Serendipity Day

Nov20 by Charles Hansen

Having just been for two weeks in Egypt, learning about all the 4000 year old temples and pyramids, and experiencing the warmth and friendliness of the Egyptian people, Egypt is on my mind today.

Here is my picture from the Mena House Hotel where we stayed several nights. The old part of it was built in 1869 to house the dignitaries who came for the opening of the Suez Canal.

Are there resources for folks with Egyptian ancestry? Very darn little, I found. The Wiki on FamilySearch has a “Egypt Genealogy” page but there is not yet much there. Could find nothing in the Ancestry catalog.

Reading Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders, by Dr. Zawi Hawass, 2006, my eyes jumped at this: “The ancient Egyptian government took a census of cattle every two years, and kings of the early periods numbered their reigns according to these censuses.” That’s cool, but of no genealogy help.

There are folks with Egyptian ancestry who will be wanting to trace their family tree. I hope some resources will soon be coming.

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Continue reading →

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Wednesday News

Nov18 by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON’S Wednesday Evening E-News
18 November 2015

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 go to www.gfo.org/calendar.htm.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy at http://www.gfo.org/insider/15-Nov.pdf.

Holiday Special – Amazon, did you say?

You shop. Amazon gives.

This holiday season, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of all eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. Just think, you can send a gift to your favourite non-profit research library while sending gifts to your loved ones!

And no need to be frightened, as AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and use everyday. Same products, same prices, same service.

So there, you see? No excuses! Support the GFO this holiday season by shopping at smile.amazon.com.

GFO’s November 2015 Volunteer Star: Ray Ashman!!

The GFO would like to honorably recognize Ray Ashman this month for all his work in getting our publications to the public.

Ray Ashmun has provided ‘behind the scenes’ service many members are unaware of. For numerous years, he assisted with mailing the Bulletin and the Forum Insider publications, by attaching mailing labels to the printed publications that were mailed to all members, and sorting them by zip code before the bundled publications were taken to the Post Office.

Today, the majority of GFO members receive their publications electronically and a mail house handles the Insider. But Ray has continued to help with the printed Bulletin, separating by zip code and delivering the sorted trays to the post office.

Thank you, Ray, for your many years of service to the GFO!

More Stars Needed! Several Volunteer Position Openings.

Volunteers are the life-breath of the GFO. Don’t miss out on one of the opportunities below to shine, not to mention to keep this organization going and going. We need help with the following:•Managing emails between the quarterly Bulletin staff, authors and proofreaders, to make sure the workflow is continuous and on time.
•Indexing our archived Bulletin publications from 1974 to current.
•Scanning and extracting data from obits and other newspaper items.

Anyone interested in any the these positions should immediately (no! don’t wait! these are going to go fast!!) send an email to volunteer@gfo.org.

GFO’s Facebook Page Reaches 500 Likes? Say, what??

Come Like Us!! Won’t you please be our friend?

Three Cheers for our Social Media Master, Marcia Hicks!

The GFO’s Facebook feed gives updates on what’s going on in the world of genealogy, not only at our own library, but all over the globe! Thank you, Marcia for keeping us all current and helping us reach the four-corners!

Come follow us to get all the news. Marcia posted one such piece last week in honour of Veterans Day on requesting family military records.

We’re also on Google+ and if you’re wondering what this means, here’s a blog all about it!

What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

Please NOTE: November’s Family Tree Maker Classes have been cancelled. Our apologies!

Hunting and Gathering – Saturday, November 21th, 9:30am – 11am

Join us for this monthly support group, were you’ll have the opportunity to share expertise about resources and search strategies. Beginners and intermediate researchers are encouraged to attend and bring specific problems to work on. Free to members. Visitors may request a guest pass at education@gfo.org.

Monthly Program – Saturday, November 21th, 2pm – 4pm

This week we’ll be hearing from Kristin Winn and Richard Santee as they talk about their efforts to place the cremains of Jennie Fisher in her family plot.

Ellis Film Screening – Saturday, November 21th, 7pm-10pm

Don’t forget to join us for this amazing short film screening, with discussions on genealogy and immigration afterwards. The library will be open downstairs for visitors to browse after the film also. RSVP today by emailing reese@frankcreative.com.

Sunday Work Party – Sunday, November 22th, 9am – Noon

This upcoming work party will be focusing again on labeling and stamping. As described above, we need all hands on deck to make sure we aren’t leaving our new books in the dust. Come out this Sunday to help us get these little beauties ready for the researchers’ ball! All are welcome. Interested parties are encouraged to drop into the Library each Sunday anytime between the hours listed above to help out at their convenience.

Holiday Schedule – Wednesday, November 25th, the Library will close at 1pm (no Wed Eve E-News that day in recgonition of the next day’s holiday). We will also be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26th.

Italian Group – Saturday, November 28th, Noon – 2pm

Ciao to everyone interested in Italian genealogy research. Please come take advantage in this great opportunity to learn, share, and enjoy others with a common interest. Italian genealogy research in the Portland area now has a home. This group is led by Keith Pyeatt.

