Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman July 14 from 9:30 a.m. – Noon for a half-day of
learning about how to add historical context to your genealogical
research to make it richer and more interesting. In this workshop you will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, learn how to find the answers. ▪ Discuss how to add this new-found information to one’s family’s history. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and save $5.00!
You have until Sunday night to join or renew your GFO membership before the price of dues goes up. Our fiscal year begins July 1, along with a new budget which takes into account our increasing costs, especially our rent.
Most dues go up only $2 to $4.
Eight people have taken the plunge this month to become life members. They’re
saving $125! Our Life dues had not risen in 13 years and fell far below
the board’s original goal of keeping them at 20 times an annual
membership. Becoming
a life membership truly invests in the future of the GFO; these dues
are placed in our endowment to fund the GFO for years to come.
Our Volunteer Coordinator, Cathy Lauer, has selflessly given the GFO her time for a full decade. “Now, it’s time to step down,” Cathy says. We need someone
to coordinate our volunteers, mostly the Research Assistants who keep
the library open. RAs act as both receptionists and as helpers to assist
people in their research. The Volunteer Coordinator makes sure we have
two RAs scheduled on duty for each shift. Without RAs, we cannot open the library. ▪ We’d provide the list of research assistants. ▪ Computer literacy is a must. ▪ You’d need to be comfortable with email and willing to fill in a spreadsheet and a chart on the computer each month. This might even be a perfect job for a couple of friends to share. We’d love someone willing to recruit and do training, too, but that’s not a prerequisite. A few others share those duties now. If you’re an organized type and could help us keep the library functioning, please contact president@gfo.org. Remember, we’re all-volunteer. Thank them next time you’re in, and please join our ranks!
Get in Free to the Oregon Historical Society!
Here’s an extra benefit of being a GFO member: you can get in free to the Oregon Historical Society. This includes access to the new permanent Experience Oregon exhibit, and the special Ladies and Gentlemen… The Beatles! exhibit from May 10 to November 12. The GFO is pleased to be an affiliate of OHS, which grants us two OHS Member passes. We are happy to share these with you as Cultural Passes. Just come in to the library and check them out at the reception desk. You must be an active GFO member to use these. Check out the pass one day and return it the next. One member may check out two passes, so you can take someone with you.
Upcoming SDOP Annual Picnic
Sons and Daughters of Oregon Pioneers
(SDOP) will be holding their Annual Picnic at Champoeg State Park near
St. Paul, Oregon, on July 13th. Members, family, and friends come
together each year to celebrate the founding of Oregon Territorial
government, at the very spot where the actual vote took place 176 years
ago. Find us at the Champoeg Pavilion, beginning at noon, for food and
activities. The event is pot luck, so bring your favorite dish to share,
and SDOP provides the beverages. Reservations are not required.
This week’s surplus book is another oversized atlas book, focused on Ray County, Missouri. The
maps of all the townships, and illustrations of citizens and buildings,
were done in 1877. This book is a 1971 reprint by The Richmond News,
published for the Ray County sesquicentennial. This
book is in good condition physically with intact pages and spine.
However, it does have marks in red pen on some pages where a previous
researcher highlighted properties of interest.
If you’d like to buy this atlas, contact booksales@gfo.org. (Please don’t come to the library first.) Our Price: $18 if you pick up at the GFO. $24 if we mail it to you.
Survey Results: Famous Ancestors?
Last week we asked if your family claimed to have famous ancestors. 58% said yes. 42% said no. Do those tales prove true? No, say many of you. Even more say you just don’t know yet. ▪ “2 Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Both cases, total baloney.” ▪ “Actor
Peter Sellers: Peter Sellers was from an English line of Sellerses, and
our Sellers family came from a German line that was originally Söller.” ▪ “Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor – It’d be fun to believe, but I need to see more proof.” ▪ “George Washington – It’s true!” ▪ “Carl
Christian Bruhns, 19th c German astronomer – I’ve since met the website
owner and that ultimately led to a connection with CCB’s great grandson
in Germany who had taken the family back four more generations. We met
in 2013 in the ancestral village and I stood on the steps of the family
home.” ▪ “Andrew Jackson – So untrue that his Hermitage Library has denied it many times. But some still try to say it is true.”
There are sites that will give you information about famous people, such as FamousKin.com or predict your relationship to the famous like Relative Finder, and there are many others. While these are easy and fun, the best answer is, do the research.
These tools rely on the accuracy of your research and that of
others—and we all know to be careful when looking at online trees. So,
start with yourself to build an accurate family tree. Then, you’ll be
better prepared to try some of these tools for hints to your famous
relations. Get more advice from this article on Thoughtco.com.
New Survey: Scandal!
Last week we asked about your relation to the famous. This week, we ask if you have a family story about a scandal.
Sunday, June 30th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can attend. There’s always lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Monday, July 1st First Monday 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. GFO Library open to non-members for free, open late. Tuesday, July 2nd Italian Ancestry Group 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This month’s topic: Italian-Americans: How to find your ancestor’s village in the Old Country! Your ancestor’s Italian village in the Old Country is the key to opening the bounty of records waiting for you, to help you trace your Italian family heritage. Come join other Italian-American genealogists and learn to begin building your family tree, define what it is that you wish to learn, excavate old documents at home, build a framework with U.S. censuses, and understand cultural clues that might tip off the name of the ancestral village. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but at this lecture you may learn some valuable pointers to launch your campaign to find la famiglia! Ci vediamo! Instructor: Nancy Bronte Matheny. If you have questions or want more information, email italian@gfo.org. Wednesday, July 3rd Open Late to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 4th GFO closed in observance of Independence Day.
This year, the board of directors is proud to name Nanci Remington as the GFO’s 2019 Hall of Fame honoree. We’ve
almost lost track of all the hats Nanci Remington has worn during her
decade of volunteering at the GFO. Nanci is more than just a Research
Assistant. She has her own fan club. Patrons make a point of coming down
on days they know she will be at the library.
GFO President Vince Patton presents the Hall of Fame Award to long time volunteer Nanci Remington.
Among her many other hats over the years: ▪ She goes above and behond answering emails sent to info@gfo.org. ▪ Served as Education Chair and headed the Open House for several years. ▪ Filled
the gap when the Seminars Committee lost its co-chair and filled that
role all on her own for several well-organized years. ▪ She founded the German Special Interest Group. ▪ She
was also one of the key players in the predecessor or our current
Problem Solvers Special Interest Group—the Hunting and Gathering SIG. ▪ Formed and still co-leads the Manuscripts Committee, helping to make the treasures within available to researchers worldwide. ▪ She’s been writing interesting articles for the Bulletin for ages, and most recently agreed to become its co-editor. ▪ Our good fortune seems to be that if she burns out of one role, she always pops up in another. For her true leadership, service, and accomplishments, we are proud to add the name of Nanci Remington to the GFO Hall of Fame.
