Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Today’s Mystery: What was a Conestoga wagon???

What is your mental image of a Conestoga wagon? Like “all the pioneers” used? Well, they didn’t all use a Conestoga wagon but many did. Here’s a wonderful description:

“A Conestoga wagon in all its glory was a brave sight. The wagon body was that color so dearly loved by the Pennsylvania Dutch, a light but brilliant blue; the great wheels and all running gear was black and the hempen homespun top was white; the great wheels and all the running gear was well as the sideboards were vermilion. The horses were often black or bay; over the horses were bows of bells…rising were flat iron hoops with three to eight bells carefully selected to chime………..

Can you imagine or picture that grand sight? Here tiz:

Want to read “the rest of the story,” I’m reading The Pennsylvania Dutch by Fredric Klees, 1950, page 227.

 

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Spring Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Saturday, April 7
Washington State & National Archives research  (Seminar)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Country Homes Christian Church, 8415 North Wall St., Spokane WA
Presenter – Lee Pierce – Tips, Tricks and Techniques – Washington State Digital Archives Research and Resources.
Lee Pierce a Washingtonian, born and raised in the Seattle area, but moved here in 1994 to attend Eastern Washington University. He earned a BA in history and an MA in American history with an emphasis on Military history in the modern era. He has written and published two novels, and has a third on the way. He is also a member of the Cheney Historic Preservation Commission.
Presenter – Carol Buswell – her presentation will address the following topics:
1) Using the National Archives Online Catalog and DocsTeach.org to place your ancestory in historical context and lead you to more primary sources for your ancestors.
2) Using and conbtributing to the National Archives’ Citizen Archivist program.
3) Special NEW National Archives’ approaches for finding records about Native Americans.
Carol Apperson Buswell has a long background in education, public speaking and writing, particularly about United States, Native American and Family History. She has been the Education Specialist for the National Archives at Seattle since 2005. She holds degrees in Elementary Education, Fine Arts, and American Indian Studies. Her most recent publications include “Primary Sources for American Indian Research,” and “Exploring Your Own Community.”  (http://honoringtriballegacies.com) 2015
The schedule is as follows:
Doors open 8:00 AM
Registration 8:15AM – 9:00 AM
General Meeting 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Lee Pierce, Washington State Archives part 1 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Break 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Lee Pierce, Washington State Archives part 2 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Lunch Break 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM (Board meeting 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM)
Carol Buswell, Seattle Branch National Archives part 1 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Break 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Carol Buswell, Seattle Branch National Archives part 2 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Questions 3:30 PM —
Online registration will close at 8:00 PM March 31st 2018. After that date registration will be taken on the day of the seminar at the door.
The fee for this seminar is as follows:
Members $20 US,  Non members $25 US.
For lunch we will have our favorite – pot luck!  Using the first letter of your last name we ask you to bring one of the following:
A – E   Main Dish                         F – I   Salad of your choice
J – M   Desert of your choice       N – R   Cookies
S – Z   Appetizers

Jefferson County Genealogical Society March Meeting

by Charles Hansen

A Direct Link to the Past – City Directories

 

The monthly meeting of Jefferson  County Genealogical Society will welcome back popular JCGS speaker, professional genealogist Mary Roddy, on Saturday, March 17th, 9:30 – 11:00 am.  Mary’s topic “A Direct Link to the Past – City Directories” can fill in those gaps about ancestors that occur between census years and may lead us to clues for further follow-up research. Mary will demonstrate City Directories’ address searches, alternate spellings, advertisements, and how to ‘mine’ historical images that might not be available elsewhere. The public is welcome to attend JCGS meetings free of charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. Join JCGS members at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Rd in Chimacum. <www.wajcgs.org>.

Mary Roddy, a Certified Public Accountant, earned a certificate from the Genealogy and Family History program at the University of Washington. She is an active member of the Seattle Genealogical Society and speaks frequently in the Seattle area. Mary is a regular contributor to YourGenealogyToday and Internet  Genealogy magazines and a presenter with Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

Whatcom Genealogical Society March Meeting

by Charles Hansen

 

The Whatcom Genealogical Society will meet Monday, March 12 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way.  The program will be “Remember Mama – But Not Her Maiden Name” with Mary Kircher Roddy, Professional Genealogist – Women can be hard to identify.  If they married, they probably changed their names. See more than 20 great strategies for finding the maiden name of “troublesome” women in your family’s past – and a few more strategies for discovering married names for those sisters, daughters and aunts who have “disappeared.”   Visitors are welcome.  Contact:  Galen Biery, President, 360-733-8300.

