Christmas Sale on Archion.de Passes and Vouchers (Gift Certificates): Save 20%

If you have ancestors from Germany who were Evangelische in religion, you may have heard of the Archion.de website. It was founded in 2016 by the Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland with eleven regional Evangelische churches. The website has continued to grow through the years and currently has over 175,000 church books digitized and now over 25 partner archives which include primarily protestant archives as well as archives of dioceses, states, towns and associations.

Archion.de is having its annual Special Christmas Offers -- a 20 percent off sale on 3-month or 1-year passes and vouchers/gutschein. This sale runs from today, December 5, 2025, through Monday, December 8, 2025, 23:59 pm CET which is Monday, December 8, 2025, 5:59 pm ET (our time.) Remember, Germany is six hours ahead of our time.

Passes -- Paid-Access starting from time of purchase.

3-Month Pass is regularly €52.20 now on sale for €41.75 including VAT
This pass allows an individual user to access the digital church book archive for three months (90 days) starting from the date of subscription, as well as up to 150 image (PDF) downloads.

1-Year Pass is regularly €178.80 now on sale for €143 including VAT
This pass allows an individual user to access the digital church book archive for one year (365 days) starting from the date of subscription, as well as up to 600 image (PDF) downloads.

Vouchers/Gutschein -- Pre-paid Coupons/Vouchers/Gift Certificates

3-Month Voucher is regularly €52.20 now on sale for €41.75 including VAT
This voucher allows an individual user to access the digital church book archive for three months (90 days) starting from the date of redemption by the recipient, as well as up to 150 image (PDF) downloads. Vouchers expire two years after their issue date. Except in legally specified cases, vouchers cannot be recharged, re-sold, transferred, or paid out in cash value.

1-Year Voucher is regularly €178.80 now on sale for €143 including VAT
This voucher allows an individual user to access the digital church book archive for one year (365 days) starting from the date of redemption by the recipient, as well as up to 600 image (PDF) downloads. Vouchers expire two years after their issue date. Except in legally specified cases, vouchers cannot be recharged, re-sold, transferred, or paid out in cash value

You must create an account prior to making a purchase. Or be logged in with an existing account. When making your purchase, if you want a pass (which starts immediately) select "Book # Pass Now" but if you want a voucher be sure to scroll down and select "Buy as a Gift Voucher." Purchases can be made using a credit card or PayPal. Passes and Vouchers do not automatically renew.

The Archion website is in German with some English translated website pages. See the DE and EN at the right-side of the top menu bar. You are able to browse the contents of the website for free meaning to see what is available. Uploaded digitized church books are shaded in green. If a location or book is not shaded in green than it is not yet uploaded. The forum boards are also free but you must be logged into the website and have the site in German (DE.)

The church books are organized first by the regional holding archive and the regional division and the parish location where you can then see what records types and time periods are available. At this time the digitized church records are mostly NOT electronically indexed so this is a browse and manually search like you would have done in the days of microfilm. And yes, the record images are in German in that old Schrift handwriting for the most part.

If you know the name of the parish you seek you can search that parish name to see if it comes up. But sometimes spelling matters so a manual search for the parish is suggested on the Archion.de website. Church books are added daily. Generally, in batches from three or so different archives each month. The almost monthly email newsletter usually informs what was recently added, what is currently being added, and what will be added next.

Remember, in Germany records are not centralized so you really need to know your origin village and determine its parish location before jumping across the water to the old country.

Also, remember German time is 6 hours ahead from Eastern Time so take that into account and don't wait for the last minute -- you might be 6 hours late.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Vivid-Pix Deep Discount Cyber Weekend Pricing Now thru Tues., Dec. 2, 2025

Vivid-Pix has created two deep discount cyber weekend sales that end Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Use discount code FF2025 to get this pricing.

Deep Discount #1

Memory Station Software Patent-pending software, with intuitive interface and large buttons, makes it easy to scan, restore photos and documents, record memories and combine to create stories. Reminiscing about life pulls memories from shoeboxes and memory banks. Individual and Multi-generational re-living of yesterday and yesteryear provides connection and understanding through photo-based activities that are fun – and provide social and health benefits. 

