Coming Genealogical And Family History Events

Submitted by: HOST GFS Chuck

 

The Announcements below have been posted on the Message Boards and in the Library of The Genealogy Forum on AOL (Keyword: ROOTS). Please send future announcements of family reunions, conferences or seminars for your genealogical organizations to the undersigned.

Charles H. (Chuck) Bobo
The Genealogy Forum on AOL
E-Mail: HostGFSChuck@aol.com
AOL Genealogy Forum Keyword: Roots

May | June | July | August | September | October | 2003

October 2002 – Seminar Speakers Sought, MA Society of Genealogists

From: frellick@rcn.com

The Massachusetts Society of Genealogists sponsors a day-long seminar each Fall. Our seminar date for 2002 will be on a Saturday in early October. We are looking for speakers who will be willing to participate in this event. Because our organization is growing, we would like to have sessions available for various stages of research from Beginner to Advanced. If you are in the Middlesex County area of Massachusetts, willing to travel to our area, or know of a speaker who would be interested, please contact me.

Richard Cooke  
Vice President  
Program Chair

The Childers/Childress Family Assn. holds its 2002 Annual Meeting at Williamsburg, VA, on 304 Oct. 2002. Contact:

Jack Childers  
RD 3 Box 480  
Fenwick Island, DE 19944; or  
E-mail: childers@dca.net

The Standridge Family holds its national reunion in Cullman, AL, on 4-5 Oct. 2002. For more information, contact

Russell Baker  
6525 Magnolia Dr.  
Mabelvale, AR 72013

The Kelowna & District Genealogy Society's Seminar 2002:  Harvest Your Family Tree is on 4-5 Oct. 2002 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.  Events include:  18 concurrent sessions on a broad range of topics presented by six well-regarded speakers:  Sherry Irvine, Dave Obee, Laura Hanowski, Brenda Smith, Marta Leskard and Sharron Simpson. A large Genealogical Marketplace is planned and a Meet the Speakers Reception with a "Panel of Experts" is a part of the program; plus great refreshments and lunch! 

Seminar Schedule:

Friday Night, 4 Oct., 7–10 p.m.: Social and Genealogical Panel of Experts, Cost: $10.  Our seminar speakers will help solve your genealogical puzzles (pre-submitted questions and some questions from the floor, as time allows).

Saturday Seminar: Oct. 5, 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Student Services Building: Concurrent lectures by six highly acclaimed presenters.

8-8:45 a.m.: Registration and Genealogical Marketplace Open -- If you or your organization would like a table at the Marketplace, please contact the KDGS Seminar Committee.

8:45-9 a.m. Announcements

9-10:15 a.m.: Concurrent Sessions:

A. Laura Hanowski, Using North American Records to Find European Ancestors: This workshop will show you how to start with the records your ancestors have created in North America to find European locations. Then, learn how to use this information to find where collections of European records are located in North America and discover how you can access them.

B. Sherry Irvine, Giving Them Their Due - Our Neglected Irish Ancestors: It is a common refrain, Irish research is too difficult. Our Irish ancestors lie neglected, through no fault of their own. This lecture explains how you can give those ancestors a fair chance, assess the possibilities and take some positive steps to learning more. Using surnames, place names, many new finding aids and sound strategies, the odds of finding roots in Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, are getting better.

C. Dave Obee, In Search of Charles Marble, the Vanderkins and Maggie Trudeau: Sometimes, research comes to a stop because it's impossible to get past a barrier. Here are three examples of research techniques using old sources (such as newspapers), new sources (such as the Internet) and simple logic.

D. Brenda Smith, Hear-Say - Interviewing Your Relatives: Living relatives are often your first, best source for family information. Develop and practice your listening, questioning and reporting skills.

10:15-10:45 a.m.: Refreshment Break

10:45 a.m.-12 Noon: Concurrent Sessions:

E. Laura Hanowski, Ontario Research: An overview of what you need to know in order to select the records of most value to you. Learn how you can access the majority of Ontario's records in your own community.

