| What happens when a library is closed? We are happy to say that many things are happening during this COVID-19 Closure. The library has been thoroughly cleaned, we have added a new computer to the back office and replaced our oldest, very slow computer with the one from the office. Our Office Manager is still picking up the mail from the Post Office so that we can process your inquiries, memberships and donations from the Nourish Our Roots Campaign. On the tech side, we have held our first online Board Meeting with amazing success. Our Tech Manager and our Web Manager have worked closely to get our online Forum and the Ancestry Remote Login up and running for our MEMBERS. Closely here is OK because one is in Sumner and the other is in Montana! Our Collections Manager is still working on cataloging our microfilm so that we can add it to our database. We have our Education Manager working on procuring classes for us when we re-open. All in all, even though we are at home like all of you, we are busy keeping things running. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE! Ancestry Remote Login and Forums As a current member of Heritage Quest Research Library you have access to our FORUMS page and the ANCESTRY REMOTE LOGIN. Currently the Forum topics range from “What are you doing during the Pandemic?” to “What you would like to see on the website and/or in the “library” and “What classes would you like to see?” Please note that this is not available to the general public and you must be a member in good standing to participate. |
Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., the 
The 
How often have you considered sharing a copy of your weekly GFO E-News? We would like to make it easier for you to do just that. Take a look on the bottom of the banner of this newsletter. There is now a link which will enable you to access an easy to read copy of each week’s GFO E-News in PDF format. You can use it to archive a copy for your personal files, or you can share our content and send the link to your friends, to your colleagues, share it to your organization’s newsletter, or to your personal blog.
GFO member Sheila has asked us to identify the parents of her 2nd great grandfather, Austin Baldwin, born 1810, in either Canada or New York. Ordinarily, border crossing records would help us sort out the family, but prior to April 1908, people were able to move freely across the U.S. border to Canada and back, and typically no record of immigration exists. Join the 
Join the 
A very kind GFO member wrote to us last week wondering if 
Feeling overwhelmed? Perhaps you’ve considered hiring a professional genealogist to help. 
We have an official ballot now for this year’s GFO Board election. Vince Patton is running for re-election as president. Alexa Waddle is running for secretary. Joyce Grant-Worley seeks re-election as a Director at Large. And Geoff Smith has offered to serve again on our Endowment Committee. While voting on a GFO election may not seem like a top priority right now, our bylaws require that the election be held. We are attempting to follow our bylaws despite the difficult circumstances. Only active GFO members are eligible to vote. 
You have two weeks left to send us your GFO Hall of Fame Nominations! Any GFO member may nominate another member by May 1. Nominees must have a well-documented history of service, leadership, and accomplishment in more than one facet of the GFO, over a long period of time.
Since we are unable at this time to process new books and new digital content for the GFO Library, we will be temporarily suspending our “What’s New” weekly feature. In this time of physical distancing and responsible sheltering in place, we will instead share online resources so that you can reach out and connect as well as continue to learn and build on your genealogy skills from home.
Here is a good site to save in your bookmarks. Tami and 
Legacy Tree Genealogists has some great suggestions on their page, 
• I always wanted recipes from my relatives. Yesterday, I found 3 from my maternal grandmother (d.1953) that were published in a fundraising cookbook. They were submitted by her sister in 1914 and 1920. Can’t wait to try them.
• I am working on school records in Columbia and Washington Counties, Oregon. The U.S. federal census records often record if a person (child) was attending school during that year and/or if they were teaching. The school records are from 1871 to 1889. It is interesting to look back in time at a community and how it evolved. Such records may be buried at local repositories.
We’re all in this together. And we can help each other get through it. GFO is providing the resources for you to connect with the Special Interest Groups, we send you the weekly eNews, and we’re brainstorming other ways to help our members stay connected. We’re looking for feedback and for other ideas that we may not have considered. Please, take our survey now.
GFO’s Library Committee had a virtual meeting that cheered everyone up. Library Chair Laurel Smith said it felt very healing to finally see and talk with each other again. I couldn’t agree more. The GFO will have some more virtual special interest group meetings and you’ll get advance notice of them here. I hope you’ll take part and find them as valuable as I have.. We got a bit of good financial news in the last week. Ancestry and Fold3 have agreed to suspend our pricey contracts for as long as the library is closed. They’ll extend our subscription by an equivalent number of months. If you’re a member, 
We might as well make the best of being stuck at home. What a great time to learn new genealogy skills! (Some of you already have. Please see the survey results below.) The genealogy conference website 
Wondering how you can support preserving our history while stuck at home? Here’s any easy way that doesn’t cost you any extra. Please register your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to link it with the Genealogical Forum of Oregon.
I watched 
I learned some tricks for searching for the women in my lines from a webinar from the 
Most of us are stuck at home, and most of those we’ve heard from tell us they are doing more genealogy than normal. We can all use a little inspiration, so, this week, we’d like you to tell us about a discovery you’ve made recently. Please share via our survey.
