Welcome to the Durham Region Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society

••• Everyone Welcome! •••

• Durham Region Branch Meetings [Location/Time] — [Future Speakers] [Past Speakers] [Members Only]- Next Meeting - Tuesday - January 7, at 7:30 p.m.

NOTICE: - The Branch Office and the Church building will be closed from Dec. 23rd to Jan. 8th.

Our usual general meeting location is Northminster United Church (676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON L1G 4V7 (nw corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West).

The branch elections filled all but two of the necessary six positions. Vice-President and Recording Secretary are still open, as are two committee positions: Education Committe and Newsletter Editor. Our long serving members are willing to train volunteers for the positions of Cemeteries Chair (photographing and transcribing), and Programme Chair (seeking speakers... about five per year). Contact any member of the executive if you are willing to join our executive meetings, all held at the branch office on each Tuesay evening before the Tuesday of the General Meetings.

The DNA SIG (DNA Special Interest Group) within our branch continues meeting monthly, on the 3rd. Wednesday of each month. Next mtg. - January 18th, in our office at Northminster United Church. Christmas images

Overcoming Brick Walls - strategies and anecdotes for overcoming research dead-ends.

DON'T GIVE UP!!

If, during your research, you have come across a particularly frustrating dead-end,our local panel of experts can help.

At this meeting our panel of experts will solve, or attemtp to solve, some of the most difficult research problems faced by members. However, it is best to send problems, in advance, to durham@ogs.on.ca.

[Now that the meeting is over, here is the link to an editted version: - https://youtu.be/JQffEVGlcDM]

Our meetings are often streamed on YouTube starting at 7:30. Our channel for streaming is http://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCiHiKL0pfzXzG- G9YARS8Sg/live . Should the stream fail during the broadcast, try refreshing the browser or closing the connection and reconnecting. In any case, an editted version of the meeting will be posted here, on the same channel, about one week after the meeting.

• at the December 2019 Meeting•

Christmas images

Show and Tell / Bring & Brag –

At this meeting we celebrated the season together, along with any genealogical breakthroughs, special stories, favourite websites, interesting documents or other artifacts brought to this gathering.

Members were invited share genealogy 'ah-ha's and edible holiday treats. An editted version of the Christmas Meeting video stream is here: - https://youtu.be/Pzk3bfHqldA It includes both meeting announcements and members' "show and tells".

• at the November 5, 2019 Meeting

Rush to Danger cover

NEW BOOK "Rush to Danger" — presented by author, Ted Barris

Two YouTube videos are available from this meeting: -

1. The business portion of the meeting, which includes the election and announcements: - https://youtu.be/yiHLgLMdY-0

2. Ted Barris, speaking about his latest book: - https://youtu.be/YK6rCtgdgl4

Thriftbooks offers up 12 of Ted's books on the site's first page: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/ted-barris/413168.

Once again, member Robert T Bell has shared his Flickr Album photos of this meeting: - https://www.flickr.com/photos/roberttbell/albums/72157711759686087

• at the October 2019 meeting •

Ruth Burkholder

Finding Great-Grandma’s Grandchildren: How do you find people of your parent’s generation? —Ruth Burkholder

Whether they were of the immigrant generation, thus born elsewhere, or the family had been here forever, finding people in the 1900s is hard work. This discussion will present some ideas to use to find them. Ruth Burkholder has successfully educated family historians for many years. She is well known for her ability to explain both simple and complex research activities in an easy to understand way. Most of all, Ruth has a knack of keeping the fun in it while providing proper methods and advice that comply with accepted genealogical research and recording practices.

The Mini-talk and business portions of our meeting, along with a 'teaser' for Ruth's talk, are now on YouTube: - https://youtu.be/5SU6byHMCHA

Member, Bob Bell, has shared his Flickr photo of this meeting: - https://www.flickr.com/photos/roberttbell/sets/72157711241021711/

Our meetings are often streamed on YouTube starting at 7:30. Our channel for streaming is http://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCiHiKL0pfzXzG- G9YARS8Sg/live .