F. Sherry Irvine, Scotland's OPR's - Nobody said they're perfect: In fact, many point out the problems: not much before 1700, huge gaps in Highland parishes, few burials, cryptic entries, so many common surnames and secession congregations. Offering straight talk about the problems, facts about records of all denominations and sound advice on alternative sources, this lecture is guaranteed to help your pre-1855 Scottish research.

G. Dave Obee, Get Wired! Using the Internet in Genealogy Research: Computers were invented by genealogists, for genealogists. The Internet too, for that matter. This session provides a variety of tips to make better use of what's on the Net, including search engines, databases and e-mail lists. Includes a list of Web sites to use.

H. Brenda Smith, Can You Prove That? Standards of Proof for Family History Research: Why and how do we verify the records we discover? Develop and practice data interpretation and assessment techniques. Examine qualities of evidence and apply standards of proof.

I. Sharron Simpson, Memories into Memoirs - Pages from the Family Tree: Learn to write stories that flow from the information gathered for your family tree. How to choose a starting point, how to organize your material, who are you writing for, understanding whose memories these stories are capturing, how to preserve your stories, adding mementoes to the words, memory triggers and some tips on writing.

12 Noon-1 p.m.: Buffet Lunch, OUC Cafeteria, Door Prizes!

12:45-1:30 p.m.: Genealogical Marketplace Open!

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions:

J. Laura Hanowski, Understanding European Records: Using maps and gazetteers to find where our ancestors may have created records in Europe. Learn where these records are located today, what they may contain and how you can read them for yourself. These techniques are useful for all European countries, including Eastern Europe.

K. Sherry Irvine, Using English Origins - Genealogy's answer to pay-per-view: It's a novel idea - not a subscription, but a drop-in fee. English Origins boasts reasonable rates, millions of names and flexible search techniques. Find out exactly what it does deliver. There are some key resources like Boyd's Marriage Index and Bank of England Will Extracts and more Society of Genealogists indexes are to come. This lecture explains the contents, their value, how to search thoroughly and how to fit the results into a research plan.

L. Dave Obee, The Canadian Census: A review of the census records available to researchers, including a history of the Canadian census, a summary of some of the major indexes available, limitations and substitutes. There will also be an update on the efforts to have census records from 1906 and later released. Includes a list of Web sites to use.

M. Brenda Smith, Finding our Family in the Library -First Steps in Locating and Assessing Library Resources: Explore this basic source of historical information. Sample essential family history references. Learn to use valuable tools for recording and rating each item's usefulness to your research - includes a field trip to the OUC Library!

N. Marta Leskard, Making the Past Last - Use It and Lose It!: How to determine the best use (exhibit, storage) for family heirlooms and memorabilia. Methods and materials recommended for preserving archival and tangible artifacts. Examples will be brought by the lecturer - do not bring your own artifacts but be prepared to cite specific concerns.

2:45-3:15 p.m.: Refreshment Break

3:15-4:30 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions:

O. Laura Hanowski, Harvesting Ancestors on the Canadian Prairies: Learn what types of records have been created, where they are located, how to access them and how to use them effectively. Covers Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

P. Sherry Irvine, CD's for British Research - What shall I buy?: Choosing can be difficult. All too often the CD box labels and the advertisements brag about size and reveal little about content. Here are the facts, including the best, the worst and how to figure out where to spend your genealogy dollars.

Q. David Obee, Arrivals in Canada: Passenger arrivals up to 1935 have been opened for researchers to use. This lecture includes information on ship passenger lists, border crossing records and naturalization and citizenship documents. It is an overview of what's available and how to use the information effectively. Many people heading to the United States from Europe went through Canada. Includes a list of Web sites to use.

R. Brenda Smith, The Search for Our Foremothers, A Case Study - Sarah Bowen Smith: "And the girls, of course, they married and that's the last we ever heard of them." Often, a woman's name reflects her affiliations with men at different stages in her life. And in the name changes lies the challenge of searching for her story.

4:30-5:30 p.m.: Genealogical Marketplace open!

About the Speakers….