 

Sharon Neem

WGS Publicity Chair

Clark County Genealogical Society March Meetings

by Charles Hansen

 

 

LEGACY GENEALOGY SOFTWARE USER GROUP

Mon, Mar 5, 2018: 10 am-noon

CCGS Education Center

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

 – GETTING STARTED TRACING YOUR FAMILY ROOTS CLASS

Tues, Mar 6, 2018: 10 am-12 noon – Free Class

CCGS Education Center

Are you clueless about unraveling the mysteries in your family tree? This class will get you started with your research. Topics include collecting information from the family, family group sheets, pedigree charts, genealogy database programs and best practices for research. This free introductory class is taught by CCGS president and expert genealogist, Brian Runyan.

 

OVERCOMING BRICK WALLS CAUSED BY RECORD LOSS

Wed, Mar 07, 2018: 11 a.m.- 12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Many old records have been lost due to climate, poor storage, and war. This Legacy Family Tree webinar will give tips about finding alternative records if you know where to look. For instance, Federal records such as the census, and cemetery records both local and national are just two of the many record types to check to find ancestors who lived in areas where records were destroyed or lost.

– SCANDINAVIAN ROOTS FOCUS GROUP

Thu, Mar 8, 2018: 10-11:30am

CCGS Education Center

If you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, attend this monthly meeting and learn how to conduct your research. 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. This group meets regularly on the second Thursday of the month, September-May. Members and non-members are welcome.

 

SECRETS IN THE ATTIC: BREAK DOWN BRICK WALLS WITH HOME SOURCES

Fri, March 09, 2018: 11 a.m.-12:30 PM

CCGS Education Center

Solve genealogical mysteries with clues located in family sources. You’ll get inside tips on what to look for in this Legacy Family Tree webinar. Photos and examples show where to find hidden details about your ancestors’ lives in the things they left behind, including old documents and letters, and unidentified photographs.

 IRISH RECORDS RESEARCHING CLASS

Tues, Mar 13, 2018: 10 am – 12 pm

CCGS Education Center

Are you one of over 50 million Americans with Irish heritage? Come learn about all of the new resources available in the last two years, plus a few often overlooked sources. Instructor and Irish genealogy research expert Barbara Schrag encourages students to bring your laptop or tablet and “bookmark” sites as we explore them together.

 

THE CASE OF THE BROKEN LINK: DECODING THE URL

Wed, Mar 14, 2018: 5-6:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Web site addresses appear to be long, complicated, and mysterious. How can you track down a new URL for a broken link or a broken bookmark? What happens when your source citation for a web site contains a URL  that suddenly disappears? This Legacy Family Tree webinar will break down this technical topic to help you easily hunt for the URL you need.

 – RESEARCHING MILITARY RECORDS CLASS

Tues, 20 Mar 2018: 10 am-12 pm

CCGS Education Center

Military events and records often hold surprising family clues beyond an individual’s service records. Even from our earliest American settlements, the need for defense produced military records, thus providing useful family search resources. Learn useful tips for researching these sources from expert genealogist and CCGS board member, Marcia Grubb.

 

FROM BALTIMORE TO BURLINGTON: NEIGHBORS REVEAL MAN’S HOME

Tues, Mar 20, 2018: 5-6:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

A Maryland resident claimed an 1816 Vermont birth to Vermont-born parents, but no known records provide proof. Studying his ties to his neighbors and associates who shared close geographic, vocational, political and religious proximity brings a Maryland man home to his Vermont family. Learn how the presenter in this Legacy Family Tree webinar analyzed, correlated, and assembled common and lesser-known records to build a persuasive case.

 

HANDS-ON WITH MYHERITAGE DNA

Wed, Mar 21, 2018: 11 am-12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

Whether you upload your raw DNA data to MyHeritage or are ready to move forward with the results from your MyHeritage DNA test, this webinar will guide you through your ethnicity estimates, DNA matches and more. On hand to walk Geoff Rasmussen through his personal results is MyHeritage’s Director of DNA, Yoav Naveh.

 

INTRODUCTION TO DNA TESTING IN GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY

Fri, Mar 23, 2018: 11 am-12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

DNA is an increasingly important tool that can help us discover amazing things about ourselves and our families. This Legacy Family Tree webinar will provide a brief refresher of human genetics and review the different types of DNA tests available today. There will be an in-depth discussion of autosomal DNA tests and how these tests can be used to solve genealogical problems when evidence from traditional records in scarce.

