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Longmont Genealogical Society
Past Program Reviews
2015 - Evening Sessions

We all gain from sharing our knowledge and experiences with others. The society greatly appreciates the fantastic presentations we have had during the past few years.  Here is a listing of some of those memorable events. Give them a big round of applause !

Go to Past Programs    Main Index   or   Year   2015   2014



 Mar/2015
Tom Floodeen, FHC Director –  presented “Using Ancestry at Home & FREE at the FHC. What are the Differences & Benefits?” Tom demonstrated the two versions of Ancestry on a computer and explained how to use them. He gave lots of good tips and then introduced FamilySearch.org's FamilyTree and a program called Puzilla which can be used to find cousins and holes in your research using the data you have entered into the FamilyTree.  He encouraged everyone to sign up for a free familysearch email account to receive information about changes in their familytree. The web site address for Puzilla is: https://puzzilla.org/. The program is free to download and use.

Tom has been working on his own family history for over 35 years with a lot of success. He is a fun enthusiastic person who loves to help people with their family history so they can make the same exciting discoveries and enjoy those wonderful “aha” moments that every genealogist lives for. He is familiar with many Family History programs and web sites and is an excellent teacher as well as patient and understanding with those that are beginning their family search. For the last year he has been the Director of the Family History Center. Although technical advancements are coming faster than anyone can keep up with, his general knowledge helps him find ways of getting things done even when the programs have changed since the last time he has viewed them. We’re grateful to have him share his expertise with us and look forward to his presentation.


  April/2015		 “What's the Best Genealogy Software for YOU? Comparing 3 of the major genealogy programs: Family Tree Maker, by Mick Mickelson,  Roots Magic, by Diana Ornstead & Legacy by Tom Floodeen, Bring your laptop to try some of the tips following the presentation. Eight FHC computers with the programs installed on them will be available for us to use. Bring your laptop if you would like to ask questions about the program you are using or are interested in.

‘Mick’ Mickelson - has always had an interest in family history and has been doing genealogy for friends as well as for himself for nearly 25 years.  He has been using various versions of Family Tree Maker to record his findings for about twenty of those years.  Mick is retired after careers in the US Air Force and the aerospace industry where he has been using computers professionally for over fifty years.  The first computer Mick became involve with had vacuum tubes (Warning! This might reveal your age!).   His next generation of computers was a big improvement with transistors and a tremendous 16 Kbytes of memory.   Mick has been using personal computers for the past thirty years and currently does most of his genealogical research on-line.  He has been treasurer, secretary and is currently procedures chair for the Longmont Genealogical Society. 


  Apr/2015
Diana Ornstead - Decades ago the Four Generation program encouraged me to start learning about my family history. My four grandparents were still living and one great-grandmother, but I didn’t even know their first names – only grandma and grandpa. As I began asking them questions, they gave me a few old photos and lots of memories. This search has been a wonderful adventure for me and my family, and my friends whom I’ve been able to help. I recently completed a part time family history mission for Family Search, and I’ve served as publicity chair and president of the Longmont Genealogical Society. Our family started using a home computer in 1980 with an Apple II compatible, and knowledge of basic computing helped me start my career as a technical writer, from which I’m now retired.To use genealogical software, I bought copies of the various databases and thought I had the best one when I won a copy of Roots Magic. Just to be fair, I tried using it and haven’t looked back. Having tried them all, I much prefer Roots Magic and am glad to show anyone why I like it.



Apr/2015		 Tom Floodeen, FHC Director –  Tom has been working on his own family history for over 35 years with a lot of success. He is a fun enthusiastic person who loves to help people with their family history so they can make the same exciting discoveries and enjoy those wonderful “aha” moments that every genealogist lives for. He is familiar with many Family History programs and web sites and is an excellent teacher as well as patient and understanding with those that are beginning their family search. For the last year he has been the Director of the Family History Center. Although technical advancements are coming faster than anyone can keep up with, his general knowledge helps him find ways of getting things done even when the programs have changed since the last time he has viewed them. We’re grateful to have him share his expertise with us and look forward to his presentation.



May/2015		 “Finding August Smith in Sweden” - A Case Study in Swedish Records. Neils Hansen, Janice Wilfong & Judy Stover. In this case study, we will trace August Smith from the United States back to his birth country, Sweden. Along the way we will explore the Swedish records and learn how to access them. There will be a handout listing the important records and giving descriptions on how to access them. We will look at the information on the emigration, census, and parish records. There will be time in the class to practice accessing the Swedish records so bring a name and information about a Swedish person you would like to find in the records. You can bring your own laptop or use the computers in the Family History Center. Bring your laptop to try some of Neil’s tips following his presentation. 8 FHC computers available for us to use also. Swedish Website about TV program that Janice will tell us about: http://www.nordstjernan.com/news/people/3451/. Neils excellent handout can be downloaded by clicking here. For Swedish Record Sources click here.



