May 21 — Regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Quitman Public Library. Doors open at 6 p.m., and we will spend the time helping people with research questions or surfing the internet (including access to Ancestry.com) doing individual research. Bring you wifi-enable laptop (but we will have the six we used in our classes last year if you can’t bring yours.) DON’T FORGET that those interested can meet at 5 p.m. for socializing at Peralta’s Mexican Food in Quitman. Program for this meeting is election of officers for the 2012-13 society year and research tips, ideas, or questions and time online researching.

June 5 – WCGSTX field trip to genealogical collection of the Dallas Public library. We’ll car pool in case you don’t want to drive in Dallas traffic. Time details will be announced later this spring.

June 15-16 – Society’s Highway 37 Garage and Bake Sale at the Quitman Public Library. Be saving items to sale and deciding what bake goods to bring also.

In numerous speaking engagements this spring, McKinney has explained what information is available for family researchers in the 1940 census and methods and sources to most effectively find that information.
She is a former newspaper reporter and business editor who currently does freelance writing and editing and genealogical research for clients. She is an award-winning writer in the field of genealogy and as a fiction writer. She is a member of the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society where she works in the library, writes for society publications, and is the society’s public relations officer.

As for all the regular monthly meetings of the Wood County
Genealogical Society, members will be available at the library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help the public and other members with getting starting research of their ancestors and family tree or with research problems. A limited number of work stations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to use the free library version of Ancestry.com. Personal wifi-enabled laptops may also be used.

A social Dutch-treat gathering of society members and guests is open to anyone interested in genealogy on each third Monday meeting day at 5 p.m. at Peralta’s Mexican Food Restaurant in Quitman.

This took place at the March semi-annual business meeting, March 19. A report of a balance of $1,960.10 was made by Treasurer Wayne McCluney, and the minutes from the September business meeting were presented by Secretary Shirley Patrick and accepted. Both these reports are on the members’ only page which can be accessed from the link at the top right of this page.

In addition to the May trip to the Alba Public Library and Museum and to Parrott’s park in Lindale and the June trip to the Genealogy research room at the Dallas Public library (both of which are listed in more detail on previous posts to this page), the date of June 15 was named as the date for the society participation in the Highway 37 Garage Sale. The date will be confirmed and more on these events will be published here as available nearer to the time of the events.

It was also announced that the program for the April meeting of the society will be a presentation on the 1940 Census by Lisa McKinney of Edgewood.

March 19 — Regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Quitman Public Library. Doors open at 6 p.m., and we will spend the time helping people with research questions, discussing our individual plans for “What’s Next” in our genealogy, or surfing the internet (including access to Ancestry.com) doing individual research. Bring you wifi-enable laptop (but we will have the six we used in our classes last year if you can’t bring yours.)

The program is one of the society’s two yearly business meetings. Be prepared for old or new business part of the meeting. If we finish early, we will have some interesting and/or productive things for the rest of the meeting time. DON’T FORGET that those interested can meet at 5 p.m. for socializing at Peralta’s Mexican Food in Quitman.

RPAC ANNOUNCES STOP ID THEFT NOW! CAMPAIGN WITH WHITE HOUSE PETITION

Genealogy Community Responds To Efforts To Remove Access to Social Security Death Index and Other Records

February 7, 2012– Austin, TX: The Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC) – a joint coalition of international genealogical societies representing millions of genealogists and family historians – announces the launch of its Stop ID Theft NOW! campaign with its We The People petition posted at WhiteHouse.gov.
Call To Action For IRS To Do Its Job
Each year, fraudulent tax refund claims based upon identity theft from recently deceased infants and adults are filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The current target is the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) or Death Master File since this file, as found on numerous genealogy-oriented websites, could possibly be the source of identity thieves acquiring a deceased person’s Social Security number.
The IRS could close the door to this form of identity theft if, in fact, it were to use the Death Master File for the purpose for which it was created: to reduce fraud. If returns claiming a tax refund were screened against the Master Death File and matching cases identified for special processing, the thief should receive a rejection notice for the filing.
Tax Fraud and Identity Theft: Genealogists Are Not To Blame
The House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Social Security is proposing to completely shut down use of the SSDI by genealogists as well as other industries such as banking and insurance that rely upon its information. Such an attempt is short-sighted and runs counter to the original purpose of the SSDI: to actually combat fraud.
Loss of Access to SSDI Affects More Than Genealogists
The SSDI is accessed by many different companies, non-profits and other entities besides individuals researching their family history. Forensic specialists utilize the SSDI when reuniting remains of military veterans with their next-of-kin and descendants. Law offices, banks and insurance companies utilize the SSDI to resolve probate cases and to locate heirs.
All of these entities would be required to spend more money and more time leveraging other resources of information when the SSDI has served this purpose, uninterrupted, for over a decade.
RPAC Petitions Obama Administration
The We the People petition, now posted at http://wh.gov/khE and accepting signatures, has a simple yet effective mission:
Take immediate steps that would curtail the filing of fraudulent tax refund claims based upon identity theft from recently deceased infants and adults.
[Note: Visitors to the WhiteHouse.gov website must log in to sign the petition, or click Create an Account to register. Once registered, return to http://wh.gov/khE to sign the petition.]
No need for lengthy hearings in front of a Congressional committee. No need for filing statements for or against any House action. No need to waste time and effort which could be directed to more pressing national issues. In fact, the National Taxpayer Advocate in 2011 issued suggestions which do not require additional legislation but can be implemented collaboratively between the IRS and Social Security Administration (SSA) almost immediately in time to impact the current tax filing season.
About Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC)
The Records Preservation & Access Committee (RPAC) was formed to advise the genealogical community on ensuring proper access to historical records of genealogical value in whatever media they are recorded, on means to affect legislation, and on supporting strong records preservation policies and practices.
The genealogical community works together through The Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC), which today includes The National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) as voting members. The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), the American Society of Genealogists (ASG), ProQuest and Ancestry.com serve as participating members.
To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org/rpac/.
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Contact: RPAC
c/o Federation of Genealogical Societies
PO Box 200940
Austin, TX 78720-0940
phone: +1 (888) 347-1500
fax: +1 (866) 347-1350
publicity@fgs.org

Uncle John’s Coffee House is an organization in Quitman which raises money for causes in Wood County with its second Saturday of the month meetings held at 7:00 p.m. in the Joy Hall at the First Methodist Church. Attendees contribute $7.00 a ticket each meeting to raise the funds which are awarded annually.

The $500 donation to the library will be matched by the genealogical society.

Charles Edward Niswanger, age 72,died Saturday, December 3, 2011 in Mineola, Texas. He was born on Thursday, February 16, 1939 in McLennan County, Texas to the late Lee Franklin and Mattie Niswanger. He was a business owner and the Mayor

Charles Niswanger

The society treasurer’s report covering the period July to October 17, 2011 is posted at the member only site which you canbreach at the link at the top right of the page at http://woodtxgene.com.