Rather than buying the computer and the software bundle, this uses your existing Windows computer and scanner (even scanner/printers), and scans in archival quality, combines images with new and imported voice and music recordings, creates audio/video stories, transcribes 130 languages audio to text and saves text into image metadata for preservation and sharing. 

Regular price $199.99 so the 50 percent off Friends Price makes is on sale for $100. 

Not sure? There is a free trial of the software. 

Previous Purchasers, be sure to download the free update and user guide: https://www.vivid-pix.com/download/

Deep Discount #2

The Caregiver Bundle makes a great gift for someone you care for -- and -- someone they care for. The Caregiver Bundle includes Memory Station Home Edition Software, Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) for Families course, and a pre-paid coupon for a 10-pack of Memory Cards.

Purchased separately, providing $319.98 in goods - Friends Price: $149.95 - save over 50%.

FYI: The Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) For Families and Loved Ones – Joshua Freitas, PhD [No Certification] Designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, this course provides instruction to implement pRT – as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts such as photographs, household,and other familiar items…” Note: it is available as a separate purchase. Regular price is $79.00 for just this course.

A 10-pack of Memory Cards are individualized, professionally printed 5"x7" durable cards you create using a photo and entering in three prompts regarding that photo. Regular price is $39.99.

 

First a caution. Make sure you are seeing the sale pricing you are expecting before clicking the buy button. After adding your item to the cart, go to the cart and click the coupon code and enter this sale's code. The sale price should now show. Did you put in the coupon code correctly? FF2025

The website's Holiday Sale is on its Gift Guide page. That sale runs until January 4, 2026. It has its own discount code, HOLIDAY2025. See our prior post on this sale.

Our Tip #1 is look to the where the home-user level is talked about.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

RootsMagic 11 Black Friday Weekend Sale

RootsMagic has started its Black Friday Weekend Sale. This sale ends Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 11:59 pm MT.

RootsMagic first-time purchases for yourself or as a gift ...
$29.95 New or Gift regular price $39.95 so save $10.

RootsMagic prior version owners save on upgrades too
$19.95 Upgrade regular price $39.95 so save 50%.

These are the prices for the download of the software. For a USB with the software add on $10 plus shipping.

RootsMagic runs on Windows or Mac and is a one-time purchase (updates are included) until the next version is released (an upgrade.) There is free support.

There is also a free-version RootsMagic Essentials that allows you to use the program and see if it works for you. See our post about RootsMagic 11's release back in September.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Legacy Family Tree Webinars Black Friday Sale, Save 50% on Family Tree Webinars

Legacy Family Tree Webinars has started its Black Friday Sale according to an email received this morning. It is offering a one-year membership to the webinar subscription service (regularly $49.95 per year) for first-time members aka new subscribers for $24.98 -- that is 50 percent off! (Note: This sale can not be combined with other discounts.)

 

This is a limited-time offer! The 50% OFF Holiday Sale begins Nov 23, 2025, and expires Sunday, Nov 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm MT. Don't miss your chance to secure the best pricing of the year!

Surprisingly, the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website does not yet reflect the Black Friday pricing. But the coupon code holiday2025 does appear to work.

Family Tree Webinars Membership gets you 24/7 access to over 2,500+ full-length webinars/classes covering a very wide variety of genealogy-related subjects and the handouts/syllabus to those webinars/classes.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MyHeritage DNA Black Friday Sale Lowest Price EVER! $25 until Dec. 28 at 11:59 pm

This morning MyHeritage released its Black Friday Sale that ends November 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. The autosomal DNA test is regularly $89. It is now its LOWEST PRICE EVER at $25.

There are two options:

MyHeritage DNA test for $25, plus taxes and shipping. Usually there is an offer to purchase two test kits and get free standard shipping.

MyHeritage DNA test plus 30-day Complete free trail* for $25, plus taxes and free shipping.

*After 30 days, you'll enjoy a 50% discount and be charged $299 $149 for the first year. The Complete subscription renews annually. You can cancel anytime.

Remember, MyHeritage ended its DNA uploads of DNA test data from other DNA genealogy testing sites back in August 2025. So now you do have to test directly with MyHeritage DNA.

