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Upcoming Events

March 21 - 23 2013 RootsTech Genealogy Fair SLC

Mar 16, 2013 - Portland Area PAF Users Group Presents "Blogging and Genealogy Part 2"

Mar 16, 2013 - Oregon Historical Society Presents "Ask a Professional: Question & Answer Session"

April 6, 2013 - Clark County Genealogical Society Spring Seminar.

Presenters

Barbara Hershey -Barbara Hershey is the President and Program Chair of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon. She also serves on several committees of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies where she enjoys Skype meetings early in the morning with people from Israel, Europe, Canada and across the US. Professionally Barbara was an early worker against domestic violence. She founded and was the Executive Director of a shelter in New Mexico - living there when her daughter was born. She worked as a program developer for Multnomah County specializing in anti-poverty and homeless families system development. Originally from NY and NJ, she has a long interest in immigration history and people's personal stories. Barbara enjoyed a fabulous ancestral trip this summer to Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine (where they all come together,) Poland, and Iasi, Romania where her grandfather was born.

Barbara Hovorka -With more than thirty five years of research on site and more then seventeen years of teaching at Portland Community College, I have extensive personal experience in many of the areas of interest to most people. I received my certification from BYU at the Professional level in 1989 and have worked hard over the years to stay “ahead of my game!” I love what we do. Finding a new g-grandparent is almost as much fun as having a new g-grandchild in the family!

Beverly Rice -Beverly Rice, CG(SM) is a teacher and lecturer in historical and genealogical topics with a special interest in Western Migration, the Woman’s Experiences in the West and research methodology or “helping others break down those brick walls by getting the most from each record”. She is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, with credentials as a Certified Genealogist(sm). She is a board member for the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and a former trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Beverly received a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University in social science, with an emphasis on women’s studies and US history. Beverly has taught genealogy and banking courses at a local community college on a part-time basis since 1981. She is the Director of American Studies and Director of Curriculum Development for GenealogicalStudies.com (National Institute for Genealogical Studies). Beverly has been a volunteer librarian at the Coos Bay Family History Center since 1989.

Brian McCann -An avid genealogist for the past 30 years, Brian has done a lot of research in the US. He currently is the Director of the Mount Hood Oregon Family History Center, where he and his staff assist local community members in their research. He also serves as the Indexing Director for the LDS Mount Hood Oregon Stake. As indexing director, Brian helps to train people to use Family Search Indexing to bring important documents on line for use in research databases such as Family Search and Ancestry. The 1940 US Federal Census was indexed and searchable online in only 4 months through the Indexing Program.

Cindy Webb -Cindy Webb discovered her passion for family history shortly after she joined the LDS Church at age 19. Since then she has served in numerous genealogical societies as an officer and board member, as a fhc worker and director, stake extraction coordinator and she is involved in indexing today. Cindy has spoken throughout Oregon and at the BYU Family History Conference. She works at the Portland Oregon Temple where she enjoys helping patrons with their family history on a daily basis.

Connie Lenzen -Connie Lenzen became interested in genealogy when her grandmother brought some old diaries down from the attic. The question, ""Have you ever seen what is in Grandpa's diary?"" opened up a world of mystery and intrigue as she pieced together the family stories. It led her to discover the fascination of placing ancestors in time and place. It made history a real entity. It also led to research trips to county courthouses and cemeteries; often with her son and daughter in the back seat. The children grew up picnicking in cemeteries. A granddaughter has now caught the cemetery bug, and her science fair project was on the effect of acid rain on white marble tombstones. Connie is a past Board for Certification of Genealogists trustee and president. She is a former National Genealogical Society Director and was awarded the 2009 NGS President's Citation for ""Outstanding and Continuing Contributions to the Society."" She was also awarded the ""1995 Award of Excellence"" from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly for her article ""Proving a Maternal Line, the case of Frances B. Whitney."" She is an International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) writing contest awardee for the years 2003, 2004, and 2006. At the local level, she is a past president of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) and is now on their Education Committee. She was the Local Arrangements co-chair for the 2001 National Genealogical Society conference in Portland, Oregon; the Program Chair for the 2002, 2004, 2008, and 2010 Genealogical Council of Oregon (GCO) conferences in Salem; and the general chair for the 2008 and 2010 GCO conference in Eugene. She is past president of the Oregon Chapter Association of Professional Genealogists.

Duane Funk -I was born and grew up in Portland, attended Portland State University and > then served twenty years in the US Navy, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander > in 1992. I now live in West Linn and divide my time between genealogy, travel, and community service.

Elaine Butler -Elaine Butler teaches the Trails Across Time Living History Immersion Program for the Estacada Web Academy, directs Orchestracada, a multilevel intergenerational orchestra, and enjoys spending time with her family. She is on the executive boards of the Estacada Chamber of Commerce, the Clackamas County Heritage Council, and the marketing advisory committee for Clackamas County Tourism. She has managed the Philip Foster Farm historic site on the Oregon Trail for the last ten years, operating history tours and camps, and performs as a pianist and vocalist with the Estacada Madrigal Singers and the Estacada First Baptist Church Worship Band. With her mother, Gerri Morse, she developed educational games for homeschooling her six children and now shares that expertise with her Web Academy students.

