Twin Rivers Genealogical Society Spring Seminar
Tuesday Trivia
Ever attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City? Or ever thought about it? In a nutshell:
RootsTech is a global family history event where people of all ages learn to discover, share and celebrate their family connections across generations through technology. At RootsTech, there is something for everyone, no matter your experience in family history or your skill level in technology.
Family history enthusiasts attended more than 200 breakout sessions throughout the four-day conference. Other RootsTech activities included more than 200 displays in the expansive exhibition hall.
The genealogy learning at RootsTech cannot be matched by any other conference anywhere and anytime. The vendors’ hall brings anybody with anything to offer genealogists together in one place so one can ask questions and evaluate if you want that particular product. Or not.
F.Y.I. RootsTech 2020 will be 26-29 Feb; 2021 will be 3-6 Feb; 2022 will be 9-12 Mar; and 2023 will be 1-4 March.
Wouldn’t you like to come?? Click to www.rootstech.org for all the needed information.
German Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society
The German Interest Group of The Eastside GenealogicalSociety (EGS) will meet on Friday, April 5, 2019, from 1 to 3 pm in the Primary Room of the Latter-day Saints Church at 10675 NE 20th St, Bellevue, WA 98004 with doors opening at 12:45 pm for networking. Enter through the double wooden doors on the right side of the Chapel. Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.
Topic: “Google Tools for German Research” – Google is known for general web searching. It has several additional features specifically helpful for German Research, e.g. searching images, maps, online books, YouTube videos and translation tools unfamiliar to many of us. If you have a certificate from a foreign country, Google can help translate it. If you want to read a newspaper from the last century, check Google for availability. Can’t find where you ancestor lived? Google maps will help locate the place and can show what it looks like today. Want to read county histories or a biography of an ancestor? Check Google books. Google tools beyond basic search can make the life of genealogists easier and more interesting.
Presenter: Janet Camarata is a genealogical seminar presenter, educator and trainer in genealogy societies, libraries, retirement centers and senior centers across Washington and supported genealogy by volunteering in a variety of ways – presenter, educator, newsletter editor, program coordinator, publicity and past-president of South King County Genealogical Society (SKCGS). She is also an instructor of a year-long, 6-week series of classes, “Genealogy: Discovering Your Ancestors” at Pierce College and Puget Sound Genealogical Society that addresses both topics – genealogy and technology support research in today’s world. Janet is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a graduate of the University of Washington Genealogy and Family History program, and a master’s degree from Antioch University.
For more information about our Group, kindly visit our website at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/ .
Tri-City Genealogical Society March Meeting
After having to cancel last month’s TCGS meeting due to the weather, the forecast for this Wednesday’s March meeting calls for sunshine all day! Please come for a special open house tour of the Richland Family History Center.
Hope you can join us!
Linda Stephens, TCGS Editor
Tri-City Genealogical Society
Family History Center Open House
Wednesday – 13 March 2019
7:00 PM
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society April Meeting
Upcoming educational program we are offering on Saturday, April 13, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in partnership with Skagit Valley Genealogical Society. The topic of the program is “Evernote for Genealogists” and will be presented by Janet O’Connor-Camarata. This event is free and open to the public. I’ve attached a flyer with more information. Please feel free to forward or post on any wall you wish! We appreciate your help in getting the word out, because we would like as many people as possible to benefit from our programs.
Please contact me with any questions or feedback. Thank you for helping us spread the word about these free and valuable community resources.
Hope to see you there!
Kathleen Headden, Reference Librarian
Burlington Public Library
820 E. Washington Ave.
Burlington, WA 98233
360-755-0760, ext. 7906
Monday Mystery
Big question today: Were our ancestors smarter than we are?
Not talking about intelligence, but just plain ole smarts.
Reason I ask: Just got back from a trip involving air travel. Day after I got back I read this in my Sunday paper that the TSA folks just shared that 4,239 firearms were found in carry-on bags coming through airport checkpoints in the U.S. last year, an increase of about 7% over the number found in 2017. And nearly 9 out of every 10 of those firearms were loaded and more than a third had a round chambered!!!
Factoids like that do make me wonder. Yah, our ancestors went over Niagara Falls in barrels but that never hurt anybody but them.