We are pleased that the Italian Special Interest Group is returning from hiatus! It
will meet on a new day, under the leadership of GFO member Nancy
Matheny. Nancy has set up a series of topics to fill the rest of the
year. ▪ Jul 2 – Lecture #1: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestral home in the old country ▪ Aug 6 – Lecture #2: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestor’s passenger list ▪ Sep 3 – Lecture #3: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestor’s naturalization records ▪ Oct 1 – Lecture #4: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestor’s Italian civil records ▪ Nov 5 – Lecture #5: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestor’s Italian church records ▪ Dec 3 – Lecture #6: Italian-Americans: Find your ancestor’s Italian military records The
Italian group will meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month from 10 a.m.
to Noon at the GFO Library. All meetings are free and open to the
public. Questions? Contact Italian@gfo.org
Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman July 14 from 9:30 a.m. – Noon for a half-day of
learning about how to add historical context to your genealogical
research to make it richer and more interesting. In this workshop you will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, learn how to find the answers. ▪ Discuss how to add this new-found information to one’s family’s history. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and save $5.00!
June 26th 6:00 – 7:45 p.m. in the GFO Classroom. If
you missed our meeting on June 12th, Portland Macintosh Users Group
will be repeating one of our most successful events at the GFO – the
PMUG Clinic. The Clinic is a friendly place where you can bring in that
Mac/iPad/iPhone that is giving you problem for free diagnostics, as well
as help with many other issues. Some examples of how PMUG Clinic can help you include:
• If you have questions on one of the basic Apple software apps, you
don’t need to take a whole class to get your questions answered. • If you are having problems with your Mac/iPhone/iPad, you can bring it in for a free diagnostic.
• If you want to find the best backup system for your genealogy
archives, you can get a custom recommendation based your actual needs. No need to register, just show up during clinic hours: Bring your Mac or Apple mobile device. If you would like additional information for attending PMUG Clinic, please email us at college@pmug.org.
In our personal lives, June doesn’t typically trigger us think to think about the money we’re spending. At the GFO, this is the last month of our fiscal year. We see how some expenses rose more than we expected. In fact, we learned recently we must replace three computers which are on death’s door. This is an unexpected expense. We’re all volunteer. No one gets paid. Every dime of your support goes directly into the GFO’s operations. The GFO preserves heritage in our 50,000 holdings, and offers more than 180 classes during the year. Please make a gift today to help us fuel the lifelong learning genealogists enjoy.
Federation of Genealogical Societies’ FGS 2019 Family History Conference
is just two months away (August 21 – 24) in Washington, DC, and now is
the time to lock in the advance registration discount rate while it
lasts! Five Reasons to attend FGS 2019:
▪ Four
full days of inclusive topics presented by the nation’s top family
history experts with sessions aimed at strengthening your research
skills regardless of your level or area of expertise. ▪ Pre-conference opportunities to visit and research at the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the DAR Library. ▪ A
variety of tracks such as American’s Resources, Mid-Atlantic Region,
Colonial History and Settlement, Women’s studies, and three DNA tracks
to cover DNA foundations, methods, and practice. ▪ Ten
luncheons to network with fellow genealogists and enjoy lighter
presentations from sponsoring organizations such as Family Search, My
Heritage, and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. ▪ An
Exhibit Hall featuring the latest software, books, maps, and gadgets
for genealogists as well as information about genealogical
organizations. When
you register by June 30th you save $30 on full conference registration,
or $10 on single day registration. Attendees who provide 8 hours or
more of volunteer service during the conference are eligible for partial
refunds of their registration fee!
Here’s a treat for map lovers or anyone with Indiana roots. This week’s surplus book is the Illustrated Historical Atlas of Indiana. The
maps are from 1876, depicting every county in the state at that time.
It includes the plat of Indianapolis and a sampling of illustrations. This handsome, oversized volume measures 14 inches by 17 1/2 inches and is in perfect condition.
Note: This is a 1968 reproduction by the Indiana Historical Society of the original 1876 publication. We have found this atlas for sale online for $50 to $100. Our price: $30 if you pickup at the GFO. $37 if we mail it to you. Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy it. (Please don’t just come to the library first to get it.)
Survey Results: Correcting Errors on Ancestry.com
Well done!
Nearly 76% of our survey respondents know that it is possible to submit
corrections to errors on Ancestry and they’ve done just that. 16% didn’t know, but say they’ll send in corrections now. 8% said they did know about the feature but have never submitted a fix.
New Survey:
Davy
Crockett, George Washington, Queen Victoria … Do family stories say
you are related to a famous person? Take our survey this week to tell us
more.
Sunday, June 23rd Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Wednesday, June 19th PMUG Clinic 6:00 – 7:45 p.m. For the month of June, the Portland Macintosh Users Group will bring one of our most successful events to the GFO – the PMUG Clinic. The Clinic is a friendly place where you can bring in that Mac/iPad/iPhone that you are having problems with for free diagnostics, as well as many other issues.
We encourage all GFO Members to attend our annual membership meeting this Saturday, June 15, at 2 p.m. (Yes, that’s the correct date. We apologize for the typo last week.)
Richard
Crockett will present the budget for the new fiscal year which starts
on July 1. You, the members, will be asked to vote to approve the
board’s plan. It’s your chance to see our new board members who join the board next month. And,
we’ll reveal this year’s Hall of Fame Award winner. This is the GFO’s
highest honor, which carries with it lifetime membership in the GFO. The
meeting lasts 30 minutes. Then, please stay on for a free GenTalk by
Kristin Parks. She’ll talk about land records and how to reach them from
our library computers.
Donations Delivered to Paradise Genealogical Society
All 28 boxes fit in the car! President Vince Patton shows every nook and cranny we used to do it.
The Paradise Genealogical Society in northern California hasn’t had much to smile about since a wildfire burned their library to the ground. Smiles returned today as they received nearly 1,500 books and periodicals. We delivered donations from the GFO and the Clark County Genealogical Society a few hours ago. A
team from Paradise drove north, and GFO President Vince Patton drove
south. We met halfway in Medford for the transfer of 28 boxes. It’s a great way to jumpstart the rebuilding of their library in a new temporary location in Chico, California.
Joyce
Higgins and Carol Sutherland of the Paradise Genealogy Society were
thrilled to have a van load of books to drive back home.
Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman July 14 from 9:30 a.m. – Noon for a half-day of
learning about how to add historical context to your genealogical
research to make it richer and more interesting. In this workshop you will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, learn how to find the answers. ▪ Discuss how to add this new-found information to one’s family’s history. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and save $5.00!
The website of the Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office
(GLO) is an incredibly valuable resource for researching your Federal
Land State ancestors. Even those ancestors who never left the east coast
can sometimes be found if you know how to look. Using the GLO, HistoryGeo, and the GFO’s collection of Oregon Donation Land Claim materials can lead you on a rewarding journey of discovery that covers a lot more territory than you might think.
Join
GFO Research Assistant and Education Committee Chair Kristin Parks this
Saturday, June 15, from 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. to learn more about these
helpful resources.
Anyone may renew early, before July 1, to lock in this year’s lower rates.NOTE:
If you are midway into a standard membership and would like to become a
Life member, we will credit your life member dues with the unused
amount of what you have already paid. Life members can pay everything in
one lump sum or spread payments out over three years.
The Great Lakes Region Interest Group
is looking for presenters for the coming year! Do you know someone who
might be interested? If you send us the person’s name and email address,
we’ll do the rest. Contact us at greatlakes@gfo.org.
Our next meeting is Saturday, September 14 at 9:30 a.m. Until then, we
wish you happy trails and a summer of productive genealogy research!
This
week’s surplus book is a special commemorative book that beautifully
captures the first 100 years of Lincoln County, Oregon, from 1893 to
1993. It was published by the News-Times of Newport in 1993 and includes 192 pages of historic photos and advertisements.
