Location: Medford Public Library

Date: 25 Feb 2012, Saturday

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Melinda Henningfield will discuss how to locate census, land, court, military, and many other types of records you might need to solve a mystery. This the third in a series of four programs for the public in the “Mysteries in Our Backyard” program. The “Mysteries in Our Backyard” is a partnership between the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society (RVGS), the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS), and the Jackson County Heritage Association (JCHA). This presentation is free!

 Help Index the 1940 Census!

Classes,Workshops,and Meetings:

All classes are held at the Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix. Please call (541) 512-2340 or email info@rvgslibrary.org to sign up in advance for classes. Pay upon arrival if payment is required.

Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 1 OF 4
Ida Pruitt will teach the first of a four-part series of classes on Photoshop Elements. Learn about consumer photo-editing software; it helps you turn everyday memories into sensational photos you’ll cherish forever. Easily edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network, and find and view all your photos and video clips. Please note what you want to get out of the class when you sign up so that Ida can gear the class to your needs. Class limited to 12 people. Price for each class is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

Saturday, February 4, 2012 10:30 am-12:00 pm
CLASS: GOOGLING YOUR GENEALOGY PLUS, PART I.  
Melinda Henningfield will help you learn how to search for your family using the most effective search engine available on the web, Google. Learn to search for surnames, given names, place names, and their combinations. Learn to narrow your search so that it results in records restricted to a given time period and/or of a given type, e.g., census, obituary, etc. Use of Google’s advanced search tools will be demonstrated including searching within a website or within a given geographic area, e.g., Germany, or for records of a given type, e. g, U.S. Government records. In addition to searching for surnames, use of Google Maps and Google Earth will help you visualize where your ancestors lived. Price is is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

Thursday, February 9, 10:30 am -12:30 pm
CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 2
Ida Pruitt will teach the second in a series of four classes on Photoshop Elements. Learn about photo-editing software to turn everyday memories into sensational photos. Edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network. As you sign up please note what you want to learn in the class so that Ida can gear the class to meet your needs. Class limited to 12 people. Price is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

Friday, February 10, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
CLASS: FINDING THE TREASURES OF THE GENEALOGY LIBRARY
Library Director Anne Billeter will show you what’s where, hidden treasures, and how to use the library’s online catalog. Cost is $10.00 for Members-$20.00 for non-members.

Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 10:30am – 12:00pm
WORKSHOP: BRICK WALL ROUNDTABLE
RVGS President Charleen Brown will lead a roundtable discussion to help you find that elusive ancestor. Bring your questions, e.g., “Who were my ancestor’s parents?” and the list of the sources you have used to try to solve your problem. This class is free to members and non-members.

Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 3
Ida Pruitt will teach the third in a series of four classes on Photoshop Elements. Learn about photo-editing software; it helps you turn everyday memories into sensational photos you’ll cherish forever. Easily edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network, and find and view all your photos and video clips. As you sign up please note what you want to learn in the class so that Ida can gear the class to meet your needs.Class limited to 12 people. Price for each class is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

February 18, 2012 10:30 am-12:00 pm
CLASS: GOOGLING YOUR GENEALOGY PLUS, PART II.
Barbara Basden will teach the second of two classes on using Google to aid your genealogy research. Google is not just a search engine; learn about the other powerful features associated with Google. Learn how to find historical newspaper articles in Google’s News Archives and genealogy-related books in Google Books. Learn how to make efficient use of Google’s toolbar and how to add the many genealogy gadgets available to you on your Google home page, such as a search box for the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress. Learn how to set up Alerts so that your online searches can continue when you are away from your computer. Google +, Google’s new and effective social network will also be demonstrated. Cost is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

Tuesday February 21, 2012, 1:30-2:30 pm
GENERAL MEETING PROGRAM
We love those photos! Winners of the 2011-2012 Photo Contest will be announced, prizes given and winners will have an opportunity to describe their winning photos to our members. This program is held at OEA/Uniserv Building located at 2495 S. Pacific Hwy. Medford

Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 4
Ida Pruitt will teach the fourth in a series of four classes on Photoshop Elements. As you sign up please note what you want to learn so that Ida can gear the class to meet your needs. Learn about photo-editing software so that you can turn everyday memories into sensational photos you’ll cherish forever. Easily edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network, and find and view all your photos and video clips. Class limited to 12 people. Price for each class is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 10:30am – 12:30pm
CLASS: STARTING YOUR GENEALOGY PROJECT FROM SCRATCH
RVGS President Charleen Brown will teach the basics to begin your family tree. Learn how to start your genealogy project. Put the fun in the fundamentals of genealogy and the information you learn along the way will help you succeed in compiling a commendable family history. This is a free class for beginners.

Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10:30 -12:00
CLASS: DATING OLD PHOTOS
Andrea Patterson will present a PowerPoint presentation from the website of Gary Clark that will help you learn how to find clues to the date of pre-1900 photos. Clues include photo borders, clothing medals, hairstyles, stamps and much more. Bring your old photos and we will help each other for the remainder of the class. Members only, free class.

FAMILY TREE MAKER (FTM) USER’S GROUP
The first FTM User’s Group is off and running but cannot accommodate additional members. A second FTM User’s Group is currently being formed. If you are interested in joining that group, please notify the library by telephone or email to add your name to the list.

News:

Annual Writing Contest Announced:
RVGS is sponsoring a genealogy writing contest again this year. Please submit your entry after July 1 but no later than September 1. The piece must be written to the theme “Stories from the Past.” Weave a story around an object your ancestor made or used that was passed down through the family; write about your favorite family member; or reveal a place that had special meaning to your family. The story must be original and factual, with documentation in the form of endnotes or footnotes. Required length: 750 to 2500 words, double-spaced. Submission fee: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Please go to the rvgsociety website for additional information and entry forms by February 8,2012.

From the Lost Cemeteries Group:
Happy 150th Birthday, Henry! Henry Whalers is a previously unrecognized Jackson County pioneer whose unmarked gravesite was found a couple years ago up in the Dry Creek drainage. One of Henry’s distant descendants was called on Henry’s birthday to let him know what we’ve been up to. Henry was born 15 Jan 1862 and died 21 Feb 1932. Fun project! Good works! More to find!

What’s a Volunteer Worth?
As an all volunteer organization, RVGS is proud of our dedicated volunteers who devote many, many hours of service. The total number of hours for 2011 was 13,307. So what is a volunteer worth? In 2010, the most recent year statistics were calculated, the average value was valued at $21.36 per hour. Multiply 13,307 times $21.36 and you will see that our volunteers are worth $284,237.52 per year to our organization. This is astounding! However, there is added value of this volunteer work. If you asked the patron who was helped to break through that “brick wall” and find that long lost relative, their answer would be “PRICELESS”. Thank you volunteers, we couldn’t succeed without you. From Charleen Brown, RVGS President

After-Inventory Note from Anne Billeter, Library Director

As of December 2011 Jackson County Genealogy Library has:

8,803 Books
5,726 Bulletins
214 CD’s
16 Videos
304 microfilm (rolls)
1,589 microfiche (sheets)
72 maps
16,724 Cataloged Items

“Silent Auction:”
A “Silent Auction” for RVGS Members will be held for two copies of Version 4 of RootsMagic Software, one with and one without Instruction Manual, value is $45.00. Submit your bid for this software to: Andrea Patterson, pechu@charter.net by Feb. 15th . List your name, email address and amount of your bid, indicating whether or not you need the instruction manual. The winner can join Andrea in a RootsMagic Users Group, date to be announced. Proceeds go to the Tech Fund at JCGL. Software donated by Leslie Clark and Barbara Basden. From Andrea Patterson, Tech Committee Chair

Historic Oregon Newspapers Online
A variety of early Oregon newspapers from the years 1846-1924 are now available online at http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
The images are of the actual newspaper pages and the search term(s) you use are highlighted on the page.
Of special interest locally are the following Jackson County newspapers:
The Table Rock Sentinel (Jacksonville) 1856-01-05 through 1858-01-09
Oregon Sentinel (Jacksonville) 1858-01-16 through 1888-03-15
Medford Mail Tribune 1907-11-06 through 1916-07-31
Newspapers from cities small and large are included, with special attention to some of the earliest in Oregon City (1846!!!)
Warning: reading and searching old newspapers can be addictive. History definitely comes alive. From Anne Billeter, Library Director.

