sound. I moved to Hermiston to help care for my 98-year-old grandmother who lives with severe dementia. It’s hard work but also rewarding. I do have time to pursue genealogical interests, however, because I’m not the only caregiver. Tell us about your educational journey thus far. I’ve been a student at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies for several years, working towards two certificates in American Records and Irish Records. I have a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington and spent ten years in that field before moving to Hermiston. What genealogy topics are you most interested in? Almost anything related to Ireland. My current research is in County Waterford with a branch of my mother’s family, although the women in my direct maternal line came from the island of Inis Meain, in the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway Bay. I would like to specialize in Irish immigration to the United States, but I’m interested in other areas, too, such as Irish domestic servants in the U. S. I enjoy writing and am currently working on a narrative history of my great grandmother, the daughter of Irish immigrants who lived in Boston. One of my favorite things to do is scroll through old newspapers, and I have spent many hours doing just that. Thanks Debbie! Look forward to more from Debbie in her first blog post about our course Irish: Land Administration Records.

Finishing Up US Religious Records Part 1

By Shannon Bennett, Student US Religious Records Part 1 was a bit mind-blowing for me. Let me explain why, because it might not seem like it should have been. Let’s start with the fact that my parents are not religious and my grandparents were not either. In fact, only a couple of my great-grandparents even attended church regularly. It’s just not a thing in my family. While some people find that odd, it was a decision made a long time ago that I never really thought about. I know that basic tenants of major religions. My parents felt it was important for me to experience and learn as much as I wanted or could. They didn’t want to force religion on me but thought something that important was my decision. It’s not like I have never gone to church, I have, but it was always as an intrigued outsider looking in. When I was in elementary school my best friend was Jewish and the two of us would spend hours talking about Christianity vs Judaism much to the displeasure of her mom. Just because religion isn’t a part of my life doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a part of my ancestors’ lives. Which is why I was excited to take this course. The three courses I took in religious studies at University helped lay a lot of historical basis for me, but of course they didn’t prepare me for what I need to know as a genealogist. Records, documents, memoirs and so much more are waiting for us in these religious records. Since a majority are not digitized this is a great example of how there could be information just waiting for us out there. Waiting for us in a room and the only way we can break down our wall is to go there. Sounds like a lot of fun to me! Don’t be misled that this was easy. There was a lot of information and I know this is only part 1 of 2 so there is more coming. It makes me anxious to start the next section. Wonder what I will learn in those pages? See you online!

Colonial America Minority Sects

By Shannon Bennett, Student Ah, Presbyterians, finally the module in US Religious Records Part 1 near and dear to my husband’s family . I shouldn’t leave out the Methodists though because that was one whole branch of my grandmother’s family. Unfortunately, even though I found Module 6 fascinating, so far I don’t have any connections to the Amish or Mennonite sects. From a historical perspective though (and culturally since I grew up in an area full of Amish and Mennonites) it was a great section to read. Since I knew almost nothing about what the instructor called the “minority sects in colonial America” I was very excited to read Module 6. Of course I know who the Mennonites and the Amish are. I mean, anyone growing up in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and a few other adjacent states know who these people are. Those communities always fascinated me growing up in a rural Indiana. At this point I could go on and on about the horse drawn buggies on Main Street, watching the families work their farms as we drove by, or the Mennonite children I went to grade school with. Even though I knew who they were and the basic premise behind why they looked different than myself, I didn’t really know why they were different. Reading about those two sects as well as who the Moravians, Huguenots and Brethren were was enlightening. The Huguenots were familiar to me from history classes and my Virginia research. There was a colony of Huguenots at Manakin in Henrico County. I couldn’t help but be moved by the way they overcame the forms of persecution inflicted on them. It makes perfect sense that they would flee to the American colonies, particularly ones that tolerated other religious beliefs. While they may have started small here these communities grew and in some cases prospered into the 20th century. An interesting fact I did not know was that the Moravian Church encouraged members to write memoirs about their life and church service. If you have an ancestor who was a member you may have a wonderful document waiting for you! According to the instructor these memoirs are similar to eulogies, and were either written by the person or by the minister after the person had died. Makes me want to have an ancestor in the Moravian Church! Off to take my exam. See you online!

Congratulations to – Colleen Murray, PLCGS!

By Colleen Murray, Student Last week marked a major milestone in my genealogical education. I finished my 40 courses required to earn the PLCGS (Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies) from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies! Though immersed in celebration this week, I have returned to my computer to write this account of my experiences and reflect on how I got here. I was always a business-minded individual. I initially thought I’d be an accountant, and completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree. But finding myself at a soul-sucking job after graduation, I quit to follow my dream of opening a retail tea shop in Edmonton, Canada. Six years later, I sold it when our family moved to Ontario. Small children took up most of my day, and I happened on genealogy as a hobby that I could do in spare moments to maintain my sanity. In 2010, having moved back to Edmonton, I started researching genealogy educational programs. I wondered if perhaps my hobby could be translated into a career? I settled on the Interational Institute of Genealogical Studies because of its Canadian stream of courses. It was very important to me that my education be relevant to my location. It also allowed me to take Irish courses, which is where my cultural heritage lies. Best of all, I could work at my own pace. I started out the program very slowly, trying out Methodology parts 1 & 2 before moving on to the beginner level Canadian package. I look back with some amusement on that first year, I did not usually tackle more than one course at a time, and did not usually submit more than one module per week. Part of this was due to being a bit of a perfectionist, and part due to family commitments. My slow start may explain why it took me five more years to complete my 40 courses! By 2011, I was fully committed to becoming a professional genealogist, and I decided to pursue the PLCGS. The 40-course requirement would allow me to finish up to the advanced level of Canadian courses, and up to the intermediate level of Irish courses, while of course still taking the methodology, analysis and other required courses. I still completed my classes slowly, but really picked up the pace when my family spent a year travelling on sabbatical in Ireland and Australia. With few other…

Uncovering my Religious Heritage

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student Well color me surprised but there was more than one religion in the next two modules of US Religious Records – Part 1 that my family could have been. My Virginia lines were most likely Anglican and Episcopal. Plus, since I had ancestors in New Netherland I paid particular attention to the sections on the Dutch Reformed Churches. Now, that is not to say I didn’t learn a lot about the Lutherans, Unitarians, and the Quakers because I did. Plus I bet one of these days I will find those religions in my tree too. Since I do quite a bit of Virginia research because I, well, live in Virginia I really tried to internalize the information presented in the course. I learned that the Anglican Church, whose roots are with the Church of England, was the colony’s official church written into the incorporation papers. It was also fascinating to read how the Methodist Church formed out of the Anglican and Episcopal Churches. I knew there was a connection but did not know how it began. Thankfully for me, a lot of the Virginia church records are just down the road in Richmond at the Library of Virginia. In my future, I see another recordset that I will need to investigate for my distant relations. Genealogy road trips are always so much fun. Then there were the Reformed Churches. Ever since I learned that I had ancestors in the New Netherland’s colony I have read and studied as much as I can about it. It became a near obsession. Most likely because they were different from the colonial English, German, and Irish ancestors that are the bulk of my family tree. According to our course the Dutch Reformed Church was the official church of the colony. It was interesting that even though they had an official church they welcomed all religions into their colony. Even after the English took control the church still has a presence which makes me hopefully I may find records. Oh, and I learned I need to check out the Holland Society of New York since they seem to have the largest collection of records on this topic. Needless to say, these two modules were very enlightening and I enjoyed every minute of it. Sometimes courses like this make me sad that I never finished that Religious Studies minor in college.…