This softcover book captures the fishing, timber, rail, and cultural history of Newport. It’s in very good condition with no marks inside or out. We’ve found it for sale online for $40 plus shipping. Your price: $30 – pickup at GFO $35 – we’ll mail it to you If interested, please email booksales@gfo.org. (Please contact them first; don’t just show up at the library to purchase.)
Survey Results: Family Tree Errors
There were 46 responses with lots of “Other” answers. 23 – Try to get the tree owner to correct it 13 – Ignore it To see all the results, click here.
Have you ever looked for trees with errors about your ancestors for the purpose of correcting them? No 39 (84.8%) Yes 7 (15.2%) If you tried to correct the errors, how did you do it? (respondents could select more than one answer.) We’re glad to see some of you are working hard to get those trees corrected! 37 of you responded. 22 Sent the tree owner corrected information 19 Sent the tree owner documentation (or a link to documentation) 17 Added a comment to their tree 10 Tried to educate the tree owner about the value of reliable sources
New Survey: Correcting Errors on Ancestry.com
Have you ever looked and looked for a record on Ancestry.com, to discover when you find it that it was indexed incorrectly?
It can be frustrating, for sure. And Ancestry will not correct them—but
you can. It doesn’t change the incorrect information, but it adds
information to help others find the record more easily. This week we ask if you already know about and/or post corrections. Please take our survey now.
Friday, June 14th Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Finding your Hispanic ancestors from Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California This Special Interest Group (SIG) pertains specifically to Mexican ancestors from Mexico and the American Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California). Beginning and intermediate researchers are 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. For questions or comments, please email Vince Ramirez at sw@gfo.org. Saturday, June 15th Genealogy Problem Solvers 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. No meeting this month. African American Ancestry Group 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. This meeting will be our second attempt at a “transcribathon” – we will work together on transcribing Freedmen’s Bureau records for the Smithsonian’s massive undertaking of creating an every-word transcription of every document in the Freedmen’s Bureau collection. Please plan ahead: Visit The Freedman’s Bureau website before the June 15 meeting and sign up. You will need to bring a laptop to the meeting to work on. If you have an extra laptop, consider bringing it in case someone else doesn’t have one, so that more people can help. For more information, contact us at african_american@gfo.org. Annual Membership Meeting 2:00 – 2:15 p.m. Come to see new officers installed, learn who is receiving the Hall of Fame award, and vote to approve the budget for the coming fiscal year. GenTalk: Using the GLO and HistoryGeo 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Presenter Kristin Parks will show you how using the General Land Office website, HistoryGeo.com and the GFO’s collection of Oregon Donation Land Claim material can help take you on a path of discovery to learn more about your ancestors. Sunday, June 16th Father’s Day – GFO Closed. Wednesday, June 19th Learn and Chat 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Topic: Census – Part Two. The census is often the first place we search for “instant gratification,” a place to see our people and their community (FAN Club). The 2020 Census is now front-and-center in the news. Join us for Part Two of a discussion of how this constitutionally-mandated enumeration has changed over time. We share our experiences and are working together on a list of resources useful to all. A lively discussion and a lot of fun! Facilitated by Jean Quan and Sandy Alto. Questions? learnandchat@gfo.org DNA Q&A 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Lisa McCullough leads a discussion on various DNA related subjects, with each meeting focused on a particular subject. General questions are welcome at the end of each planned discussion. Questions? dna_qa@gfo.org Irish Group 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. In our first hour, we will interactively explore those new and improved Irish genealogy websites, or even a great general genealogy website that you have found useful. Email a couple of your favorite URLs to Irish@gfo.org by June 12th and everyone can have a copy of all the URLs at the meeting! We will be sure the laptop and projector screen are ready! Share what you liked about the site and we will all be a wee bit closer to our next ancestor discovery! Second hour we will address current challenges/brick walls/research obstacles – bring a concise outline of your challenge, and we will put our heads together to help move you forward. We’re planning now for August and October meetings. What topics/speakers would you like to hear? Please share at the meeting or email us at Irish@gfo.org with questions and suggestions.
Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman July 14 from 9:30 a.m. – Noon for a half-day of
learning about how to add historical context to your genealogical
research to make it richer and more interesting. In this workshop you will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, learn how to find the answers. ▪ Discuss how to add this new-found information to one’s family’s history. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and save $5.00!
You
could not ask for anyone more organized than Remi Newhouse.
Singlehandedly, he has launched our online sales of a variety of donated
items. Plus,
he’s a data extraction dynamo, indexing Multnomah County Marriage
Record books. These are among the GFO’s most valuable, unique resources,
and indexes will open them to the wider world. We couldn’t ask for
better help than Remi is giving to the GFO. Thank you, Remi!
Clark County Steps Up With Paradise Donations
The steamroller of generosity continues to roll as we help the Paradise Genealogical Society rebuilding their library that burned last year. Last Sunday, the Clark County Genealogical Society
dropped off 13 boxes of books! We’ve added them to the stacks of boxes
we’ve already put together with our surplus holdings. This may mean we
have more boxes than we can easily carry in early June. Fortunately,
another GFO member is driving to Paradise itself in the middle of the
month and has offered to take the remainders then. Thank you all for
your generosity to assist Paradise in getting back on its feet.
Donations for Paradise at the Clark County Genealogical Society
You’re Invited! – Annual Membership Meeting June 15
Please join us for the annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, July 15 at 2 p.m. at the GFO library. Each
year we honor a stellar volunteer with our Hall of Fame Award, ask you
to approve our budget by voice vote, and introduce you to the newest
board members who will take office next month. The meeting lasts only 30 minutes and we’d love to see you there.
But there’s another great reason to come that afternoon. Right after the meeting, our GenTalk from 2:30-3:30 p.m. presents Using the General Land Office and History Geo.
Kristin Parks will show you incredibly useful land records which you
can reach from the GFO computers. Using the GLO website, HistoryGeo.com
and the GFO’s collection of Oregon Donation Land Claim material can lead
you on a rewarding journey of discovery that covers a lot more
territory than you might think. See you June 15!
Each
year the GFO has raised its basic, individual member dues by $1, and $2
for joint members. This almost covered the increase in our rent, but
nothing more. The
board also learned that our Life Memberships had fallen way behind what
the board several decades ago intended. Life dues were meant to reflect
a cost 20 times that of a one-year membership. Over the years, that
information was not passed on to later boards, and the Life Memberships
have not been raised in 13 years. Life Member dues are an investment in the GFO, placed in our Endowment Fund to help finance operations in perpetuity. Given rising expenses, the GFO Board of Directors has approved increases to both of these categories. For
one year, effective July 1, 2019, annual Individual and Student
memberships will increase $2 while Joint Memberships increase $4. On
July 1, 2019, Individual Life Member dues will increase from $750 to
$875 and Joint Life Memberships from $1,000 to $1,220. In subsequent
fiscal years they will rise again so that by 2022 they will equal 20
times an individual membership. Anyone may renew early, before July 1, to lock in this year’s lower rates.NOTE:
If you are mid-way into a standard membership and would like to become a
Life member, we will credit your life member dues with the unused
amount of what you have already paid. Life members can pay everything in
one lump sum, or spread payments out over three years.