Family History Detectives:

Volunteers at RVGS often hear of events or objects that lack historical/genealogical background. For those of you who heard Anne Billeter’s excellent recent talks on “Sarah Ann” or on “The Hatbox and the Suitcase,” you can understand how fascinating it can be to do this kind of sleuthing. With that introduction, we’ll begin a recent story of successful family history detecting by RVGS.

This story began when RVGS member, Linda Bush, owner of Jacksonville Antiques approached Chuck Eccleston about a framed family photo in her possession that showed three young and handsome boys. The photo had come into her hands potentially to be sold to any interested customer. Being a genealogist, Linda Bush thought it better that the picture be returned to the family so she turned to the library for help. Clues were provided.  name, also provided on the reverse side of the photo. What would you do to find how more about these lost boys?

To solve the first part of the mystery Chuck Eccleston and his helpers went first to the census, looking for Steinhauer families that might contain three boys, the first two boys two years apart in age and the second and third three years apart in age and all with the correct names. After some serious looking, we found a Jacob Steinhauer family in the 1900 Federal Census living in Leavenworth Kansas with three sons, Lewis, age 7, Walter, age 5, and George, age 2. Bingo! This meant that Lewis/Louis/Louie was born about 1893 and that the picture was taken about 1906. Various Federal Censuses showed that Jacob Steinhauer was the immigrant ancestor having been born in Germany in 1867. The 1910 and 1920 censuses showed that Jacob’s family stayed on in Leavenworth, Kansas. The next part of the mystery was which of the brothers might have brought the framed photo from Leavenworth, Kansas to Jackson County, Oregon?

To solve the second part of the mystery, Chuck’s team delved into the death data for the three brothers to see if any had had moved from Kansas during his lifetime. Again, working from left to right in the photo, we found that Louis Walter Steinhauer died in Kansas on 7 Jan 1965 according to a database of Leavenworth County, Kansas Burials. Louis appeared not to have had a connection with Jackson County, Oregon. Moving on to George, according to the US Social Security Death Index, George Steinhauer died in Feb 1969, also in Leavenworth Kansas. The remaining brother was Walter, where we had a little more success. According to California Death Records, Walter Donald Steinhauer born 9 Oct 1894 in Kansas died in 1963 in Los Angeles, California. The conclusion: Walter Donald Steinhauer was the only one of the three boys to have come to the West Coast. Perhaps a tornado brought him here? The next mystery was how Walter’s picture moved north from Los Angeles, California to Jackson County, Oregon.

To solve the third part we turned to the JCGL website indexes. Typing Steinhauer into the Google search box on the home page resulted in two hits. One was Clara Steinhauer whose obituary appeared in the library volume containing Mail Tribune obituaries published between 1980 and 1989. From the census records we knew that Walter had married a Clara.  According to Clara ‘s obituary, she died Tuesday, January 22, 1985 in Medford, OR. Clara was born 16 Oct 1897 in Hutchinson, Reno, Kansas and married Walter Donald Steinhauer there on 16 Jun 1921. She moved to the Rogue Valley in 1983 but survived only about two years. The photo may have been sold or passed on when she died. Clara was survived by a daughter, Nancy Blount,  living in Ashland in 1985. Nancy Blount’s obituary was published in 2003 and was also in the JCGL library collection. The obituary showed that Nancy died 23 Dec 2003 in Phoenix, Oregon. Once again, the photo may have been sold or passed on when Nancy died. Nancy was born 9 Apr 1926 in Hutchinson, Reno, Kansas. Nancy was survived by four daughters, Mary, Lyn, Melody, and Judy and by eight grandchildren. Our library has no record of a marriage involving one of the Blount’s daughters, so the surname Steinhauer “daughtered out” in Jackson County. We would like to be able to locate Nancy’s daughters or grandchildren. If you can help please let us know. On a brighter note, through online message boards we have heard from Becky Drew, a grand-daughter of Jacob Steinhauer’s brother John. Becky would like to have the picture. Unless we are able to locate living descendants of Walter D. Steinhauer the picture may travel to Arizona to live with Becky. Thanks Linda Bush and Chuck Eccleston!

Internet Tip

In his well-known and highly respected blog, Dick Eastman recently recommended that we as genealogists give over on Google, Firefox, Bing, or whatever search engine you are now using, to try Mocavo. Click here to read Dick Eastman’s glowing review of Mocavo, a search engine designed for genealogists. To quote Dick, “Mocavo limits its searches to approximately one million genealogy-related web sites and has ‘extra logic’ that is good at finding surnames and locations embedded in free-form text, along with a number of other enhancements.” Mocavo allows you to upload your GedCom files and will then search the web for matches to names in your file. If you haven’t yet uploaded your family tree to the internet, here is a great way to do it. Read more about Mocavo by reading the post on Eastman’s blog.

RVGS Events and Classes

Mysteries in Our Backyard

More RVGS News and Upcoming Events

Lost Cemeteries Progress

Internet News

Click on the link for each topic to jump to that section of the newsletter.

RVGS Events and Classes

UPCOMING EVENTS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2012

Sign up for all classes and workshops by calling 541-512-2340, by emailing info@rvgslibrary.org, or by visiting the library at 95 Houston Road, Phoenix OR.  All events are held at Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR unless otherwise noted.

JANUARY

CLASS: STARTING YOUR GENEALOGY PROJECT FROM SCRATCH Charleen Brown will teach the basics to begin your family tree. Learn how to start your genealogy project. Put the fun in the fundamentals of genealogy and the information you learn along the way will help you succeed in compiling a commendable family history. This is a free class for beginners. When: Saturday, January 14, 10:30am – 12:30pm

GENERAL MEETING PROGRAM: “SARAH ANN” A JACKSON COUNTY MYSTERY Anne Billeter, Library Director shares her storytelling talents and research skills bringing richness and color into this delightful story. There are no names on a gravestone in the Jacksonville Cemetery, just the single word: “MOTHER.” Who was she? What was her story? How was her mystery solved? At the general meeting after the program, we will announce the beginning of the Annual Writing Contest, with deadline September 1, 2012. When: Tuesday, January 17, 1:30pm – 2:30pm Where: OEA/Uniserv Building located at 2495 S. Pacific Hwy. Medford, Oregon

WORKSHOP: DIGGIN’ IN THE DARK: GENEALOGY AFTER HOURS Join the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society volunteers for a free, full evening of family history fun. No previous genealogy experience is necessary. Bring your known family information, a USB drive for saving what we find, and your supper. When: Tuesday, January 24, 3 to 9 pm

