Back in 1918 Rose Kempf was murdered at her home in Readan, west of Spokane on Christmas day. The Spokane newspaper of the day ran tidbits on the story for days and clear into January 1919. Seems one William Delaney gave some strychnine-laced candy and then carefully tossed the rest of the box into the stove when Rose noticed that “the candy tasted bitter.” Seems that Rose had a suitor, Karl Reiniger, who was soon to come home from the Navy to marry her and jealous William just couldn’t handle it. While the case was closed and never proven, circumstantial evidence surely pointed to Delaney. Think of all the mysterious deaths of the past when, without forensics, the real reasons were never discovered.
She lies sleeping in the Reardan Cemetery; rest in peace, Rose.
“How to Use Family Search” will be the topic presented at the February 4th
meeting of the Kittitas County Genealogical Society (KCGS). Chris
Fowler will be the presenter at the 7 pm meeting held at the society’s
Library at 413 N. Main in Ellensburg. Some of us have never used Family
Search, so Chris will give us some of the basics, plus update us on
what is new. Guests are welcome to attend this presentation.
In addition, KCGS is proud to announce that their new website at www.kcgswa.org
is now up and running. We have become another of the websites
developed by EasyNetSites.com and proudly join with other WA State
genealogical sites connected with EasyNetSites.
Moving
into February, our society is pleased to present
Round
Table Discussion:
Family
Search & General Genealogy
led
by member, JOAN ENDERS, to help us learn the most effective ways to
use FamilySearch. We look forward to a good discussion session with
help from her colleagues, and varied round table topics.
Are you a federal worker getting no pay during the government shutdown? You are welcome to come and use the GFO Library FREE as long as this shutdown lasts. You
may have extra time on your hands; feel free to come tap all the
resources the GFO has to offer, including 50,000 holdings and access to
subscription databases that would cost you an arm and a leg at home. Please show your government employment I.D. at our reception desk for free admission.
Spring Seminar Registration Now Open!
You’ve seen him on TV on Oprah’s Roots and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates. Now come hear him in person for a day and a half of superb genealogy lessons. We are thrilled to be able to bring professional genealogist and Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association Tony Burroughs to Portland for our Spring Seminar April 26th and 27th. In
a special promotion, we have cut the usual seminar price in half. It
costs just $25 to attend the first day and $15 the second.
We’re thrilled to be a FamilySearch Affiliate Library now. However, to be able to use FamilySearch at the GFO, you must bring your own login name and password. It’s
free. FamilySearch does not charge for this service, but it does
require each researcher to use their own login and password to access
these additional resources at its Affiliate Libraries.
Board Fills Vacancy
We are delighted to welcome Joyce Grant-Worley to the GFO Board of Directors and sad to say goodbye to Anne Wheeler. Anne
has had to step away from her work on GFO’s board for personal reasons.
While she’s not able to serve as Director-at-Large any longer, Anne
will continue to help our library team, serving indispensably in GFO’s
many ongoing projects. We will miss Anne on the board and want to extend
our thanks to her for her dedication and hard work. Joyce
attends many of the Special Interest Groups and jumped in to lead the
new Family Tree Maker Users’ Group. She’s also involved with the
Portland Mac Users Group (PMUG) College which is now holding regular
Apple computer classes at the GFO. Welcome to the board, Joyce!
If these books by Teddy Roosevelt were inscribed by the author, they’d be worth $23,000! Alas, they are not. So this set of five can be yours for just $50! Before he was President of the United States, Roosevelt wrote his The Winning of the West series. These are 1905 reprints of his 1889 books, featuring suede-like spines. This set includes Volumes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 (4 is missing). Titles include The Spread of English Speaking Peoples, In the Current of the Revolution, The War in the North West, St. Clair and Wayne, and Louisiana and Aaron Burr. To buy these books, contact booksales@gfo.org. There are hundreds more historic volumes available in the GFO Bookstore. Also be sure to check our $2 and $10 surplus book shelves at the front of the library.
Find the Story, Write the Story: Half-Day Seminar Join professional genealogist Pam Vestal for a half-day seminar at the GFO on Sunday, February 24th from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Topics: Teasing Out the Hidden Story Behind the Genealogical Facts. Learn to dig deeply into the genealogical details and to breathe life into your ancestors’ stories. How to Write Ancestral Stories Even Your Relatives Will Want to Read.
With good research, thoughtful planning, and a dash of ingenuity, you
can create engaging genealogical stories designed to entice even
seemingly disinterested readers. Register online now!
Bonus Donations to GFO for Magazines Purchased This Month
We’re
excited to announce another bonus donation opportunity for Genealogical
Forum Of Oregon Inc. Through January 31, 2019, AmazonSmile will donate
15% the purchase price of new print magazine subscriptions. Click here for details. You can help us all year long by shopping from smile.amazon.com
after you choose the Genealogical Forum of Oregon to benefit from your
purchases. Amazon makes a small donation each time but charges you
nothing extra.
SUNDAY, January 20th 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.
Family Tree Maker for Beginners 1 – 3 p.m. This is a beginners’ class for Family Tree Maker users and for those considering a purchase. It will be repeated on a quarterly basis.
French Canada Group 3:30 – 5 p.m. This month’s topic will be our “gateway” ancestor or ancestors, those who were the first to arrive in New France and/or Acadia, and whose ancestral line has come down to us. Also, members will discuss family associations and organizations as reunion and genealogical resources. Come and join this group to learn more about French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. Send questions to FrCan@gfo.org.
WEDNESDAY, January 23rd Library Open late to 8 p.m.
