THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
16 August 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for August 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***

Eclipse Library Closure

Due to anticipated traffic and nearby events, the GFO Library will be closed from 9:30am until 1pm on Monday, August 21st.
See you on the other side of the sun!
Continue reading →

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
9 August 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for August 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
GFO’s Upcoming DNA Speakers in the News!

Subjects of a recent Washington Post article, featured also on the front page of The Oregonian’s Living section are coming soon to the GFO!

She thought she was Irish until…. This recent news article recounts the wonderful true story of how Alice Collins Plebuch’s family research encountered a stunning breakthrough using DNA test results. And both Alice and the genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore, who helped her solve her 100-year-old family mystery are both coming soon to the GFO!
Sept 16th – GenTalk (free)

Come out to GFO’s free and open to the public GenTalk next month to hear Alice Collins Plebuch’s story firsthand!

WHAT? SWITCHED AT BIRTH – Unraveling a Century-Old Mystery with DNA
WHO? speaker Alice Collins Plebuch
WHERE? at the GFO Library (map)
WHEN? Saturday, Sept 16th, 2 – 4pm
Oct 14th & 15th – Fall Seminar with CeCe Moore

Come out to the GFO this fall and learn from the same DNA expert who helped Alice find her true ancestral line.

WHAT? Genetic Genealogy
WHO? speaker CeCe Moore
WHERE? Saturday at the Milwaukie Center (map) & Sunday at the GFO (map)
WHEN? Saturday, Oct 14th, 10am – 4:30pm, and Sunday, Oct 15th, 9:30am – noon
HOW? Click HERE to sign up for one or both days.
***
Call for More Volunteer Superheroes! Save the Bulletin!

The GFO’s quarterly publication, the Bulletin, needs your help!

We’re searching for two to three very special volunteers to help with layout duties (about 50 hours total per quarter) for the Bulletin. Our Bulletin is published in September, December, March, and June each year, featuring about 40 to 50 pages each issue jam packed with genealogical tips, brick-wall breakthrough stories, highlights from our library’s collections, Bible transcriptions, book reviews, and much much more.

Our current layout specialist volunteer, who is likely shortly retiring from his Bulletin duties, has been utilizing InDesign software to do the Bulletin layouts, but we’re open to other methods and softwares that will also prove to do the trick!

If you’re interested in or are already an expert of graphic design, or even if you’d like to learn something new to contribute to the GFO community, please email bulletin@gfo.org today!
Without a layout specialist volunteer, we won’t be able to continue the Bulletin publications! Don’t let this happen on YOUR watch!
***
Beginners’ Boot Camp!?! Only with less wooden ducks.
RSVP Me Now!

Better lace up quick!

August 12th at the GFO from 9:30am to 5:00pm

Join Laurel Smith for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be classes 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.

GFO members may attend for free, non-members $20 at the door.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, but it is not required.
Please let us know if you plan to attend by sending a message to RSVP@gfo.org. The handouts will be emailed in advance.
***
Mexican Special Interest Group This Friday at 11:30am!

Researching Mexican ancestry within the regions of Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and even farther south!

The group meets the second Friday of every month from 11:30am to 1:30pm in the multi-purpose area at the back of the library. Please check the GFO calendar for updates and more information.

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 very welcome. Some subjects will include online parish records, Hispanic genealogy societies, Family History Library/FamilySearch.org. Ancestry.com, solving genealogical problems, the methodology of organizing your research, etc. Of course, this group will also be about sharing our research experiences and having fun.

If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about the group. They don’t have to be a GFO member to participate.

The Facilitator is Vincent Ramirez. For questions or comments, please email Vince today!

Like all our SIG’s this group is free to join whenever you have time! And psst! It’s at the GFO!
***

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11th

Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30am – 1:30pm

As noted just above, come on out this Friday for this monthly SIG meeting to learn all about your Hispanic ancestry and how to research this part of your heritage. Hope to see you there. Remember, this is a free group, so ANYONE can literally just come and join the discussion!
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th

Beginners’ Boot Camp! 9:30am – 5pm

Join our fearless president, Laurel Smith, for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be classes 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.

GFO members may attend for free, non-members $20 at the door. RSVP@gfo.org before it’s too late.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13th

Library Work Party Party Party!!! 9:30am – noon

Come on in and help out. We’re currently labeling books for all the counties in Oregon and we can use all the help we can get! The Maps Work Party, which usually meets on this date, will resume in September.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16th

DNA Q&A 1 – 3pm

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. This and all our Special Interest Groups are FREE to the public!