CLASS: THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF GENEALOGY Betty Miller will teach you all　the things you wished someone had told you in the beginning , to make your research　more accurate and easier.　 A total of 50 points will help you start off on the right track for successful genealogy research. Cost is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members. When: Saturday, January 28, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

EARLY FEBRUARY

CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 1 Ida Pruitt will teach the first in a series of four classes on Photoshop Elements. As you sign up please note what you want to learn in the class so that Ida can gear the class to meet your needs. Learn about photo-editing software to help you turn everyday memories into sensational photos you’ll cherish forever. Easily edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network, and find and view all your photos and video clips. Class limited to 12 people. Price for each class is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members. When: Thursday, February 2, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Where: Jackson County Genealogy Library 95 Houston Rd., Phoenix, OR

CLASS: GOOGLING YOUR GENEALOGY PLUS, PART I. Melinda Henningfield will help you learn how to search for your family using the most effective search engine available on the web, Google. Learn to search for surnames, given names, place names, and their combinations. Learn to narrow your search so that it results in records restricted to a given time period and/or of a given type, e.g., census, obituary, etc. Use of Google’s advanced search tools will be demonstrated including searching within a website or within a given geographic area, e.g., Germany, or for records of a given type, e. g, U.S. Government records. In addition to searching for surnames, use of Google Maps and Google Earth will help you visualize where your ancestors lived. Cost is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members. When: Saturday, February 4, 10:30 am-12:00 pm.

CLASS: PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS, PART 2 Ida Pruitt will teach the second in a series of four classes on Photoshop Elements. As you sign up please note what you want to learn in the class so that Ida can gear the class to meet your needs. Learn about photo-editing software to turn everyday memories into sensational photos. Edit photos and make photo creations using automated options, share photos with your social network. Class limited to 12 people. Cost is $10.00 for members-$20.00 for non-members. When: Thursday, February 9, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Mysteries in Our Backyard

It’s time! Click http://mysteries.jcheritage.org/ to claim your Jackson County mystery NOW.

Start your research at:

Jackson County Genealogy Library go to http://www.rvgslibrary.org

Southern Oregon Historical Society Research Library go to http://www.sohs.org/properties/library

Jackson County Heritage Association go to http://www.jcheritage.org/

Come to these workshops and presentations to learn more about solving Jackson County mysteries:

HOW TO BEGIN SOLVING A LOCAL FAMILY HISTORY MYSTERY

Sat, 01/07/2012 | 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.

JCLS Medford Library, Adams Room

205 S. Central Avenue, Medford

SARAH ANN, A JACKSON COUNTY MYSTERY

Presented by the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society

Tue, 01/17/2012 | 1:30 p.m.

OEA Uniserv Building

2495 S. Pacific Highway, Medford

THE INS AND OUTS OF GENEALOGY RESEARCH

Sat, 01/21/2012 | 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Jackson County Genealogy Library of RVGS

95 Houston Road, Phoenix

HOW TO ACCESS TREASURES OF THE SOHS ARCHIVES

Sat, 02/04/2012 | 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Southern Oregon Historical Society Library

106 N. Central Avenue, Medford

Watch for more to come! More RVGS News and Events

SLC TRIP SCHEDULED

The 2012 RVGS-Raindance bus trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City is scheduled for Monday April 9 through Monday April 16. We will spend Monday night in Winnemucca and will arrive in Salt Lake City around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. We will have Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and a full day on Saturday for research. We will leave on Sunday morning and spend Sunday night in Winnemucca, arriving back in Medford on Monday afternoon.

Rhonda at Raindance is working on our itinerary and will have it to us soon. In the past, trips included all baggage handling and frequent stops along the way to stretch or to grab a cup of coffee. We will stay at the Salt Lake Plaza Best Western hotel which is just a few steps from the Family History Library. NOW FOR THE REALLY GOOD NEWS! The cost of this trip will be $749.00 per person for double occupancy if 20 or more participate. Single occupancy will be approximately $300 more. The price will be adjusted if fewer than 20 sign up. Sign up on the list at JCGL or call (541)512-2340 if you plan to go so we can keep you personally informed as reservation details become available. You may also call Rhonda to reserve your spot at 541-479-8217. Please provide your email address when you sign up so that we can keep you informed about the full itinerary.

FAMILY TREE MAKER USER’S GROUP

Amy Spieler, who does computer tutoring and repairs in your home and has helped RVGS members out over the years will help us start a users group for Family Tree Maker. The FTM Users Group meetings will be free; we will just learn from one another. In mid-January look for a sign-up sheet in the book at the library for these classes or call (541)512-2340 to reserve a space.

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES

The RVGS annual Installation of Officers and Volunteer Recognition Christmas Luncheon, was held December 17, 2011 at the OEA Uniserv Building in Medford. This annual event is supported by the Genealogy Gift Basket Raffle. The three prizes were won by Bruce Duncan, Dorothy Throne, and Dee Dee Ross.

The following Officers for 2012 were installed by Installing Officer, Jean Maack:

President ————— Charleen Brown

Vice President———– Connie Miller

Secretary—————–Andrea Patterson

Treasurer—————–Colista Bailey

Trustee——————–Marie Fulbright

Emillee Brazill was inducted to Honorary Life Membership for her years of service since 1989. Outgoing Board Member Karen Asche was honored for her service as Financial Director. The Oregon Old Time Fiddlers presented a musical interlude which added to the festive spirit and a wonderful time was had by all.

2011 MEMORIALS TO THE ENDOWMENT FUND

In memory of Barbara Harley Zahnt:

Al and Carolyn Beron

In memory of Robert and Kathleen Lull:

Al and Carolyn Beron

In memory of Marion Gill:

Charleen Brown

In memory of Marjorie Sylvester:

Chuck and Colleen Eccleston

Roger and Melva Huffman

Marsha and Jim Markham

Andrea Patterson

Charleen Wilhelm

In memory of Frances Brown:

Chuck and Colleen Eccleston

In memory of Leona Borough:

Chuck and Colleen Eccleston More Lost Cemeteries

Chuck Eccleston writes: Over the past two years Roger Roberts and I have been tracking down reports of small unkempt cemeteries located mostly on private properties. Thus far 19 sites have been found, mapped, and kept in library working files. Of those 19 sites 9 were taped in the field by Channel 12′s Ron Brown. Another 8 sites have been identified with field visits underway. Reports of an additional 30 sites, yet to be verified, are maintained in a travelling file and marked on a study map. These 27 confirmed sites are in addition to the 45 known cemeteries recorded on the JCGL website.

Teams of volunteers have conducted clearing and cleaning work on several sites throughout the county including the small Satterfield Cemetery surrounded by a farmer’s wheat field in the Sam’s Valley area. This site came to attention in 2009 when the Antioch Cemetery sextants offered the loan of an old photo album. The album included a 1994 Medford Mail Tribune article by Paul Fattig titled ” The Forgotten Ones”. The stones at this site represent several early settlers in this area dating back to the 1870s. Three work sessions (50 man hours) cleared the grounds of this historic site and uncovered the 1882 headstone of baby Freddie Raimy. Other broken stones are being studied including the footstone of Zilpha nee Peele Satterfield ancestor of researcher Mark Davis of San Diego CA.. In September 2010 Mark was able to visit and honor the grave site of his missing Satterfield ancestors.