June 12th & 26th 6:00 – 7:45 p.m. in the GFO Classroom For
the month of June, the Portland Macintosh Users Group will bring one of
our most successful events to the GFO – the PMUG Clinic. The Clinic is a
friendly place where you can bring in that Mac/iPad/iPhone that you are
having problems with for free diagnostics, as well as many other
issues. Some examples of how PMUG Clinic can help you include:
• If you have questions on one of the basic Apple software apps, you
don’t need to take a whole class to get your questions answered. • If you are having problems with your Mac/iPhone/iPad, you can bring it in for a free diagnostic.
• If you want to find the best backup system for your genealogy
archives, you can get a custom recommendation based your actual needs. No need to register, just show up during clinic hours: Bring your Mac or Apple mobile device. If you would like additional information for attending PMUG Clinic, please email us at college@pmug.org.
This week we’re offering a 1980 reprint of the 1683
History of Duchess [Dutchess] County, New York, with Illustrations and
Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers by James H. Smith. This is a soft-cover version, has library stamps, and notes from a prior owner. “Mug” books, as they are often called, are great resources for learning about a community around the turn of the century.
Often
when they are reprinted, the pages are significantly reduced in
size—but not this one! Pages measure 8.25″ by 11″, and there are 562 of
them, not counting the introductory material and an appendix naming (and
giving particulars about) contributors. This material is available
in digital form online, but if your family is from Dutchess County,
wouldn’t it be nice to have this on your bookshelf at home?
Pick it up at the GFO for $18, or we can mail it to you for $26. Contact booksales@gfo.org to get your hands on this terrific book.
Survey Results: Has DNA helped you solve any brick wall problems?
There
were 32 responses to our question, “Has DNA helped you solve any
brick-wall problems?” And the answers were split right down the middle,
with 16 answering, “Yes,” and 16 answering “No.” There were 19 written responses to our request for more information. You can read all the responses here. And six people gave us some suggestions for future surveys. We thank them and offer one of the suggestions this week.
New Survey: What do you do when you find family trees with errors?
Anyone
who’s spent any time looking at online family trees knows they often
have inaccuracies. Okay, information that is just plain wrong! An e-news reader wants to know: What do you do when you find a tree that has the wrong information about your ancestor?
Saturday, June 8th Great Lakes Region SIG 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. We welcome guest speaker Duane Funk who will discuss Quaker records and what we can learn from them. The records of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, include births, deaths, marriages, migration certificates, and detailed monthly meeting minutes. Even if you don’t have Quaker ancestors, this promises to be a fascinating look at Quaker history and research methods in general. If your ancestors were in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Ontario CANADA, or if you simply want to come hear about this fascinating topic, you are most welcome to attend. Please note that the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade is this same morning – give yourself plenty of travel time! We hope to see you there. Sunday, June 9th Library Work Party – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Family Tree Maker Users Group – 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Join other users who want to work through the 2017 Companion Guide to Family TreeMaker. Bring your laptop with 2017 version of FTM installed . If you haven’t been for a number of meetings or are new, please come 30 minutes early so we can provide you a newer version of our fake practice tree. We currently have 34 people in our practice tree.. Facilitated by Joyce Grant-Worley. FTM@gfo.org French Canada Group – 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Sharing stories of our history. Come and join this group to learn more about French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. Monday, June 10th Beginners Boot Camp 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Laurel Smith will present a day of beginning genealogy. There will be sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use, organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners. Those registered should bring a sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat. This class is currently full. If you wish to put your name on the wait list, click here. Tuesday, June 11th Board Meeting 6:10 – 8:10 p.m. Wednesday, June 12th PMUG Clinic – 6:00 – 7:45 p.m. For the month of June, the Portland Macintosh Users Group will bring one of our most successful events to the GFO – the PMUG Clinic. The Clinic is a friendly place where you can bring in that Mac/iPad/iPhone that you are having problems with for free diagnostics, as well as many other issues. PMUG is a group of users helping each other, which is what user groups are all about. We have been running these clinics for several years and enjoy offering the unique opportunity for people to access free one on one consultations with our knowledgeable experts.
We began an experiment this spring by offering late hours, until 8:00 p.m., on our first Monday of the month. These
are popular days because the GFO is free to everyone; no membership
required. Enough of you enjoyed this feature that we’re now making this
part of our regular schedule. The library’s next Free First Monday is coming right up on June 3. We hope we’ll see you. Special Note:
If you arrive after 7:00 p.m., the door to the Ford Building may be
locked. Call us at 503-963-1932 and we’ll come right up to let you in.
There are 5 seats left for our upcoming Beginners’ Boot Camp on June 10. Just a reminder that Registration closes on June 6 and we won’t be having another Boot Camp until August! This is a great way to get started in your family tree research. GFO members get in free! Join Laurel Smith at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy.
Registration now Open!Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman for a half-day of learning about how to add
historical context to your genealogical research to make it richer and
more interesting. In this workshop you will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, learn how to find the answers. ▪ Discuss how to add this new-found information to one’s family’s history. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and save $5.00!
Have you ever wanted to study at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy? Now is your chance to land a scholarship. The
Laura Prescott SLIG Scholarship covers tuition in the course of your
choice, plus six nights at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. You can be a beginner or professional, young or old but you must exhibit a passion for genealogy. The deadline is days away: June 1. Click here to learn more if you’d like to apply.
GFO still needs a Webmaster!
If you are looking for a way to volunteer, this may be the job for you! Our volunteer webmaster is leaving, and we are looking for someone to take her place. Web
design skills are not needed since our website provider has a template
we follow. We offer many indexes and resources and our site needs
updating when our volunteers finish each new project. Please contact president@gfo.org if you have any questions or wish to volunteer. Thank you.
The
Annual Business Meeting and Conference of the Genealogical Society of
Hispanic American will be held in Pueblo, Colorado, August 16-18. The
host hotel will once again be the Marriott Hotel located about five
minutes from the Rawlings Library and El Pueblo Museum where most of our
activities are planned. The discounted rate is $119 plus tax. Call
(719) 542-3200 and make sure you tell them you are with the Genealogical
Society of Hispanic America to get the discounted rate. Please go to our website for updated information .
Online registration is available thru PayPal here.
Our featured book this week is The Guidebook to Historic Germantown: Prepared for the Site & Relic Society
by Charles F. Jenkins and printed in Germantown (Philadelphia, PA) in
1902. It is inscribed on the flyleaf, “Bought at Relic Show, Germantown
Alumni Hall, June 12, 1902.”
There
are three news clippings glued to the inside covers and back flyleaf,
and one of them is about the Relic Show itself! It’s a sweet little
book, filled with illustrations, and there’s even a fold-out map. It has
a few little scuffs on the cover—but wouldn’t you, too, if you were
born in 1902? Otherwise, it is in absolutely fabulous condition. Pick it up at the GFO for $25 or have it mailed to you for $30. Contact booksales@gfo.org for more information.
Survey Results: Your DNA Experience
We
received 82 responses to our survey asking whether your DNA results
were surprising or not. There were a lot more surprises than we
expected, 35 (42.7%), while 47 (57.3%) reported ho hum results. One
participant said, “I was hoping for something more exotic, but no.” The reasons for the surprises were varied and interesting. Respondents could select more than one answer.
▪ Confirming an ancestor in question: 15.8% ▪ Ethnicities you weren’t expecting: 23.7% ▪ Unknown parentage of you or an ancestor: 23.7% ▪ Family members with unexpected parentage: 21.1% ▪ Health issues: 5.2% ▪ Other
included Y-DNA matches have not revealed anyone with the same surname;
Identified two brick wall great-grandfathers; Descendants of relatives I
was not aware of; and What I already knew. We invited participants to tell us more if they wanted to share. Click here to see all the comments.
