Community briefs

web1_Sara_Packer.jpg

Officials identify dismembered remains found in Bear Creek as missing Montgomery County teen

<p>Does your family name turn up in the early history of your Luzerne County community? Did one of your ancestors own a business there generations ago? Where was it? How old is the community, and does it have an anniversary coming up?</p><p>Genealogists researching their Luzerne County ancestors often confront these questions, and more. Actually they&#8217;re fairly easy to answer. In fact, you can answer them while seated at your computer &#8211; no need to brave winter weather.</p><p>All you have to do is go to that old mainstay &#8212; the Luzerne County Genweb. In the right-hand column of the table of contents is a list of Luzerne County communities. Click on one and you&#8217;ll get its 18th- and 19th-century history, drawn from H.C. Bradsby&#8217;s 1893 history book. They&#8217;re full of names of founders, community leaders and business and property owners of yore.</p><p>You can expand your research in the cities, townships and boroughs through volumes of the Phillips notebooks at the Luzerne County Historical Society.</p><p>One other interesting thing you&#8217;ll discover is the anniversary dates of the cities, townships and boroughs. Two are celebrating anniversaries early in 2017. They are Sugar Notch (150th, April 3) and Dallas Township (200th, April 7).</p><p>Genealogical Society News: The Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society will resume regular hours on Jan. 19, having been closed for its annual holiday break. The research library will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and noon-4 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month. The public is invited to stop in and get acquainted with the facility. The library is on the grounds of the Hanover Green Cemetery, Main Road, Hanover Township. The Digital Interest Group, which offers DNA testing for genealogists, will resume March 1 at 6 p.m.</p><p>Joining the society&#8217;s board of directors for the year are Albert Babetski, Joseph Grandinetti, Sandra Catina Panzitta and Ken Stoddard. Re-elected are Lisa Doran and Mark Fraley.</p><p>The society was honored recently when state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Wilkes-Barre) presented it with a state citation in recognition of October&#8217;s Family History Month. The society in turn presented Pashinski with a copy of his family tree.</p><p>The library now has available for research the records of just about every Catholic church in Luzerne County, active and closed. A complete list is available in the society&#8217;s winter newsletter or at the library.</p><p>All genealogists are invited to stop in, join and get on the subscriber list for the society&#8217;s quarterly newsletter &#8220;The Heritage.&#8221; The winter newsletter includes, among other items, a list of materials available at the library and information on obtaining free death certificates.</p><p>Look for news of events planned for 2017 to recognize the society&#8217;s 25th anniversary.</p><p>News Notes: Congratulations to the Luzerne County Historical Society on once again offering a trip to the past at its local historic homes sites during the holiday period. The care taken at the Swetland and Denison houses and the period dress of presenters is a visual treat as well as an informative experience.</p><p>Speaking of the society, it has an amazing collection of local resources at its Bishop Memorial Library in Wilkes-Barre. For a summary, go to www.luzernehistory.org and click on Resources. For people living out of area, research services are available.</p><p>Whether you&#8217;re local or out of town, take a look at the Osterhout Free Library&#8217;s website at www.osterhout.info. Click on &#8220;online resources&#8221; and &#8220;genealogy&#8221; and you&#8217;ll get a comprehensive list of research materials available as well as a guide for out-of-area researchers.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TOM_MOONEY-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tom Mooney Out on a Limb </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TOM_MOONEY-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tom Mooney Out on a Limb </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Tom Mooney</p><p>Out on a Limb</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Tom Mooney is a Times Leader genealogy columnist. Reach him at tommooney42@gmail.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Out on a limb: Info at your fingertips with the Luzerne County Genweb site