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
2 August 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

GFO Calendar

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for August 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
1/2 Day Workshop! Avoid genealogical pitfalls…

Tips and Tricks: Finding What Your Need and Making the Most of What You Find

WHEN: Saturday, Aug 5th, 9:30am – noon
WHERE: GFO’s Multi-Purpose Room (map)
WHO: Pam Vestal, professional genealogist and lecturer
WHAT: As they say, borrow from the good, steal from the best! In this half-day workshop, you’ll learn from Pam, who is certainly one of the BEST, how to avoid popular pitfalls in genealogical research.
Click HERE to register now!
***
Join GFO President for a Beginners’ Boot Camp
RSVP Me Now!

Better lace up quick!

August 12th at the GFO from 9:30 to 5:00

Join Laurel Smith for a day of beginning genealogy. There will be classes 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.

GFO members may attend for free, non-members $20 at the door.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, but it is not required.
Please let us know if you plan to attend by sending a message to RSVP@gfo.org. The handouts will be emailed in advance.
***
Are YOU a friend of the GFO? Would you like to be??

Okay, so first of all, bet you’re wonderin’ what the heck does “Friends of GFO” even mean?
It’s GFO’s new monthly giving program!

Folks can easily sign up via GFO’s website to give as little as $10 a month in recurring monthly donations to support GFO’s operations. These days, that’s about the cost of a sandwich or a morning pastry and a cup o’ joe. And that annual donation of $120 could pay for just over half of GFO’s yearly bulk mail permit, or about 15% of GFO’s yearly telephone bill. These kinds of operating expenses would be covered by these Friends donations.
Why?

Because, while GFO does a great deal with few resources – thanks in large part to a devoted group of volunteers, no paid staff and our generous donors – GFO can find it hard to make ends meet. Some months GFO operates in the red, and the unpredictable cash flow can cause some anxiety! Did you know that membership dues cover only about 26% of GFO’s annual budget expenses? Or, that GFO’s expenses have risen about 10% year-over-year? Having a steady source of some additional income to help smooth out dips and shorten dry spells will help GFO to remain strong and viable into the future.

Won’t you please join the Friends of GFO today? Simply go to: www.gfo.org/support-us/donate/give-now.html and click on the Friends of GFO link to safely and securely register.
And, as always, thank you very much for your generous support!
***
Fall Seminar Pricing Corrections, with our apologies!

Paper vs Digital?

We recently noticed the paper & printable PDF flyer registration forms, along with those recently sent out in our Insider publication, have the incorrect prices listed for the Sunday Workshop (October 15th) part of this fall’s seminar event.
Please NOTE: Any paper registrations already processed or postmarked by today’s date will be honored at the prices listed on the forms.

The correct prices are listed on our website HERE as follows:
▪ Early Registration (by September 16th) for Members = $25.00
▪ Early Registration (by September 16th) for Non-Members = $30.00
▪ Registration (after September 16th) for Members = $30.00
▪ Registration (after September 16th) for Non-Members = $35.00
Thank you for all your understanding and for jumping on the early sign-up!
***
This Week at the GFO…

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5th

Half-Day Workshop: Tips & Tricks 9:30am – noon

With so much information available to us today, it can be hard to know how to find what we’re looking for, or how to take full advantage of it after we’ve found it. Discover an assortment of techniques that can help you search the internet more successfully, extract those useful genealogical nuggets from your documents, and evaluate your evidence. We’ll explore tools for locating overlooked records, understanding codes in documents, recovering missing websites, finding evidence of name changes, and much more.

Genealogy is a great treasure hunt, but sometimes the clues are easy to misunderstand, or to miss altogether. We’€™ll look at eight pitfalls that can get us into trouble, and discuss strategies for dodging these traps so they won’€™t keep you from reaching your goals. Presenter: Pam Vestal. Register HERE!

German Interest Group 1 – 3pm

Speakers: Carole Linneman and Nanci Remington
Topic: Traveling to Germany to visit ancestral hometowns. Carole and Nanci will talk about their recent trip to Germany with Family Tree Tours – a company focused on genealogy travel. They will share what they did to prepare for the trip, talk about the support from the tour operators and show photos of their wonderful home town visits.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 6th

Manuscripts Work Party 9am – noon

Explore our manuscript, personal papers, and Bible collection while we organize, scan and create finding aids. Drop at the time that works for you between 9am and noon on the first Sunday of every month. Questions? Email us at manuscripts@gfo.org.
MONDAY, AUGUST 7th

Free First Monday!! 9:30am – 5pm

Don’t forget to tell everyone you know, and we mean EVERYONE! Every single first Monday of every single month (alright, alright…except holidays) the GFO Library is FREE to non-members. Come out to see what we’ve got in both our analog collections and to take advantage of our online database subscriptions, like HistoryGeo, Library World Edition of Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.com to name just a few.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8th

Photoshop Elements 1:30 – 2:30pm

Change of date: The Photoshop Elements Special Interest Group is changing our meeting day. By popular demand, beginning in August we will move from the 2nd Wednesday to the 2nd Tuesday of the month. The time of 1:30 pm will remain the same.

