 THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition November 5, 2020 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.orgBe sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR.Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider Click here for a PDF version of this E-News.  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 E-News, the Insider, or the Bulletin.Short blurbs work best. A single paragraph or two are ideal. If you have a nice head shot photo of yourself, it’d be great to feature that too.Our longest time member, who joined in 57 years ago in 1963, has already shared a story with us. Please share yours too. Contribute your GFO Memories  Fall Seminar: 2 Days of Genealogy Gems!You know Lisa Louise Cooke from her Genealogy Gems Podcasts. Her videos. Her articles. Her website. And her presentations at genealogy conferences.  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! Register for Fall Seminar Can You Help Us on Social Media? 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 Facebook posts, in addition to many other fundraising and library tasks. We’d love to communicate through other social media platforms as well, but there’s not enough time in the day for one person to tackle all this.Please contact president@gfo.org if you have a knack for social media and can help us. Follow Us On Facebook Here Free November GenTalk: Timelines & Checklists 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 Genealogical Timelines & Research Checklists on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. Discover the magic of methodology that may break down your brick walls.She is a genealogy lecturer from Michigan; an educator teaching beginning through advanced genealogy classes since 2001; the author of The Genealogist’s Guide to Grand Rapids, Michigan; and a professional researcher for private clients.Go to our GenTalk page to register now. It’s free for everyone. Special GFO Presentation: Who’s In Your Neighborhood?Friends. Associates. Neighbors. We’ve heard of the F.A.N. principle of genealogy. But what about our own GFO F.A.N club?The GFO Board has made it a priority to better serve all groups in our area. We are pleased to present Linda Harms Okazaki, who helps genealogical societies to embrace different cultures within our communities.  On Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Linda presents Who’s In Your Neighborhood? Meeting the Diverse Research Needs of Your Community. This will be live, online and free.Historical events, laws, immigration patterns, and primary source documents will be examined to better assist individuals from different ethnic groups. A fourth-generation Californian active in the genealogy and Japanese American communities in California and beyond, Linda is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a charter member of the Nikkei Genealogical Society, and a contractual genealogist with Ancestry ProGenealogists™. She is also a featured columnist for the Nichi Bei Weekly.Please come ready to ask questions and to engage in a lively dialogue. Register here for this free, online, engaging session.  Please Volunteer from Home 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, laurel.smith@gfo.org. NGS Asks For Your Awards Entries Have you written an outstanding family history? Do you know a young person who is involved in genealogy projects? The National Genealogical Society recognizes excellence in the field of genealogy by presenting awards to individuals, societies, and organizations. The GFO is a member of the NGS, so our members are eligible to enter. Awards for Excellence categories include:  • Family History Writing• Genealogy and Family History Book • Genealogical Methods and Sources • NGSQ Article Excellence • Youth Writing: Grades 6-8, and 9-12 Check out the full list and entry requirements here. The deadline for entries is December 15. What’s New in Online Digital Resources 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. Researching Your French Canadian Ancestors Join speaker Johanne Gervais on November 7 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Pacific) and learn how, with the right tools, searching for your French Canadian ancestors in Québec has never been easier. Review the most common and useful features of the Québec Archives website, the BMS2000, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), GenealogyQuebec, and FichierOrigine databases. Register here for this free webinar; a part of the Southern California Genealogical Society’s 2020 Jamboree Webinar Series. Jewish Immigrants in the American Antiques Trade Join Briann Greenfield and Erica Lome on Tuesday, November 17 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) for this free webinar from American Ancestors exploring the lives and careers of two Lithuanian immigrants, Israel Sack and Nathan Margolis, who became noted authorities on Early American furniture. Their clients included some of the most famous collectors of their era, such as Henry Francis du Pont, J.P. Morgan, and Luke Vincent Lockwood. This talk recovers their fascinating legacy and demonstrates their lasting influence on American decorative arts. Register in advance here by November 17. Surplus Book: the book of sarahsWhen Catherine E. McKinley set out to find her biological parents, she had both genealogical and cultural obstacles to confront.  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 booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to purchase this. This week at GFO … The Week Ahead:The GFO Research Library is closed, and all on-site groups, classes, and work parties are suspended.Saturday, November 7Virginia Interest Group10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Online Topic: The Library of Virginia Digital Archives Virginia research is difficult, even in the best of time. Records destroyed, and many of those remain have limited access. The Library of Virginia is a premier resource for Virginia genealogical research, even during these stay at home times. The archive has an amazing digital collection. But, it’s not always easy to find those records. And now, they have changed their search process. In this meeting, we’ll discuss a selection of the records available online, how to find others, and we’ll talk about some of the other resources available to help your research. Judi Scott will be sharing some successful personal examples from the LVA digital resources, and attendees are encouraged to share theirs as well. Register in advance, here. E-mail questions to: virginia@gfo.org.German Interest Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Online Topic: Pennsylvania Dutch and New York Palatines Join us for a presentation by Laressa Northrup as she speaks to the areas of origin for these groups in Germany, settlements in Pennsylvania and New York, as well as sources common or unique to both including tips on finding name variations. Download the handout here. If you are not already on our email list and would like to join us for this or any other German SIG meeting, please e-mail your request to German@gfo.org. Danke! Tuesday, November 10Board Meeting 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. OnlineAll GFO members are invited to attend. To receive a link to this online meeting, send an email in advance to president@gfo.org. Thursday, November 12The Q Review 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Online For this month’s meeting, please read “DNA Identifies a Father for Rachel, Wife of James Lee of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania,” by Patricia Lee Hobbs. For a link to this online meeting, e-mail Alexa Waddle at qreview@gfo.org |