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.

NEW!! Durham Region Branch's Temporary Website

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Durham Region Branch's website has not been updated for 10 months. The links still work, but we are unable to update and add our upcoming meetings!

With many thanks to Dan Delong, we have a new temporary website using our backup pages.

You will find it at:  https://timetraces.com/durhambranch/

We are currently working on streamlining our site and hope to have our new refreshed website up soon.

Thank you for your patience.

New Sign-Up for Durham Branch Virtual Social Drop-In Series!

 

Are you missing the coffee time chat from our pre-COVID meetings? Need someone to bounce some research problem off of?

Join Durham Region Branch on the 4th Thursday at 11 am each month between Oct. 26th and the end of June 2024 [except Dec. 2023].

Anything goes - need a lookup done in our library, question about DNA matches, information on sources for an area you haven't researched before. We can even talk about the weather, but genealogy is much more interesting! Bring a coffee or tea and let's chat about "everything genealogy". Everyone is welcome!

Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkc-qvpjksGNeGMfFx0uOgq4WRFViW4zVB

You only need to register once - you can use the link you receive in your e-mail over and over, so keep it in a safe place! 

Durham Branch May 2nd Meeting - Old Brock Township: Origin and Key Events with Larry Doble

Topic: Old Brock Township: Origin and Key Events

Speaker: Larry Doble

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023 @ 7:30 pm : Hybrid Meeting (details below)

Were your ancestors from Brock Township? 

The presentation will describe the history behind the creation of the original Brock Township in historic Ontario County and the wars, battles, and events which determined who settled there.  

Larry Doble has been the chairman of the Sunderland and District Historical Society for almost 20 years. His ancestors came to Brock Township from Mayo County, Ireland in 1822 and the Doble family has been here for 7 generations.  His family tree computer data base has 62,000 names and it links many of the early families who settled in Brock Township which opened up in 1818. 

The Handout will provide links to several sites and resources about the history of Old Brock Township.

This will be a hybrid meeting – both in-person and via Zoom. Everyone is welcome.

In-person will be at Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON (NW corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West). Parking can be limited.

On-line will be via Zoom – please pre-register for the event at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdOqsrD0jHdR3uzUDXVsIIWQUPjm8vWT2

Durham Branch March 7th - Away to Canada (Pioneering in Ontario pre-1850)

 

Durham Branch’s March 7th Meeting

Away to Canada - Barbara Dickson

Have you ever wondered what it was like to pioneer in Ontario pre-1850?

Come discover life in Canada during the first half of the 19th century as seen through the eyes of an English gentleman, David Cragg. A true-life account, David, born in 1769, lived through the Napoleonic wars, the death of his beloved Molly from a grand consumption, the Industrial Revolution, his immigration to Canada as a widower with eight children and the founding of Greenbank village in Reach Township (now in Durham Region). This fascinating presentation – a walk down memory lane as told through David’s own writing – will intrigue and inspire Canadians, historians, and anyone who’s interested in learning more about how people lived almost 200 years ago in Britain and Canada.

 

Barbara Dickson is a sought-after award-winning best-selling author, historian, public speaker, documentary film producer and writer who has entertained, educated, and enlightened audiences for twenty-five years. Dickson’s speaking platform mirrors her passions: commemorating Canada’s bomb girls, honouring the legacy of the Irish people in building Canada, challenges and triumphs of 19th century immigration life, living with multiple sclerosis, and heart transplantation in Canada.

Barbara’s website can be found at https://www.barbaradickson.ca/

The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 7th via Zoom only.

Kindly register for the Zoom programme via the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oc-urqDosGNGDP64oNGEXhgHOfiuRF0E4

Stop the Presses: Historic Newspaper Collections in and Around Durham Region - Durham's October 4th Meeting

(Jennifer Weymark)

Newspapers are a treasure trove of information for all sorts of researchers. There are vital statistics such as births and deaths, there are articles highlighting the current events of the days and there are stories and advertisements that showcase social issues and community focus. Archives and libraries have worked to preserve their local newspapers so that they are available for researchers. This talk will focus on where to access newspapers from collections in and around Durham Region, the challenges faced by those preserving these collections and by researchers accessing them and some of the interesting ways local newspapers have been used to help tell local history.

