A Genealogy Community Necrology for 2012

Marcia Rice with the War of 1812 Quilt
FGS 2012 Conference, August 2012, Birmingham, AL

As 2012 winds down to an end, many of us focus on setting goals and resolutions for 2013, some even related to genealogy. In addition, we have a tendency to look back at not just our accomplishments, but those family members and friends who left us during the year.

Many genealogists know the importance of a “necrology” which would be prepared at year’s end and posted in the local newspaper. The list would usually be organized in date order listing who had died, their age and perhaps some other information useful for family history research. A necrology was also a way to pay tribute to those that were lost during the previous year.

Honor Those We’ve Lost

One way that you can honor any person – a loved one, a favorite ancestor, a member of the genealogy community – is by contributing to the Preserve the Pensions - War of 1812 Digitization Fund and utilizing the Honors and Tributes section of the donation form:

All donations are tax deductible and each time a genealogist uses the War of 1812 Pension Files, you’ll know that you helped make such access possible.

In Memoriam

• John Humphrey, 64. A well-known and respected professional genealogist, John’s most noted contributions were as an author, educator and speaker. He produced the fifteen-volume Pennsylvania Birth Series, and focused on Pennsylvanian, German, Welsh and Moravian ancestry. Read the full obituary here.

• Kim Kasprzyk, 57. A long-time volunteer with the Illinois State Genealogical Society as well as FGS, Kim was instrumental in the success of the FGS 2011 conference in Springfield, Illinois. Kim was passionate about her family history research and will be missed by many at ISGS and FGS. Read the full obituary here.

• Marcia Rice, 64. A well-known volunteer with various FGS conference and projects, Marcia was loved and respected for her enthusiasm for family history, and the work of various genealogy societies. Marcia passed away suddenly on October 12, 2012. Read the full obituary here.

• Louise B. Stern, 101. The wife of noted genealogist and historian Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern, Louise Bergman Stern passed away in February 2012. The Stern-NARA Gift Fund, administered by FGS, was named to honor the late Rabbi Stern. Read the full obituary here.

Remember FGS In Your Year-End Giving

Many of us are using the last few days of 2011 to plan out income tax strategies, including donations to various non-profit organizations and charities.  Don't forget that you can donate to the Federation of Genealogical Societies through the following programs:

• Preserve the Pensions: The Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National Archives, and the genealogical community have started a project to digitize the War of 1812 pension files—a fitting beginning to the bicentennial commemoration of this important war. Click here to learn more and to donate today!

• Friends of the Federation: The Federation of Genealogical Societies is a vital link for the twenty-first century genealogical community. Our hallmark role is linking the genealogical community through service to our member societies. You are invited to become a Friend of the Federation — a critical link in the Federation's capacity to continue serving the genealogical community.  Click here to learn more and to donate today!

• Fifty for the Future: The Federation of Genealogical Societies is re-doubling its efforts to provide materials, services, and seminar presentations specifically designed to assist genealogical organizations be successful in the 21st century. These efforts require resources. Please consider joining our "Fifty for the Future" campaign by donating $50 today. Become an energized "Fifty for the Future" campaigner by getting five of your genealogical friends to each donate $10 apiece—making another "Fifty for the Future!"   Click here to learn more and to donate today!

• Stern-NARA Gift Fund: The Stern-NARA Gift Fund is a nationally supported program to finance preservation and imaging of valuable research materials now preserved in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. These materials consist of microfilm and digitized images of important genealogical records and indexes. These materials are produced without government funding, and are then distributed to the 13 National Archives Regional Archives for use by researchers or placed online for access. FGS administers this fund and conducts fund raising campaigns to support records preservation of and access to these records. Click here to learn more and to make a donation today!

The Federation of Genealogical Societies wishes you a Happy New Year and we thank you for your continued support!

Planning - IRA Charitable Rollover Extension

As mentioned today in The Weekly Genealogist (the e-newsletter of the New England Historic Genealogical Society), recent changes to the charitable giving rules for IRAs can help benefit your genealogical society.

And did you know that a donor can make an IRA Rollover gift during the month of January 2011 and still qualify for the 2010 year deadline? In addition these gifts count towards the minimum IRA distribution requirements for IRA account holders.

Any genealogical society with planned giving programs should be getting to word out to its members and potential donors about these rules changes. You can read more about the exact rules and procedures here at AmericanAncestors.org.