Learn and Chat – Wednesday, December 2nd, 10am – Noon

Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. This class is facilitated by our very own Connie Lenzen.

DNA Q&A – 1pm – 2pm

Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

Nov17 by Charles Hansen

THOUGHT FOR THE SEASON – EMBRACING YOUR ETHNIC HERITAGE

Our immigrant ancestors had a tendency to cling to cultural traditions and religious faith. But gradually, assimilation came after a few generations. Unfortunately, with assimilation comes a blurring and even loss of the rich traditions that are a part of us.

“What the immigrant generation knows and cherishes,
The second generation chooses to discard and forget;
It is the third generation who strives to piece it all together and to remember…”
Hansen’s Law –from Marcus Lee Hansen

Most of us are that third generation and we have an important job to do. During the holidays – interview your family members – Don’t miss this opportunity.

TIP OF THE WEEK – THE CLEVELAND NECROLOGY FILE

Here’s a find if you had ancestors in NE Ohio; about 800,000 paid death notices and local cemetery records, literally at your fingertips, dating back to as early as 1833.

Prior to 1976, the Cleveland Public Library staff clipped death notices from the local newspapers and maintained a file of these notices known as the Cleveland Necrology File. The Library has converted this file into an on-line database that is a breeze to search, readily accessible, and free to everyone.

It contains the complete full text of paid death notices as published in the following newspapers during the time periods listed: •The Cleveland Plain Dealer – 1850-1975
•The Cleveland Herald – 1833, 1847-1848, 1876, 1878-1879
•The Cleveland Press – 1941-1975
Just go to : http://newsindex.cpl.org and enter your search criteria.

Seattle Genealogical Society News and Meetings

Nov17 by Charles Hansen

PARDON OUR DUST

The Library is currently undergoing a revamping of the Washington section. As a result, the Washington section is in a bit of disarray. When completed, there will be two new sections in the Library: a section specifically for King County and a section specifically for Seattle. We look to have this rearrange completed by December 1st. Happy Hunting!

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather.

NOVEMBER

Saturday, November 21, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, IRISH INTEREST GROUP,
“Review of Irish Census records and Census substitutes. Leader: Jean A. Roth

Saturday, November 21, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm, GERMAN INTEREST GROUP, “Bouncing Boundaries –the Main Problem with German Research.” Leader: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, November 22, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, PROGRAM MEETING, “Using Census Records- A major genealogical research tool.” Speaker: Janice Lovelace

Reminder – SGS will be closed for the Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, November 26 through Sunday, November 29 Continue reading →

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Upcoming Meetings and other News

Nov14 by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON’S Wednesday Evening E-News

11 November 2015

What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

Genealogy Book Group – Saturday, November 14th, 11:45am – 12:45pm

We will be discussing The Parrett Migration: Their Story is America’s Story, by Dawn Parrett Thurston. Come joing the discussion!

Our next meeting will be January 9th. Harold Hinds has offered to discuss (and get extra copies of his book for us to borrow to read ahead of time), Crafting a Personal Family History, A Guide Plus a Case Study: Three Generations of the Hinds Family in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. We also have a copy in the GFO Library.

Writers’ Forum – Saturday, November 14th, 1pm – 3pm

Purpose: 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 at peggy.baldwin@family-passages.com or 503-916-9410.

Sunday Work Party – Sunday, November 15th, 9am – Noon

This upcoming work party will be focusing on labeling and stamping. As described above, we need all hands on deck to make sure we aren’t leaving our new books in the dust. Come out this Sunday to help us get these little beauties ready for the researchers’ ball! All are welcome…even evil step-sisters. Interested parties are encouraged to drop into the Library each Sunday anytime between the hours listed above to help out at their convenience.

DNA Q&A – Wednesday, November 18th, 1pm – 3pm

Lisa McCullough will be available to help answer your DNA questions, whether you are new and just getting started or have more involved questions.

Please NOTE: November’s Family Tree Maker Classes have been cancelled. Continue reading →

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Upcoming Meetings and News

Nov5 by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON’S

Wednesday Evening E-News 4 November 2015

What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

Virginia Group – Saturday, November 7th, 10am – 12pm

Peggy Baldwin will be discussing Mind Mapping, which is a process for organizing pieces of information into a more manageable format. It is a creative and logical means of note-taking and note-making that literally “maps out” your ideas.

We will also have a brick wall presentation and continue our discussion on solving those problems.

German Group – Saturday, November 7th, 1pm – 3pm

Tia Cobb and Bonnie Randolph will be talking about their recent trip to Germany and neighboring countries. Come to learn about how they got ready, some of their adventures and misadventures, and the information that they found about their families.

Learn and Chat – Wednesday, November 11th, 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Join us for a discussion of how to use Photoshop Elements to present your family history research, pictures and stories. We discuss scanning techniques, photo restoration, creating pages for presentation, resources and anything else participants want to know related to this topic. All are welcome, from beginners to more advanced users. Come, learn and share your ideas and questions. Taught by Sarah Holmes.