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, March 15, 2019, at the Bainbridge Island Public Library on Bainbridge Island, 1270 Madison Ave, from 10:00a.m. – 12 noon. The topic for the Monthly BIGS Meeting will be “Preserve and Digitize Over-sized Items” The presenters are Mary Hammer and Maggie Cogswell, Preservation and Imaging Experts from the Washington State Archives. This program offers a special opportunity to learn from the professional experts. Parking is available in the 2 library parking facilities, accessed from High School Ave and Madison Ave North. Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers. For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org or call 206-755-9283. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
Sue ElfvingBainbridge Island Genealogical SocietyDirector of Publicity and Public Relations
Genealogical Forum’s Thursday E-News
| THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition March 07, 2019 |
| Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! |
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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 During inclement weather this winter, please be sure to check our Facebook Page, website, or local TV & Newspaper closure web pages to see if we’re open! Or, call the library at 503-963-1932 to insure someone is here. |
| 2nd Beginning Genealogy Class Added! Sign Up Now |
| Our Beginning Genealogy class on March 24th filled up so quickly (and so did the wait list) that we’ve decided to add an additional opportunity to attend—on March 22nd—the day before GFO’s Open House officially begins. Those of you who are registered for March 24th are welcome to change days if Friday would be more convenient to your schedule. We recommend you register for March 22nd first, then cancel your registration on the 24th to open the space to other attendees. Registration closes on March 19th at 11:59 p.m. (23.59 on the 24 hour clock!). After registration closes, please notify Laurel if you cannot attend so someone on the Wait List can be added. |
| Register, change, or cancel your registration |
| Notify Laurel if you can’t attend |
| African American Group Has New Meeting Time |
| GFO’s African American ancestry group is moving its meetings to a new time slot. Look for them on the third Saturday of each month from Noon to 2 p.m. We welcome everyone who might have African American ancestry themselves or whose ancestors’ lives intersected with Black Americans. All our special interest group meetings are free and open to the public at the GFO Library. |
| Storm Forces GFO Member to Live Like Her Ancestors |
| Heavy snow crushed a building on Debra Koehler’s farm. Photo: Debra Koehler. A strong winter storm in Oregon’s southern coast range has forced GFO member Debra Koehler to live like her pioneer ancestors. Debra lives on a farm in near Elkton where she’s likely to be without power for a full month. Heavy snows toppled many large trees causing damage so severe to electric lines that the local co-op says it has to rebuild entire sections on remote hillsides. After eight days without power, Debra and her neighbors landed on the news and the Oregon National Guard responded with additional resources. Debra says it’s like living in the 1920s. She told KGW-TV, “You develop a huge respect for the pioneer ancestors who got through entire winters you know, I’m hoping to get through three weeks without power they got through entire winters.” Access the full story here. Our hearts go out to Debra and all her neighbors. |
| Big Turnout for Family Tree Maker |
| We’d like to thank everyone who came to the library to make two Family Tree Maker presentations a tremendous success! On March 6, more than 100 people turned out to hear from the folks behind this popular software. We even got some sneak peeks of features coming in the future. Family Tree Maker graciously offered a few copies of their software to us to give away. Look for those at the raffle table at the Spring Seminar on April 27! Also, don’t forget that the GFO has two Family Tree Maker special interest groups that meet regularly. |
| Roots Magazine now at GFO |
| GFO will now have the Irish Roots magazine available at our library for the next two years courtesy of the Irish Special Interest Group (SIG). The group took up a collection recently specifically to make this wonderful donation. GFO’s library now has a full 24-month subscription to the Irish Roots magazine. Thank you to the members of the Irish SIG for their generous donation! |
| Office Depot Rewards Program Ends for GFO |
| It is with great reluctance we must end the practice of GFO members giving their Office Depot Rewards benefits to the GFO. In the past, you could give our phone number to make sure we got credit for your purchase. Unfortunately, Office Depot trained all their employees to then look at the account and offer dollars accrued to be used on the spot. As a result, a number of GFO members inadvertently spent our dollars on their personal purchases. Since Office Depot has no way to change the design of their program, we are discontinuing this program which has provided benefits to us in the past. |
| RootsQuest 2019 in Forest Grove |
| Clarification Notice… We confirmed from this event’s leaders that no registration is needed to attend. They also do not have a website this year for the event. Questions? Please email rootsquest@solidbluecircle.com. |
