Longmont Genealogical Society Past Program Reviews
Helen Weber & Margaret Kamigaki
September 11, 2008 - Diana Ornstead gave an excellent presentation on how to use newspapers both on and off line to help in our genealogy research. Diana showed us a number of topics that are covered in newspapers such as obituaries, local news, advertisements, accidents and numerous others that may have information about our ancestors. She explained that using those that are indexed such as online newspapers at Ancestry.com, WorldVitalRecords.com and others make it easier to locate pertinent articles. Although it is more time consuming to use un-indexed newspapers like perhaps those found at local libraries or through InterLibrary loan they can many times provide information that is well worth the search. Diana gave us a list of many web sites that have information regarding newspapers to search including a link to all 50 states! Click here to read or print a list of those links.
November 10, 2004 - Kim Wolinski made a house call to LGS as Dr. DeClutter and provided a prescription for the organizationally challenged. She began her diagnosis by asking the patients questions such as: Why can you not get organized? What do you need to become organized? What are your projects – the things you need to organize and what are the deadlines for the completion of those projects? We provided answers to some of the questions and then she spent time on each of them explaining how they contribute to our becoming “overwhelmed” or “underwhelmed” and explained that our goal is to become “whelmed” or balanced. She explained that there are 3 Kinds of Clutter: Inner, Outer and Other.
1. Inner: Emotions, thoughts, opinions, beliefs and perceptions
2. Outer: Material stuff and things in our environment
3. Other: People and boundaries with them
Dr. DeClutter, taught us with humor and common sense to take a look at what we’re doing and to decide why we are doing it. She asked, “Is what you’re doing supporting your happiness; if it isn’t, stop doing it!”
She told us that everything in our homes needs to have a home or it becomes “homeless.” If it is homeless, it will wander around the house looking for a home and we will spend unnecessary time dealing with it over and over again. Each of our possessions takes up space and energy – what she called white noise.
We need to organize things a piece at a time, not try to do the whole house. Choose one drawer, one shelf, one pile and organize it. Then feel the relief and sense of accomplishment that comes from completing that task.
She encouraged us to find a “buddy” and enlist his/her help to get our tasks done. Call each other every day and say, “Did you get it done yet?” She assured us that having to answer to someone will motivate us to finish even if it’s just to be able to say, “Yes, it’s done or yes, I have the first chapter, page or whatever portion of it done.”
We should learn to celebrate our achievements. Have some friends over and show them what you’ve done. Ooooh and Aaaah or each others projects and the good feelings will make you want to do more.
Dr. DeClutter counseled us that there really is no such thing as time management, it’s all event management. Learn to manage the events of our lives and we will accomplish what is needed with our time.
And finally, have fun she says. If you’re not having fun – you should be doing something else with your time.
This was a very enjoyable program for everyone that attended. There was something for everyone to think about and to then go home, and DO!
For tips on organization visit the Doctor’s web site at http://www.drdeclutter.com/.
She can also be contacted at:
Kim Wolinski, MSW "Dr. DeClutter"
Stress, Change & Organizational Skills Expert
PO Box 6149
Longmont, CO 80501 USA
303-485-5280
October 13, 2004 - Caroly Murray gave an excellent presentation on “Urban Research,” looking for ancestors in big cities. Caroly told us that Urban research differs from rural research in several aspects: the sheer size of the populations, cities have large areas of renters, population is highly mobile and many immigrants settled in cities. She suggested that we begin our research with the common sources, census, cemetery, probate, biographies, family histories, military records, naturalizations, church and court. We need to remember that the sheer volume of these records makes research more difficult and many databases are not adequately indexed. She said that it is very important to learn to use other kinds of resources also, to be aware of annexations and growth patterns for locality work and to learn to deal with big-city bureaucrats and massive collections of records. We were each given an excellent handout of her tips and encouraged not to be afraid of research in big cities - just to be mindful of its differences. Caroly is very knowledgeable about the New England States and is a past president of LGS.
September 8, 2004 - Field Trip to the Longmont Family History Center. Joella Marler discussed the resources available at the Center and how to use them. She also stressed the importance of coming prepared with some information so that your search can be a success. Margaret Kamigaki discussed some of the computer resources available including the difference between the Ancestral File, Pedigree Resource File and tips on finding ancestors in these databases. Using search engines on the Internet such as Google, Vivisimo and Kartoo were also briefly discussed.
August 11, 2004 - Two workshops were held: Judy Smith spoke on “British and Vital Records.” Margaret Kamigaki spoke on “Using the Internet for Genealogy Research.”
The handout from Margaret’s presentation is included below:
In recent years, the Internet has become a tremendous tool for genealogists – one that can be used at our own convenience and in the comfort of our own homes.