Please NOTE: November’s Family Tree Maker Classes have been cancelled. Continue reading →

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society November Meeting

Nov4 by Charles Hansen

Saturday, November 7
The Greatest Generations (EWGS Meetings)
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Spokane Public Library Auditorium, Downtown

Who are we? The GI Generation, The Silent Generation, The Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Generation Z?…….

History tells us the “Greatest Generation were those in America, born between 1901 and 1945….but what about those born after 1945; including the newest baby just born last evening in Sacred Heart or Deaconess.

Join our speaker, Brusan Wells, Director The Foundation – Rockwood Retirement Communities as we explore each generation and dare to ask the question….”Could today’s newest generation, born after 2007 …be The Greatest Generation?”

Brusan Rhoda-Wells is a Montana native. After completing her schooling in Spokane she enlisted in the US Army and retired as a First Sergeant. After graduating from Eatern Washington University with a degree in Home Economics she volunteered for Girl Scounting then became a staff member culminating in serving as it’s Assistant Executive Director in 1995. After a short jaunt working in Seattle she came home to Spokane. Brusan is looking forward to retirement and having a chance to continue pursue genealogical research in partnership with her mother, Betty Rhoda.

Cookies and social time: 12:30 p.m. Meeting starts at 1:00 p.m.

International Conference on Jewish Genealogy Save the Date

Nov3 by Charles Hansen

Topic tracks include:

The Sephardic Experience in the United States
European Migrations
South American, Australian and South African Branches
Westward Ho! Jews in the Western US
Coming Home to Israel

Program organizers welcome proposals for lectures, workshops and panel discussions on all aspects of Jewish genealogy, though the focus will be on these five topic tracks. Attendees are expected to span the full spectrum of expertise from novice to veteran and professional researchers; thus, a wide range of paper topics is encouraged.

The conference will be held in downtown Seattle from August 7 to 12 at the conveniently located Seattle Sheraton.

Proposals should be submitted through the official conference website www.iajgs2016.org. The deadline for submission is midnight, December 15, 2015. For information about proposals and submissions, please contact the Program Committee at program@iajgs2016.org.

Early registration will open in January 2016 through the conference website.

For more information about the conference, contact the conference co-chairs Janette Silverman, Phyllis Grossman, and Chuck Weinstein through the conference website www.iajgs2016.org.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

Nov2 by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK – THE LEGAL GENEALOGIST’s BLOG

The Legal Genealogist is Judy Russell, a well-known genealogical speaker, educator, writer and lawyer. She was the featured speaker for our Spring Seminar in 2013.

Ms. Russell writes a daily column, The Legal Genealogist, that is almost always informative and educational, and is usually amusing or interesting, on some topic or event of genealogical interest. These columns are brief and entertaining, and they are free. While the common theme for most of her columns is some legal issue, there’s much more to them – they illustrate how to research problems, how to source or document your research, and reveal new approaches to problem solving.

To receive these articles by email, just sign up at http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/ by clicking on Subscribe By Email on the right margin of this web page.

If you’re unsure, and would like to sample several of her recent columns first, go to her home page at http://www.legalgenealogist.com/.

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Seattle Genealogical Society News and Meetings

Nov2 by Charles Hansen

WHO WILL LEAD SGS IN 2016??
In this, the fourth installment about the unprecedented number of Board vacancies that SGS will be facing in the coming year, we highlight the position of President.

The SGS President is in essence the Captain of the ship. More than any other officer or director, the President charts the course of the society. He or she is the face and the official spokesperson for the Society. and sets the agenda for the Board of Directors. The President provides leadership and guidance to each member of the Board, and ensures that each fulfills their responsibilities.

The SGS President is also akin to the conductor of an orchestra, an all-volunteer orchestra, coaching, leading and directing individuals of varied backgrounds, personalities and abilities to work together harmoniously toward common goals.

Marilyn Rose, our current president, is in her third and final term; our Bylaws prevent her from continuing on in this position. Many members may not know this, but in 2013 the SGS Nominating Committee could not find a candidate to run for President. Fortunately for SGS, a few members wrote in Marilyn’s name, after one long-time friend asked for her permission. She met the requirement that the president must have previously served in a Board position. In the past, Marilyn had been the Director of Education, Secretary and Vice President and had been President from 2005-2006. She accepted the call. Thus a crisis was narrowly avoided three years ago.

We are approaching a similar but much worse crisis now, with the potential for multiple vacancies on the Board. It is hard to imagine how SGS could continue in the future, if we’re unable to recruit and elect a capable president, and fill the other Board positions as well. Our goal is to have a full slate of candidates by early March 2016 at the latest.

These are challenging times, and we need your help. If you’d like to be considered for this or any other Board position, or would like to suggest the names of someone else, please contact the Nominating Committee at SGSNominate@gmail.com.

Another Interesting Publication Found In Our Library

Do you have a “ghostly” address for one of your ancestors? You know, a place that doesn’t show up on current maps or a town that was completely abandoned.

That was a problem tackled by the Alberta (Canada) Genealogical Society. Discover how they approached this problem as reported in their publication, Relatively Speaking, 1983, Vol. II, No. 3, p. 22. Come by. You can find this publication in the Canada Section of the SGS Library. Continue reading →