In October MyHeritage announced it is transitioning to Whole Genome Sequencing of its MyHeritage DNA tests. We mentioned it in this post. Though this morning's email announcing this sale mentions the whole genome sequencing BUT we have found no official confirmations that all tests received are now being processed as whole genome sequencing. It is supposed to happen before the end of the year. We suggest taking advantage of the lowest price ever sale and if possible holding off taking the test and sending it in until we can confirm all DNA samples will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing.

Of course, if that elder family member or a specific family member and time or availability is the issue, do the test before you can't do it. 

As soon as we hear that all DNA samples are processed with Whole Genome Sequencing we will let you know.

So get your MyHeritage DNA kit on sale and hold off taking it (if possible) until MyHeritage announces that all tests will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. 

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

 

MCGG's December Meetings -- Join Us!

A reminder about our Macomb County Genealogy Group December 2025 meetings.

MCGG meets in-person on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 12 p.m.* 
in the Auditorium B/C of the Mount Clemens Public Library. It is our ... MCGG and Let's Talk...Genealogy Groups Combined Annual Holiday Potluck.

Bring a dish to share and join the fun! *For this meeting we start at noon.

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Comparing Our Paper and DNA Ethnicity Results Update.

Almost all of the genealogy DNA testing companies have recently updated their ethnicity estimates again. Let’s talk about comparing our Ancestor Birthplace Pedigree Charts/Locality Pedigrees to our new DNA Ethnicity Results and why these may not match up. Are the new results better than in 2024?

There is a pre-meeting assignment for this topic so those attending can more fully participate. This assignment will be sent out to our mailing list the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

AncestryDNA Lowest Price Ever - $29 - Until Tues., Dec. 2, 2025, 10 am ET

Ancestry's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale on AncestryDNA has started and runs until Tues., December 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Remember taxes and shipping are extra. The regular price of an AncestryDNA test is $99.

There are three options with this sale.

Just the AncestryDNA test is on sale for $29.

For new subscribers or those without a current active subscription:

The AncestryDNA test and a World Explorer Membership for $1 has a total sale price of $30.

The AncestryDNA test and an All-Access Membership for $10 has a total sale price of $39.

These subscription memberships will renew at regular prices every three months until you cancel.

*Offers end 2 Dec 2025 at 10am ET. Excludes shipping. Package offers are for new and returning subscribers only and not for renewal of current subscriptions. Limit one $1 subscription per user. Your World Explorer subscription will automatically renew at $99.95 or your All Access subscription will automatically renew at $149 every 3 months until you cancel by visiting your Account Settings or by contacting us. See our Renewal and Cancellation Terms for further details.

See our prior posts on AncestryDNA for the changes in what you can access for your DNA test without an Ancestry member subscription and what you can not. You can also see past sale trends by selecting the topic label in the left column of this blog (for example, AncestryDNA) to see all past posts regarding AncestryDNA.

Good luck finding the sales you need!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Ancestry.com Gift Memberships are Now 50% Off Until Tues., Dec. 2, 2025, 10am ET

Ancestry's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale has started and runs until December 2, 2025 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Save 50% on Ancestry Gift Memberships.

We try to highlight what we have found on sale in the genealogy world but may not write a post about all we have seen. Our best advice is if you are interested in a website or product, check on that website/product frequently just in case they hold a flash sale.

Please take note, wondering minds can always click the labels/tags in our blog's left-hand column to see the sales in past years to get an idea of the sales trends for prior years. Click on the desired topic or the Savings tag/label.

*Offer ends 2 Dec 2025 at 10 am ET. Offers available for new gift memberships only and not for renewal of current gift memberships.

Keep in mind that this is a one-time, non-renewing membership and you will only be billed for the cost of the membership you select.

 

These are the options.

U.S. Discovery Membership
Access to U.S. records
6-months reg. $119 ... sale $59
12-months reg. $229 ... sale $114

World Explorer Membership
Access to records across the globe.
6-months reg. $169 ... sale $84
12-months reg. $319 ... sale $159 

All-Access Membership
Access to records across the globe; plus military records on Fold3.com; and articles on Newspapers.com Basic.
6-months reg. $259 ... sale $129
12-months reg. $479 ... sale $335 

 

Good luck finding the sales you need!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Family Tree DNA Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Ends Dec. 3, 2025

The Holiday Season is here! 

