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, so, member or not, check out our Calendar page and come spend an hour or so with us on a Saturday afternoon!
Upcoming GenTalks:
Computer Lab: Google Searching
Saturday, February 16 @ 2 p.m.
Presenters: Kristin Parks & Joann Taylor
The best way to learn to use a computer is to … use a computer. This GenTalk Computer Lab will start from the beginning with Google search engine queries for online genealogy research, by walking you through the process, click by click. Whether you have a Mac or PC, Kristin (Mac) and Joann (PC) will be there to help you. If you have a laptop of your own, please bring it! If you do not, then sign up to use one at the GFO.
GenTalks are free and open to everyone, but the number of GFO computers is limited, so please register online to use one.
Kristin Parks and Joann Taylor are members of the GFO, and both volunteer as Research Assistants and as researchers for the GPS SIG. Joann is a researcher for the GFO Look-Up Service, and Kristin is the Education Committee Chair. Both attend numerous educational seminars and conferences, and are holders of the Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University's Center for Professional Education.
Following American Migrations: The First 100 Years
Saturday, March 16 @ 2:15 p.m.
Presenter: Patricia Oberndorf
From the end of the Revolutionary War through the 19th century, Americans and immigrants moved westward from the eastern seaboard to the interior and ultimately to the far west coast. This presentation will discuss who moved westward, the reasons why they moved, the routes they may have taken, and the things you may discover for them along the way.
Tricia Oberndorf has been engaged in genealogy research for 30 years, the last six years professionally. Her research has spanned most of the United States, from the colonial period to the 20th century. Her ancestors were not ones to stay in one place very long, prompting her to learn about U.S. migration. Living in Columbia County, Oregon, she has also become engaged in local history and research there, volunteering with the Columbia County Historical Museum.
Computer Lab: InDesign 101
Saturday, April 20 from 1 - 3 p.m.
Presenter: Jay Fraser, Layout Editor, GFO Bulletin
Genealogy research isn't just about finding the answer, it's also about communicating the answer to others. From writing a book or assembling a photo album with stories, Adobe InDesign®️ can help make the design of your project more professional. InDy gives you excellent control of typography, page design, and book organization. It also has dynamic tools like indexing, cross-referencing, and table of contents. Begin to learn the basics of this powerful program in this special, two-hour GenTalk.
If you own InDesign, please bring your laptop with the program loaded. Otherwise, you may follow along with the demonstration.
Some of the GenTalks we have offered in the past:
November 2018
Research & Writing: A Pulitzer Winner's Tips
Presented by: Tom Hallman, Jr.
October 2018
Digging for Ancestral Gold
Presented by: Laurence Overmire
September 2018
Analyze Your Ancestor's Handwriting
Presented by: Joyce Brizendine
August 2018
Getting Ready to Check Out: End of Life Planning
Presented by: Leslie Lawson, FCG
July 2018
Voting Records: Genealogy's Best Kept Secret
Presented by: Pam Vestal
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