Gerald Lenzen -Gerald Lenzen lectures locally, regionally, and nationally on a wide variety of subjects. He was born in Wisconsin and came to Portland, Oregon, prior to World War II with his parents. He graduated from Portland State University and went to work for Bonneville Power Administration. He is now an active member of the genealogical community. He is a Life Member of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, serves on their Education Committee, and volunteers in the library. He is on the Board of the St. Paul Mission Historical Society and a former board member for the Archdiocese of Portland Historical Commission. On the state level, he was president of the Genealogical Council of Oregon. He is a member of APG and NGS.

Hannah Z. Allan -Hannah is a BYU Family-History and Genealogy graduate, is a Reference Assistant and on-site genealogist for the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon. She tutors genealogists and teaches monthly genealogy workshops at OHS. She is also a member of Portland Metro’s Cemetery Advisory Committee and has worked for BYU’s Center for Family History and Genealogy and Immigrant Ancestor’s Project.

Jewell Dunn -I was introduced to genealogy by my aunt when I was 15. My genealogical experience has included extensive research at the Virginia State Library, Washington State Archives, Oregon State Arhives, and the Family History Library in SLC, UT. I have also volunteered with the Historical Records Project at the Washington State Archives, Southwest Region in Olympia, WA. I am a member of the DAR, NGS, GFO, and VA Genealogical Society. I am an alumni of NIGR and IGHR.

JoAnne Haugen -JoAnne earned her bachelor’s degree in Education at Oregon State University. She has been doing genealogical research for almost 40 years. Since 2000 JoAnne has successfully completed almost 1000 cases of forensic genealogical research for the US Army and Air Force Casualty Offices, finding surviving family members of MIA servicemen from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War for DNA testing to help in the identification of remains. Additionally, she has searched for missing heirs for the Oregon Department of State Lands and have completed cases for attorneys across the US.

John Rudnick -35+ years experience researching his/wife’s ancestry in United States, Germany and Poland in all the traditional sources. Expert in newspaper research, Internet research techniques and organizing computer family history data files. Former volunteer at the Beaverton Family History Center and teacher of local research classes for over fifteen years. Guest presenter at Salt Lake Family History Library. Professional experience as an engineer and manager in high technology with significant backgrounds in industrial problem solving and analytical techniques. Also, high-level communication skills for all audience levels including technical presentations and seminars. Worked in medical device, electronic measurements, and CD/DVD manufacturing industries.

Judith Scott -Judi has been researching her family history for more than 20 years, as well as assisting others with their research. Her interest in family history was sparked when her grandfather told her stories of his trip to the 'Wild West" as a young man, where he met "a beautiful Indian Princess", and members of the infamous Dalton gang. Later, she was totally hooked when her uncle took her to an old cemetery on top of a hill in Kentucky where her 3rd great-grandfather was buried, and then gave her a copy of his will. She has researched primarily in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. She is a co-editor, column editor and writer for The Bulletin, the quarterly publication of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, serves on the Board of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, and is co-leader of the Virginia Interest Group.

Keith Pyeatt -Keith is a full-time genealogy enthusiast who is a graduate of Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado Denver. He is becoming an credentialed genealogist. He and his wife conduct original genealogical research in record repositories throughout the United States. He is a fifth generation Oregonian, the Forest Grove Oregon Stake high councilor assigned to temples and family history, serving as a family history consultant and a member of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon's education committee.

Megan Wright -Megan has a BA in Family History and Genealogy from Brigham Young University and a Masters in Business from Seattle University. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Hillsboro Family History Center. She is the mother to two young boys, both of whom are named for beloved ancestors. She specializes in searching out the personal stories of ancestors and using photographs, local histories, and artifacts to reconstruct the lives of deceased family members.

Paul Work -Paul Work was born and raised in Texas. He served as a missionary in northern Germany for the LDS Church for two years, and during this time, he also identified the location where his grandmother's parents had emigrated from as well as interviewing his great-grandmother's last living sibling and several other distant relatives. Paul later served 13 years in the US Air Force, starting out as an Airman and rising to the rank of Captain. He and his mother have been researching the German family lines for over 30 years, tracing the migrations from multiple locations in Germany proper to Poland, and finally to Ohio in 1901. Paul remains active in researching these family lines further, trying to identify the origins of all the ancestral forbears that emigrated to Poland between 1782 and 1803. To date, the origin of three of those families remains a mystery. He has conducted research at the Polish National Archives in Warsaw, the Prussian Historical Archives in Berlin, and many of the ancestral villages that his research has uncovered. In these visits, Paul strives to discover the story behind the names and dates, learning about the circumstances of the times and what influences were at play.

Peggy Baldwin - Family Passages genealogist, is a sixth generation Oregonian, descending from four lines of Oregon Trail pioneers. She has a Master of Library Science degree and has had many years of genealogical research experience, and is well acquainted with the courthouses, libraries, and archives throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and governs her research by their standards.