New Survey: Has DNA testing helped you break through a Brick Wall?
Genealogists
often hit “brick walls,” a dead end in their research of a specific
ancestor. We’d like to know if DNA has helped you solve any of yours. And for those of you bored with all the DNA questions, we have a query just for you.
This week at GFO … Saturday, June 1st Virginia Group 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Pirates or Privateers – What’s in a Name? Did your ancestors have contact with pirates or privateers? If they lived anyplace along the Eastern Seaboard, from Canada through New England and the southern colonies, all the way to the Caribbean, their lives were likely affected. Trade routes and the safe exchange of goods was essential for survival, as was security in times of war – Revolutionary, 1812, and the Civil war. Join the Virginia Group to learn a little about this history and its role in the political, social, and economic development of the modern world. Did you know Sir Walter Raleigh was a privateer? Join us to explore this exciting history. 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. Sunday, June 2nd Library Work Party – Manuscripts 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Explore our manuscript, personal papers, and Bible collection while we organize, scan, and create finding aids. Drop by at the time that works for you. Questions? Send a note to manuscripts@gfo.org. Monday, June 3rd GFO Free Monday 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. GFO open for free to non-members. Wednesday, June 5th Learn and Chat 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. At Learn & Chat some of the learning comes from speakers with particular expertise but most of it comes from the sharing of experiences and knowledge of attendees who have developed methods that work for them. And if you have been doing genealogy for any length time you have likely experienced the wonderful moments of exhilaration, the successes that you then share with others and that drive you to continue researching. Unfortunately those times can be few and far between. Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jeanne Quan. DNA Q&A 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions. You may contact Lisa if you want more information. dna_qa@gfo.org
Registration now Open!Adding Historical Context: A Hands-On Approach Join
GFO’s Kate Eakman for a half-day of learning about how to add
historical context to your genealogical research to make it richer and
more interesting. But if you aren’t a historian, how do you know when
there is an opportunity for adding history to our research? In this
workshop we will: ▪ Practice identifying items, events, and topics ripe for historical research. ▪ Once the questions have been asked, we will learn how to find those answers. ▪ Finally, we will discuss how to add this new-found information to our family’s history. Kate
Eakman is a Senior Researcher and Team Lead for Legacy Tree
Genealogists and has taught a variety of classes and genealogical
presentations across the United States. She holds an MA in History from
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with additional graduate
work in history and education from Immaculata University, Lewis and
Clark College, and Seattle Pacific University. For additional
information, contact seminar@gfo.org. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Register by June 30 and pay $20.00 – a $5.00 savings!
There are only 5 seats left for our upcoming Beginners’ Boot Camp on June 10. Just a reminder that Registration closes on June 6 and we won’t be having another Boot Camp until August! This is a great way to get started in your family tree research. GFO members get in free! Join Laurel Smith at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy.
Research Session with the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon
The
Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon invites you, your family, and
friends to their upcoming June meeting, which will be a research session
providing one-on-one support to all those interested in exploring their
Jewish ancestry/family history. Bring your research materials and your
personal laptops or tablets to work on your research goals or get help
with the endless supply of genealogical websites. Even if you don’t have
specific questions, come and exchange knowledge and ideas with others
who have similar interests. Some computers with internet access will be available for those without. The
meeting is free to all participants and will be held at the Hillsdale
Public Library located at 1525 SW Sunset Boulevard Portland, OR 97239 on
Sunday, June 23rd at 10:30 a.m. Doors will be open at 10:00 a.m. with
time for conversation and sharing. Public parking is available, and the
library is easily accessible via Tri-Met bus. See the Tri-Met Interactive Map for more details. If you want a head start on your issue, please write us at jgsoregon@gmail.com in advance with your research question.
A Brief Update on the Paradise Book Drive
We’ve
had a call or two from folks who are concerned that we are gathering
books to send to a library that doesn’t want them—or will never be able
to use them. We
would like to reassure everyone that before we began this project, we
were in touch with the Paradise Genealogical Society Board of Directors.
The organization has leased a space, and the Board is dedicated to
rebuilding the library. GFO would not have undertaken this book drive
had we not been certain the books were wanted.
The
Paradise Board has been sent the list of the books that have been
collected at GFO or pledged by the Douglas County Genealogical Society.
Clark County Genealogical Society has packed at least five more boxes
full of materials not on our list. The folks in Paradise are thrilled! One
person voiced a concern about the cost to GFO and whether we are
raiding our library shelves for things to send. The GFO is not spending
any cash out of pocket, nor are we pulling books from our library to
send. The books that have been gathered are from our sales shelves
(which were really overcrowded) and from donations from folks like you. We
hope this answers any questions you may have and that you will support
us in the effort to help what was, and we hope will be again, a thriving
genealogical society. It just seems to us like the right thing to do. And it seems like a lot of you think so too. We love hearing you’re behind us!
This
week’s surplus books are the product of a massive effort from 1959 to
the 1970s by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. “Mayflower Families Through Five Generations” traces five generations of Mayflower descendants, both male and female, to Revolutionary times. This book is Volume 2 of a set. It includes descendants of the families of James Chilton, Richard More, and Thomas Rogers.
We happen to have three spare copies of this intensively researched work available. Pick up at GFO Price: $24 Delivery Price: $30 All
three of our copies are in very good condition with only a few minor
scratches in the covers and a few marks inside from prior owners. If you’d like to buy one contact booksales@gfo.org
Survey Results: Which tests have you or close relatives taken?
Last week we asked about whether you had taken an mtDNA or Y-DNA test. And we were a little surprised by the results. Fifty-seven people entered responses: 15 of 28 males who responded said they have taken a Y-DNA test; 8 of 26 males report having done an mtDNA test; 22 of 41 females have taken an mtDNA test; and 22 of 37 female respondents replied that a father or brother had taken a Y-DNA test for them.
New Survey: Your DNA Experience
We
know many of our members have taken DNA tests. Some of them have had
big surprises and some have found their results pretty ho-hum. We’re wondering what your experience has been. Please take this week’s survey to let us know.
Saturday, May 25th DNA Beginners 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. DNA Led the Way: A Y-DNA Case Study by Emily D. Aulicino Do you have Y-DNA matches for which you cannot find the common ancestor(s) even though the genealogy time frame is reasonable? Have you hunted all over the web to find the answer, but are still fighting that brick wall? Learn how several Y-DNA matches were able to find their common ancestor(s) in just one day! You can download the handout here. Lisa McCullough will present information on the new tools at Ancestry, including how to turn on the Beta Profile, how to access and use the new tools such as MyTreeTags and the New & Improved DNA Matches and ThruLines. She will also cover the new tools at MyHeritage, specifically the Chromosome Browser Triangulation, Theory of Relativity, and Auto Cluster Tools. All are welcome. Questions can be sent before the meeting to: dna@gfo.org British Interest Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Our topic will be Northern Ireland, its history and how that effects genealogical records. We will also plan next year’s meetings. Plus snacks of our ancestors! One hour of the two hour meeting is devoted to Brick Wall questions. Anyone with an interest in English/Welsh/Scottish research is welcome to join us. Questions may be directed to: Duane Funk at uk@gfo.org Sunday, May 26th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Of course there’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come! There’s lots to do, and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Monday, May 27th GFO Closed for Memorial Day
Thank You For Offering Your Genealogy Books & More!
