Durham's September Meeting with Thomas MacEntee

 Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To-Do's”

The meeting is virtual only - please register at the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wGXkSb9YQCaez-8e9B4BFQ

Join Durham Region Branch on Sept. 2 @ 7:30 pm via Zoom as we welcome well-known genealogist Thomas MacEntee speaking on “Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To-Do's”

Does your genealogy research get bogged down when you find new clues about an ancestor? Do you stop everything and chase after that BSO (“bright and shiny object”)? Learn how to increase your research efficiency and still remember that new information for later investigation.

Participants will learn how to identify new clues in records, document new information and tuck it away for later research. In addition, we’ll focus on building better and more efficient research habits in order to stay on track and not get distracted by new clues.

Thomas MacEntee is a Baby Boomer guy with a love of punk rock music but also art history who somehow “fell” into the technology industry almost 40 years ago, and then left a lucrative IT career to pursue his love of family history and genealogy. Technology and historical research are opposites, but “tech people” like Thomas are needed to guide today’s genealogists through the maze of options so they can deploy the best apps and devices to break down research brick walls. Thomas MacEntee: author, educator, advocate, entrepreneur, and that “genealogy guy” who helps you accomplish your family history goals. 

Thomas MacEntee is a guy with a love of punk rock music but also art history who somehow “fell” into the technology industry years ago. He left a lucrative tech career to pursue his love of family history and genealogy. Technology and historical research seem like opposites, but “tech people” like Thomas are needed to guide you through the maze of options so you can find your ancestors and bring their stories to life. 

Exciting News - Family Tree Maker Tour!

Durham & Kawartha Branches of Ontario Ancestors are pleased to host the Oshawa session of the tour. Mark Olsen and Duff Wilson will present the latest features and innovations of the Family Tree Maker 2024 software.

It will be held at the Centennial Albert United Church, 19 Rosehill Boulevard, Oshawa in the East Hall on Monday, September 15th from 1 - 4 pm.

This session is free to anyone, but you must register to save a spot.

More details and the sign up link are at https://ogs.on.ca/ftm-user-group/

Durham's August Virtual Drop-in

 Durham's August Virtual Drop-in

Time: Aug 28, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83321698991

Meeting ID: 833 2169 8991

Durham's August Cemetery Picnic

 August Cemetery Picnic

Kendall Cemetery, Utica

Please join us on Tues Aug 26, at Kendall Cemetery, 691 Goodwood Road, Utica, from10:00 am until approximately 4:00 pm.  Rain date will be the following day. If the temperature remains too high, then we will cancel the picnic until September.

Feel free to just show up or to contact the Branch at durham@ogs.on.ca

Bring a lunch and something to drink, bug spray, sunscreen, pencil/pen and paper and clipboard, if you have them.

Durham’s June 3rd Hybrid Meeting: Untold Oshawa with Jennifer Weymark

 

Please join us on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 7:30 pm as Jennifer Weymark, M.A. presents “Untold Oshawa: An Expanded History” which was published in 2024. Jennifer will be in-person.

Untold Oshawa, published for the city’s centennial, broadens the traditional narrative of Oshawa’s history by including diverse, often overlooked perspectives. The book explores Black and Jewish history, Indigenous experiences, women in politics, labour movements, and stories of displaced persons, highlighting the rich cultural fabric of the community. Through well-researched yet accessible prose, it celebrates the many individuals and groups who have shaped Oshawa. This vital addition to the city’s historical record offers readers a deeper, more inclusive understanding of its past and is a must-read for history enthusiasts.

Copies of the book will be available at the in-person meeting. Cash, debit and credit can be used.

Jennifer Weymark has been with the Oshawa Historical Society for 23 years, 22 of those years spent as the Archivist. This role has given Jennifer the opportunity to put to good use her undergraduate work in history and cultural anthropology, while also putting into practice the theories and skills learned while earning her Masters Degree in Museum Studies.

This will be a hybrid meeting: both in-person and via Zoom. Everyone is welcome. Please come and bring a friend. The library will be open at 7 pm.

In-person location: 3rd Floor Boardroom, Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, L1G 4V7 [NW corner of Simcoe St. N. and Rossland Rd. W.]

Virtual: Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0od-CqrzwvE9wJbJMUnHnmZSRKloeVCn2f

Durham’s May 6th Virtual Meeting – ScotlandsPeople + FamilySearch = Savings

Please join us on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 @7:30 pm as Ken McKinlay presents: 

ScotlandsPeople + FamilySearch = Savings (via Zoom)

Researching our kin in Scotland can get a little pricey if we want to view the images of the birth, marriage, and death statutory registrations and the census records. With a bit of time and knowledge we can make use of key collections on FamilySearch to save us a little bit of money.

Located in Ottawa, Ontario, Ken McKinlay is a genealogy researcher with over 20 years of trial and error experience in researching his own family's history in Canada, United States, England, Scotland and Ireland. 

Ken belongs to the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (AKA BIFHSGO) and the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Ancestors (AKA Ontario Genealogical Society). Ken has held many roles in both organizations and their respective conferences.

The talks he gives quite often deal with the methodologies for researching family history and also how to use technology to assist with doing the research. 

Ken’s blog is available at: https://familytreeknots.blogspot.com/

Everyone is welcome!

Please pre-register at the following Zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bb7w_b3JT-iTVAV4R3UQKQ

Durham's Virtual April 1st Meeting - "How DNA Can Reveal Truth - A Case Study" with Mags Gaulden

 

"How DNA Can Reveal Truth - A Case Study" with Mags Gaulden

Join us on Tuesday, April 1st at 7:30 pm EDT via Zoom as we welcome back noted genetic genealogist Mags Gaulden.

In this talk, we will discover what YDNA is and how to use it to scrape away the dust and grime of long-held family lore to reveal the truth of descent—all the way down to a pin on the map, in a surprise no one expected.

Mag's Bio:

Mags Gaulden is a Professional Genealogist specializing in Genetic Genealogy as founder of Grandma’s Genes in Ottawa. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia College, she began to work her own genealogy as a “hobby”. This 30-year “hobby” eventually led her to a Leader role with WikiTree. 

Mags is an international Genetic Genealogy lecturer, blogger and a social media maven. She serves as Admin for Facebook groups including the ISOGG Facebook Group. She is a former member of the Canadian Casualty Identification Team.

Through her non-profit work with mitoYDNA.org, Mags and other genetic genealogists are providing a free and accessible YDNA and mtyDNA database for the genealogy Community. “Doing DNA Right”. mitoYDNA.org

Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uf-qqrj4tG9AT1go3zHTdDrucbbSDHts6