We will try to highlight what we have found but may not write a post about all we have seen. Our best advice is if you are interested in a website or product, check on that website/product frequently just in case they hold a flash sale.

Please take note, wondering minds can always click the labels/tags in our blog's left-hand column to see the sales in past years to get an idea of the sales trends for prior years. Click on the desired topic or the Savings tag/label.

Family Tree DNA
The Family Tree DNA's Black Friday Sale is underway and goes until December 3, 2025, 11:59 p.m Pacific Time. Shipping and taxes are extra which vary depending on where the test is shipped. There is a lot on sale for this sale. See the chart below for pricing of individual tests, bundles and upgrades.

 

Recently FTDNA added additional savings coupon codes on top of Black Friday pricing. Customers can save additional amounts on qualifying orders by applying one of the following coupon codes at checkout:

BLACKFRIDAY20 for $20 off orders of $120+
BLACKFRIDAY30 for $30 off orders of $300+
BLACKFRIDAY50 for $50 off orders of $500+

Only one coupon code may be used per order. Discounts apply to qualifying merchandise before taxes, shipping, and handling fees.

What do you think the odds are of a flash sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year? I guess we will find out.

 

 

Things to Remember: 

• Family Tree DNA is an autosomal DNA test that either females or males can take.
• Y-DNA tests are for males-only; it looks at father's direct male line. 
• mtDNA (Mitochondrial) tests can be taken by either females or males; it looks at mother's direct female line. Males do not pass on their mother's mtDNA so they have to be at the end of the mtDNA relationship chain. 
• The upgrades available to your DNA test depends on what you have already tested. To order an upgrade you need to sign into that test kit to place an upgrade order for that kit.

 

Family Tree DNA provides an ethnicity (admixture) report, list of DNA matches, chromosome browser and allows DNA matches to contact a match directly if that match allows it. Once tested, DNA samples are stored so that additional test types (upgrades) can be added if desired. So if you have already have a tested person that you want to add another test type that is on sale, sign into that test's account before adding the sale test to the cart. Family Tree DNA is the only genealogy DNA testing company that offers all three DNA test types: autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA. No subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features. See our previous post containing some Reminders and Cautions regarding changes with Family Tree DNA.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Vivid-Pix Holiday Sale Continues

During our meetings we sometimes refer to the easy color-editing features of the MyHeritage website or the computer software of a company called Vivid-Pix.

Vivid-Pix is advertising it's Holiday 2025 Sale. Holiday pricing ends January 4, 2026. The company has grown a bit since we first talked about it and offers a bit more than its two photo correction software applications. Vivid-Pix has bundles for institutions and the home-user.

Not sure if the Restore software is for you or a loved one? Come into our favorite library's Local History and Genealogy Room and try the Restore software in-person on the new scanning station that replaced the BookScan station. Or, some of Vivid-Pix's software have free trial periods.

First a caution. Make sure you are seeing the sale pricing you are expecting before clicking the buy button. After adding your item to the cart, go to the cart and click the coupon code and enter this sale's code. The sale price should now show. Did you put in the coupon code correctly? HOLIDAY2025

The website's Holiday Sale is on its Gift Guide page. This sale is a little less confusing than last year because it mostly focuses on caregivers and home-users. All three levels (institutions, caregivers and home-users) have bundles with scanning equipment and then just the software packages to add to your existing computer/scanner system. So Tip #1 is look to the where the home-user level is talked about. We'll note below here the mostly likely items on sale that may be of interest to our genealogy members.

Here is a summary of this year's sale.

20% Off RESTORE, SCUBA, & All Memory Station Software

20% Off Education

$50 Off Caregiver Bundle

$50 off Snapshot Scanner Pro Bundle 

$50 Off Memory Station Home Edition Bundle

$100 Off Heirloom Pro Scanner Bundle 

$100 Off MS Professional Bundles

$200 Off Memory Station 2 Scanner Pro

$200 Off Memory Station Community Bundles

$200 Off Memory Station Family Matters Bundles

 

Now don't forget the actual Black Friday and Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday days. Last year there was additional sale pricing "Giving Tuesday" for one or more of those days and they donated a percentage of the sales to an organization. That sale used a different coupon code. A good way to keep informed is to get on the Vivid-Pix email mailing list. We do not know if the Giving Tuesday sale will be repeated this year. We hope so.