You
warmed our hearts here at GFO with your offers of help for the
genealogy library in Paradise, California, which burned to the ground
last year. Thank you to those who reached out. One
GFO member has even offered to drive more materials to Paradise when
she goes to visit family the end of June—so please keep those donations
coming.
To help with the process, we have developed a list of books that are being donated. Here is a link to them. We would like to try to avoid duplicate books. Many
of the books on the list are part of incomplete runs of sets published
by societies in Oregon and Washington. Some of the reference books are
older editions that have been updated. Perhaps you have something that
is newer or better than what we are donating—or something that will add
more volumes to a series. We
were sadly lacking materials that focus on California, but Douglas
County Genealogy Society came to the rescue. The books they have offered
are on the list in red. We hope some of the societies located in
California will pitch in to help too. Any questions may be directed to library@gfo.org.
At
noon this Saturday, May 18, the GFO will host a remote video
presentation with two guests speaking from different locations. The
focus will introduce us to Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage. The
Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade route in which
millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the New World as part
of the Atlantic slave trade. Evelyn
Aniton McDowell, Ph.D., CPA, CGMA, is an Associate Professor of
Accounting at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She is the
founder and president of Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle
Passage, a heritage society for descendants of Africans who were
enslaved or indentured in colonial America and in the United States of
America. Through genealogical research, she has found more than 35
enslaved ancestors. LaBrenda
Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG®, CGL(SM), is the Registrar General of
SDUSMP, responsible for reviewing the sufficiency of applications. She
is also a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and a
frequent speaker at national conferences and Institutes. In 2016 she
published a guide for researching African Americans in her home county
of Laurens, South Carolina. We hope you’ll join us. All our special interest group meetings are free and open to the public. More information? Email us @ african_american@gfo.org.
GFO’s Connie Lenzen Receives National Award!
Big congratulations to our own Connie Lenzen! Last week, the National Genealogical Society named her as this year’s NGS Fellow. Fellowship
in the National Genealogical Society recognizes outstanding work in
genealogy or the related fields of history, biography, or heraldry, in
addition to outstanding service to the National Genealogical Society. Connie is a highly-regarded, contributing author to national and local genealogical publications. She won the NGS Quarterly’s
1995 Award of Excellence and is a two-time winner of the International
Society of Family History Writers and Editors Award. From 2005 to 2008,
she served as president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She
joined the NGS Board of Directors in 2004. That year, the Society was
facing financial insolvency, and its future was in question. With her
fellow board members, Connie worked tirelessly to ensure its survival.
She served on the board for six years, 2004–2010. As chair of the
Education Committee, she managed and edited the revised Home Study
Course, 2005 revision. By the time she retired from the Board, NGS was
again on firm ground. Its membership was strong, and its educational
programs were flourishing. Connie is a professional, certified genealogist and has been a member of the GFO for 45 years. We couldn’t be more proud of you, Connie! Congratulations!
PMUG College: Learn Reunion Genealogy Software
The Portland Mac Users Group returns to the GFO on Wednesday, May 22, with a lesson many GFO members could use.
Learn Reunion, the genealogy software written specifically for Macintosh computers.
The class covers: * Basics of Reunion interface * Options for printing * Attaching media files to your family * Sharing information between Mac and iOS To register: Call 503-228-1779 or email college@pmug.org Bring your Mac to participate with instruction. If you would like additional information about this class, please email us at college@pmug.org. PMUG College is free to GFO and PMUG members, $10 to non-members.
Just a reminder that there are only 12 seats left for our upcoming Beginners’ Boot Camp on June 10. It’s
a great way to get started in your family tree research. GFO members
get in free! Seats are limited so sign up online now. Registration
closes June 6. Join
Laurel Smith at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be
sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and
naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use,
organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners. Bring a
sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat.
We at the GFO have lost a good friend. George
Thomas Brown was a longtime member of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon.
George was inspired to deeply investigate the world of French-Canadian
genealogy. His research was amazing—solving 200-year-old mysteries. He
would wear his beret and red sash with gusto and pride when making
presentations. In
2016, George Thomas Brown generously donated his entire French-Canada
collection, 137 boxes of books, to the GFO. It took many months to
classify and label everything. These amazing materials made the GFO a
primary research facility for French Canada resources. Read more about
George’s long, memorable life. https://gfo.org/george-brown
Only 1 Day Left to Save $30 on Family Tree Maker Upgrade!
Judging
by the turnout we had at GFO for the Family Tree Maker Roadshow, lots
of folks have this software. So we thought we’d better pass on this
message about the upgrade: Only one day left to preorder the upgrade for $29.99 (save $30.) You must have FTM 2017 to order this discounted upgrade. Sale was posted May 14, so is scheduled to end May 17. Don’t delay! Check your email or use this link.
Survey Results: DNA #1: Autosomal Testing
Of 102 responses, 93.1% of you report having taken an autosomal DNA test. Of
those, 75 report having tested at AncestryDNA, followed by Family Tree
DNA (48), 23andme (34), My Heritage (12), and Living DNA (7).
New Survey: DNA #2
Which DNA tests have you or close relatives had done? Y-DNA is passed from father to son. mtDNA is passed from mother to a child of either gender. Click to take this week’s survey:
GPS
is a monthly support group where we help each other find information
about a family line. We will learn to do a reasonably exhaustive search
and develop research plans. The focus will shift depending on the needs
of the group. Several experienced researchers have volunteered to help.
Beginners and intermediate researchers are encouraged to submit problems
to work on. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org.
We
will have a remote presentation with two guests from the Sons and
Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, the lineage society whose
membership is available only to those whose ancestors were forcibly
brought to this country during the slave trade. Our speakers will be
Evelyn McDowell, Ph.D., the society’s president, and LaBrenda
Garrett-Nelson, a board member and also a Certified Genealogist(TM). For
more information, contact us at african_american@gfo.org.
Sunday, May 19th
Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Of
course there’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of
you who can come! There’s lots to do, and we’d love to have your help.
Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come
for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do
either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there.
Paula
is providing the group a show and tell of the separate program
“Charting Companion” that works with FTM. It is for users of Windows but
may give Mac users some ideas of alternate possibilities. With any
remaining time, we’ll be looking at: media categories and notes in
chapter 6, basic viewing of the mapping function from chapter 7, and
finding duplicate people covered in chapter 14. Join other users who
want to work through the 2017 Companion Guide to Family Tree Maker.
Bring
your laptop. Come 30 minutes earlier if you’ve never been or have
skipped sessions. You might need an update of the “fake” practice tree
we are using. Facilitated by Joyce Grant-Worley.FTM@gfo.org
Sharing
stories of our history. Come and join this group to learn more about
French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. FrCan@gfo.org
Wednesday, May 22nd
PMUG College 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Portland Mac Users Group College: Reunion genealogy software on the Mac. * Basics of the Reunion interface * Options for printing * Attaching media files to y our family * Sharing information between Mac and iOS
Big thanks to Susie and Chris for coming in last Sunday to help us sort and box hundreds of books to donate to the Paradise Genealogical Society in northern California. Paradise
lost their entire library to wildfires last year. They’ve found a new
building to rent and have decided they’d like to rebuild their
collection. It’s a daunting task; they lost everything. The GFO is in a good position to help. Here’s what we’re doing. We
spent the weekend culling out more than 550 surplus books which we’re
donating to them. Plus, we’re giving them brand new copies of all of the
GFO’s 55 publications which we print. We’d
like to challenge all the other genealogical societies on the west
coast: If you’re in a similar position to be able to help, we urge you
to do the same. If you know someone in another genealogical society, please share this with them.