Sherry Irvine, BA, MSc, CGRS, FSA(Scot) is an internationally recognized lecturer and award-winning author (Your Scottish Ancestry and Your English Ancestry) specializing in British family history. She teaches for societies and universities across North America and in Australia and leads study tours to the UK. Sherry contributes regularly to electronic and print magazines. Sherry was recently elected President of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Dave Obee a genealogist since 1978, is one of the owners of Interlink Bookshop and Genealogical Services. He has compiled 4 books to help Canadian genealogists. Dave has been in the newspaper business since 1972 and is currently editorial page editor of the Victoria Times Colonist. His own family history has led him to specialize in Canadian and European records. Dave is Vice-president of the Victoria Genealogical Society.

Laura Hanowski is a Certified Saskatchewan Researcher and Instructor. She was the librarian of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) Library from 1979-2000. Currently, Laura is the SGS Education Coordinator. In 2000, she edited the book, Tracing Your Saskatchewan Ancestors: A Guide to the Records and How to Use Them. With a specialty in European Research, Laura is the first vice-president of the Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS).

Brenda Smith has presented programs on research methodology for family historians for Cloverdale Library, Abbotsford Genealogical Society, Richmond Public Library, maple Ridge Historical Society and the WomenSpeak lecture Series at Douglas College. She edits a family history column in the BC Historical (Federation) News. Brenda brings her love of history and mystery together with her background in arts management and journalism to help beginners set their feet on personal paths of discovery.

Marta Leskard, BA, MA, MAC Art Conservation has been the Conservator at the Kelowna Centennial Museum since 1989; prior to that, she was the Chief of Conservation at the National Museum of Science & Technology in Ottawa. She specializes in objects, including textiles and furniture. In her "leisure" time, Marta is very involved with the Okanagan's own opera company, Viva Musica, including costume design and production.

Sharron Simpson became enthralled with the idea of writing a book about her grandfather while taking a life writing course several years ago. This journey has taken her to old cemeteries, through many dusty books, all over the Internet and to Oxford University (England) and The Banff Centre to learn how to write about her findings. Sharron gives writing classes in Kelowna and is on a mission to convince everyone she talks with to write their life stories.

For a registration form and complete information, please go to: http://www.rootsweb.com/~bckdgs. 

Phone:

Marie Ablett; (250) 763-7159  
Claire Smith-Burns, KDGS 
Seminar Chairperson; (250) 764-5188

E-mail:

Marie Ablett; dougmarieablett@telus.net  
Claire Smith-Burns; claireburns@telus.net

Write:

KDGS  
PO Box 501, Station A  
Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Y 7P1

The Genealogical Council of Oregon is hosting a conference on 4-6 Oct. 2002, with keynote speaker Cyndi Howells. The conference will be at the Red Lion Hotel, 3301 Market St., NE, Salem, OR.  Cyndi’s topics will be:

A Guided Tour of Cyndi's List;

The Ups and Downs of Uploading and Downloading;

How to Cite Your Internet Sources;

U.K. Research Without Ever Leaving the Colonies; and

Question and Answer Session.

For further information e-mail Gerald S. Lenzen at gslensen@orednet.org

The 24^th annual seminar of the Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA), will be 4-6 Oct. 2002 in Chicago area at Ramada Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, IL. The theme for this year will be "Basics and Beyond." The three main speakers will be Loretto Szucs, Daniel Schlyter and Ceil Jensen. Their presentations will cover research in the US, Poland and on the Internet and details will be forthcoming.

Please visit the PGSA website: www.pgsa.org  for more information as the plans are finalized.

Researching Your English & Welsh Roots

Fawne Stratford-Devai will conduct this workshop from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on 5 Oct. 2002 at the Global Genealogy & History Shoppe, 13 Charles St., Milton, Ontario, Canada.  Learn which records are available for different time frames, how to get access to those records and then how to interpret them.

Finding Your Ancestors' Country or Place of Origin

She will conduct this workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. She will discuss one of the most challenging obstacles to advancing your family history research... finding the link between Canada and the country or place of origin of your immigrant ancestors.