Richard Halliday -Mr. Halliday was born in Southern California (Glendale) where he attended Glendale College (physics, chemistry and mathematics). After graduation from Brigham Young University (BS, Physics) he worked at White Sands Proving Grounds, NM as a telemetry data processing (guided missiles) engineer. Following two years in the US Navy (LtJG, Electronics Ground Officer) he worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of The California Institute of Technology. After 32 years at Lockheed Missiles and Space Corp. (telemetry data processing, electronics engineer, hardware and software design and construction) he retired. While at Lockheed he spent three years living in England where he was able to work on his maternal genealogy and visit the towns and villages where they lived. He helped with the beta-testing of a number of genealogical programs. He began to do genealogical work at age 17. He has been teaching the subject since 1952. He is a founding member of the Silicon Valley PAF Users Group, has worked in several Family History Centers and served a genealogical mission (FHC in Buffalo Grove, Ill) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

Scott G Edwards -Scott retired in 2007 as a Deputy Chief Fire Marshal after serving a 31-year career with Portland Fire & Rescue. In addition to his public service, Scott has been associated with the world of genealogy in a support role for over 30 years as an entrepreneur . Through his software development company, HYPERsoft, Inc., he was one of the consultants that helped develop the original version of PAF in the early 1980's. He then developed and licensed the only successful non-IBM DOS version of PAF that was compatible with early PC-compatible computers. In addition to his computer business, Scott has been a professional photographer and instructor for nearly 40 years and owns Aperture Artistry, www.scottgedwardsphotography.com . Scott is married to Debra Edwards, an avid genealogist and the current Director of the Milwaukie Stake Family History Center. Since his retirement, they have traveled throughout 48 states visiting and photographing family history sites (nearly 50,000 miles, 30,000 photos, and 260 days in a Mini Cooper!) Scott has become an expert at cataloging and archiving photos so that they can be found easily when needed. In addition, he has mastered the art of scanning and enjoys teaching others how to preserve the valuable documents and photos that are so important to family history documentation. Scott has been a guest lecturer at many genealogical forums including, Milwaukie Stake Family History Fair, PAPAFUG, Lake Oswego Adult Community Center Computer Group, Tualatin Valley Family History Fair, and the Genealogical Forum of Oregon.

Shawna Gandy -An independent scholar specializing in social and religious history. Her first book is on the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and fur-trade families in Oregon (forthcoming). Gandy was an archivist at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library, where she worked since 1996. She received bachelor's degrees from the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in history from Portland State University.

Stephen P. Morse - Stephen Morse is the creator of the One-Step Website for which he has received both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, Award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society, first-ever Excellence Award from the Association of Professional Genealogists, and two awards that he cannot pronounce from Polish genealogical societies. In his other life Morse is a computer professional with a doctorate degree in electrical engineering. He has held various research, development, and teaching positions, authored numerous technical papers, written four textbooks, and holds four patents. He is best known as the architect of the Intel 8086 (the granddaddy of today's Pentium processor), which sparked the PC revolution 30 years ago.

Susan Baird -Susan was born and raised in Oregon. She is the mother of five, step mother of two, grandmother of fourteen and great grandmother of two. She had the blessing of raising many children that came under her care and is affectionately called "Mama Susan" by them. Susan has been researching her family for 54 years and has been teaching research methodology for 38 years through private and community college classes, seminars, conferences and one on one. She served a two year Family History Mission for the LDS Church. "I have watched the growth and blossoming of family history research through the decades and have loved planting the seed and nourishing it in the lives of my students. Helping students fall in love with their ancestors can't be described in words, it is a journey of the heart."

Susan LeBlanc -A native of Oregonian, she started doing genealogical research 35 years ago. She is an avid reader and a determined researcher. Research specialties include Western, Midwestern, New England states, Scandinavia, Family Histories, Spanish and other foreign languages. Brief speaking/genealogical bio: 2010 AG - accredited genealogist through ICAPGen; 2005 BYU graduate, BGS degree, Family History; 1985 BYU AS degree, Spanish. Work includes over ten years at the Milwaukie Stake Family History Center, instructor, lecturer, professional researcher, editorial team for the GFO Bulletin, coordinator of Ruth C. Bishop Volunteer Awards with the Federation of Genealogical Societies. A member of APG, Genealogical Council of Oregon, Genealogical Forum of Oregon, ICAPGen, and DAR. Speaker for BYU Genealogy Conference, Portland Area PAF Users Group, local Family History Center Fairs, Genealogical Council of Oregon, Oregon Genealogical Society, Genealogical Forum of Oregon, and The Genealogical Society of Washington County.

Tom O'Brien -Tom O'Brien has been researching his family since 1986. In addition to researching and visiting his Midwestern roots, Tom has been able to travel and research in several European countries, meeting distant cousins and walking in the villages of his ancestors. Tom volunteered as a consultant at the Family History Center in Milwaukie from 2004 to 2009. He currently volunteers as a Research Assistant at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon each Monday from 9:30 - 1:00. He is a member of the GFO Education Committee and participates in the GFO German, Irish, & Illinois Interest Groups.