As more and more records become available on the Internet – abstracts, transcripts and numerous original images the incentive to learn to use this amazing tool is increased. The computer industry recognizes that most people do not want to invest a lot of time learning they want to spend their time using the Internet. I believe that we will see many tools including the Internet become easier to understand and use as time goes by.
Records from many parts of the world that were previously inaccessible are now becoming available and the FHL in Salt Lake City has stated that it is no longer a matter of whether or not their vast collection will be online – it is simple a matter of when and how best to make their accessible!
Most records of interest to the genealogist are free although some “for pay” sites exist and some “pay for the document” also exist. In many cases the “for pay” sites can be used for free at local FHC’s. In the Longmont Stake FHC, Ancestry.com and Genealogy.com can be used free.
Through the Denver Public Library any resident having a library card from a library with lending privileges from DPL can use their online genealogy resources for free. These include the Heritage Quest census collection and a large collection of books, a valuable obituary database from newspapers throughout the country and several other databases.
It is well worth our time to learn to use the Internet as most of us are going to be able to find something we’ve been looking for. So how do we do that?
First get prepared by: Tools to have on your computer
Genealogy software program (several free – PAF5.2, Legacy 5.0 Basic, coming soon Family Tree Maker basic version)
Word Processor – Word Pad
Pedigree charts, Family Group Records, Research Log, etc.
Adobe Acrobat Reader – available free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Organize online searches and findings into folders on computer
Learn to use Edit Crtl+F to find specific text on a web page
Learn to use Cut, Copy & Paste Keystrokes
Keystroke Action Keystroke Action
CTRL+C Copy. CTRL+V Paste.
CTRL+X Cut. CTRL+Z Undo.
DELETE Delete.
Types of sites: Commercial – some free, some fee
Genealogy Family Historical, archives, library catalogs
How to find sites:
Links from sites previously used (Favorites)
Favorites – adding sites to
Articles in genealogy related magazines
Online newsletters (Rootsweb Review, Dick Eastman, Ancestry Daily newsletter, Genealogy.com, others)
Recommendation from friends
Search engines!
Try these three – compare and see which gives you the best results.
Google.com Kartoo.com Vivisimo.com
Choose a search engine and take the time to learn it well. Read the help files, how to do advanced searches, etc.
Boolean Search Examples in Google
Search Types Example Search Finds Internet Sites Containing
Single word george “george”
And (automatic) george Swainston both “george” and “swainston”
OR (CAPS) birth or marriage “birth” or “marriage”
Not (-) pierce –peirce “pierce” but not “pierce”
Phrase search “new york city” the phrase “new york city”
Synonyms ~genealogy “family tree” “family history”
Google DOES NOT DO
Truncation marry “marry” “marrying”
Wildcard: single Sm?th Smith, Smyth
Wildcard: multiple town* towns, township, townland
Proximity (near/adj) ellis york@5 “ellis” and “york: within 5 words of each other
July 14, 2004 - LGS Indoor Picnic
June 9, 2004 - Ruth Christian presented a program titled “Genealogy, More Than Just a Name.” She explained that genealogy is a family history which is a story of how and where families lived and how the economic time changed, how and where people lived. The history also included the school and churches people attended and the communities they were a part of.
May 12, 2004
Paul Kilburn spoke on New England and life in the early times in the USA. He took us through the history of that area and helped us see what they saw in the early days. He presented us with a great list of books to reference for research such as “New England’s Generation” by Virginia Anderson and “Changes in the Land” by William Cronon.
“Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England” by William Cronon: The book that launched environmental history now updated. Winner of the Francis Parkman Prize In this landmark work of environmental history, William Cronon offers an original and profound explanation of the effects European colonists' sense of property and their pursuit of capitalism had upon the ecosystems of New England. Reissued here with an updated afterword by the author and a new preface by the distinguished colonialist John Demos, "Changes in the Land, provides a brilliant inter-disciplinary interpretation of how land and people influence one another. With its chilling closing line, "The people of plenty were a people of waste," Cronon's enduring and thought-provoking book is ethno-ecological history at its best.
“New England's Generation: The Great Migration and the Formation of Society and Culture in The...”by Anderson, Virginia Dejohn: Through analyses of the process of migration and settlement and of the symbolic meaning that participants attached to their experiences, the book tells the story of New England’s origins as one of dynamism and change. Focusing on the lives of nearly 700 emigrants, the narrative examines such topics as the settlers motives for leaving England, their experience of the voyage, their patterns of settlement in the New World, and their search for economic security in a new land. The descendants of the founders erected the story of their great migration into early British Americas only effective foundation myth--a record of achievement that succeeding generations could never match. Rich in detail and insight, this exploration of New England's founding examines both the lives of ordinary people and the transcendent meanings that those lives ultimately acquired.
These books can be purchased new or used at www.alibris.com.
Questions or comments concerning this web page please contact:
Margaret.
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