More information on both workshops: http://globalgenealogy.com/workshops

October 5, Carterville, Illinois: The Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois announces their Fall Conference and Book Fair on 5 Oct, 2002 in Carterville, IL. Henry Z (Hank) Jones, Jr. will be the featured speaker. Local and national vendors will be represented at the associated book fair.

For more information or registration, contact:  

Dee Fozzard  
403 S. Division St.  
Carterville, IL 62918-1429; or

E-mail: dfozzard@msn.com; or see the society's Web site http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilggsi.

The third Pursuing Our Italian Names Together (POINT) National Conference will be 10-15 Oct. 2002 at tne Wyndham Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Conference presenters include:

Alan Mann: Using the Internet to Do Genealogical Research;

Daniel E. Neimiec: Italian Genealogical Research in Chicago;

Irene Johnson: You Know More Than You Thought You Knew - A Beginners Approach to Genealogy.

June DeLalio: 1) Italian State Archives: When and Why You Need Them; and 2) A Genealogical Treasure: Italian Marriage Records.

Keith Rose: Where Is My Town? Boundaries and How They Affect Research;

Lou Alfano: Immigrant Passenger Lists;

Mary Hill: Organizing Your Genealogy in a Computer Day and Age:

Nancy Granducci: Then Language of Italian Genealogy – Latin;

Paola Manfredi: Research in Southern Italy;

Robert R. Porcaro: Italian Census Records;

Ruth Merriman: Okay Now What Do I Do? Beginning Italian Research;

Dr. Scott Woodward: Molecular Genealogy - The New Approach to Finding Your Ancestors;

Sharon Carmack: 1) Flesh on the Bones: Putting Your Ancestor in Historical Perspective; 2) The Immigrant Experience: From

Steerage to Ellis Island; and 3) From Yawner to Page Turner: Writing A Compelling Family History.

Suzanne Russo: Electronic Genealogical Databases from Commercial Companies.

Trafford Cole: Italian Records; and

Vincent D'Orazio: Doing Genealogical Research in Italy.

Registration from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, 10 Oct., workshops and classes 11-12 Oct., and Guided Research 11, 12, 14 and

15 Oct. Conference Cost (per person) $125; after 30 April, $140. This includes Friday box lunch, Friday night Banquet, Saturday Luncheon, Speakers, Handouts and other Conference costs. (Does not include hotel room, transportation, or breakfast.) Questions:

For additional information, contact:

Jacqui Suker (#4454)  
849 West 500 South  
Brigham City, UT 84302-2822

jsuker@vii.com

or

Mike Madeo (#2263)  
210 Ashe Drive  
Brigham City, UT 84302-2749

mmadeo@mstar2.net

or visit our web site: http://www.geocities.com/slcpip/ 

The Kern County (CA) Personal Ancestral File Users Group will sponsor a Day-Long Seminar on 12 Oct. 2002 in Bakersfield, CA.

We are looking for speakers who will be willing to participate in this event. Because our club is growing, we would like to have sessions available for various stages of research from Beginner to Advanced. If you are in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, willing to travel to our area, or know of a speaker who would be interested, please contact me. Sharon Jones, Program Chairman, telephone  (661) 871-2295 or by mail at 3120 St. Thomas Way, Bakersfield, CA 93306-4563. E-mail: sharonjones@bak.rr.com.

The Wisconsin Gate Genealogical Society holds its Annual Fall Conference at the Ramada Inn Conference Center, Wausau, WI, on 12 Oct. 2002. For more information, contact Rollie Littlewood, e-mail: rklittle@facstaff.wisc.edu or visit the web site: www.wsgs.org.

From: Pam@momemorylane.com

The first Regional In-depth Genealogical Studies Alliance (RIGS Alliance) workshop will be held 13-18 Oct. 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia, in cooperation with the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA's) Southeast Region.

The workshop is designed for genealogists, historians, and librarians with a general genealogical or historical grounding who want to learn skills and techniques for researching original records at regional archives. It is not a beginning genealogy workshop. To ensure a quality experience, enrollment is limited to thirty. Although this workshop will focus on records from the Southeastern United States, many of the record types are available at other NARA regional facilities.