Internet News and Happenings

LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE 1940 CENSUS

From Dick Eastman’s genealogy blog: 1940 U.S. Census Hosting Awarded to Archives.com The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration long ago announced that the 1940 census records would be hosted online as digital images free of charge, beginning on April 2, 2012. However, until now, NARA did not mention WHERE the images would be found. Since the National Archives and Records Administration does not have enough web servers or personnel to do the hosting on the www.nara.org web site, the assumption has always been that NARA would contract with a commercial firm to provide the hosting.

Fierce competition has existed amongst four different genealogy services for the rights to be the first and the official hosting service. However, the contract for the hosting company was not awarded until this week.

The 1940 census will first be hosted at a new web site owned and managed by Archives.com

Keep in mind that NARA is releasing all the 1940 census records as free digital images. However, there will be no index on April 2. That is, you will not be able to enter a name and then be immediately taken to the page(s) where that name appears. Instead, you will need to search the online census images in the same manner that genealogists search unindexed records on microfilm: one page at a time.

FamilySearch.org and its partners will also publish the 1940 U.S. Federal Census for free on April 2, 2012, the day the census is released by NARA. However, FamilySearch.org states “and its partners” so we can assume the partnership will be between FamilySearch.org and Archives.com. In addition, FamilySearch.org will also provide digital images to tens of thousands of volunteers to start transcribing the records so they become searchable.

Complete publication of the index will depend on how many volunteers can help. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for you to get involved with indexing.

The 1940 census included several standard questions, such as: name, age, gender, race, education, and place of birth. But the census also introduced some new questions. One example is that the enumerator was instructed to mark (with a circled x) who in the household responded to the census questions. Other questions included whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24-30, 1940, and the income for the 12 months ending December 31, 1939.

As part of the census, 5% of respondents (two names per page) were asked supplemental questions, which included the place of birth of the person’s father and mother, the respondent’s usual occupation (not just for the week of March 24-30), and questions related to marriage for all women who were or had been married. The enumerators asked women if they had been married more than once, the age at first marriage, and the total number of children to whom they had ever given birth.

You can learn more about the data contained within the 1940 census at http://www.rigensoc.org/1940CensusCountdown.pdf

Steve Morse, who presented at talk about searching the 1940 census at the RVGS October Seminar in 2011, has added additional information to his website to help you search the unindexed version of the 1940 Census.  This unified tool allows you to search for the enumeration district for you ancestor and then will link directly to the images of the 1940 census.  Go to Steve Morse’s website to use this unified tool.

ADS ON THE JACKSON COUNTY GENEALOGY LIBRARY WEBSITE

You may now encounter ads for some genealogy subscription sites and for Amazon.com on the library website. Ad placements are on the home page and the Vital Records page and are clearly separated from library contents. Please do RVGS (and yourself!) a favor by placing your orders for subcriptions to the sites advertised by clicking on these links on our website. You can also help out be placing your orders on Amazon.com by clicking on the links to Amazon from our site. Placing orders by clicking first on our site costs you nothing but allows RVGS to collect a commission on any sales made. Commissions raised by these ads will be contributed to the new building fund.

Classes and Events

All classes and events are held at Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix OR, unless otherwise specified .  Call 541-512-2340, email info@rvgslibrary.org, or visit the library to reserve a space.

Monday, October 31

Research Opportunity: Diggin’ in the Dark: Genealogy after Hours
Time: Between 3:00  and 9:00 PM

Join the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society staff and members for a free,
full evening of family history fun. No previous genealogy experience is
necessary. Bring your known family information, a USB flash drive for saving
what we find and your supper.

Saturday, November 5

Class: Beginning U.S.Internet Navigation at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

We can use the internet as a tool. Learn what’s new and what the internet can do for
your research. Instructor Andrea Patterson will cover ways of communicating
with other researchers and using search strategies that go beyond just
surnames. We will explore websites and directories for specific research
areas of interest. Price is $10.00 for Members-$20.00 for non-members.

Saturday, November 12

Class: Accessing Genealogy Internet Sites at JCGL, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Barbara Basden with teach you about the kinds of records available and
search techniques for the following websites featured on the Website Menu at
JCGL : Ancestry, Fold3, Genealogy Bank, American Ancestors, World Vital
Records, Heritage Quest, Family Search.  She will also demonstrate the use
of Family Search favorites. Price is $10.00 for Members-$20.00 for
non-members.

Tuesday, November 15

General Meeting Program: Forgotten Cemeteries from the  “Windows in Time”
series on KDRV begins 1:30 PM at the OEA Uniserv Building, 2495 South Pacific Highway

Ron Brown will present and discuss  a DVD showing his recent “Windows in
Time” series on KDRV TV.  Ron will describe the work of RVGS volunteers in
locating and cleaning up forgotten cemeteries in Jackson County. Following
the presentation, RVGS will hold its monthly general meeting that includes
by free refreshments. Please see “Members in Action” below in News for pictures of volunteers at  work on this project.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Class: Paper and Computer Organization at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Instructors Colleen Eccleston and Andrea Patterson will teach you ways to
organize and save your genealogy. Both paper and electronic methods will be
explored and genealogy software will be demonstrated. Price is $10.00 for
Members $20.00 for non-members.

Thursday, December 1

Contest Deadline.  December 1st is the Last Day to Enter the Annual Photo
Contest

Winners will be announced at the January 17th General Meeting of RVGS.
Search your family photos for potential entries in the following categories:
Wedding-Military-Group-Children- Funniest Ancestor-Transportation or
Travel-Oldest Photograph of an Ancestor-Occupation-Outrageous Hair, Hats or
Headpieces-Interesting Headstone of an Ancestor*-Most Handsome-Most
Beautiful-Open Class. To read more about the contest, click here.

Saturday, December 17

Holiday Luncheon:  RVGS Luncheon and Installation of Officers from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM at the OEA/Uniserv Building, 2495 South Pacific Hwy. Medford

Celebrate all the volunteers and volunteer hours accrued in 2011 at the
Holiday Luncheon. Free to members and their guests.  Please see below in News for information about gift baskets and access to the raffle tickets.

Monday, April 9, 2012 through Monday, April 16, 2012

Research Trip:  Salt Lake City Genealogy Research Trip

Cost: $749/person double occupancy if 20 or more participate. Details: Monday night (Apr 9) and Sunday night (Apr. 15) in Winnemucca, remaining days and nights in Salt Lake City in or near the Family History Library. Travel is by bus arranged through Raindance Tours. Call Rhonda at  Raindance, 541-479-8217 to reserve your spot. Sign up on the list at JCGL, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix,  to be kept informed of trip costs and details.

News

Finding Folks in the 1940 Census in April 2012

Stephen Morse presented an evening workshop and a day-long seminar on
October 21 and 22; the seminar included a workshop on how to find  families in the 1940 census. On April 2, 2012, the census will be available free online (website unknown, probably Ancestry), but the 1940 census will be remain unindexed for possibly as long as six months. You can find your family fairly easily (not too many entries to examine), if you can determine what the Enumeration District (ED) was for their address. The EDs are
six-digit numbers. The first two digits represent the county and the last  four digits represent the ED. For more information about EDs go to http://stevemorse.org/census/1940census.htm. Follow these steps to
determine the ED of your family in the 1940 census:

1.  Determine the family’s address as of April 1, 1940.
2.  Use either the One-Step Large-City ED Finder if your family lived in a
   big city, or the One-Step ED Definition tool if your family lived in a rural
   area, or the One-Step 1930/1940 ED Convertor if you your family did not move
   between 1930 and 1940. Follow the tutorial to be walked through these
   choices:  http://stevemorse.org/census/quiz.php
3.  You can double check your results by using the One-Step Census Tract
   Tool. Use the address to find the tract and then enter the tract number into
   the ED Definition Tool. Or you can double check your results in Microfilm
   number T1224 that lists strees within an ED. You can use a One-Step tool to
   search the Microfilm, enter the ED. The tool will return a list of street
   names for each ED.