 – GENEALOGY ENTHUSIASTS MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Tue, Mar 27, 2018:  10 am to noon

CCGS Education Center

Viking Roots Revealed: Hear how CCGS member Kay Cooke identified the leaves on her Norwegian and Swedish family trees. With scarce information, she discovered name changes, scoured the internet, searched foreign parish records, befriended Scandinavian genealogists, connected with cousins, and eventually, walked in her Nordic ancestors’ footsteps.

 

FORMULATING A DNA TESTING PLAN

Wed, Mar 28, 2018: 11 am – 12:30 pm

CCGS Education Center

DNA testing can be expensive, but DNA evidence is a component of exhaustive research when it is available. In this Legacy Family Tree webinar, Dr. Blaine Bettinger explains how to identify some of the ways you can minimize costs while maximizing results by formulating a DNA testing plan early in your research.

 

 

“The good things you do and throw in the river of life, will be returned to you in the desert of life.” Sa’adi

 

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News, Edition

1 March 2018
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 February 2018, 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 www.gfo.org.

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

Don’t forget your Boots!

Beginning Genealogy Boot Camp

Laurel Smith and Barbara Schrag
from 9am – 5pm

Join Laurel Smith and Barbara Schrag 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.

Only a half hour will be set aside for lunch so we suggest you bring a sack lunch. Limited to the first 50 to register by sending a message to RSVP@gfo.org.

A link to the class notes and a first assignment will be sent out beforehand.
RSVP

It’s Open House Week at the GFO Our Biggest Event of the Year!
 

Click HERE for the full detailed class schedule. Click the here for a quick video.

Complete printed schedules with class descriptions are also available at the library’s reception desk by the front door. OR see our online calendar HERE.

Open House Lineup:

Saturday March 3: Virginia Group (pensions), German Group (Recent research trip to Germany.)
 Sunday March 4: All Day Boot Camp. (see above.)
Monday March 5: Irish Day (3 classes), Are You Stuck? (Harold Hinds says Probably Not!)
 Tuesday March 6: Land Records Day (3 classes), Case of the Mystery Dad (Keith & Darlene Pyeatt solve a case.)
Wednesday March 7: Learn & Chat, Write it Up!, Good Writing & Personal Archiving.
 Thursday March 8: Heritage Quest, PERSI (the mostextensive genealogy and local history subject index on the planet), Timelines, Sharing Your Genealogy.
Friday March 9: Google for Genealogy, Mexican Ancestry, Make the Most of Your Time
 Saturday/Sunday March 10-11: DNA Days. 6 Sessions each day!

Please Arrive Early! Allow extra time to find parking in the area and to sign in at the door.
All sessions are free and open to the public. Please share this with your friends and family.

NGS Conference Ticket Discount

Help represent GFO at this year’s National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2018 Family History Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 2nd – 5th.

If you’re headed to the conference, we have a discount that could help reduce the cost of admission. NGS is offering two discount tickets for GFO to utilize!

Contact Laurel Smith at president@gfo.org to learn more.

Thanks for all you do for the GFO!

GFO’s Diversity & Inclusivity Statement

Adopted by the Board of Directors on February 13, 2018

The primary purposes of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc. (GFO) are to promote interest in genealogy and to preserve and provide genealogical and historical records and information. GFO strives to fulfill this mission by offering educational classes and materials, by compiling, preserving and publishing genealogical and historical records, and by providing access to abundant resources.

GFO is committed to supporting every individual’s genealogical research. Insights gained through…read full text HERE.

Hot Tips in Genealogy this Spring…

Blake Little’s Photographs from the Gay Rodeo – High Desert Museum, Bend, OR

Through April 30th
Consisting of 41 black-and-white photographs taken between 1988 and 1992, Blake Little: Photographs of the Gay Rodeo documents the gay rodeo circuit and the lives of many of its participants during those years. The collected body of work not only serves as a stunning example of black-and-white portraiture and rodeo photography, it also explores the diverse and complex natures of individual and community identity in the West.

Where We All Came From – Multnomah County Library

March 4th, 1 – 4pm
Exploring your family’s history can provide personal insight and a larger historical perspective about what motivates people to migrate. But where to start? Join us for an afternoon of genealogical detective work. We’ll provide access to research tools as well as one-on-one help with experts from the Oregon Genealogical Society, Genealogical Forum of Oregon and Multnomah County Library research librarians.

Swedish National Archives Now Free

Have Swedish roots? You’ll like this news: access is free to the Swedish National Archives. Now all you need into be able to read Swedish.

Ulster Historical Foundation Lecture Tour comes to Seattle
Join Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Foundation during their annual North American lecture tour on Sunday, March 18th, in Seattle, hosted by the Irish Heritage Club.