Activities will be held in the Atlanta area at the Hampton Inn Southlake (workshop headquarters hotel) and in a state-of-the-art classroom on the beautiful campus of Clayton College and State University, both in Morrow, GA. Additional instruction and research will take place at the National Archives Southeast Region in East Point, GA. Workshop staff includes J. Mark Lowe, CG, Director of RIGS Alliance, Inc., Linda Woodward Geiger, CGRS, CGL, and Pamela Boyer Porter, CGRS, CGL, Assistant Directors, and expert staff members from NARA's Southeast Region.

For details about the RIGS Alliance workshop, visit the web site: www.RIGSAlliance.org; or

E-mail: info@RIGSAlliance.org; or write to

RIGS Alliance Workshop  
P.O. Box 1273  
Jasper, GA 30143; or  
FAX: 706-268-3314.

Pamela Boyer Porter, CGRS, CGL  
Assistant Director  
Regional In-depth Genealogical Studies Alliance, Inc. (RIGS Alliance)

E-mail: PPorter@RIGSAlliance.org

The British Institute will be held in Salt Lake City, UT, 14-19 Oct. 2002, sponsored by The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History. Topics will include British, Irish and Scottish research and a writing course.

For further information, contact:  

ISBGFH  
P.O. Box 3115  
Salt Lake City, UT 84110-3115 or
E-mail: isbgfh@yahoo.com

The Walworth County Genealogical Society will sponsor a Family History Genealogy Fair on 19 Oct. 2002 in Elkhorn , WI.  The event will offer lessons on various subjects displays of genealogical material by vendors and other genealogical, ethnic and historical societies.

For additional information, contact: the sponsor web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwalwor; phone: 08-363-0554 or E-Mail: kjendlie@ticon.net or pgleich@ticon.net or write:

alworth County Genealogical Society  
P.O. Box 159
Delevan, WI 53115-0159   

Friends of the Virginia State Archives announce its 3rd Slatten Seminar with Edgar McDonald as speaker on 19 Oct. 2002 in Richmond, VA. For more information, contact Edgar McDonald at eemcdona@hsc.vcu.edu. 

Jane MacNamara will conduct two workshops on 19 Oct. 2002, at the Global Genealogy & History Shoppe, 13 Charles St., Milton, Ontario, Canada.  Part One, from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. is an introduction to the basics of Scottish research will help you discover more about your ancestors' location in Scotland; the roles of clans, names and naming patterns in Scottish research; post 1854 births, marriages and deaths; and census records.

Part Two, from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. is a continuation of the morning session will look at pre 1855 births, marriages and deaths; and records of inheritance and land ownership, with particular emphasis on resources available in Ontario libraries and through LDS Family History Centers.

For more information, visit the web site: http://globalgenealogy.com/workshops

Family Roots 2002 – A Conference for Genealogy & Technology, is announced for 25-26 Oct. 2002 at the Best Western Hospitality Inn, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  It is hosted by the Alberta Family Histories Society (AFHS).  Activities include lectures plus commercial and noncommercial exhibits and demonstrations. For more information - Email: Gordon@Hulbert.ca  Website: www.afhs.ab.ca

The Wyandotte Nation Tribal Center, Wyandotte, OK, will sponsor a two-day Native American Genealogical Workshop on 25-26 Oct. 2002 at Wyandotte. Keynote speaker is William Welge, Director, Archives Division, Oklahoma Historical Society in addition to other speakers.

Current Schedule

Friday, 25 Oct., 2 - 4 p.m.: Beginning Genealogy - Gregath Staff - Perfect for the person getting started with their family history. Types of forms and systems will be discussed. Very basic Native American special concerns may be discussed as time permits.

Dinner on Your Own.

7 - 9 p.m.: Native American Forum (Round Table) - Tribal Historians - All local Tribes as well as the five civilized Tribes have been invited to participate with several already confirmed: Each Tribe represented will give a brief history of their Tribe and then the floor will be open for questions.