The
GFO is pleased to unveil a new index to Early Oregon Wills, Probate
Intestate Estates, and Oregon Guardianship records from the first
half-century of Multnomah County, Oregon. These
records were compiled as abstracts back in the 1930s and 40s by local
members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They had never been
indexed until GFO volunteers Eileen Chamberlin and Loretta Welsh began
the task several months ago.
Many contain important information about relatives in other states and countries, and a few give small family charts. These indexes to Multnomah County Estates, Wills, and Guardianship Abstracts 1852-1901, 1904, & 1908 are available to search on the GFO website. Included in the index are names of the deceased and their heirs, and indicates if the heir was out of the state or country. If you find a record you want, you can order a copy.
Have you signed up for our next Beginners’ Boot Camp on June 10? It’s
a great way to get started in your family tree research. GFO members
get in free! Seats are limited so sign up online now. Registration
closes June 6. Join
Laurel Smith at the GFO for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be
sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and
naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use,
organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners. Bring a
sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat.
In
1838, Georgetown University sold 272 enslaved men, women, and children
to plantations in Louisiana. Thousands of descendants are alive today. American Ancestors has partnered with the GU272 Memory Project,
which seeks to document the stories, family history, and legacy of
these individuals and their descendants. Learn about GU272 genealogical
research and American Ancestors’ new website, which features a
searchable database of descendants, oral histories of descendants, and
research tools for GU272 descendants and their families. Presented by Meaghan E. H. Siekman, Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press. Thursday, May 23rd, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT
The
International German Genealogy Partnership is sending out a reminder
that Friday May 10th 2019 is the deadline for registering, updating
registration and paying for their upcoming 2019 multi-track Conference, Strike it Rich! With Connections to Discoveries, being held Saturday – Monday June 15th – 17th, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sacramento, CA. The conference schedule provides a full description of events. Additional information and registration information can be found on their online registration page.
Survey: Recent Immigrants Arrived a Century Ago
Last week a large majority of you told us your first immigrant ancestors arrived in the 1600s. This week, we asked when your most recent immigrants arrived in North America. 53.8 % say they came between 1850 & 1899 31.6 % say they came between 1900 & 1949 1.7 % say 1950 or after
New Survey: DNA #1
Autosomal DNA is inherited from both parents. Therefore, an autosomal DNA test may be taken by either a male or a female. Have you had this test done? Click to take this week’s survey:
Saturday, May 11th Great Lakes Region SIG 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Our topic is maps! Historic maps and modern mapping tools can be great ways to learn more about your family’s story. We will look at how the land in the region was divided and sold, the township system, how a map often reflects the particular culture or agenda of its creator, and the amazing Google Earth. Then be prepared for a quick Great Lakes Region trivia game before we look at our brick walls and success stories. If your ancestors were in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Ontario CANADA, or if you simply want to come hear about this fascinating topic, you are most welcome. For more information contact Lynn Rossing at GreatLakes@gfo.org Writers’ Forum 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. This is a peer group of genealogists, who meet to learn about writing and to share our writing with each other. Peggy Baldwin facilitates this group and can be reached at writers@gfo.org. Sunday, May 12th Library Closed. We will be closed all day in celebration of Mother’s Day. We will open at our regular time on Monday, May 13th. Wednesday, May 15th Learn and Chat 10:00 a.m. – noon At Learn & Chat some of the learning comes from speakers with particular expertise but most of it comes from the sharing of experiences and knowledge of attendees who have developed methods that work for them. And if you have been doing genealogy for any length time you have likely experienced the wonderful moments of exhilaration, the successes that you then share with others and that drive you to continue researching. Unfortunately those times can be few and far between. Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jean Quan and Sandy Alto. Questions? learnandchat@gfo.org. DNA Q&A 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Lisa McCullough leads a discussion on various DNA related subjects, with each meeting focused on a particular subject. General questions are welcome at the end of each planned discussion. Questions? dna_qa@gfo.org
THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition May 2, 2019 For more information visit www.gfo.org. Contact us at info@gfo.org or 503-963-1932. Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
Spring Seminar Attracts Many New Faces
We
were positively thrilled to see so many new faces at our Spring Seminar
last weekend. Thank you all for coming to hear Tony Burroughs speak
about African American genealogy. Attendees
liked Tony’s lessons so much, they didn’t want him to leave. And Tony
was happy to stay to answer their questions, long after the lectures
were done. Many people liked the new venue at the Center for Self Enhancement too. With tiered seating, there wasn’t a bad view in the house. We’d
like to extend a special thanks to those who drove down from Seattle to
attend both Saturday and Sunday’s seminars. Thank you for making the
trip!
Top: Seattle attendees meet Tony. Bottom: Tony Burroughs signs copies of his book.
Call for Help for a Burned Genealogy Library
Last fall, the “Camp Fire” wildfire swept through Northern California, burning the Paradise Genealogical Society‘s library to the ground. Look at the photo. There’s nothing left.
The Paradise Genealogical Society Library on 14 November 2018. Photo: CalFire.
We’re trying to help them get back on their feet, and we need your help to do it. The GFO is pulling surplus books galore off our sales shelves, to send to Paradise to help them reboot their library. We need to sort them to make sure we’re not sending them a bunch of duplicates. Please help us this Sunday morning, May 5, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at the GFO Library. Our weekly work party will tackle this project first, before we address any of our ongoing activities.
Free First Monday Coming … with Late Hours!
Remember,
next Monday, May 6th, the GFO Library is free to everyone. No day use
fees. Plus, this month we’re staying open late until 8:00 p.m. Come see
what we have to help you find your ancestors.
Reminder: Keep Your Private Data Private at the Library
If you use your own personal login to access a website at the GFO Library, please be sure to log off when you are done. We
don’t want someone coming to the same computer after you and
accidentally messing up your family tree information stored on a site
like Ancestry. Just
today, we found three people signed in an hour after they left the
library. Since the reminder stickers on each computer may not stand out
enough, we’re offering this reminder here as well.
The Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society 2019 Spring Workshop will feature Pam Vestal on Saturday, May 18th, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Sign-in begins at 10:00 a.m. and workshop lectures begin at 11:00 a.m. Cost of the workshop is $40.00 without lunch and $52.50 with lunch (soup, salad, roll, cookie, and beverage). Pam’s topics: ▪ Finding What You Need and Using What You Find ▪ Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors ▪ Why They Left, Where They Went, Journey Tales For more information, see the full seminar description. You can also download a registration form. Or contact Georga at 541-296-2882 or georga.foster@gmail.com
Survey Results: Many Long-Ago Immigrants
Last
week we asked you when your first known immigrant ancestor arrived in
North America. A large majority have deep roots extending back to
colonial times. ▪ 71.5 % answered 1600s. ▪ 2.8 % said they came even earlier, pre-1600. ▪ 9% said the 1700s. ▪ 15.3% said the 1800s. ▪ 1.4% said the 1900s.
New Survey: Recent Immigrant Ancestors
Last week we asked about your first ancestor to arrive in the U.S. This week we ask about your most recent immigrants.