NWGC Early Bird Discount Ends March 15

by Roxanne Lowe

Have you registered yet for the 2018 Northwest Genealogy Conference? Better get on it — the Early Bird Registration special ends March 15, 2018.

The conference, one of the premier conferences in the region, is from August 15 – 18, 2018 in Arlington, WA.

Don’t miss the chance to hear keynoter speakers CeCe Moore, Beth Foulk and Peggy Lauritzen.  There will also be 12 other speakers to round out the conference sessions.

Go to www.nwgc.org to see the full schedule of classes. Be sure to register while you are there and take advantage of the reduced rate through March 15.  Also be sure to get your hotel reservations as the conference room blocks are filling up fast.

Innovative Grant Deadline Extended

by Roxanne Lowe

We don’t want your society to miss the opportunity to fund a special project or purchase, so the deadline to apply for a WSGS Innovative Grant has been extended to April 1, 2018.

Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society’s mascot coyote

The grants, up to $100, are designed to support the inventive and creative efforts of WSGS-member societies and organizations. The awards do not have to be repaid — they’re FREE MONEY to support worthy projects. Up to five grants will be awarded at the WSGS Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in conjunction with the Clark County Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar.

Created in 2015, the Innovative Grants have provided full and partial funding for a wide variety of projects:

  • Support the scanning and preservation of the society’s historical records for posting on their website.
  • Labeling equipment to provide labels for more than 3,000 books in local society’s research library.
  • Support of promotional community events with genealogy-related themes.
  • Upgrade office equipment in society’s research library.
  • Purchase of gravestones for Civil War veterans in the local historic cemetery.
  • Upgrade software designed to index and preserve more than 400,000 local records.
  • Promotion of adoption of society mascot. See photo on right.
  • Assist in purchase of new society computer, 22” monitor and portable hard drive to ensure back-up of files.
  • Assist in purchase of a computer for genealogical research at local library.
  •  Removal of trees that are endangering the safety of people and protection of grave markers at local cemetery.
  • Purchase of a new laptop computer to be used for society presentations and transcription of documents.
  • Purchase prizes for society’s writing contest.
  • Purchase specialized computer software to enable more than one volunteer to enter data related to local obituaries, cemetery records, World War I records and more.

The simple application is only ONE page and is available here, as well as additional guidance on the program. For more information, visit the Innovative Grant page on our website

For more information, contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Chair, WSGS Recognition Committee, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

When you hit a really big tough roadblock in your genealogy (like into Russia?) then it might be time for you to consider  hiring a professional genealogist. Have you ever heard of genealogyDOTcoach?

This is a fairly new online service matching professional genealogists (called Genealogy Coaches) with people who want to have all the fun of making family history discoveries for themselves but who just need a little assistance from someone they can trust. This new family history service has been formed to fill that critical gap. It was initially launched with 26 coaches with expertise across 46 different topic areas.

If this is a life-preserver-tossed-to-you service that might interest you, Google the name and start learning and feeling better!

Clark County Gen Soc Hosts WSGS Awards

by Roxanne Lowe

The WSGS Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, which includes the announcement of the Outstanding Volunteer and Team awards, Outstanding Communication and Project awards,  WSGS President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and Innovative Grant winners, will be Saturday, May 26, 2018 during the lunch period of Clark County Genealogical Society‘s Spring Seminar. The seminar and awards event will be held at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver.

David Allen Lambert

The seminar’s featured speaker will be David Allen Lambert, New England Historic Genealogical Society‘s chief genealogist. His seminar topics include:

  • World War 1 Military
  • Great Migration Era settler research
  • Probate & Deed Records research

CCGS has planned other events during the weekend, including:

  • Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception on Friday night. David will be the honored guest and will share his genealogical gems: seemingly small finds that led to amazing stories.
  • A guided Cemetery Tour is proposed for Sunday. There will also be brochures for other local self-guided tours available at the CCGS Library.
  • For the five days before and during Memorial Weekend, The Fort Vancouver Tapestry will be displayed at the CCGS Library. Completed in 2005, this historic community project required 57 skilled stitchery workers contributing 100,000 hours over more than five years.  For more information, visit http://www.fortvancouvertapestry.com.

For out-of-towners, the Hilton Hotel is offering special rates.  The Hilton’s web access page is:  http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/P/PDXVAHH-CCG-20180525/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. Be sure to  mention the CCGS group reservation code CCG.

The CCGS Spring Seminar flyer, including a registration form, can be downloaded by clicking on REGISTRATION FORM seminar 2018 or visit the CCGS website.