For more information about the One-Step Method for finding families in the
1940 census go to Stephen Morse’s article on his website or read his upcoming article
in American Professional Genealogist Quarterly. Here’s a link to his tutorial:  http://stevemorse.org/census/quiz.php

Library Hours during the Holiday Season

JCGL will be open Tuesday, Dec. 27 – Saturday, Dec. 31, from 10 am to 3 pm. Up until this year,  the library was closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

BOOKS,BOOKS,BOOKS

Do you have an avid mystery reader on your Christmas list? Check out these
great novels. All are in like new condition, complete with dust jackets.
Contact Charleen Brown at charleenb1837@embarqmail.com, or call her at
541-865-3292 to arrange purchase.

• No Certain Rest by Jim Lehrer…Civil War Original price – $23.95, Our price
  - $10.00
• Blue Hearts by Jim Lehrer…Mystery Original price – $20.00, Our price -
  $10.00
• Undue Influence by Steve Martini..-Mystery Original price – $25.95, Our
  price – $10.00
• The Attorney by Steve Martini…Mystery Original price – $25.95, Our price -
  $10.00
• Prime Witness by Steve Martini…Mystery Original price – $21.95, Our price
  - $10.00
• Predator by Patricia Cornwell…Crime Original price – $26.95, Our price -
  $10.00
• The Client by John Grisham…Mystery Original price – $20.00, Our price -
  $10.00
• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown…Mystery Original price – $36.95, Our price -
  $10.00
• The March by E.L. Doctorow…Civil War Original price – $25.95, Our price -
  $10.00
• Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman…Mystery Original price – $20.00, Our price
  - $10.00

Board Positions Open

The RVGS Governing Board is in need of people to take on a two important
roles at the library. We need an Education Director (someone to
help arranging for classes and general meeting speakers) and a Finance
Director (somone to watchdog our use of funds). Please contact Charleen
Brown, President, if either task interests you. Charleen’s telephone number
is 541-865-3292 and her email is charleenb1837@embarqmail.com.

Holiday Raffle

The Annual Christmas Party will be held on Dec. 20th. During the Party,
raffle tickets will be drawn to announce winners of this year’s raffle. To
see what you win if you have the winning ticket, click here. To print
raffle tickets to enter the raffle click here. It’s OK to print the tickets on
ordinary white paper. Mail the completed portions
of tickets to Rogue Valley Genealogy Society, PO Box 1468, Phoenix, OR
97535 along with a check for $10 to pay for ten tickets.

Members in Action
Members of RVGS have been actively working on the project of locating and
rehabilitating forgotten cemeteries in Jackson County.  Shown below is a
picture of the Morse Cemetery before after cleanup as well as pictures
of RVGS volunteers at work.  Say an encouraging word to those you know in the pictures of cemetery workers.

Mysteries in our Backyard

Do you know of mysteries that need to be solved, e.g., who was Barneburg and
why was a street in Medford named after him? If you do, go to
www.jcheritage.org to submit your mystery. Would you like to solve
mysteries after they have been selected? Then click on this link to
learn about the Mysteries in our Backyard Project starting in January 2012.

Health Matters

We’re all cheering for Betty Miller, hoping that she will soon recovery from
kidney stones and the damage they can do to our bodies.

Extra! Extra! Read All about It!

RVGS eNews is emailed not only to RVGS members but also to non-members who
have visited the library or attended RVGS-sponsored events. eNews is
emailed on or about the first of each of the following months: Jan., Feb.,
Apr., May, Jul., Aug, Oct., and Nov. If you have a slow (dial-up) internet
connection please request that eNews be sent in text format rather than
html format. Make this request by directing an email to rvgslibrary@gmail.com.
For communications with the society that do not concern emailing the  eNews or the BUD/Digger please email info@rvgslibrary.org
       eNews is supplemented by the RVGS blog housed on the RVGSociety website.
The RVGS blog is periodically updated and corrected during the month. If you
want to be notified of updates and corrections please visit the blog and
subscribe to it by following the link provided. Please feel free to post
comments or questions about eNews on the blog.
The BUD/Digger is posted online on the www.rvgsociety.org website on the
remaining months: Mar., Jun., Sept., and Dec. Notification of the posting is
emailed only to RVGS members. You can read the BUD (Between Us Diggers
newsletter) and The Rogue Digger (genealogical periodical) online on the
RVGSociety website. Click on the link for News and then on the News page, then
click on BUD or Digger. When the BUD and Digger are posted online, a list of
new additions to the library collection is also posted. Click on the Additions link to access that list. You can also check for events by clicking on the Calendar link on the RVGSociety website.

Don’t Miss Out on the October Seminar!

The evening workshop is October 21 and the Seminar is October
22. The price of the seminar is only $25 for the evening workshop and $30 for the day-long seminar. Lunch is $10 and must be reserved by October 14.

Big NEWS!  Dr. Morse has agreed to explain how to use the One-Step Method
to explore the 1940 Federal Census due out in April of 2012.  Indexes to
the 1940 Census will not be available when it is first released.  Knowing
how to find people in this census is well worth the cost of the seminar.
Go to http://www.rvgsociety.org/Seminar.html to
register by mail or online, or register in person at the Jackson County
Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix OR.

More about the Seminar and Workshop

Read what genealogy guru, Megan Smolenyak,  has to say about Stephen Morse: Megan Smolenyak is author of Honoring Our Ancestors, In Search of Our Ancestors,
and They Came to America: Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors. She lectures and writes
extensively and can be contacted through www.honoringourancestors.com.

Steve Morse: A Genealogical Mensch

Although he would wince to see these words, Stephen P. Morse is
one of those rare, brilliant individuals who does remarkable things because he
can. Best known as the architect of the Intel 8086, predecessor of today’s
Pentium processor, Steve has focused much of his energies in recent years on
genealogical endeavors. Most of the 15,000 people who visit his website every
day do so for his well-known Ellis Island tools. More and more people, however,
are discovering his other gems, including one-step search forms for census
records and the SSDI, and converters for 1920/1930 enumeration districts and
the Jewish calendar.

See www.stevemorse.org for more information about
his one-step method.

Additional October Events

Have you dusted off those photos yet?  

New Series of In-Depth
Classes for Beginning Genealogists

First in this series is
“Introduction to Genealogy: Who, What, When, Why, Where, and How?”

Thu, October 13, –9:30 – 11:30 am  This is the correct time!
Jackson County Genealogy Library 95 Houston
Road

Instructors:  Anne
Billeter & Betty Miller

Anne and Betty will start you
off  with  the basics of genealogy: how to get started, forms to use,
documentation, researching at  libraries, courthouses and
cemeteries.  Price is $10.00 for Members-$20.00 for non-members.
Please call 541-512-2340 for reservations or email info@rvgslibrary.org.