What is on sale that interests genealogists?

Vivid-Pix Restore (this is the software) which provides one-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders for scanned prints, slides, documents and digital camera images focusing on general photography and restoring faded pictures and documents. The regular price is $49.99 but 20 percent off makes it $39.99 for this HOLIDAY2025 sale. Last year's Giving Tuesday sale price was $29.99 -- the lowest price ever. To learn more about the software, check out the company's website and view the overview or tutorial videos.

Vivid-Pix Land and Sea Scuba which provides one-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders for scanned prints, slides, and digital camera images focusing on general photography and underwater photography. The regular price is $49.99, so 20 percent off makes it on sale for $39.99.

Also for the home-user is: 

Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) For Families and Loved Ones – Joshua Freitas, PhD [No Certification] Designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, this course provides instruction to implement pRT – as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts such as photographs, household,and other familiar items…” Regular price $79.00 so 20 percent off makes it on sale for $63.20.

Memory Station Software Patent-pending software, with intuitive interface and large buttons, makes it easy to scan, restore photos and documents, record memories and combine to create stories. Reminiscing about life pulls memories from shoeboxes and memory banks. Individual and Multigenerational re-living of yesterday and yesteryear provides connection and understanding through photo-based activities that are fun – and provide social and health benefits. Rather than buying the computer and the software bundle, this is the software only to install on your existing computer/scanner system. Regular price $199.99 so 20 percent off makes is on sale for $159.99.

The Holiday Caregiver Bundle includes Memory Station Home Edition Software, Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) for Families course, and a pre-paid coupon for a 10-pack of Memory Cards. It is a $319.98 value package on sale for $249.95 ($70 off)  but with Holiday pricing it is $199.95 when using the coupon code HOLIDAY2025.

Last year the Photo Reminisence Therapy (pRT) for Families and Loved Ones course and the Memory Station Home Edition Software (with no Memory Cards) were bundled on sale for $199.99 but there was additional savings for Giving Tuesday bringing the bundle cost down to just $99.99 -- we do not know if a similar sale will happen this year. But since the Holiday Sale runs for quite a while it might pay to wait and see. Note this bundle's low sale price of $99.99 was repeated for RootsTech 2025.

If you don't have a scanner and are interested in the Vivid-Pix Memory Station Home Edition Bundle (bundle includes: one ScanSnap SV600 Scanner / Software; one Home Edition Memory Station Software; one Vivid-Pix RESTORE Software; and one ABBY® OCR software) the regular price is $899.95 with the coupon code the sale price is $849.95. There are also bundles with different scanners now.

Just to repeat one more time, we are not sure if Vivid-Pix is doing the a Giving Tuesday Sale again this year and what will be included. We will have to wait and see. You can see prior sale prices by selecting the Vivid-Pix Label in the left-hand column to bring up all our posts about Vivid-Pix.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Veteran's Day -- Free Access to Ancestry's Military Records until Nov. 12, 10 am ET

It is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2025.

First, MCGG wants to say, Thank You for Your Service!

Second, to let MCGG members and our readers know that Ancestry is having a free-access day to its Military Records until tomorrow, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. ET.

Enjoy your research time.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets This Wed., Nov. 12 at 6:30 pm; the Topic is Memories: Just Write Them Down or Talk to Your Family -- Join Us!

 MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) this Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Memories: Just Write Them Down or Talk to Your Family.

Let’s share and learn the various ways to record our memories and how to interview our elders/family members to capture their memories before they are lost.

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Friends of Ray Township Library & Historical Society Meets Thursday, November 13 at 4 p.m.

Friends of the Ray Township Library and Historical Society is meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 4 p.m.

The Society is looking ahead to 2026 and celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

It is exploring new partnerships and collaborations with local organizations and groups to preserve our local historic sites, collect and record history, and improve access to the public. 

