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!
Upcoming GenTalks:
Registration for our Spring Seminar "Solving Puzzles with DNA" with Karen Stanbary is also open. Click HERE for more information.
Panel Discussion: DNA and Genealogy for Crime Solving
Saturday, Jan. 18 from 2:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Panelists: Portland Police Bureau Detective Brendan McGuire, genetic genealogists Dr. Tim Janzen and Emily Aulicino, and crime victim advocate Laurel Smith
This event is free and open to the public, but online pre-registration is required to guarantee your seat.
Please click HERE to register.
According to the FBI, as of 2018, police have used DNA in almost 400,000 criminal investigations. In addition, the Innocence Project states that over 350 people, several of whom were on death row, have been exonerated as a result of DNA evidence. DNA and forensic genealogy by law enforcement has exploded as the hot topic of the last year.
Come hear firsthand about this trend from a panel of experts. The January GenTalk will feature a discussion including Portland Police Detective Brendan McGuire, genetic genealogists Dr. Tim Janzen and Emily Aulicino, and crime victim advocate Laurel Smith.
We will discuss various issues including the ethics of using DNA for law enforcement, the viewpoint of the victim and their family, the suspect’s privacy, what crimes should be allowed to use DNA, your choices and rights regarding your DNA, and the future of using DNA for law enforcement.
We expect a lively discussion. Bring your questions!
Intro to Excel for Genealogy
Saturday, Feb. 15 from 2 - 3 p.m.
Presenter: Kendra Blumberg
Get ready for the upcoming 3-hour, hands-on Excel® for genealogy workshop with Mary Kircher Roddy on Feb. 23 at the GFO Library!
Sometimes having too much data is as confusing as having too little, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Spreadsheets are a powerful tool for analyzing your data, organizing your research and presenting your conclusions. But as with any tool, you have to know how to use it to get results.
Please bring your laptop with Excel® loaded. Otherwise, a limited number of computers are available for free reservation HERE.
Kendra Blumberg, a GFO member and volunteer, has researched her family history for decades, and has found ample opportunity to learn how to make spreadsheets work for her. Kendra is Microsoft-certified in Excel®, uses the program professionally, and is eager to teach beginners how to get started using it for genealogy.
Some of the GenTalks we have offered in the past:
November 2019
Scanning & Archiving Your Family Photos and Documents
Presented by: Lori Washburn
October 2019
Discovering Your Ancestor's Life in Records of Death
Presented by: Pam Vestal
September 2019
Evernote for Genealogy, part 2
Presented by: Dale Deatherage
August 2019
Another Look at the Women in Your Family Tree
Presented by: Barb Schrag
June 2019
Locating Land with the GLO, HistoryGeo and GFO
Presented by: Kristin Parks
April 2019
Computer Lab: InDesign
Presented by: Jay Fraser, Retired Layout Editor, GFO Bulletin
March 2019
Following American Migrations: The First 100 Years
Presented by: Patricia Oberndorf
February 2019
Google Searching for Genealogy
Presented by: Kristin Parks & Joann Taylor
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