Second in this series is
“Finding the Records You Need”

Thu, October 27, 10:30am –
12:30pm

Jackson County Genealogy Library 95 Houston Road, Phoenix

Instructor: Melinda Henningfield

Melinda will teach you how to
find the records you need.  You will want to consult original records, if
possible, to find information about your ancestors. The following record groups
will be discussed: census, land, court, military, immigration/nat?uralization,
church, newspaper directories/bus?iness, and vital records and how to document
what you have located.  Price is $10.00 for Members-$20.00 for
non-members.  Please call 541-512-2340 or email info@rvgslibrary.org
for reservations.

Additional classes in this
series will be offered in November.

General Meeting

Tue, October 18, 1:30pm –3:30pm

OEA Building at 2495 South Pacific Highway

To continue to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, RVGS members
will present Show and Tell -Treasures and Stories of their Civil War
Ancestors.  Each person is allocated 5-min to share his/her treasure or
story.

Library News

New additions to the
website include the following:

• Abstracts of naturalization  records for early settlers in Jackson County have been added to the library website.  These records  provide the country of origin, date of intent to naturalize, and, for some, date of citizenship.  The abstract also includes book and page  to locate the original document in the Oregon Archives at Salem. Go to www.rvgslibrary.org, click on Court  Records and then on Naturalization Records.  Click on the link to Volumes to read the free abstracts.
• Indexes to the obituary collection for 2010
• Revisions to Library Resources  page on www.rvgslibrary.org.  We now have
  seven patron computers and the websites we subscribe to include American
  Ancestors, Ancestry, Genealogy Bank, Fold3 (formerly Footnote), and World
  Vital Records.  Read how to search for records and print or save the
  records you find by reviewing the PDF file, “Using the Website Menu
  at JCGL.”  The Website Menu provides quick access to the
  subscription sites and to Heritage Quest and Family Search.
• Addition of records from  Josephine County.  The navigation bar on www.rvgslibrary.org now includes a link  to Josephine County records.  So far we have an index to records from the Hall Funeral Home in Grants Pass,but we expect to add other records in the future.

Financial Review Report

The Financial Review for the 2010/2011 fiscal year was held on
August 23, 2011.  The committee, consisting of Vern Weaver, Ivanh Holden
and Tom Sayre found all monetary  items to be in compliance.  It was
noted that some updates were needed in the Organizational Society Manual and
those are being made. I wish to thank the committee that participated in this
years financial review.

Marie Fulbright, Trustee

More Found Cemeteries in
Jackson County –Watch the video!

Ron Brown of KDRV TV reports on additional ”found” cemeteries in Jackson County.  Click on the link, http://kdrv.com/news/local/224306, to watch
the video. Contact Chuck Eccleston or Roger Roberts at RVGS to report
any lost cemeteries near you.  Call 541-512-2340.

A genealogy workshop titled, “Beyond the Grave: What You Can Learn from Estate Records,” will be presented by Karen Asche, Finance Director of RVGS. The workshop begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 12 noon at the Jackson County Genealogy Library at 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR.

We will discuss the wealth of genealogical and personal information which probate records often provide about your ancestors. In addition, we will explore other post-death records and the useful clues that can lead to solutions to stubborn genealogical problems. Attendees are encouraged to bring wills and legal documents created after death that we can use as examples in class discussion. Please register before August 11 as space is limited.

To register for the class please either call us at 541-512-2340, email us info@rvgslibrary.org, or visit us in person at JCGL, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon.

The cost is $10 for RVGS members and $20 for non-members. When you register please provide your telephone number and email address to that we can contact you if needed.

On August 12, Go Diggin’ in the Dark: Genealogy after Hours

Genealogy After Hours

Join the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society staff and members for a free, full evening of family history fun. No previous genealogy experience is necessary. Bring your known family information, your supper, and a USB flash drive for saving what we find. Monday, August 22, 2011 -between 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m at the Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon.

Please reserve a space either by phone 541-512-2340, by emailing info@rvgslibrary.org, or in person at JCGL. When you register please provide your telephone number and email address to that we can contact you if needed.

This event is free.

On September 10th, Break Down Brick Walls:

At 10:30 AM at Jackson County Genealogy Library, Charleen Brown will lead a round table discussion to help you find ways to find that elusive ancestor. Bring your question e.g., “Who was Violet Pepperdine’s mother?”and the list of the sources you have used to try to solve your problem.

JCGL is located at 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon.

According to Andrea Patterson, RVGS secretary, the previous BRICKWALL SESSION at JCGL was well-attended and the panel and participants learned something from each problem presented. These sessions will be held four times a year at the library with a volunteer team to moderate (Charleen Brown), suggest Internet sites (Andrea Patterson), research strategies (Carolyn Beron) and library books (Colleen Eccleston) available as resources.

Pittsylvania, Virginia was an area discussed. The patron was looking for the family of Samuel Lewis who had a will in 1822. A New York City problem existed for a German immigrant in 1923. A WW1 Draft Card was located and it appeared he still lived in New York. This participant may also want to check the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. As a member, on-line access is available to every issue of the NYG&B Record since 1870. There are hundreds of compiled genealogies. Go to www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org.

Most participants had brickwalls in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. Other topics included Quakers, the Scotch-Irish, Blunston Deeds in Lancaster, PA, and newspaper research. Nelson County, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Sweden presented challenges for researchers. Anson County, N. Carolina was discussed and a correction is offered to the researcher who was told Anson County was an original county. It was not. It was created in 1750. We all learned from one another. Join us for the next BRICKWALL SESSION scheduled for Sept. 10th at 10:30 at the library.

Reserve a space either in person at JCGL, call us at 541-512-2340, or email us at info@rvgslibrary.org. When you register please provide your telephone number and email address to that we can contact you if needed.

September 20th

General Meeting

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 1:30 p. m.

OEA/Uniserv Building located at 2495 S. Pacific Hwy. Medford, Oregon

“Civil War Strategy and Leadership”

To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War, guest speaker Russ Kautz will present “Civil War Strategy and Leadership”. Mr. Kautz is a West Point graduate, Class of 1982 and a local businessman. He will offer his perspective regarding the strategy and leadership of the Civil War.

Dust Off Your Old Photos and Send Them to the Contest!

Kick-off of the 2011 Photo Contest takes place on September 20th at the General Meeting. Deadline for submissions is December 1. Winners will be announced at the January 17th General Meeting of RVGS. Search your family photos for potential entries in the following categories: Wedding-Military-Group-Children- Funniest Ancestor-Transportation or Travel-Oldest Photograph of an Ancestor-Occupation-Outrageous Hair, Hats or Headpieces-Interesting Headstone of an Ancestor*-Most Handsome-Most Beautiful-Open Class

On September 26th- October 1

Take Part in Genealogy Week at Jackson County Genealogy Library

Classes will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. each day. All classes are free and there is open research time for free both before and after the classes.

Monday, September 26

10:30 AM “Beginning Genealogy-Part 1″ Charleen Brown, Instructor

1:00 PM “Using JCGL Library Resources and the Online Library Catalog” Anne Billeter, Instructor

Tuesday, September 27

10:30 AM “Using the Website Menu on Patron Computers” Barbara Basden, Instructor

1:00 PM “What’s New on Family Search” Barbara Basden, Instructor

Wednesday, September 28

10:30 AM “Basic Internet Searching with Ancestry and Heritage Quest” Andrea Patterson, Instructor

1:00 PM “Just Websites” Andrea Patterson, Instructor

Thursday, September 29

10:30 AM “Using Land Records to Further Your Research” Chuck Eccleston, Instructor

1:00 PM “If You Can Talk, You Can Write” Charleen Brown, Instructor

Friday, September 30

10:30 AM “Techniques for Breaking down Brick Walls” Carolyn Beron, Instructor

1:00 PM “Avoid Tunnel Vision While Using the Census” Betty Miller, Instructor

Saturday, October 1

10:30 AM “Identifying Old Photos” Andrea Patterson, Instructor

1:00 PM “Beginning Genealogy-Part 2″ Andrea Patterson, Instructor

All classes will be held at Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR.

