THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 26 April 2017
For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!
Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for February 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” –> “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
We’ve recently received a lot of questions from our wonderful members asking when their membership expires and how they can track this.
In response, we’re now providing your membership information right here with our weekly e-news blasts. If you want to forward our weekly e-news blasts to a friend, you can also delete your personal information before forwarding the message.
BALLOTS DUE MONDAY, MAY 1st – Get ’em in fast!!
GFO Ballots for the following positions:
Vice President – Sharyle Kingston or a Write-In Candidate
Treasurer – Richard Crockett (incumbent), Erin Randall, or a Write-In Candidate
Director-at-Large – Bonnie Randolph or a Write-In Candidate
Endowment Committee – Ellie Dir or a Write-In Candidate
Mail-in ballots were mailed with your April edition of the GFO’s Insider or you can go HERE to print off a new ballot and to see the voting rules.
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New SIG at the GFO – Find Your Mexican Ancestors
TOPIC: Finding your Hispanic ancestors from Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California
This Special Interest Group (SIG) will pertain specifically to Mexican ancestors from Mexico and the American Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California).
Beginning and intermediate researchers are very welcome. Some subjects will include online parish records, Hispanic genealogy societies, Family History Library/FamilySearch.org. Ancestry.com, solving genealogical problems, methodology of organizing your research, etc. Of course this group will also be about sharing our research experiences, and having fun.
If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about the up and coming group. They don’t have to be a member to participate.
The group will be starting in a few weeks (exact date TBA), and will likely be held Fridays from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
For questions or comments, please email sw@gfo.org.
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There’re a few seats left at GFO’s Spring Seminar!
REGISTER for SATURDAY’s SEMINAR
Online registrations, in-person registration at the GFO Library, or mailed registration. Whatever way is easiest for you!
When APRIL 29TH, 10am – 4:30pm
Where THE MILWAUKIE CENTER (sponsored by the GFO)
Who JOHN PHILIP COLLETTA
What OUR ANCESTORS FROM OVERSEAS
How It’s so simple! Just click HERE to register right now online.
Please note, the remaining Saturday Seminar spots are goin’ fast. Click HERE to register your seat!
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Remember the Spanish flu?
Well, at least it’s the 100th anniversary of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919. The GFO is putting out a special call for articles having to do with the Spanish Flu for March 2018 Bulletin. Stories (500-5,000 words) about the Spanish Flu or how the Spanish flu touched their family.
The Bulletin Editorial Group invites readers to submit articles, essays, and other articles for publication in the Bulletin. Articles for inclusion in one issue should be between 500 and 5,000 words. We will (happily) accept longer articles, but may run them in more than one issue.
We look for articles that are of interest to members of the GFO and those that encourage the sharing and research of family history. We appreciate articles about families with Northwest connections, but welcome articles with other geographic focuses. Possibilities include but are not limited to:
· memoirs and personal essays
· problem-solving articles
· research articles and source guides
· articles on family history travel
· how-to articles
· using technology
· transcription or extractions from original sources, i.e. Bibles
More info can be viewed here: http://gfo.org/learn/our-publications/gfo-bulletin.html
The submission deadline for the March 2018 Bulletin is January 1, 2018. Submissions should be sent to bulletin@gfo.org.
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Sizzlin’ Hot Links In Genealogy This Week!
Portland Train Day 2017
The Oregon Rail Historical Center is hosting this even for FREE on Saturday, May 6th. Check out all the details HERE! Live music, face painting, and food carts. Come join the festivities, and don’t forget your family of course!
Family Tree DNA Testing Kits SALE
There’s only 2 days left on this sale from the Family Tree DNA people. Click HERE for the info and stop messing about already!! Sale ends after April 29th.
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The Vick Y-DNA Project? What’s that!?
PRESS RELEASE: “In 2006 the Joseph Vick Families of America (JVFOA) started a DNA project, and so far they have tested 50 of my posterity. They’ve helped find adoptees’ parents and corrected errors that had been previously published. They’ve reached out and tested other Vick’s around the world. Recently, my descendants found a “new” cousin through their Vick DNA project. While this new cousin does not have the Vick surname, his ancestor was born in Gloucestershire, England, and he shares my father’s paternal line. This important new finding will be highlighted at the JVFOA annual meeting in Suffolk, Virginia this coming June on 23-25th. The community and my descendants will be educated on family genealogy, and DNA test results at the 2017 Annual Meeting & Reunion.”
For more information visit www.jvfoa.com or call Gailen Vick at 510-364-7631.
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This Week at the GFO…
SATURDAY, APRIL 29th
LIBRARY CLOSED FOR SPRING SEMINAR 10am – 4:30pm
Don’t get left out! THERE ARE STILL A FEW SEATS AVAILABLE for the SATURDAY SESSION of the GFO SPRING SEMINAR with John Philip Colletta! Register HERE.
SUNDAY, APRIL 30th
Spring Workshop with John Philip Colletta – SOLD OUT 9am – noon
Assembling and Writing a Narrative Family History
Part 1 – Creating a Reliable Record
Part 2 – Writing a Readable Story
MONDAY, MAY 1st
Free First Monday 9:30am – 5pm
Every first Monday of every month of every year!? Don’t miss GFO’s Free First Monday this May Day. No membership? Just want to drop by to see what all the fuss is about? No problem! Our research assistants are always ready and excited to see your shining new faces. Come enjoy the multitude of online genealogical databases, only accessible at the library, along with our analog collection (books, periodicals, microfilm, and microfiche) now totaling just over 43,000 individual items! All without the usual $7 day-pass fee.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3rd
Learn & Chat 10am – noon
Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jean Quan.
DNA Q&A 1pm – 2pm
Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.