•at the September Meeting

Attendees to the September 3rd Meeting (7:30 p.m., at Northminster United Church, in Oshawa), were encouraged to bring along a URL, or several URLs, of favourite genealogical websites. Here is a link to abbreviated video coverage of the September Meeting: - https://youtu.be/Mhwhwhbxt9U. Member, Bob Bell, shared his photos and slide images, hosted on Flickr.

Our usual general meeting location has changed, to Northminster United Church (676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON L1G 4V7 (nw corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West).

click for bigger image - or a Google Map here

• at the June 2019 Meeting

Bob Dawes - The Family History Reno Project (the easy do-over)

Why should a genealogist perform research again, on subjects already covered? Genealogy has changed considerably in the recent decade. Bob Dawes will show how doing so helped to improve his results, just as surely as it will do the same for you. Bob's handout: - Bobs Bytes The Easy Do-Over Click for Bob's presentation on YouTube: - https://youtu.be/xSMzlukLHNU Some of President Nancy Trimble's slides are shown at the end of the video, with announcements of upcoming dates and events. (The video recording had quit too soon for her all of her follow-up comments to appear here.)

Our meetings are often streamed on YouTube starting at 7:30. Our channel for streaming is http://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCiHiKL0pfzXzG- G9YARS8Sg/live .

The DNA SIG (DNA Special Interest Group) within our branch continues meeting monthly, on the 3rd. Wednesday of each month. Next mtg. - June 19th, in our new office at Northminster United Church.

• at the May 2019 Meeting

Sandra McNamara -Two Topics: Researching Through Face Book and the Tricks and Trades of a Genealogy Sleuth

Sandra McNamara graduated from York University in 1983 as a Geophysicist. She oversaw digitization of African Airbourne Magnetic Maps and worked on the compilation of Ontario Aeromagnetic Maps. For the past twenty-five years she has been a stay at home mom, focusing her research on the genealogy of her father’s side of the family, keeping in mind her Grandmother saying, “I come from a strong Loyalist stock.” Her latest endeavour is researching into The Declaration of Dependence, for which she has started a closed Facebook group, “LD1776”, for descendents of those signers. She is an administrator for “Revolutionary War Research” and the initiator of “Loyalist in depth study." https://allthingsliberty.com/author/sandra-mcnamara/

• at our April 2, 2019 Meeting.

Research experiences - On The Road Again.

Sher Leetooze has been researching her family for just over 40 years, but still has a long way to go. In the process of doing research, Sher has gone right to the source in Great Britain and found some GREAT stuff! Some of these things she will share with you on April 2nd.

Our meetings are often streamed on YouTube starting at 7:30. Our channel for streaming is http://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCiHiKL0pfzXzG- G9YARS8Sg/live .

Mini-talk - Stephen Wood, with a Brick Wall Update, concerning identifying a relative via the US 1850 census, even though she was born in Canada. A slightly editted version of the April 2019 meeting is available on YouTube: - https://youtu.be/NrFfmnNwx2k

• at the March 5, 2019 Meeting

Bob was unable to speak, as the 401 became impassable that day. He has re-scheduled for the June meeting. Nancy pinch-hitted with a report about her recent, week-long visit, to ROOTS TECH, followed by Anne's "Organizing a Family Reunion". Here is a slightly editted recording of the March meeting: - https://youtu.be/KhKbsO_HB_w

Bob Dawes: - The Family History Reno Project (the easy do-over) If you've ever wanted to clean up your family history file, this is the easy way to approach it. Normally, a Do Over involves re-entering all of your family information from scratch while this approach allows you to continue using your file for research while cleaning it up. It also allows you to take advantage of everything you've learned over the years as well as new resources and tools. [Click on the image for Bob's handout summary.]

Bob Dawes is a past chair of Quinte Branch and currently responsible for database and computer maintenance. Bob and his wife, Barbara, have traveled extensively throughout North America and the United Kingdom in search of their ancestors and enjoy using technology to enhance their research.