The Procter Cemetery Restoration project is one example of preserving a historic site while recording basic information about the early settlers and residents that shaped our community. With the help of the community, we'd like to expand the project to research the individuals in our cemeteries from the earliest burials in 1827 to those recently deceased. Everyone is encouraged to join us to discuss the project at our meeting this Thursday. If you can't attend, send us an email so we can inform you about future meetings and events.
 
The Holiday DeLights Silent Auction will be held in the Ray Township Public Library from Nov 18th - Dec 10th. We are currently accepting donations of items for our baskets to be displayed and auctioned off in the Library. Proceeds benefit the Procter Cemetery Restoration project.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Tomorrow is MCGG's Friday Meeting at 1pm; the Topic: Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History Presented by Robert McGarry

 MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid) tomorrow Friday, November 7, 2025, at 1 p.m.
in the Board Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History presented by Robert McGarry.

Want to pass on your genealogy to people who just don’t seem interested? Learn to connect with them using stories and oral history to bridge the genealogical generation gap.

MCGG Members the handout will be emailed late tonight or early Friday morning so check for it before heading to the meeting or signing into Zoom. 

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MyHeritageDNA Early Holiday Sale for $29; Lasts 3 More Days Ends about Nov. 9

MyHeritage has an Early Holiday DNA Sale that ends in three days, so about November 9, 2025. The autosomal DNA test is regularly $89.

 

There are two options:

MyHeritage DNA test for $29, plus taxes and shipping. Purchase two test kits and get free standard shipping.

MyHeritage DNA test plus 30-day Complete free trail* for $29, plus taxes and free shipping

*After 30 days, you'll enjoy a 50% discount and be charged $299 $149 for the first year. The Complete subscription renews annually. You can cancel anytime.

Remember, MyHeritage ended its DNA uploads of DNA test data from other DNA genealogy testing sites back in August 2025. So now you do have to test directly with MyHeritage DNA.

And in the meantime, MyHeritage has announced that "The MyHeritage DNA test has been upgraded to use Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), the most comprehensive method for reading DNA available today. Powered by cutting-edge sequencing technology from Ultima Genomics and processed at the Gene by Gene laboratory in Houston Texas, this upgrade makes MyHeritage the first major consumer DNA testing company to adopt Whole Genome Sequencing at a large scale. The upgrade will deliver greater accuracy in DNA Matching and ethnicity results, and create opportunities for exciting new products in genetic genealogy. Best of all, this technological breakthrough comes at no additional cost to our customers, and with the same strong commitment to privacy that users expect from MyHeritage."

Whole Genome Sequencing is already being applied to most new MyHeritage DNA kits currently being processed at the lab, and will soon become the exclusive processing method for all new MyHeritage DNA kits moving forward.

What this means is: MyHeritage DNA processing is in a transition period at this time where some DNA samples are being processed using array technology and others are being processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. You cannot choose how your sample will be processed. By the end of 2025, all MyHeritage DNA samples will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing.

So get your MyHeritage DNA kit on sale and hold off taking it (if possible) until MyHeritage announces that all tests will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. 

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

 

The Next MCGG Friday Meeting is Nov. 7 at 1pm; the Topic: Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History Presented by Robert McGarry

MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid) next Friday, November 7, 2025, at 1 p.m.
in the Board Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History presented by Robert McGarry.

Want to pass on your genealogy to people who just don’t seem interested? Learn to connect with them using stories and oral history to bridge the genealogical generation gap.

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

PGSM November 15 Webinar on Translating, Transcribing and Summarizing Documents using AI

The Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan's next webinar will be Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET.

The topic is "Translating, Transcribing, and Summarizing Documents Using AI," presented by Thomas MacEntee. 

This webinar is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. PGSM members will receive an invitation. Registration for non-members will open November 1 on the PGSM website.

Learn how to harness the power of artificial intelligence to assist in translating, transcribing, and summarizing a variety of genealogy records. A handwritten baptismal record from the 1800s? No problem. A faded newspaper obituary? No problem. This presentation will cover the best AI platforms as well as how to craft a solid prompt to get you the results you need.

The presentation includes information on what artificial intelligence is and how it works; transcription; summarization; translation; and the best AI platforms. Tips and tricks and a resource list will also be provided.
 