June/2015
Ted Bainbridge  presents - “Finding Maps on the Internet”. What’s out there, how to find it, and how to use it?"  Research questions can be answered by maps and  examples of using maps to extend pedigrees. Download Ted's handouts and bring to the class Maps Handout and Map Links Ted is a past president of the Longmont Genealogical Society and an accomplished speaker and writer. His columns on Genealogy Topics appear regularly in the 50 Plus Marketplace News for Boulder County. He also writes an article for the LGS Quarterly which is always interesting and helpful in researching our ancestry.  Bring your laptop to try some of Ted’s tips following his presentation. 8 FHC computers are available for our use also. Handouts available for download and bring to the meeting. Watch for the link to be posted shortly before the meeting.



Aug/2015

Mick Mickelson presents - "The Cyberspace Hunt – FREE, for PAY, All to profit your research."



Sept/2015		 “Ted Bainbridge - "Evidence” Checking published data and, getting evidence, and applying the Genealogical Proof (GPS) Standards." Ted is a past president of the Longmont Genealogical Society and an accomplished speaker and writer. His columns on Genealogy Topics appear regularly in the 50 Plus Marketplace News for Boulder County. He also writes an article for the LGS Quarterly which is always interesting and helpful in researching our ancestry.  Bring your laptop to try some of Ted’s tips following his presentation. 7 FHC computers are available for our use also. Handouts available for download and bring to the meeting. Click here for Ted's great handout on "Genealogy Evidence and "Evidence." Be sure to print them before attending his program.



Oct/2015		 "Adventures in Self-publishing - Then and Now"  presented by Lorraine & Jim Theall. Learn from two accomplished authors how to write and publish your family’s history. Lorraine will speak about her method of writing family history by setting her families in their time and place and using historical facts about that time and place.  Except for her great-grandmother, she has no contemporaneous letters, journals or accounts. She will show four books, which includes one book about Jim’s family and briefly describe the publication process of each. She will speak of her book Beginnings (2008) and her experience in self-publishing with Book Surge (now CreateSpace) and her second book, Reflections on Life self-published with Book Baby. It includes memoirs, fiction and poetry by both Lorraine and Jim. Jim will then speak of his experiences writing and publishing his five mystery novels, all of which were self-published through CreateSpace. Then they will conclude with her latest novel, Growing Young Together.

LORRAINE THEALL has lived in Colorado since 1984.  Her interest in genealogy began in 1976.  This led her to write and publish three books of her family’s history, in 1999, 2000 and 2003.  She and her husband James O. Theall co-authored a book on his family’s history in 2006.  In October 2008 she published her first novel, entitled BEGINNINGS. Independent Publisher Online Magazine awarded the book its 2009 Bronze Medal for Best Fiction in the Midwest Region. Her articles on genealogy have appeared in the Longmont Genealogical Society Quarterly and publications of other genealogical societies.  The Prairie Times, a literary magazine in Northern Colorado, has published many of her short stories.  She contributed to the Longmont Writer’s Club anthology entitled “Reflections” published in 2005 and Collected Writings published in 2009.  The Longmont Public Library Anthologies for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 contain her writings.  Lorraine writes primarily of her life experiences and fiction. She has been a member of the Longmont Writer’s Club since 2000.  Lorraine and Jim are past presidents of the Longmont Writers Club.  She is a member and past president of the Longmont Genealogical Society.  She has two adult sons and five stepchildren.  She lives in Longmont, Colorado with her husband James O. Theall. She continues to write and has added poetry to her

James Ory Theall chose a military career upon graduating after high school in 1950, but blindness ended his military career in 1957.  In spite of his vision loss, he listens to audio books at every opportunity.  He has great affection for the written word and pursues creative writing with fervor and enthusiasm.  Theall says, “I am enthusiastic about creative writing and I plan to continue for as long as I can.  I write for pleasure and all I ask is that my readers enjoy the books, and give an honest review.” He has self-published four novels and his short stories have appeared in a Colorado literary magazine, The Prairie Times, the Longmont Public Library 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 anthologies, and in two anthologies of the Longmont Writers' Club.  Jim hails from South Louisiana Cajun country and is an aggressive advocate for the blind, especially blinded veterans.  He enjoys Life Member status in the Blinded Veterans Association, the Disabled American Veterans, and the American Legion. Visit his web site at http://www.jamesorytheall.com/, and www.amazon.com/ to see editorial reviews, as well as what readers have said about his work.



Nov/2015
Kelly Jones  - "Using Photos in Your Family History" -  Adding a Thousands Words of Interest to your Precious Family Records."  Kelly’s interest in family history was largely a result of his mother's life-long habit of recording small events and cataloging family photos. In 1987 Kelly helped his mother and father organize this information, entered it into a word processor, then had it published into a hardbound volume. Many of the photos were not included due to technology and financial limitations at the time. Now, however, new technology makes for easy photographing, scanning, and editing capabilities. He has since updated the original volume with many additional old photos and text. He has submitted it to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The library has since created an online version which can be viewed and printed by anyone. Kelly and his wife Janet have lived in Longmont since 1974.

Go to Past Programs    Main Index   or   Year   2015   2014