THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
30 August 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!
For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.
Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for August 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!
Don’t Miss Out! Here’s what’s upcoming at the GFO!!
Suddenly, they’re not just faces in the crowd!
Finding Your People, Past and Present
Half-Day Workshop
WHAT: Half-Day Workshop
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 9th, 9:30am – noon
WHERE: GFO’s Library
WHO: Mary Kircher Roddy
Learn about researching through City Directories, and BOY does the GFO have a bundle of those! Learn also all about how to connect with cousins you never knew you had!
Switched at Birth??
Unraveling a Century-Old Mystery with DNA
WHAT: GFO GenTalk
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 16th, at 2pm
WHERE: GFO’s Library
WHO: Alice Collins Plebuch
For more information on the backstory of this event’s topic, see the Washington Post article HERE!
Fall Seminar
Breaking Down Brick Walls with DNA
WHAT: GFO’s Fall Seminar (two days!)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 14th, AND Sunday, Oct 15th
WHERE: Saturday at the Milwaukie Center (map), and Sunday at the GFO Library
WHO: The fabulous CeCe Moore! DNA Extraordinaire!!
CeCe Moore helped unravel Alice Collins Plebuch’s century-old DNA mystery (news article here), and she’s coming to lend her wealth of DNA research knowledge for GFO’s Fall Seminar goers this October. Don’t miss it! Sign up today!!
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Got a Research Brick Wall???
GFO’s Genealogical Problem Solvers (GPS) group can help!
WHEN: Saturday, Sept 16th, 9:30 – 11:30am
TOPIC: FINDING IMMIGRATION DATA…Learn about research tools that can help you discover when YOUR ancestors arrived in the U.S.
WHERE: GFO Library
Between 1840 and 1865, large numbers of emigrants came to the U.S. searching for new opportunities because in Europe, due to the Industrial Revolution, peasants were becoming displaced from agriculture and artisans were without work or favorable prospects. Some ancestors had received “American Letters,” in which friends and relatives wrote to encourage them to come to America, the land of opportunity.
Germans and “Prussians” were leaving behind economic problems and seeking greater political and religious freedom, and the British and Irish immigrants fled poverty and famine.
In 1865, over 248,000 immigrants to the U.S. were granted legal permanent resident status. With the waves of emigrants coming to the U.S. through various ports of departure and arrival, sometimes finding the detailed records of entry and country of origin is difficult.
Join us at the GFO Library for our September GPS meeting as Harold, Duane, and Tom tackle an Oregon family’s brick wall and search for arrival and country of origin.
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Raffle Raffle RAFFLE!! Oh how we love a good raffle!
The GFO Fall Seminar, with featured speaker CeCe Moore, is quickly approaching.
We are seeking donations of new or gently used items for THE RAFFLE at this event.
Please mark items with a note stating “for Fall Seminar raffle” and drop off items at the GFO library by September 30th.
Popular raffle items include gently used (or new) tote bags, gift certificates, coupons, books, and anything genealogy or DNA related.
And as always, THANK YOU for all you do for the GFO!
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DNA & Genealogy in the News…
With a Simple DNA Test, Family Histories Are Rewritten
This New York Times article talks about what it means to truly understand you family history, wherever that may lead.
The article tells the story of Bob Hutchinson’s discoveries using DNA research results, and the important role geography plays in family research.
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This Week at the GFO…
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd
DNA Beginners Group 10am – noon
Speaker: Carol Surrency
Topic: Colonial governors of Virginia and their impact on “Old Dominion” and how world affairs influenced its development.
Research in Virginia can be difficult, with the complication of burned counties, as well as the ordinary difficulties of using historical documents. But it is not impossible. We discuss the history of Virginia and explore various methods to do sound genealogy research. We hope to foster collaboration among our many Virginia researchers and work on our varied research problems, our brick walls, together. Each month we will have a discussion or presentation on a topic related to our research. There will also be time each meeting for discussion, suggestions, and perhaps research on individual research. We’ll also explore the settlement of Kentucky, the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Group leaders are Judi Scott judiscot@gmail.com and Carol Surrency lcsurr@gmail.com.
German Interest Group 1 – 3pm
die Sprecherin: Tia Cobb
Topic: Tia’s attendance at the 2017 International Germanic Genealogy Conference (IGGP) / 2017 Internationale Germanische Genealogie-Konferenzin in Minneapolis, MN.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd
Manuscripts Work Party 9am – noon
Explore our manuscripts, personal papers, vertical files, and Bible collections while we organize, scan and create finding aids. Drop by any time that works for you every first Sunday of the month. Questions? Send a note to manuscripts@gfo.org. We look forward to seeing you there!
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th
LIBRARY CLOSURE In observance of Labor Day! See you again at 9:30am on Tuesday, Sept 5th.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th
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 1 – 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.