Durham's January 7th Zoom Meeting: Where Have All the Obits Gone?

 

Please join Durham Region Branch on Tuesday, January 7th at 7:30 pm as Gordon McBean tackles the topic “Where have all the obits gone?

Some argued that there was no need for genealogical societies to record obits anymore, once online obituaries became available. After all, it’s all online now! Due to the high cost of publishing obits many people are only publishing brief notices and then using the Funeral Homes website to publish a complete obit. Funeral Home sites are not permanent and newspapers are closing and their websites disappearing.

A detailed obituary will focus on the important moments that made up the life of a loved one. Including short anecdotes which show readers the true character of the person who has passed away. An obituary is the final record of a person’s life: their achievements, interests, passions and milestones. Because published obituaries become part of the public record, obituaries keep the memory of those we loved alive. Who is ensuring the information will be preserved when newspapers shut down and websites disappear.

Gordon McBean, a member of the Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS) since 1996, has been actively involved in the organization, including serving as past president and VP of Information Technology from 2011 to 2017. He played a crucial role in developing the MGS MANI online database, which now includes over 1,500,000 index records. A retired Educational Technologist from Red River College, Gordon supported staff with technology training and is also an avid photographer and outdoor enthusiast. In 2023, he was honored with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers for his significant contributions to genealogy and community service.

This will be a Zoom only meeting Everyone is welcome to attend.

Kindly pre-register at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0scemtqzMvGNYLfDTYeSdlprT68-KXS9l_