• at our February 5, 2019 Meeting

Our Feb Meeting featured Jennifer Weymark from the Oshawa Museum. She took us on a virtual tour of the museum, with emphasis on records of interest to genealogists. Here is a slightly editted video of the meeting [https://youtu.be/of6aJJ1mN88 ], which also includes the business portion of the meeting, and a mini-talk, by Stephen Wood - "Using Signatures in Old Documents", to zero in on ancestors.

• at the January 8, 2019 Meeting

Durham Region Branch will be starting 2019 off in our newly renovated office and library! We’re not totally unpacked yet, but on Tuesday January 8th at 7:30 pm, for the very first time, we will be holding our meeting in our new location on the 3rd floor of Northminster United Church, Oshawa!
Our topic will be “Busting Down Brick Walls” through the brainstorming and crowd sourcing of our members.

An editted video of the January 08, 2019 meeting, with a tour of our new office, is at: https://youtu.be/n9HMgaylTlI .

• at the December 4, 2018 Meeting

Show and Tell / Bring & Brag –

At this meeting we celebrated the season together, along with any genealogical breakthroughs, special stories, favourite websites, interesting documents or other artifacts brought to this gathering.

Members were invited share genealogy 'ah-ha's and edible holiday treats.

The slightly editted video for our December meeting is available here [https://youtu.be/TCN6lpC0hw8].

• at our November 2018 Meeting •

Bryan Davies -- A Boy From Botwood [archived here: - https://youtu.be/KA-nlThRBD4]
Bryan Davies is the co-author of 'A Boy From Botwood'. It's Newfoundland soldier Arthur Manuel's account of his experiences in the First World War, including three major campaigns (Gallipoli, the Somme, and Passchendaele), his time as a German prisoner of war, his escape and his re-capture. Manuel died before he could turn it into a book. His story was discovered in 2011 by his grandson, hidden in the attic in a shoebox. Jan. 19, 2017. - Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland

Private Arthur Manuel was a self-described “common soldier” in the First World War who did something uncommon: he set down his memories for posterity.

But the Royal Newfoundland Regiment member’s story would have been lost forever if his grandson, David Manuel, had not discovered the war veteran’s efforts. And David Manuel went a step further: he mentioned it to Whitby writer Bryan Davies when the two Durham men met by chance at Charley Ronick’s pub.

The result is A Boy From Botwood, a book by Davies and Andrew Traficante.

“(David Manuel) did something I think was amazing,” Davies says. “He comes across this find ... and he cared so much about his grandfather’s story, he thought, ‘I’ve got to preserve this’. We’re forever grateful to him.”

• Our October 2, 2018 Meeting

Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany - Ted Barris.
Based on personal accounts, flight logs, squadron war diaries, maps, and photographs of the Canadians involved, Dam Busters recounts the dramatic story of these young Commonwealth bomber crews tasked with the high-risk operation against an enemy prepared to defend the Fatherland to the death.

It was a night that changed the Second World War. The secret raid against the hydro-electric dams of Germany’s Ruhr River took years to plan, involved an untried bomb, and included the best aircrews Allied Bomber Command could muster – many of them Canadian. The raid marked the first time the Allies tactically took the war inside Nazi Germany. It was a mission that became legendary.

Dam Busters: Part 1 of 2 - Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany - Ted Barris.

https://youtu.be/gphhB9TqtCA

Dam Busters Part 2 of 2 - Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany - Ted Barris.

https://youtu.be/X3CQt3or9aY

[Ted Barris is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster. He regularly writes in the national media (National Post, Air Force magazine, Zoomer among many), and has hosted many CBC Radio network programs and shows on TV Ontario. His weekly blog The Barris Beat features commentary and narrative from his travels/experience. Among his eighteen previous bestselling non-fiction books: Juno, Behind the Glory, Deadlock in Korea, Victory at Vimy, and Breaking the Silence. In June 2014, his book The Great Escape: A Canadian Story won the Libris Non-Fiction Book Award of the Year.]