Did anybody notice that last Wednesday I used the wrong picture??? My bad; Swiss Cheese Brain Syndrome coming on.
Sunny Morton is coming to town! To Spokane, actually. Next April 6th as the EWGS Spring Seminar speaker. Sunny is nationally known and to learn all about her, just Google her name. She’s a RootsTech presenter and author and from her long list of presentations, EWGS picked four that are guaranteed to teach everybody something. Mark your calendar, gather up a roommate, and plan to head east on I-90 next April. You won’t be sorry, I guarantee.
I’d like to let you know about an upcoming educational program we are offering on Saturday, February 9, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave. in partnership with Skagit Valley Genealogical Society. The topic of the program is An Introduction to Jewish Genealogy and will be presented by Mary Kathryn Kozy. 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.
If
you use Legacy Family Tree Software for tracking your genealogy
research, there is a Legacy Users Group that meets monthly to discuss
tips, tricks and problems. You will always come away with some new
ideas. The meetings are held regularly on the first Monday of the month.
Members and non-members are welcome.
GENEALOGY RESEARCH BOOK CLUB
Mon, 4 Feb 4 2019: 12-1:30 pm
CCGS Library
There
are many “research rich” books of genealogical historical collections,
as well as “how to” books on methods, collection and data storage of
genealogy research. This group delves into one chapter at
a time and discusses how to make the best use of it. Join this casual
group as they delve into their favorite topic of books on family history
discovery and sleuthing. (Brown baggers welcome!)
DNA AND THE GPS SOLVES A MYSTERY: HAMILTONS IN COLONIAL NEW ENGLAND WEBINAR
Wed, 6 Feb 2019: 11-12:30 pm
CCGS Library
Who
was Captain Thomas Hamilton? Y-DNA solves a 300-year old mystery of his
origins. Using the Genealogical Proof Standard as well as DNA evidence,
the instructor in this Legacy Family Tree webinar describes how the
mystery is solved. Types of testing will be covered and how DNA can
solve family mysteries.
UNFOCUSED GENEALOGY DISCUSSION GROUP
Thu, 7 Feb 2019: 1-3 pm
CCGS Library
There’s
no meeting agenda, no special topic, just a group of curious people
bringing genealogy research notes, questions, brick walls, etc. to share
with the group. Get ideas for the next steps you should take in your
research.
CCGS HOURS
Sat, 9 Feb 2019: 6-9 pm
CCGS Library
Do
you find it hard to get to the Clark County Genealogical Library during
daytime hours? Come in on Third Thursday to tap into our richest
resource: knowledgeable librarians who can help you with your family
history search. We won’t do it for you, but we will provide guidance.
One librarian has Scandinavian research expertise. The library has over
10,000 books and resources, and free access on our computers to
Ancestry.com and AmericanAncestors.com. Bring your own computer and use
our free wifi.
SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS INTEREST GROUP
SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS INTEREST GROUP
Mon, 18 Feb, 2019: 2-3:30 pm
CCGS Library
If
you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, come to this interest
group and be inspired. You’ll get tips for conducting research and
finding cousins. Meet with other like-minded individuals who have
discovered their ancestors going back many generations. Geographic areas
include Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe
Islands.
ONLINE RESOURCES FOR FRENCH GENEALOGY WEBINAR PART I
Wed, 20 Feb 2019: 11 am-12:30 pm
CCGS Library
French
genealogy researchers benefit from some of the most complete, detailed,
and well-preserved records in the world. Due to the digitization
efforts, records commonly used for French genealogy are also among the
most accessible. In this first of a three-part Legacy Family Tree
webinar series, explore the record sets most commonly found online.
CCGS HOURS
Thurs, 21 Feb 2019: 6-9 pm
CCGS Library
Do
you find it hard to get to the Clark County Genealogical Library during
daytime hours? Come in on Third Thursday to tap into our richest
resource: knowledgeable librarians who can help you with your family
history search. We won’t do it for you, but we will provide guidance.
One librarian has Scandinavian research expertise. The library has over
10,000 books and resources, and free access on our computers to
Ancestry.com and AmericanAncestors.com. Bring your own computer and use
our free wifi.
GENEALOGY ENTHUSIASTS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tue, 26 Feb 2019: 10 am to noon
Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main Street, Vancouver, Washington 98660
How
much do you know about the War of 1812? What was it about, what did it
accomplish, and how can you find the records of those who served?
Military history and genealogist expert Duane Funk will talk about the
often overlooked War of 1812. Nevertheless, it gave us our national
anthem, was an important time in our nation’s history, and nearly tore
the country apart.
SPREADSHEETS 401: EXCEL-LENT INSPIRATION FOR GENEALOGISTS WEBINAR
Wed, 27 Feb, 2019: 11 am-12:30 pm
CCGS Library
Take
a trip with spreadsheets to the lands of your ancestors. In this Legacy
Family Tree Webinar, learn how spreadsheets can help as you learn to
read foreign language newspapers or serve as a translation tool for your
ancestors’ vital and religious records. Create spreadsheets to track
your ancestors and those great ethnic or locality websites.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR GENEALOGY Review your resolutions from last year. If you didn’t accomplish many of them, ask yourself why not. Try again. Be realistic and set reasonable goals. Stay on top of the basics.
Visit and interview your older relatives, carefully recording their memories.
Backup the genealogy data you keep on your computer – family tree, photos, documents. Set a schedule for this. Create a gedcom of your family tree. Back up to the cloud or to an external drive.
Review your sources and documents
Start writing your family history. Make a list of stories to tell. Commit to writing one story monthly, or every other month, or even just quarterly – whatever frequency suits you. Have fun with it.
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
