Durham Region Branch OGS

09/05/2025

Family Tree Maker 2024 Ontario Tour - Oshawa Session Sept. 15th from 1 -4 pm ET - In person ONLY

Centennial Albert United Church,
19 Rosehill Blvd.,
Oshawa, ON

Family Tree Maker (FTM) is the most popular genealogy programme for keeping your family information on your own computer.

If you wish to learn more about the latest version of the programme, please join with the Durham Region & Kawartha Branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society, and Executive Director Duff Wilson and Genealogy Community Ambassador Mark Olsen from The Software MacKiev Company, who will present the latest features and innovations of FTM 2024.

Some of the topics we will cover:

-A brief introduction to Family Tree Maker and why it's been America's favorite desktop family history software for 35 years.
-Features only found in Family Tree Maker, including some insider tips and tricks for expert users.
-Connect! A completely new workspace in FTM 2024 that makes it easy to enlist relatives to help you accelerate your research.
-Easy on the Eyes™, a long-requested feature that gives relief to tired old eyes by enlarging each section of the screen just when it's needed.
-A number of useful requested improvements in managing and reporting relationships.
-Tools for cleaning up orphaned items (media, sources, and citations).

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/

01/16/2025

The handout for our Nov 5, 2024 very successful meeting on the United Church of Canada Archives is now available!!

Detailed handout:- 2024-11 United Church Genealogy is available on the page https://timetraces.com/durhambranch/
Just scroll down to the information on the Nov 5, 2024 meeting to find the link to download the handout, as well there is the link to the recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.

10/26/2023

Durham Branch’s November 7th Meeting

The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 7th via Zoom & In-Person. Our AGM will be held at the beginning of the meeting and will be brief.

DNA Clustering: Using the Leeds Method to Sort Your Matches – Ben Dawson of “Family Tree Project”

After getting your DNA results, you were likely overwhelmed with the number of DNA matches and information presented. What should be your first steps? How do you get organized? What ancestral lines are each of the matches related to you? One of the most valuable tools that you can utilize to organize your DNA matches is called the Leeds Method. It is a systematic approach to sort your DNA matches into groups that usually result in clusters of matches that belong to each of your 4 grandparent lines. This talk explains the methodology behind the Leeds Method and how you can use it to narrow down your DNA match relationships so that when you reach out to them, you are more confident about the relationship. This will allow you to narrow your focus and limit the possible surnames involved. It also explains when the Leeds method is best applied and situations where it may not be suitable.

Ben Dawson took up genealogy in his 20s and has been a member of Ontario Ancestors for the last 8 years. He is currently the Co-Chair for the London & Middlesex Branch and has spoken at Ontario Ancestors branch meetings. Ben serves as a director-at-large on the Board and several committees for the Ontario Genealogical Society.
Ben also has a professional genealogy business called “Family Tree Project”. It includes a blog which offers tips, tricks, and news for the avid genealogist which can be found at www.familytreeproject.ca.

The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 7th via Zoom & In-Person. Our AGM will be held at the beginning of the meeting and will be brief.

Kindly register for the Zoom programme via the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sf-isqjIpEt2kggzsncsf0hKVun6YixVC

In-person will be in our Branch library on the 3rd floor at Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON (NW corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West). Parking can be limited.

05/30/2023

Durham Branch’s June 6th Meeting

Four Proven Strategies for Overcoming Research Obstacles
– Janice Nickerson, M.A., U.E.

Are you stuck? Have you tried everything to solve your genealogical puzzle? Professional genealogist Janice Nickerson will share 4 proven strategies she uses every day to overcome her clients’ research obstacles. These strategies apply to any family history problem, whether you’re seeking living relatives or long-dead ancestors, in Whitby or Wuhan.

Professional genealogist Janice Nickerson loves a good challenge – whether it's identifying elusive ancestors, tracking disappearing descendants or telling richer family stories. Her specialties include early Ontario research, criminal justice records and fur trade history.

Janice’s website is UpperCanadaGenealogy.com

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

In-person will be in our library on the 3rd floor at Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON (NW corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West). Parking can be limited. Those requiring use of the lift need to arrange 1 day ahead of time to durhamchair@ogs.on.ca

On-line will be via Zoom – please pre-register for the event at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsceGtqj0oEtD5mhYQl0BiaKxYZAd-0lM8

12/19/2022

Exploring FamilySearch – Michele Jeannotte

Date & Time: January 3rd @ 7:30 pm EST via Zoom only

Join Michele as she demonstrates some of the key features of the free FamilySearch.org website. Find out how to search the records, navigate the online catalogue and browse digitized films. She’ll also talk about some of the ‘hidden extras’ offered. This wonderful free genealogy site is a must for all genealogists.

Michele Jeannotte became interested in family history as a teenager, growing up in North Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). Discovering that her grandmother was born in Constantinople, Turkey ignited a life-long passion to find out more about her ancestors. Michele’s 24 years in various Information Technology roles (including Technical Writer) and an additional 20 years as a private tutor have given her a broad range of skills. In addition to her personal research, Michele runs a one-name study focusing on the RENTON surname. She also vlogs at “Genealogy: Ties to the Past” on YouTube.

Everyone is welcome!

Kindly register at the following zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAufu2urTwuHtQmByKvxFkXH8ZQeN2NH8gE

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Durham Branch - Exploring FamilySearch.org - Michele Jeannotte. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.