Fairfield County Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society

10/08/2026

10/06/2026

Germany Unveiled
3 days ago
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Most German Americans' ancestors never saw Ellis Island. It did not open until 1892, and by then most of the Germans who were coming had already come.
The great German waves were the 1850s and the 1880s, and in New York they arrived at Castle Garden, an old round fort at the southern tip of Manhattan. More than eight million people passed through it between 1855 and 1890, and Germans and Irish were the biggest groups.
The building is still there, in Battery Park. It is called Castle Clinton now.
So if your family arrived in New York before 1892, the record you are looking for is a Castle Garden record, and many of them can be searched today.
Do you know when your family arrived?

10/04/2026

Do any of you like to play Euchre? The Genealogy Library located at 503 Lenwood Dr. (Corner of Lenwood and W. Mulberry St.) is hosting a Euchre party next Thursday, October 8. We start playing at 2:00. it cost you $5 to play. The person with the high score wins $10 and low score wins $5. No one takes this overly serious and no one is "that" good. We just have a good time. Let me know if you'd like to join us. It's always a fun afternoon.

Send a message to learn more

09/21/2026

Hello Friend,

September always feels like research season to me. School's back in session, the summer calendar has cleared out, and suddenly there's time again for the match list that's been sitting untouched since June (or longer!).

If your members are sitting down with fresh energy but an overwhelming match list, here's one small habit that changes how far their time can stretch.

This Month's Resource:
Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?
Not every relative on your family tree will show up as a DNA match. In this video, Diahan explains why DNA doesn't pass down evenly through every ancestral line, and why the amount of DNA a match shares with you is such a reliable signal to sort by: Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?

Quick Tip for Your Members
Before your next research session, try this:
1. Sort your match list by amount of shared DNA, highest to lowest.
2. Skip anyone you've already identified.
3. Open the first unidentified match who also has a family tree attached.
4. That match is your project for the session.
A high match with a usable tree is almost always a better use of an hour than ten low matches with no tree at all. It's a small shift, but it turns "I don't know where to start" into "I know exactly what I'm doing today."

Overwhelmed by your DNA match list? You're not alone. With hundreds or thousands of matches, the hard part was never finding them — it's knowing which one to work first. Before your next research session, sort your matches by amount of shared DNA, skip anyone you've already identified, and open the first unidentified match who also has a family tree attached. That's your project for the day. A high match with a usable tree is almost always worth more of your time than ten low matches with no tree. Curious why match size matters so much? Watch: Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?

Happy researching!

09/21/2026

Hello Friend,

September always feels like research season to me. School's back in session, the summer calendar has cleared out, and suddenly there's time again for the match list that's been sitting untouched since June (or longer!).

If your members are sitting down with fresh energy but an overwhelming match list, here's one small habit that changes how far their time can stretch.

This Month's Resource:
Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?
Not every relative on your family tree will show up as a DNA match. In this video, Diahan explains why DNA doesn't pass down evenly through every ancestral line, and why the amount of DNA a match shares with you is such a reliable signal to sort by: Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?

Quick Tip for Your Members
Before your next research session, try this:
1. Sort your match list by amount of shared DNA, highest to lowest.
2. Skip anyone you've already identified.
3. Open the first unidentified match who also has a family tree attached.
4. That match is your project for the session.
A high match with a usable tree is almost always a better use of an hour than ten low matches with no tree at all. It's a small shift, but it turns "I don't know where to start" into "I know exactly what I'm doing today."

As always, feel free to share this with your members, drop it in your society newsletter, or pull whatever pieces are useful. Below is a copy-ready blurb. Let me know if these are helpful and I'll continue adding them in the newsletter.

Overwhelmed by your DNA match list? You're not alone. With hundreds or thousands of matches, the hard part was never finding them — it's knowing which one to work first. Before your next research session, sort your matches by amount of shared DNA, skip anyone you've already identified, and open the first unidentified match who also has a family tree attached. That's your project for the day. A high match with a usable tree is almost always worth more of your time than ten low matches with no tree. Curious why match size matters so much? Watch: Why Don't I Have DNA From All My Ancestors?

Happy researching!

Send a message to learn more

09/12/2026

The Fairfield County Genealogy Society’s September meeting will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Refreshments begin at 6:30 PM. It will be followed by our business meeting and then our program. We'll have speaker Sheila Thomas. She will speak on using the new tool in familysearch.org called full text search and on using timelines. Members and non-members are welcome. Come and bring a friend.

Send a message to learn more

09/11/2026

We are sorry to announce the passing of member Judy Orr Rastatter. Her obituary:

Judith Orr “Judy” Rastatter, 87, of Baltimore, passed away on September 2, 2026. She was born to the late John and Marjorie (Miller) Orr on July 29, 1939 in Lancaster, OH.
Judy was a long-time member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Baltimore. She taught for many years as a special education teacher and retired from the Liberty Union School District. In her free time, she attended the Fairfield County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society (where she was past president) and the Daughters of the American Revolution meetings.
She is survived by her daughter, Michelle (Daniel) Hutchens; grandson, Thomas Peter; and several cousins.
She was preceded in death by husband, Richard Rastatter; and her parents.
A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2026 from 12-2 PM at Trinity United Church of Christ, 105 N High St, Baltimore, OH 43105.

She was a member of our chapter for 21 years and had served as president for 11 years.

09/07/2026

Do any of you like to play Euchre? The Genealogy Library located at 503 Lenwood Dr. (Corner of Lenwood and W. Mulberry St.) is hosting a Euchre party next Thursday, September 10. We start playing at 2:00. it cost you $5 to play. The person with the high score wins $10 and low score wins $5. No one takes this overly serious and no one is "that" good. We just have a good time. Let me know if you'd like to join us. It's always a fun afternoon.

Send a message to learn more