For our August meeting we will review some methods of repairing old photos including how to remove a person or object from a picture. We will also learn how to place that person or object into another picture.

If you are new to this group, don’t worry! We’ll get you up to speed as we review beginning steps to help you get started. This and all our Special Interest Groups are FREE to the public!

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
26 July 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for July 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***

GFO’s Book Sales Team Dilemma

We need your help!!

Continue reading →

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
19 July 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for July 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***

GFO’s July Star – Judith Leppert

Judith has worn many hats at the GFO and she is still wearing a few of them. (Thank goodness!) She has:
* Moved every book in the library at least four times,
* Served as Director at Large for the past four years,
* Sent cards to members who were ill or had lost a family member,
* Served as GFO Tour Coordinator,
* Coordinated the Treasures Raffle at our seminars,
* Acted as GFO hostess for Open House and other events,
* Taught classes for the Open House,
* Contributes articles for the Bulletin,
* Reviews donated books for the library committee,
* Spends many hours volunteering as an RA,
* Prepared and conducts a training program for new RAs.

She is also our “resident” singer. Many of your contributions will be missed, we’re grateful for the things you will continue doing, and we want to say: THANK YOU JUDITH!
Continue reading →

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Wednesday Evening

E-News

12 July 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for July 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).

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

***

WE’RE REBOOTED!!! Thank you all for your donations!

***

Calling All Volunteers! Calling All Volunteers!!

Library Office Revitalization Party – This Sunday!

We need strong and agile bodies to please please please help us reorganize the east wall of the GFO Library Office.

If you’re unafraid of climbing ladders or of lifting boxes and old equipment around, please email Laurel Smith at president@gfo.org, or feel free to stop by when you can. We’ll be working on this project and on labeling the rest of the Oregon section of books in the library.

We’ll be working away from 9am to noon! Hope to see you there! You know you want to!!

***

The Problem Solvers Special Interest Group (SIG) is cancelled for this month.

But why?!

Because no one has given the group a problem to work on. What a shame!

Three genealogy experts willing to help you with your own personal research problem–all for free–and no one has asked for help!

Have you hit a brick wall in your family tree research?

Get help from our Problem Solvers Group today! Send your problem to gps@gfo.org and a team member will contact you.

***

Just a few spots left for the Half-Day Workshop, Saturday, Aug 5th

Tips and Tricks: Finding What Your Need and Making the Most of What You Find

WHEN: Saturday, Aug 5th, 9:30am – noon
WHERE: GFO’s Multi-Purpose Room (map)
WHO: Pam Vestal, professional genealogist and lecturer
WHAT: As they say, borrow from the good, steal from the best! In this half-day workshop, you’ll learn from Pam, who is certainly one of the BEST, how to avoid popular pitfalls in genealogical research.

Click HERE to register now!

Don’t miss out! Sign up today!!

***

Book Reviewers Needed….

Below is a list of what’s on deck this month. If you’d like to read and review any of these, we’d be ecstatic!

1. KEMP, Thomas Jay. INTERNATIONAL VITAL RECORDS HANDBOOKS (Births, Marriages, Deaths. Application forms and ordering information for the vital records you need for driver’s licenses, passports, jobs, Social Security, proof of identity, etc.)

2. Mitchell, Brian. THE TOP 300 SURNAMES OF DERRY-LONDONDERRY.

3. Murray, Sonia Bennett. THEY CAME TO BELIZE (1750-1810). Complied from Records of Janaica, the Mosquito Shore and Belize at the British and Belize National Archives)

4. Ports, Michael A. GEORGIA GENEALOGY RESEARCH. Genealogy at a Glance.

5. QUICK SHEET, CITING ONLINE HISTORICAL RESOURCES. Evidence Style.

6. QUICK SHEET. CITING ANCESTRY.COM DATABASES & IMAGES. Evidence Style.

Anyone interested in reviewing one of these books, please either contact Joan or come by the GFO to pick up their book-of-choice from the bookshelf between the two offices and fill out the clipboard form. There is also a book review form on the shelf that can be used. For further information, please contact Joan Galles at bulletin@gfo.com.

If you’re currently reviewing a book, please let Joan know how it’s going and if you have questions!

***

Publishing Chair & Mail Labeling Assistant Needed

We’re still looking for someone to assist our Publishing Chair with attaching address labels on our quarterly Bulletin, and folding our Insider publications eight times a year for mailing. This work is generally scheduled on the third Wednesday of the month, but times may be adjusted depending on the printing schedule.