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. In this position, Jennifer has not only devoted time to digitizing and reorganizing the archival collection, while maintaining the day-to-day collections management work, but she has also been focused on filling in gaps in the archival collection through focused collecting practices and original research. She has had the pleasure of sharing her work through presenting at conferences, developing and leading workshops for local students and speaking to various community groups.

Join Durham Region Branch on Tuesday, October 4th at 7:30 pm. This will be a hybrid meeting, that is, both in-person and via Zoom. It will be held in the basement meeting room of the Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, Ontario (NW corner of Simcoe St. N. and Rossland Rd. W.)

For those joining via Zoom, kindly pre-register at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrduGprT4vGNExhuS1nstq0vT4mSpjkZGa

      

Caring for Photographs

I have started limiting the amount of time I watch the COVID-19 news. I am trying to limit it to once a day, in  the early evening, so that I can reduce the stress and worry that I feel.

I believe that genealogists and other solo hobbyists (like woodworkers, miniature railway enthusiasts, knitters, etc.) have a leg up on the general public in have a way to distract our whirling minds!

Maybe, you are looking at finally organizing all your family photos!

Here is a blog at "The National Archives" [UK] website with a downloadable guide for you:
https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/top-tips-for-caring-for-photographs/?fbclid=IwAR0d9ZEJM1qqNZb_1ufPAr766uMM4XOtaLZrVPdGMK2usSJkqlffdGP0n94

Just another suggestion for a project to feel like you are accomplishing something worthwhile.

And, while you are at it, feel free to post a picture on our Facebook Group page and tell us all about it.

Thank you and keep well,

Nancy Trimble, Chair

DNA Special Interest Group to Meet Tuesday, Sep 18 at 7 pm.

Durham Region Branch's  DNA Special Interest Group will be meeting on Tuesday Sep 18 at 7 pm at the:

Oshawa Family History Centre,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,

632 Rossland Rd North, Oshawa

Remember to park behind the church [off Rossland Rd] and go in the south-west door of the building. The Family History Centre will be on the right when you go in. 

Parking is free and all are welcome!

DNA Special Interest Group July 17th Meeting

Durham Region Branch's  DNA Special Interest Group will be meeting on Tuesday July 17 at 7 pm at the:

Oshawa Family History Centre,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,

632 Rossland Rd North, Oshawa

We will start with basic questions for any newcomers and then move on to Intermediate questions for our seasoned members.

Remember to park behind the church [off Rossland Rd] and go in the south-west door of the building. The Family History Centre will be on the right when you go in. 

Parking is free and all are welcome!

DNA -SIG January Meeting

Durham Region Branch DNA-SIG meets Jan. 17
Nancy Trimble, Chair, Durham Region Branch OGS
 
The DNA Special Interest Group of the Durham Region Branch will be meeting at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, January 17^th at their Branch Office at the Oshawa Airport.(see our website for a map)
 

Basic questions will be answered in the first half hour of the meeting and then more advanced questions will be addressed.

All are welcome!

DNA Group Will Meet Through The Summer

The DNA Special Interest Group (DNA-SIG) of the Durham Region Branch will continue to meet on the 3rd Wednesday evening of the month at 7:30 pm throughout the summer.

The next meeting will be on July 20th and everyone is welcome. Discussion will continue on GEDmatch and the dashboards on the testing companies' websites.

The meetings are held at our office at 1000 Stevenson Rd. N. in Oshawa.
get map here

GEDmatch - DNA Group Meeting Wednesday, March 16th at 7:30 pm.

Durham Region Branch's DNA- SIG will meet:

Wednesday, March 16th at 7:30 pm.

Durham Region Branch's Office, 1000 Stevenson Rd. N., Oshawa   Map here

(remember to come from the south - the office cannot be reached from Taunton Rd.)

The focus will be on using the GEDmatch site. Karen will demonstrate her experiences with the site, and we will throw the meeting open to demonstrations of the site from any member who has experience.

Nancy will show a YouTube video that will help with understanding the GEDmatch experience.

