THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition September 5, 2019

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!

gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider

Workshop this Sunday- Newspaper Resources at GFO

There are still a few seats available! Newspapers can provide information about births, deaths, marriages, moves, business, naturalizations, court cases, and more. The GFO provides access to several newspaper subscription sites, plus additional databases. Join GFO’s Janice Sellers for a half-day workshop to get an overview of what is available and techniques to help improve your chances of finding information about your relatives. Janice is a professional genealogist who specializes in forensic, Jewish, Black, and newspaper research. The session will be held in the GFO Library, Sunday, September 8, from 9:30 a.m. – Noon. For more detailed information, download the flyer. Registration is $25.00 for GFO members, $30.00 for non-members.

Register Here

GFO Fall Seminar – Just One Month Away!

It won’t be long until the 2019 GFO Fall Seminar, featuring Fritz Juengling, Ph.D., AG! This will be an exceptional educational opportunity that we are exited to bring to our membership and the community at large. Dr. Juengling is an Accredited Genealogist® (through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists) for Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden, and he is certified by the Verband deutschsprachiger Berufsgenealogen. He is also a German, Dutch, and Scandinavian Research Consultant at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The full-day session on Saturday, October 5th, will be held at the Center for Self Enhancement (3920 N. Kerby Ave., Portland) and will focus on German Research, while the half-day presentation at the GFO Library on Sunday, October 6th, will provide an introduction to Dutch research. Download the flyer for full details. Mark your calendar, spread the word, and register early!

Register Now

Free “First” Monday is here again!

Don’t forget, due to our Labor Day closure, this coming Monday the GFO Library is free to everyone as we will hold our monthly Free First Monday on September 9th. Plus, we’re now open late until 8:00 p.m. that day. Please tell your friends. We’d love to see them.

Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society – September Meeting

Craig Hector, sexton of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery in The Dalles, will be sharing photos and stories of the IOOF organization and its unique history and values at the Saturday, September 14 meeting of the Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society. The meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m.- Noon at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, Oregon. Craig will also be sharing some “cemetery tales” from local IOOF cemteries. A $1.00 donation for room rental is kindly appreciated.

PMUG’s Biannual Event: Fall MacCamp October 11-13

The Portland Macintosh User’s group presents its three-day Fall MacCamp, which offers a solid overview of Apple’s upcoming Operating System updates. There are SO MANY changes in macOS Catalina, iOS 13, plus the introduction of the brand new iPadOS, you really need to prepare before migrating to these exciting new updates. Special Offer: GFO membership saves you the additional $42 PMUG membership fee that is usually added to MacCamp registration for non-members.

Cost: $175.00 for a shared room, or a single for $40 more. Includes all classes, dinner Friday, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. MacCamp is held at Oral Hull Park outside of Sandy Oregon, which features gardens and walking paths to explore throughout the weekend. Bring your laptops and iPads to participate in classes. For questions, more information, or to register, refer to the flyer. It provides complete details as well as a link for the application for the camp.

Survey Results: Natural Disasters

There were only a few responses to our query about other natural disasters that impacted ancestors. Here are a few of the comments we received. My grandmother told me her brother sent her scurrying out the barn door and into the house when a storm came up. He was in the doorway of the barn when lightning struck and he died. He was engaged at the time. My uncle was the victim of a landslide in 1940, but he wasn’t my ancestor. My family, including me, survived Hurricane Eloise in 1975. We but rode out the storm 11 miles from our home, in my father’s automotive garage business, which was in a solidly built concrete building. During the three days we were stuck there, my mother was zapped by lightning once while talking on the phone.

New Survey: Transportation Accidents

You asked for a survey about shipwrecks, train wrecks, and more. So, here it is! Help us wrap up our disaster survey theme with a bang! To learn more about all types of disasters in U.S. history, check out the GenDisaster website.

Take the Survey Now This week at GFO …

Saturday, September 7th Virginia Interest Group 10:00 a.m. – Noon After catching up with everyone’s summer, we will have discussions about Jamestown and the 1619 Project. We will also be planning for future meetings, so come ready to discuss your research goals. For more information see our blog: Virginia Roots and Vines. You can also reach this group’s leaders, Judi Scott and Carol Currency, at virginia@gfo.org. German Interest Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. German Immigration to America in the Mid-1800s (Heidi Mathis) The German Interest Group was formed in the spring of 2011. It is intended to be a source of information and inspiration for anyone with German speaking ancestors. One goal is to provide information on a variety of topics related to Germanic history and migration. We also will provide time for members to share their research journeys and connect with others who may be researching the same region or time period. For questions or more information, contact german@gfo.org. Sunday, September 8th Workshop: Using Subscription Newspaper Websites at the GFO Library 9:30 a.m. – Noon Newspapers can provide information about births, deaths, marriages, moves, business, naturalizations, court cases, and more. The GFO provides access to several newspaper subscription sites, plus additional databases. This class gives an overview of what is available and techniques to help improve your chances of finding information about your relatives. Presenter: Janice Sellers. Registration is required for this event. Monday, September 9th GFO Free Monday We are open free to the public 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 10th Board Meeting 6:10 – 8:10 p.m. Wednesday, September 11th PMUG College 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tonight’s topic: Ten Crucial Questions about macOS * How is the Apple menu used? * How to combat Malware * How do I keep my software up to date? * What does Auto Save do? * Using Dropbox * Where is Keychain Access & Activity Monitor? * What is Disk Utility for? * iCloud around home or out on the web * Can I back up my data in case the computer fails? * Does my computer have Emoji and other symbols? * How can I get other language characters? … And more! Free for GFO Members. Bring your Mac to participate with instruction. If you would like additional information about this class, please email college@pmug.org GFO Library Open Late to 8:00 p.m.