Thank you for all you do for the GFO! Contact publisher@gfo.org to sign up.

***

This Week at the GFO…

FRIDAY, JULY 14th

Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30am – 1:30pm

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 very welcome. Some subjects will include online parish records, Hispanic genealogy societies, Family History Library, FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, solving genealogical problems, methodology of organizing your research, and so much more! Of course this group will also be about sharing our research experiences, and having fun.

If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about the up and coming group. The group is free and open to the public! For questions or comments, please email Vince at sw@gfo.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 15th

Illinois Interest Group noon – 2pm

Ciao to everyone interested in Italian genealogy research. This is a great opportunity to learn, share, and enjoy others with a common interest. Italian genealogy research in the Portland area now has a home. Come join our group. Facilitated by Keith Pyeatt.

SUNDAY, JULY 16th

Library Work Party 9am – noon

There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come, and we’re pullin’ out all the stops and need your help reorganizing the Library Office space! There will also be lots of labeling 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 and you’re welcome to do the same. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there!

Family Tree Maker for Beginners 1 – 3pm

This is a beginning class for Family Tree Maker users and for those considering a purchase. It will be repeated quarterly.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19th

DNA Q&A 1 – 3pm

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.

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
5 July 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for May 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
Half-Day Workshop, Aug 5th! Don’t forget to sign up!

Tips and Tricks: Finding What Your Need and Making the Most of What You Find

WHEN: Saturday, Aug 5th, 9:30am – noon
WHERE: GFO’s Multi-Purpose Room (map)
WHO: Pam Vestal, professional genealogist and lecturer
WHAT: As they say, borrow from the good, steal from the best! In this half-day workshop, you’ll learn from Pam, who is certainly one of the BEST, how to avoid popular pitfalls in genealogical research.

Continue reading →

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
28 June 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for May 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership??We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
Click here to Reboot!

The items in the photo are a Southwest Technical Products 6800 computer with 36k of memory, dual mini floppies, a Hazeltine 1500 video terminal, and a Trendata1000 Selectric terminal. The small box on the disk drive is my homebrew 300 baud modem.

Continue reading →

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
21 June 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for May 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
We Still Need Everyone’s Help in this Ongoing Search!!

Click HERE for the latest and greatest as far as the updates we’re getting in on this community-based effort. We don’t want ANYONE’s research time or efforts wasted. Check HERE to make sure you’re not duplicating your efforts!
Latest & Greatest RLGraham Research Updates
***

GFO’s June 2017 Star – Jackie Olson

Jackie Olson stepped up to help several years ago when the previous Forum Insider editor resigned. She consistently produces an attractive publication filled with interesting content. The Insider’s publication timeline is tight, and many times she receives information at the last minute, and she is always adaptable to making last minute adjustments to the publication before printing. She attends the Board of Director’s meetings in order to become aware of current information so she can keep our readers informed.
Thanks, Jackie!!
***

Wow! It’s Portland in the 40’s!!

The Oregonian/OregonLive is producing a book focused on Portland in the 1940s.

Portland Memories II: The War Years will feature nostalgic images of Portland including street scenes, education, celebrations, and commerce and will also showcase Portland’s role in the war effort as well as the rise and fall of Vanport.

You are being asked to participate. If you have photos that meet our guidelines, please bring them to one of the planned scanning sessions. For guidelines and scanning schedule click HERE.
***
How do you Save Memories? A Historic Preservation Conversation – Gresham City Hall

Memories surround us in the historic landmarks and architecture of Gresham’s houses and buildings.

Reflecting back, moving forward

Hear about Gresham’s historic places and local projects, what Oregonians are saying about historic properties, and what’s happening around the state.

Includes open panel discussion, short lectures, refreshments and raffle.

Hosted by the City’s Historic Resources Subcommittee. The GFO will be on the agenda as part of the panel discussion for this event! Come out and learn all about preserving the landscapes we live in.
This event is open to the general public including students, seniors, professionals, organizations and agencies.
RSVP
***
This Week at the GFO…

SATURDAY, JUNE 24th

Italian Interest Group noon – 2pm

Ciao to everyone interested in Italian genealogy research. This is a great opportunity to learn, share, and enjoy others with a common interest. Italian genealogy research in the Portland area now has a home. Come join our group. Facilitated by Keith Pyeatt.
SUNDAY, JUNE 25th

Library Work Party 9am – noon

There’s€™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 and you’€™re welcome to do the same. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there!!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28th

Cataloging Meeting 1 – 3pm

GFO library cataloging volunteers will get together to discuss our processes and progress on the recataloging project. Anyone interested in cataloging for GFO is welcome to attend but must RSVP in advance to president@gfo.org.