See you at our favorite library!
LE

2026 Calendar to Benefit Ray, Greater Washington and Romeo Areas Societies

The Historical Societies of Romeo, Ray and Washington Townships are pleased to announce the release of their 2026 calendar titled, “A Legacy of Service…To Country and Community.”

 

The calendar is a collaborative effort between the Friends of the Ray Township Library & Historical Society, the Greater Washington Area Historical Society, and the Romeo Historical Society, featuring historical images of local military groups, fire departments, and community organizations honoring their service while celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary.

Calendars can be purchased for $10.00 at various locations including, the Ray Township Public Library, Romeo Arts & Archives Museum, Washington Historical Museum, Ray Township Offices, Washington Township Offices, Jarvis Accounting and Tax Service, Jarzyna Farms Fine Meats and Deli, K. O. Music Studio, Raven Oaks Farm, Romeo Family Restaurant, and Town Hall Antiques. 

Proceeds will benefit the Society in each community where the calendar is sold including the Procter Cemetery Restoration project and the Washington Historical Museum’s electrical upgrade project. The Societies wish to thank all the sponsors whose support covered the costs of printing the calendars ensuring all proceeds benefit historical preservation projects.

Contact the Societies for more information. Friends of the Ray Township Library and Historical Society at RayLibrary.org/RayHistory, Info@RayHistory.org, and 586-749-7130. Greater Washington Area Historical Society at WashHistSoc.org, WashingtonMuseum@gmail.com, and 586-786-5304. Romeo Historical Society at RomeoHistoricalSociety.org and 586-752-4111.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

AncestryDNA Custom Match Clusters Released Tuesday, October 21

Late this Summer those AncestryDNA users with the extra AncestryDNA Pro Tools received the DNA Clusters tool. We announced the roll out in our July 4th post. There is an Ancestry Blog post on the release here.

Yesterday, October 21, Ancestry released the Custom Clusters aspect of the DNA Clusters tool. You can read about it and how to utilize it in yesterday's Ancestry Blog post. Or in a Support Topics post on Custom Match Clusters. 

DNA Clusters visually presents your matches so you can see these matches as a group showing how they relate to each other -- which match matches which matches. These cluster groups can often be identified by the test taker's grandparent lines and you are able to view these clusters by the test taker's Parent 1 and Parent 2 sides (or Maternal Side and Paternal Side if identified) or view both sides together. The matches range from 65 to 1300 centiMorgans (cM).

Custom Clusters allows the user to focus clustering around a certain match of interest. Up to four "sidekick" matches that are shared matches with your chosen match of interest. You can also customize the centiMorgan range to reflect your expected relationship level with the matches.

If you have the AncestryDNA Pro Tools, play around with the Custom Match Clusters. It will probably be a few days or a week before how-to videos start appearing to clearly explain and show how to use the tool effectively.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Vivid-Pix has Family History Month Sale and Starts Holiday Sale with a Bundle

Vivid-Pix is having a few sales. There is the Family History Month Sale and it has started its Holiday Sale. 

The company has grown a bit since we first talked about it at some of our meetings and it now offers a bit more than its two photo correction software applications. Vivid-Pix has bundles for institutions, professionals, and the home-user.

Not sure if the Restore software is for you or a loved one? Come into our favorite library's Local History and Genealogy Room and try the Restore software in-person on the new scanning station that replaced the BookScan station. Or, some of Vivid-Pix's software have free trial periods that allow you to test drive the software (with some limitations) before making a purchase.

First a caution. As we advised last year and during RootsTech, make sure you are seeing the sale pricing you are expecting. If you simply go to the website you may not see the website's sale pricing. You will likely need to enter the coupon code to see the sale pricing in the shopping cart.

 

For the Family History Month Sale, use coupon code FHM2025. before completing a purchase. This code expires October 31, 2025. 

What is on sale?

The Vivid-Pix Restore (this is the software) which provides one-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders for scanned prints, slides, documents and digital camera images focusing on general photography and restoring faded pictures and documents. The regular price is $49.99 but for the Family History Month 2025 sale the price is $39.99 -- saving you $10. [Note: The lowest price was $29.99 last Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Giving Tuesday for reference.] To learn more about the software, check out the company's website and view the overview and tutorial videos.