Taming Your Inner Packrat

Are you drowning in a sea of papers, documents, old photographs and other research materials? Don't miss this organizational power lecture by Lisa Alzo! Learn how to organize your documents and photos for quick retrieval, use strategies to stay on track, and tame your paper and electronic monsters. Two sets of handouts, and a project template, will be available to attendees in electronic formats.

Join us for "Taming Your Inner Packrat" by Lisa Alzo and moderated by Thomas MacEntee.

Our meetings are generally  streamed on YouTube, starting at 7:30 p.m. (https://youtu.be/TF7fIAZUhWQ). Due to copyright considerations, for this meeting we will stream just the business and announcements portion. 

HOWEVER, we have purchased the rights to have the video and handouts in the Members Only Section of our website. If you are a Durham Region Branch member, you can come back and review the lecture as many times as you need to! Click here for the sign-in page. Once there, choose Branch Member Sites under the Members Only tab.

Join us at 7:30 on Tuesday, March 1st at the Oshawa Public Library on Bagot Street, Oshawa (just south of City Hall). We gather in the basement Auditorium.

Resources at the Oshawa Public Library

Durham Region Branch Meeting

Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

Oshawa Public Library, Bagot St., Oshawa (just south of the City Hall)

Auditorium (downstairs)

Laura McEwen, Oshawa Public Library staff member, will describe the Oshawa Public Library holdings relevant to genealogical researchers.    

lmcewan@oshawalibrary.on.ca 

http://www.oshawalibrary.on.ca/pathfinderpdf/LocalHistoryCollection.pdf 

Our meetings are often streamed on YouTube, starting at 7:30 p.m. (https://youtu.be/TF7fIAZUhWQ) 

Streaming of last month's meeting was successful. Here is a slightly edited version of January's General Meeting - https://youtu.be/mjnkJlnH9K4

Durham Region Branch to form a DNA Special Interest Group

Listening to our members, we have identified a need to form a Special Interest Group focussed on Using DNA in Our Genealogical Research.

Our first [organizational] meeting will be held on Wed. Jan 20th at the Durham Branch office at the NavCan building on the south side of the Oshawa Airport at 7:30 p.m.

Here is the map for getting to the office. Remember to go north on Stevenson Rd. from Rossland Rd. (NOT Taunton Rd.).

Agenda

1. the best day to meet
2. what each of us wants to get out of learning about using DNA in genealogy
3. appointing a chairman
4. decide if we want to have a secretary to record our meetings
5. topics arising from the group

If you can't make the meeting, please e-mail Nancy Trimble, Chair of the Durham Region Branch with the best day of the month for you, so your wishes can take that into consideration when we set up our meetings.

Durham Region Branch September Meeting - September 8th

NOTE CHANGE OF DATE: 
 Tues., September 8th (2nd Tuesday this month only)

Topic: Solve Genealogical Problems by Creating a Timeline (recorded webinar)
Timelines are very useful ways of visualizing data. Timelines give you an order of and context for events, or to show what kinds of events were happening around your ancestors. Using Excel spreadsheets, this webinar will show how to solve different types of genealogical problems by using timelines.

Beth Foulk

Beth was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and currently lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. She has been interested in family history since grade school. Her dad, who built a small family tree that Beth found fascinating, is credited with infecting her with the genealogy bug. Without the exposure to his interests and work, she would never have started down the genealogy road. Beth’s ascent into full-blown “junkie-dom” occurred in 1998 when she learned that genealogy software could build a family tree database.

Beth Foulk maintains a website, Genealogy Decoded.

Sample Timeline

Join Our Facebook Group!

Did you know that the Durham Region Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society now has a Facebook Group? This allows our members more ability to communicate with each other, as well as with the Branch leadership.

There are many areas to explore in the Group once you have been added to the members: Check out the links to Files, Photos, Events and Members.

Announcements of meetings, handouts, surnames list and many other items are posted to the Group.

This join button is found in the lower right corner of the Facebook group's cover picture.

Once you have been added to the group, you have more options in that area, including the ability to get notifications of new postings.

Don't delay - Click the Join button now at the Durham Region Branch Facebook Group