When you shop Mother’s Day gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/93-6026015, AmazonSmile donates to Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc. In fact, you can support us all year long by using that link to shop!
This
week we’re featuring a 786-page tome documenting the early history of
Colonial Virginia. If you have Virginia roots, you may well find your
ancestors named here. This is not merely a historical description of the
times, it includes many lists of original Land Grant landowners and
plantation owners, deed by deed, complete with locations. Kegley’s Virginia Frontier, The Beginning of the Southwest, The Roanoke of Colonial Days, 1740-1783 includes maps and illustrations.
Published
by The Southwest Virginia Historical Society and written by F. B.
Kegley, this is “Copy #1203 of the Second Printing of 1938.” This
book is in good condition with immaculate pages, no marks of any kind
inside. There are a few spots on the cover and a small separation
between the back cover and the spine. Price with pick-up at GFO: $40. Price with shipping: $50. Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy it.
Please Help! We Need a Webmaster
Do you have any background in website management? Our talented volunteer webmaster is leaving, and we need someone to take her place. Web
design skills are not needed since our website provider has a template
we follow. But we do have hundreds of pages on our site since we offer
so many indexes and resources. These need updating when our volunteers
finish each project. Please contact president@gfo.org if you have any questions or wish to volunteer. Thank you.
Saturday, May 4th Virginia Group 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This month, we will begin with a discussion of Native American history in North Carolina, with an emphasis on Cherokee genealogy. Then, we will move on to general research in North Carolina using resources beyond census and vital records. We’ll use examples from personal research to look at a variety of records and where to find them.
For additional information, check out the group’s blog: Virginia Roots and Vines. You can also contact group leaders Judi Scott and Carol Currency at virginia@gfo.org German Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The speaker / die Sprecherin: Mary Ebner The topic / das Thema: “How to interpret DNA” Bring in your chart(s) to share. You might even find a relative in the group! Sunday, May 5th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. As mentioned above, we’d love to have you help us sort surplus books we plan to donate to the Paradise Genealogical Society after their devastating fire. There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Monday, May 6th GFO Free Monday 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. GFO open for free to non-members. Wednesday, May 8th PMUG College: Safe and Healthy Macs 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Essential strategies to keep your Mac safe and healthy. Free for GFO and PMUG members. For more info, see: https://www.pmug.org/blog//
Please remember that we will be closed all day as we host the GFO’s Spring Seminar offsite. We will reopen for our regular hours on Sunday, April 28th, from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tony Burroughs’ Lessons Can Apply to Everyone Tony
Burroughs is one of the top experts in African American genealogy, but
everyone, regardless of ethnic heritage, will find valuable lessons in
his seminars. Do
you have southern roots? Your ancestors may well have interacted with
African Americans and landed in records detailing both. Do you have early colonial roots? Slavery existed in the north on a wider scale than many realize. This weekend, April 27 and 28, the GFO is proud to bring Tony Burroughs to town.
Burroughs is bringing six lessons to the GFO Spring Seminar from which anyone can learn. Burroughs told Portland’s The Skanner newspaper, “People need to understand, ‘What is fundamental genealogy? What are the methods of genealogical research?'” Come learn from the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Genealogy.We have cut our usual seminar price in half for this event, thanks to generous support from The Skanner Foundation. Sign up now!
More Great Reasons to Attend Spring Seminar!
If
great genealogy lessons are not enough incentive, here are more
benefits you can get from attending this weekend’s Spring Seminar: New Members Special: 1-year membership gets 2 extra months free. 2-year membership gets 4 extra months free. Available only to attendees. Our Raffle has GREAT prizes! Here’s just some of what we have: * Roots Magic software – 2 copies * Family Tree Maker software – 2 copies * Free One-on-One Lesson in Family Tree Maker with Laurel Smith * History Geo – 3 months access – 2 subscriptions * Newspapers.com – 1 Year Access * Fold 3 – 1 Year Access * Virtual Genealogical Association – 1 Year Membership – 2 copies * GFO Membership – 1 Year * GFO Fall Seminar with Fritz Juengling – 1 Free Registration * Sons and Daughters of Oregon Pioneers – 1 Free Membership Raffle tickets cost $1 for 1 ticket or $5 for 6 tickets. Books for Sale! The GFO will have surplus books on deep discount. Heritage Quest will bring their large library of genealogy books for sale, too. Bring a little extra cash and see what you go home with!
Just For Fun Survey Results: You’ve Got Deep Oregon Roots!
We had a great response to last week’s survey and boy were we suprised! 64.3% had ancestors who arrived in Oregon before 1899. 33.3% had 4th or 5th great-grandparents who were the first to come to the state. See the breakdowns below.
New Survey: Your Immigrants
This week’s survey asks: When did your first known immigrant ancestor arrive in North America?**
The Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society is sponsoring a Spring Workshop with Pam Vestal on Saturday, May 18th, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Sign-in is at 10:00 a.m., and the workshop lectures begin at 11:00 a.m. The workshop is $40.00 without lunch and $52.50 with lunch (soup, salad, roll, cookie, and beverage). Pam’s topics: ▪ Finding What You Need and Using What You Find ▪ Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors ▪ Why They Left, Where They Went, Journey Tales For more information, see the full seminar description. You can also download a registration form. Or contact Georga at 541-296-2882 or georga.foster@gmail.com
Feature of the Week:The Book of Trinity College, Dublin, 1591-1891 Irish
researchers take heed! This surplus book was printed in 1892 in
Belfast, Ireland, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Trinity College
in Dublin. It includes illustrations of Queen Elizabeth, buildings on campus, and even a fold-out map of the college. Overall,
this book is in average condition. Its pages are in fine shape, text
and illustrations are immaculate, and are all still bound together
securely. However,
the cover is attached at the back, but not on the spine. The edges of
the cover also show wear. This is a former library book which shows
stamps inside and a library label on its spine.
The Book of Trinity College, Dublin, 1591-1891 was published by Marcus Ward & Co., Limited, Royal Ulster Works, London and New York. Our price: $25 – Pick up at GFO $35 – Shipped to you Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy this piece of Irish history.
Please Help! We Need a Webmaster
Do you have any background in website management? Our talented volunteer webmaster is leaving, and we need someone to take her place. Web
design skills are not needed since our website provider has a template
we follow. But we do have hundreds of pages on our site since we offer
so many indexes and resources. These need updating when our volunteers
finish each project. Please contact president@gfo.org if you have any questions or wish to volunteer. Thank you.
Saturday, April, 27th The GFO will be closed all day. GFO Saturday Full-Day Spring Seminar 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Featuring Tony Burroughs. Join us at the Center for Self Enhancement (SEI), 3920 N Kerby Ave, Portland, OR 97227, USA. Registration Required. Sunday, April, 28th GFO Sunday Half-Day Spring Seminar 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Featuring Tony Burroughs. This half-day will be held at the GFO. Registration Required. The GFO will be open for it’s regular hours 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May, 1st Learn and Chat 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. At Learn & Chat some of the learning comes from speakers with particular expertise but most of it comes from the sharing of experiences and knowledge of attendees who have developed methods that work for them. And if you have been doing genealogy for any length time, you have likely experienced the wonderful moments of exhilaration, the successes that you then share with others and that drive you to continue researching. Unfortunately those times can be few and far between. Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jeanne Quan. DNA Q&A 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more complicated inquiries. Questions? dna_qa@gfo.org Open Late until 8:00 p.m.
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