The conference continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, 26 Oct. William Welge, Director, Archives Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, will be one of the speakers. Activities include a Native American lunch.

For additional information, contact:  

The Gregath Publishing Co.  
P.O. Box 505  
Wyandotte, OK 74370. Or
Phone/fax: 918-542-4148

Or: http://www.gregathcompany.com/workshop/nagw; E-mail: staff@gregathcompany.com.

The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, MI, presents Sandra H. Luebking at an all-day conference, 26 Oct. 2002 at Washtenaw Community College between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, MI. Ms. Luebking is co-editor of The Source and Editor-in-Chief of the FGS Forum. Her topics will include "Fire and Brimstone: The Religious Frontier", "From Note to Narrative", "Trials and Tribulations", and "Circumventing Blocked Lines".

For additional information visit the web site: www.hvcn.org/info/gswc/workshop02.htm or write:

GSWC  
P.O. Box 7155  
Ann Arbor, MI 48107-7155 or  
Carolyn Lucado Griffin

1200 South Harris  
Ypsilanti, MI 48198-6513 or  
Phone: (734) 482-8029; or

E-mail CLGriffinY@aol.com or  wwwgswc@aol.com.

24-26 April 2003 -- Annual Ohio Conference, Columbus, OH
The Ohio Genealogical Society has announced its 2003 conference on 24-26 April 2003 in Columbus, OH.  It typically attracts 400 to 600 delegates with a program featuring a full slate of family history speakers and exhibitors. For information contact: The Ohio Genealogical Society, 713 South Main Street, Mansfield, Ohio USA 44907-1644, Tel: 419-756-7294, Fax: 419-756-8681, email ogs@ogs.org

From: info@genealogyfair.com  (Sharon Sergeant)

The Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, Reunion will be 10-14 July 2003. From 1750 to 1752 groups of hardy "Foreign Protestants" left primarily German states, Switzerland, and the Principality of Montbeliard (now France) in hope of a better existence in Nova Scotia. In June 1753, about 1400 of these souls were transferred from Halifax down the coast to Lunenburg.

The summer of 2003 will be the 250th anniversary of the founding of Lunenburg, and the town is getting geared up to celebrate this event in grand style. For those of us interested in the family history aspects of Lunenburg, there will be two concurrent major events to celebrate the anniversary:

1. A Grand Family Reunion and 2. The unveiling of a memorial to the foreign Protestants on the 12th.

The planning committee's vision of what we'd like the reunion to be a place to meet relatives - living and dead, and HUG all of the former

An opportunity to fill in the blanks in our search for who we were.

A place to find folks who have already done some of that research and are willing to share the fruits of their labour. And we'd share with them what we know.

An opportunity to make personal contacts to be followed up after the Reunion.

An opportunity to find out who our ancestors were by any traces they left behind. This could be by church records, land records, school records, and wills.

An opportunity to visit and photograph the churches where our ancestors worshiped, the land they lived on and worked, and cemeteries where they are buried.

An opportunity to hear from noted genealogists who can put the unique nature of this community in greater perspective and why it is so special.

An opportunity to learn where to go for more detailed information (e.g. the South Shore Genealogical Society, the Land and Probate Registries in Bridgewater, the NS Archives in Halifax, etc).

These would not be part of the services we'd expect to find at the Reunion, but we might.

Find out more on how to search those records and then go there after and look for them ourselves.

An opportunity to be a tourist and visit this place everyone keeps exclaiming about!

To stay current with the Grand Family Reunion planning process, please visit (and revisit) the Reunion Web site: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/8785/L250.html

There, you will find links to: (1.) Current plans; (2.) All of the past newsletters pertaining to the reunion; (3.) The Memorial plans; (4.) How to get to Lunenburg; (5.) Where to stay; (6.) Where to eat; and (7.) What else to do once you get there.

© 2002 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of the Golden Gate Genealogy Forum, Inc. of Franklin, MA.
(America Online Keyword: roots.) The Editors welcome your ideas and articles,
success stories, favorite genealogy research tips, comments and suggestions.

© 2002 Graphics By Carol, All Rights Reserved