The Vivid-Pix Land & Sea Scuba (this is the software) that started it all. This software makes it fun and simple to fix scuba pictures – for any underwater photographer – with any experience level. One-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders. The regular price is $49.99 but for the Family History Month 2025 sale the price is $39.99 -- saving you $10. To learn more about the software, check out the company's website and view the overview and tutorial videos.

Vivid-Pix Restore and Land & Sea SCUBA are patented image science software (not generative AI) that run on Windows and Mac computers, can be installed on 2 computers, and is not a subscription. Purchase once and the company provides free updates.

Also on sale for Family History Month:

Save $50 on the Vivid-Pix Memory Station Software and Scanner for Home, Library, Community, & Adult Living Locations by using the coupon code.

Note: The Home Edition works for the vast majority of genealogists. Vivid-Pix now has a couple different scanner options besides the original SV600. The additional scanners appear to be feeder scanners which are not good for delicate or fragile photos/documents.

Save $40 on the Vivid-Pix Memory Station Software Solution for Home, Library, Community, & Adult Living Locations by using the coupon code.

Note: Already have a scanner? Then just get the Vivid-Pix Memory Station software and use your existing scanner. 

 

In addition Vivid-Pix's Holiday Sale has begun with a bundle.
The Holiday Caregiver Bundle includes Memory Station Home Edition Software, Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) for Families course, and a pre-paid coupon for a 10-pack of Memory Cards. It is a $319.98 value package on sale for $249.95 ($70 off)  but with Holiday pricing it is $199.95 when using coupon code HOLIDAY2025.

Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) For Families and Loved Ones – Joshua Freitas, PhD [No Certification] Designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, this course provides instruction to implement pRT – as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts such as photographs, household and other familiar items …”

Memory Station Home Edition Software Patent-pending software, with intuitive interface and large buttons, makes it easy to scan, restore photos and documents, record memories and combine to create stories. (Includes Vivid-Pix RESTORE software.) Reminiscing about life pulls memories from shoeboxes and memory banks. Individual and Multi-generational re-living of yesterday and yesteryear provides connection and understanding through photo-based activities that are fun – and provide social and health benefits. Rather than buying the scanner and the software bundle, this is the software only to install on your existing computer/scanner system.

There will likely be additional savings or sales as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday so keep an eye out just in case. You can see prior sale prices by selecting the Vivid-Pix Label in the left-hand column to bring up all our posts about Vivid-Pix.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Good News! MCPL's Local History & Genealogy Local Indexes are Back Up!

updated: This post was updated again October 23, 2025, at 11:02 a.m. A correction was made to the index's update content and brief instructions were added.
updated: This post was originally made, October 21, 2025, at 3:41 p.m. A correction was made to the index's update content on October 22, 2025, in the evening.

We have Good News for Macomb County Genealogy Researchers. 

The Mount Clemens Public Library's Local History & Genealogy Department Local Indexes are back up and running on the library's website.

You will find the Indexes under the Local History Resources under the Local History & Genealogy under Areas of Service. Or use the link to the Indexes page here. 

If you encounter a "refused to connect" error or an unhappy digital page face ...

 

... just refresh your browser page (that arrow in a circle just to the right of the back and forth page arrows) as that seems to fix the burp. (It is a large database index.)

 

The search interface is simple with just two options: Given Name and Surname. You do not have to fill both in -- just entering a surname works.

 

If you want to print the results list, just use your mouse or touchpad to highlight/select all of the results list and then print selection or print selection to PDF or after highlighting/selecting all of the results list copy/paste it into a word processing document.

The Obituary Index does not include additions made after the last time the index database was available on the library's prior website. At this time, the best practice to use the index is to search by Surname only to make sure you get a complete list of results.

Some minor issues are in the process of being resolved but users should be able to get what they need from the index. 

The actual newspapers can be found on microfilm in the Local History & Genealogy Room or some of them can be found digitally on the Digital Michigan Newspapers Portal. We have a post on how to find the digitized newspapers here. 

 

Good luck searching! 

See you at our favorite library!
LE