| Come to the GFO table this St. Patrick’s Day! |
| All the details about Portland’s 78th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration can be found at their website. Be sure to visit the GFO table at this event. We’d love to meet and chat with you about all things Irish! |
| Surplus Book of the Week Dates Back to 1902 |
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This week the GFO Bookstore features The Official Records of the Oregon Volunteers in the Spanish War and Philippine Insurrection. This original 1902 book was compiled by Brigadier-General C.U. Gantenbein. It is in good condition for its age, though the title page shows separation from the binding. Sale price: $30. Contact booksales@gfo.org if you’d like to buy it. |
| And the Survey Says… |
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Last week’s survey asked What was your favorite article in the March 2019 Bulletin. 50% of respondents selected Tracing the Andrew Göltl and Mary Kögel Family as their favorite article in the March Bulletin. Don’t miss out. Read the Bulletin and you can still respond to the reader survey. |
| Take the Survey Now! |
| This week at GFO … FRIDAY, March 8th Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 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. If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about the up and coming group. They don’t have to be a GFO member to participate. For questions or comments, please email Vince at sw@gfo.org. SATURDAY, March 9th Great Lakes Region 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. We all learned about the Erie Canal back in 6th grade. But what do we know about how it affected the experiences of our Great Lakes Region ancestors? The Canal enticed immigrants, settlers, and workers with the promise of better lives, and interestingly, it transported more than just people and goods. We will also take a quick look at some lesser-known ways to use the Family Search website and have time to share our genealogy 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 just want to hear about this interesting time in US history, you are most welcome. Interest in the Great Lakes Region can be broad and diverse, as some ancestors settled and remained there for generations, while others spent a short time there before moving on. The group’s interests include migration, travel, trade, historical events, and research techniques specific to the area. For more information contact Lynn Rossing at GreatLakes@gfo.org. Writers’ Forum 1 – 3 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 writers@gfo.org. SUNDAY, March 10th Library Work Party 9 a.m. – noon 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. TUESDAY, March 12th GFO Board Meeting 6:10 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. WEDNESDAY, March 13th Library Open Late Until 8 p.m. PMUG College: Photo Management 6 – 8 p.m. Photo management on the iPad, iTouch, and iPhone. We will examine apps that make editing your photos in iOS a breeze. Many of these are free, including Apple’s versatile Photos program. Also explore apps that are recommended by PMUG members and other consultants. Why dig through the App Store for useful apps when you can choose from our tried and true recommendations. Come join the Portland Mac Users Group for this PMUG College class. Free to GFO and PMUG members. To register: Call 503-228-1779 or email: college@pmug.org. |
Friday Serendipity
Diane Southard has a way of teaching and explaining difficult things with ease. At least to my eyes and ears. By way of a live webinar, she gave the presentation at the January 2019 meeting of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society on the topic of DNA. While I understand very little about the math of deep-DNA-digging, I can grasp some simpler concepts.
One thing she said quite clearly was that “autosomal DNA works best only six generations back or closer. If your target is beyond six generations, try the other DNA tests.”
Diane taught us a bit about using Match Lists. “Your genetic relationship may not match your genealogical relationships.” Translation: You may not really be related to those grandparents, etc.
“You must really evaluate the online posted pedigrees and remember the further back you go, especially beyond 4-6 generations, the DNA connections are less.” Translation: You really don’t carry more than a microdot of DNA from your ancestor, Charlemagne.
“When evaluating matches, if you don’t recognize or see any matching surnames, look to match places.” Translation: If your Dingwhistle is from Teenytown, Ireland, so likely are all other Dingwhistles.
“Your DNA results should support, not supplant, your previous genealogical paper work. They work together, “proving” each other. Translation: You have a problem if you paper-online-database find you have a Mayflower ancestor and your DNA shows that G-G-G-G grandfather was born in Mexico.
Diane’s book, Your DNA Guide, available from her website, is a good study text if you be so inclined.
Lost Photos
WSGS has received a packet of photos from Shelley Cardiel in Portland, OR. I’ve attached a compiled list of the photos. Some info is faint & difficult to read… In addition I can scan them and place them on our website in the Gallery.
