I want to thank all the people that have subscribed to this blog, a few over 900 now, but the biggest thanks are those people that send me their upcoming programs so all 900 subscribers will be able to connect with a program that interests them.
This year with covid has made the societies jump into online presentations that makes it easy for someone to attend a meeting or a seminar without leaving their home, and even join a meeting clear across the country without the expense of travel or having to fight traffic and find parking. We do miss seeing our friends and so after we can get back together will we still meet remotely?
These three postcards are from my uncle Leigh Hansen’s postcard collection, most all are from before 1920.
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition November 12, 2020
Come meet Lisa, ask questions, and get two days of her popular “Gems” for yourself! Learn about reopening cold cases, handling common surnames, finding living relatives, and see how Google Earth Pro can help every genealogist.
We have a great opportunity to learn how to create a timeline with what you know, identify gaps, consult a genealogical research checklist for sources to fill those gaps, and record your queries on a correspondence research log.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Linda presents 
This online presentation will be held Saturday, November 21, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m (Pacific) and topics will include: Mayflower Sources, Resources for the New England Great Migration 1620-1640, Understanding New England Town and Vital Records, Using New England Court Records, and Using New England Land Records. Cost is $50 for non-members. Click 
The Data Extraction group is working to index GFO’s Bulletin quarterlies. Is this something you would like to do from home? If so, we can send the indexing rules, the Excel spreadsheet for the volume, and a digital copy of the volume for you to index.
As our library closure continues, we are featuring free online resources so you can reach out and connect, as well as continue to learn and build on your genealogy skills, from home.
Dorothy Spruill Redford spent ten years traveling down winding southern roads, through county courthouses and state archives, and onto the front porches of people willing to share tales handed down through generations, to trace the lives of the slaves and their descendants from Somerset Place, North Carolina. Her hard work created a homecoming of more than 2,000 descendants which attracted national publicity. And it marked the beginning of a campaign to turn Somerset Place into a remarkable resource for learning about the history of both African Americans and whites in the region.
Redford preserved this remarkable story in Somerset Homecoming – Recovering a Lost Heritage, published in 1989. This paperback copy is a first edition signed by the author. It is in good condition with a crunched right corner on the cover and the first few pages.
We find no marks inside (other than the author’s signature.) It includes an introduction by Alex Haley. Our price: $18, shipping included. Contact 
The Week Ahead: The GFO Research Library is closed, and all on-site groups, classes, and work parties are suspended. 
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition November 5, 2020 Curious about the status of your 
We’re Turning 75! Help Us Celebrate The GFO is about to hit a major milestone. In two months we turn 75 years old! Please help us celebrate.What are you favorite memories of the GFO? It could be a discovery, an event, or meaningful relationship. Perhaps someone helped you break a brick wall. Maybe you got to meet a star in the genealogy world. 
We’d like to share your stories with our members during our anniversary year. They might appear in the 
Now you can meet her, ask questions, and get two days of her popular “Gems” for yourself! Learn about reopening cold cases, handling common surnames, finding living relatives, and see how Google Earth Pro can help every genealogist. Lisa is an extremely popular international genealogy speaker, and the GFO is thrilled she will join us for our Fall Seminar, November 14 and 15, this year online. And everyone will get a great view of her presentations from the comfort of whatever seat they choose in their home.In addition, GFO members get big discounts at this seminar! $20 off the first day, $15 off the second.We are adding extra seats so everyone can attend. Please sign up now! 
Do you use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram regularly? If you enjoy social media, the GFO could really use your help.We’d love to reach a broader, more diverse audience, especially on Instagram, which would be brand new to us.The GFO currently has only one person handling all 
We have a great opportunity to learn how to create a timeline with what you know, identify gaps, consult a genealogical research checklist for sources to fill those gaps, and record your queries on a correspondence research log. “Kathrine Willson is one of the most talented and engaging genealogy speakers I’ve heard. I’m thrilled she’s doing a GenTalk for the GFO.” — Laurel Smith, GFO Library Chair Katherine R. Willson will be our featured online GenTalk speaker for 
On Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Linda presents 
Copyright © 2020 Adobe The GFO Library may be closed but there’s still plenty of work that can be done from home. We’re currently recruiting volunteers to help with these projects.We need volunteers to help with the PDF processing of digital scans. This requires the Adobe Acrobat Pro software. If you have this software already and would like to help, please contact Laurel Smith, 
• Family History Writing
As our library closure continues, we are featuring free online resources so you can reach out and connect, as well as continue to learn and build on your genealogy skills, from home. 
the book of sarahs; a family in parts, is her memoir as a biracial woman who was among the many children of color placed for adoption with white couples in the 1960s and 1970s.It may may include the first instance of a phrase we’ve not run across before: Afro-Saxon.Poet and author Hettie Jones wrote of McKinley’s book, “At once mystery and family history, Catherine McKinley’s story is a must-read for anyone – and that should be everyone – paying attention to race issues in our increasingly diverse, harder-to-categorize twenty-first-century America.” 
This memoir was published in 2002. This is a paperback copy in good condition. There are no marks of any kind on it, just some visible wear on the corners, and crease marks on the spine.Our price: $18, shipping included. Contact 
The Week Ahead:The GFO Research Library is closed, and all on-site groups, classes, and work parties are suspended.Saturday, November 7
Description: The secrets that Coral Grant’s grandparents thought were safe eventually became unraveled through the magic of DNA, archival research, and tenacity. The truth revealed an unknown ancestor and a truly rich Latvian heritage. Working back in time, this adventure begins in the Garment District of Toronto, Canada in the early 1930’s and ends deep in the Latvian countryside of the 18th century. The journey includes a life altering deportation from the Latvian countryside during World War I, a survivor’s struggle to return home, a deception to avoid military service, and a most reluctant immigration. Along the way, Coral encountered many genealogical roadblocks: name changes, protective descendants, and multiple individuals with the same name. Using her research to share her family story and Latvian Jewish history, Coral’s presentation highlights the use of all the tools available to the genealogist. Ultimately, the goal of our genealogical research is to honor our ancestors and to make sure we do not forget their stories. Coral’s presentation will leave you with the tools to break through your genealogical roadblocks and find your ancestors, for you to tell their stories.