What are GenTalks?
GenTalks are less formal, genealogy-related presentations that take place at the GFO library several months per year, generally on the third Saturday at 2 p.m. GenTalks are free and open to the public (i.e., you do NOT have to be a GFO member to attend). And they are a great opportunity for us to learn about not only genealogy, but also historical and cultural topics that permit us to better understand our ancestors and the eras in which they lived. Check out our Calendar page, and come spend an hour or so with us on a Saturday afternoon!
Upcoming GenTalks:
Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret
Saturday, July 21 @ 2 p.m.
Presenter: Pam Vestal
Looking for a date of birth or death? The date and court of naturalization? Where your ancestor disappeared to, or where he came from? His political outlook? Even what kind of house he lived in? Voting records may have the answer. These often-overlooked gems can be packed with genealogical information, and you won’t believe what they can tell us about our ancestors!
Pam Vestal entered the field of genealogy after a 21-year career as a professional writer. She does genealogical research for clients, has articles published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and lectures up and down the West Coast.
Getting Ready to Check Out: End of Life Planning
Saturday, August 18 @ 2 p.m.
Presenter: Leslie Brinkley Lawson, FGC
As genealogists, we love end-of-life records: death certificates, probate/estate paperwork, cemetery records, obituaries, etc. But in our personal lives, maybe we're not so enthusiastic. Learn how to plan for the inevitable, for the sake of your genealogy research and for your loved ones. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be difficult, let Leslie show you how.
Leslie Brinkley Lawson, FGC is a full-time professional genealogist, specializing in forensic genealogy (missing/unknown heirs, and probate research). She is credentialed by the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG), and is a past president (2010-2015). She is the president of the Oregon Chapter of the Assn. of Professional Genealogists (APG), and is a member of the GFO.
Some of the GenTalks we have offered in the past:
June 2018
The Pre-Digital Family Photo Collection & Its Uses in Visualizing Your Personal Family History
Presented by: Harold Hinds, Ph.D.
May 2018
My Cuban Cousins
Presented by: Janice Sellers
April 2018
Getting from Then to Now: Locating People in the Last Century
Presented by: Leslie Lawson, FCG
March 2018
Finding James: A WWII Repatriation Project
Presented by: Kate Eakman, MA
January 2018
Making the Most of Your DNA Holiday Gift
Presented by: Lisa McCullough
December 2017
Personal Archiving
Presented by: LauraDenise White, MARM, GFO Resident Archivist
November 2017
Paper & Spit: Making First Contact with a Match
Presented by: Don Anderson
October 2017
Write It Up!
Presented by: Marti Dell, Co-Editor, GFO Bulletin
September 2017
Switched at Birth: Unraveling a Century-Old Mystery with DNA
Presented by: Alice Collins Plebuch
June 2017
Capturing and Bringing to Life Your U.S. Farm Ancestor
Presented by: Harold Hinds, Ph.D.
May 2017
Vanport
Presented by: Zita Podany, author
March 2017
French Prairie Oregon Settlement & The GFO's French-Canadian Collection
Presented by: Gerry Lenzen and Susan LeBlanc, AG
January 2017
Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery
Presented by: Linda Werts, Board Member, Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery
November 2016
What the U.S. Census Tells Us about Your Potential Native American Ancestors
Presented by: Kate Eakman, MA
September 2016
Map Guides to German Parish Records
Presented by: Keith & Darlene Pyeatt
June 2016
Church Records: Their Location & Value for Family Historians
Presented by: Harold Hinds, Ph.D.
May 2016
Buttons, History...and Genealogy?
Presented by: Dorothy Krugner
April 2016
Beyond Names & Places: Filling in the Stories of Our Female Ancestors
Presented by: Pam Vestal
March 2016
From Native American to Scottish: The Journey to Find My First Parents
Presented by: Don Anderson
February 2016
Research in Eastern Canada
Presented by: Thomas Higgins
January 2016
Discover Your House History
Presented by: Connie Lenzen, CG