Reserve a space either in person at JCGL, call us at 541-512-2340, or email us at info@rvgslibrary.org. When you register please provide your telephone number and email address to that we can contact you if needed.

Coming up this fall:

On October 18th, Honor Your Civil War Ancestor

Do you have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War? We want to hear their story.

During the General Meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the OEA building on North Pacific Highway, each person telling a story will be given five (5) full minutes to talk about their Civil War ancestor and show any treasures you have in your possession.

Sign up at JCGL or contact Carolyn Beron to be put on the schedule. Email Carolyn 541beron@charter.net or call 541-535-3624.

Reserve time to spotlight and honor your ancestor. When you sign up please provide your telephone number and email address to that she can contact you if needed.

Save the dates of October 21 and 22, 2011

An evening workshop and day-long genealogy seminar to be held at the Medford branch of the Jackson County Public Library System. Go to Stephen Morse’s website  to read about Stephen Morse and the One Step Method he has devised to make internet searching more efficient and effective. If you would like to register for the evening workshop or the seminar go to the Rogue Valley Genealogy Society Website  . The deadline for Early Bird registration (a savings of $5 for each event) is September 30th.

Tech Talk

Because many of you have struggled to be able to use a computer to use “Diggin’ in the Dark” sessions or during Genealogy Week activities, the Tech Committee proposed that more patron computers be purchased. In July the board approved the purchase of two additional computers for patron use. The new computers are located on the same bank of tables as the five computers already set up for patron use. All seven patron computers provide access to the Website Menu that in turn allows you to login to the following pay subcription genealogy sites: Ancestry.com, Footnote, American Ancestors (formerly New England Ancestors), World Vital Records, and Genealogy Bank. The website menu is also the home page on all patron computers. The Website Menu also includes quick access to free genealogy sites Family Search and Heritage Quest. Computers 1 & 2 and 5&6 allow access the Ancestry.com World Collection, computers 3, 4, and 7 allow access to the Ancestry.com US Collection. If you own a laptop you can access American Ancestors and Footnote through the library subscription once you are connected to our high-speed wireless network. Ask the librarian for the password if you have not accessed the internet at JCGL in the past.

Patrons seem to gravitate to Ancestry because it is well-advertised. Do not pass up the opportunity to explore other sites made available to you at the library. Genealogy Bank has a very strong collection of newspapers, e.g., obituaries, birth announcements, and military service activity. World Vital Records has resources not available on Ancestry such as the records collected through Everton publications. Footnote has digitized records from NARA, e.g.,immigration records, official military records, pension records, etc. Footnote is now owned by Ancestry and has been explicitly directed NOT to duplicate records already on Ancestry. American Ancestors is particularly strong on New England and Great Migration records and has resources not available on Ancestry. Family Search has an immense collection of digitized records and compiled family histories. Heritage Quest has Revolutionary War records and a collection of US Census records as well as access to PERSI, the catalog of genealogy periodicals.

The Electronic Version of Between Us Diggers

News and Events of the Rogue Valley
Genealogical Society

Topics:

Upcoming Events

•  Breaking Down Brick Walls, Saturday, July 9
• Beyond the Grave: What You Can Learn From Estate Records, August 12
• October Genealogy Seminar, October 21  & 22

     News

•  KRDV TV video of  Lake Creek Cemetery Discovery
• Online help with brick walls
•  New on  FamilySearch.org:  Tech Tips for Genealogists
• Digital images added to Jackson County Genealogy Library website
• Personal news of RVGS officers

Upcoming Events:

On Saturday, 9 July 2011:

A roundtable discussion titled, “Breaking Down Brick Walls,” led by
Charleen Brown, President of RVGS.  Learn tips to get around the
tough problems in YOUR genealogical  research.  The roundtable begins
at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 12 noon at the Jackson County Genealogy Library at 95
Houston Road,  Phoenix, OR. Bring your information (names,
places,dates) and a list of the resources you have already
investigated.

Please call 541-512-2340 or email info@rvgslibrary.org to
reserve a space. This event is free to members and non-members of RVGS.

On Friday, 12 August 2011:

A genealogy workshop titled, “Beyond the Grave,: What You Can Learn from Estate Records,” presented by Karen Asche, Finance Director of RVGS.  The workshop begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 12 noon at the Jackson County Genealogy Library at 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR.

Please call 431-512-2340 or email
info@rvgslibrary.org
to reserve a space.

The cost is $10 for RVGS members
and $20 for non-members.

On Friday, October 21 and
Saturday, October 22

Save the dates of October 21 and 22, for an evening workshop and daylong genealogy seminar to be held at the Medford branch of the Jackson County Public Library System. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Grants Pass Genealogical Society and the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society.  See you there this fall!  Click here to read about registration.

News:

Follow this link: http://kdrv.com/page/216475 , to view a video shown on KDRV television.  Chuck Eccleston of RVGS and Ron Brown of KDRV explored Lake Creek Cemetery, an historic cemetery recently discovered by the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society and the Historic Cemeteries Commission,  Click on the link above  to view a
video of showing this long-neglected historic cemetery.

Follow this link, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inrandol/brickwalls/index.htm,
to post your brick wall problem and enlist the help of others. All free! You can help too by reading and making suggestions for others.

Finding Technology Help for Genealogists

Quoted from Family Search, the family history website of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints:

TechTips Press Release

Genealogy has been a popular hobby for over a century, but the pursuit of one’s
ancestors is now a decidedly technology-intensive endeavor. To help family
historians take advantage of the latest technology, FamilySearch has launched a
new section on its FamilySearch.org website called FamilySearch TechTips.

The goal of TechTips is to continue building a bridge between the developing
worlds of technology and genealogy, according to FamilySearch product marketing
manager Jim Ericson.

“For someone who is already excited about family history, FamilySearch TechTips
can introduce them to technologies that will help them climb their family
tree,” Ericson said. “Those who may not be familiar with genealogy, but are
technology enthusiasts, can learn how products can be applied to family
history.”

Ericson said visitors to FamilySearch TechTips can read about a variety of
subjects, such as how to store photographs for the long term, what mobile
applications are available for family historians, how to share files and how to
scan images. The site also contains step-by-step guides to help users
accomplish a technology-related task, like how to join an online research
community and why.

FamilySearch TechTips is a community effort that is a cross between a blog and
an online technology magazine. Anyone can contribute articles and share their
personal experiences. The TechTips articles don’t endorse specific products,
although they may mention what is available in the marketplace. There will also
be content on new technology or trends that impact the world of
genealogy.

“People can learn where genealogy technology is headed and how technology may
evolve in the future to make life easier for family historians,” Ericson said.

Categories:  Helpful Apps and Tools, How To’s and Tips, Learn About,
Learn How to Buy, Viewpoint

Go to https://www.familysearch.org/techtips
to explore this helpful resource.

Digital Images Added to the
Jackson County Genealogy Library website:

Cheryl Haas and Linda Kestner have put our ScanPro microfilm scanner to good use, digitizing Circuit Court Records for Jackson County.  Many of the records are divorces; others are court cases having genealogical value.  Forty sets of indexes to these
records can be found under the Court Records link on the JCGL Website.  Records can be ordered via electronic payment or by mail or they can be viewed at the library by appointment with librarians familiar with digitized or photographed record collections.   Please call 541-512-2340 to make an appointment to  view records that may be of
interest to you.

 News of RVGS Board Members

On Thursday, June 23, Marion Gill, Andrea Patterson’s mother passed away.
Andrea and her mother were very close and had a strong and mutually-supportive
relationship.  On behalf of RVGS, we all wish Andrea and husband Jack and
remaining family members quick healing and sympathy for their loss.  Many
of you have taken classes from Andrea in Internet Genealogy and other topics
and know her from her many contributions to RVGS.

Charlotte Henry, Membership Chairman, is recovering from major surgery.
Wish Charlotte well when you next see her.

Coming Events — Workshops and Meetings

RVGS is hosting the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce at the JCGL.　Join us to show support for the local Chamber.

Tuesday, 3 May 2011 From 8:15 AM

Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR

“Beginning Genealogy” Workshop taught by Charleen Brown, RVGS President

Learn how to fill in a family group sheet and pedigree chart. Get started on the right track with the help of an expert. Enjoy a relaxed and inviting research environment. This is a paper and pencil course. No computer skills are necessary.

Saturday, 14 May 2011 From 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR

Free and open to the public! Have friends join you for this event

“Who Won the Writing Contest?” Come learn the answer at this month’s general meeting.

All contestants have submitted their entries to RVGS’s 2011 writing contest, “Who, What, Where.” The winners will be announced and the winners will talk about their winning entries at the general meeting. Their complete stories will be featured in the upcoming issues of the Rogue Digger.

Tuesday, 17 May 2011 From 1 PM to 2:30 PM

OEA/Uniserv Building, 2495 S. Pacific Highway, Medford, OR

Free and open to the public! Refreshments will be served after the meeting.

“Diggin’ in the Dark: Genealogy After Hours”

Join the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society staff and members for a free, full evening of family history fun. No previous genealogy experience is necessary. Bring your known family information, dimes for printing copies or a USB flash drive for saving what you find. Don’t forget to bring your supper. Please register by phone 541-512-2340 or by email to info@rvgslibrary.orgor in person at Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon.

Monday, 23 May 2011 From 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Jackson County Genealogy Library,95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon

Free and open to members and non-members.

Early in June:

“Basic US Internet Navigation for Genealogy” Workshop taught by Andrea Patterson, Technology Chairman at RVGS

Learn how to search online records efficiently to find your ancestors. Learn to use both free and subscription websites to do your research. The internet will be examined as a research tool. Topics will include looking for surnames, communicating with other researchers and exploring websites and directories for specific areas of interest.

Friday, 3 June 2011 From 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR

$10 for RVGS members; $20 for non-members

Please register by phone 541-512-2340 or by email to info@rvgslibrary.org or in person at Jackson County Genealogy Library, 95 Houston Road, Phoenix, Oregon.

Listen to the Experts

RVGS is proud to present a new series of classes taught by genealogy experts. Have you ever wanted to attend a national conference? This is the next best thing– listen to the experts on CD. All classes will be held at the JCGL classroom (95 Houston Road, Phoenix, OR) on Thursdays at 11 AM

Here is the schedule for May

5 May 2011 Claire Bettag

“Historical Documentary Publications as Genealogical Sources”

12 May 2011 Elizabeth Shown Mills

“Okay, I ‘Got the Neighbors’ — Now What Do I Do with Them?”

19 May 2011 Elizabeth Shown Mills

“In a Rut? Seven Ways to Jump Start Your Research”

26 May 2011 Elizabeth Shown Mills

“Coincoin of Cane River: How to Recreate the Life of a Female Ancestor”

News — Online Courses and Library Resources

Free Online Courses about Genealogy

Would you like to learn about genealogy in the comfort of your own home? FamilySearch now has over one hundred free online courses on its website. Here is how you can access them from your own home computer. Go to http://www.familysearch.org. On the top bar click on learn (on the left-hand side). Scroll down a little, click on the middle choice “Research Courses”. On the right-hand side you will see many choices. The choices include learning how to research in many countries, Research Principles and Tools, Reading Handwritten Records Series (in several different languages), and the United States of America Research. If you press on any of these links you will have the choice of many courses. You may have to download Microsoft Silverlight to view some of the courses. The download button is right there on the page if you need it. If you choose United States of America Research, you might choose to learn about U.S. Courthouse Research from Christine Rose. She is one of the expert genealogists in this country. You could also learn about The Civil War, Basic U.S. Military Records, or Newspaper Research. If you choose Research Principles and Tools, you can learn how to use a Research Log, or you could learn what Inferential Genealogy is. Tom Jones teaches the Inferential Genealogy course and he is another expert genealogist.

Many of the classes include handouts, which you can download and print off on your own printer. You can watch the classes as many times as you like.

Enjoy these classes. They will help you become a more informed family historian.

Mentors Available!

If you are new to genealogy, are a member of the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society and need one-on-one help, see Chuck Eccleston or email cgecc@juno.com to sign up for your own private mentor.　 Our mentors can help with software entries, research tips, organization of your records, establishing timelines, or answering your questions. Mentors will not do research for you. They will discuss your research situation and suggest what to do next or where to go to find a solution to your question. There is no charge.

New Additions (Acquisitions) to Jackson County Genealogy Library

You can go to http://www.rvgsociety.org/News to find and print quarterly lists of new additions to the library. We now provide a printed list for your use when you are at the library. Look in the New Books section or ask a librarian.

“Person, Place or Thing”

Why enter?
To start writing down your family stories!
To leave your family’s history for future generations                                                     
To improve your mental health — writing can be therapeutic 
To show off your talent!

The RVGS Writing Contest encourages you to:  Write an engaging story that future generations will enjoy and base your story on sound research.

Requirements
 Piece must be written to the theme: “Person, Place or Thing”. Weave a story around an object your ancestor made or used that was passed down through the family, or write about your favorite family member or story.  Your story must be factual, with suppositions clearly indicated.  Documentation in the form of endnotes or footnotes is required.  Length is to be between 750 and 5000 words.

Story must be submitted in electronic form as a Word Document or PDF file, submitted as an attachment to an email message addressed to info@rvgslibrary.org with Writing Contest in the subject line, OR saved to a CD-ROM and mailed to the following address:  Writing Contest at RVGS, P.O. Box 1468 Phoenix, OR  97535. Submit entries between March 15, 2011 and April 15, 2011. Please do not submit before March 15, 2011.  If possible, plan to attend the award presentation at the RVGS May 17, 2011 General Meeting.

Judging Criteria
 A factual story built around the theme – A story that engages the reader – Good use of language, including smoothness of the writing- Convincing research – Well-documented – Photographs encouraged.
The children’s stories need to be based on fact, but latitude will be given to convey the story to a child.

Questions?   Please email Carolyn Beron at 541beron@charter.net

Rogue Valley Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 1468
Phoenix, Oregon 97535

On April 9th, Break Down Brick Walls:

Call (541)512-2340 or email info@rvgslibary.org to
reserve a space.  

Listen to the Experts

 Rogue Valley Genealogical Society is proud to present a new series of classe taught by experts in the genealogical field. Have you ever wanted to attend a national conference so you could hear the national experts? This is the next best thing—listen to the experts on CD. All classes will be held in the JCGL classroom on Thursdays, 95 Houston Rd., Phoenix, OR