Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Fall Courses 2017

WHERE did August go to??? LOL Time to gear up for classes again which I ALWAYS look forward to. So here we go


Genealogy is the #1 hobby in the world! Whether that's 100% accurate or not, it certainly is for many millions of us.

Unpuzzling Your Past ... Using the Internet


Celebrate and preserve your own history by building your family tree. At some point in life, people feel compelled to learn more about the individuals in their family who came before them. What makes genealogical research even more interesting is seeing the impact that your ancestors had on history, and on your own life. And just what did you inherit from your ancestors? Your physical appearance, likes or dislikes, health, even your occupation may be traced back to your ancestors. Every person is a part of history. Just by living their lives, they created history. What about you? You, too, are creating history, even as you live it. While you are a descendant of the past, you are a parent of the future.

Records are history's best storytellers. It is therefore necessary to develop research skills and become a good 'detective'. It is also a great deal of fun! These classes are designed to develop your research skills & teach you to think like a professional researcher. The classes enable you to decide what records to search for, why you need each of these records, how to find them, and then how to use them.

Unpuzzling Your Past is the course you SHOULD start with - whether a beginner or a seasoned researcher! You won't believe what you've been missing! You will NEVER regret building a strong foundation!! What if you had to prove a major event in *your* life? How would you do it? With records. Your ancestors also created records. They did many of the same things you do. Later in their lives they may have married and had children. Some of them hunted for gold, others worked in mills or farmed, still others left their homeland to make a new life in North America. If you had to prove your ancestors had these experiences, that they actually lived, how would you do it? Well, you would become a family history detective.

This class is suitable for beginners and the advanced who’ve hit that ‘brick wall’. This is a good 'starter' class, and the one you should start with, but it is also designed to assist more experienced researchers who are at a stand-still with their current 'brick wall'. I will say again - You will NEVER regret building a strong foundation!!

For most of us the great fun of genealogy & family history research is in the thrill of the chase - the search for new details. We gather reams of photocopies. We have copious numbers of binders full of hard copy. We have too many notes scribbled on too many scraps of paper, and we carry impossible numbers of facts/dates/locations in our heads. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the amount of information we have collected or inherited. Sometimes we have nothing. Obviously the more we know, the more we have to work with. BUT, Pat started with her parents and grandparents names, two locations (on two different continents), a couple unconfirmed dates, and that was it!! It *is* possible.

This course has been thoughtfully developed to help those with too much or too little information. If your research has progressed over a long period of time, do you still have some spaces you've had to leave blank or are uncertain about? Learn how to start, organize, document and cite your source(s) properly. Discover those missed clues or miscellaneous errors, and learn about new sources recently made available to the public (including many on the Internet - some that are available only on the Internet). Learn how to do all this in the most cost effective manner possible! There are times when you must pay for an official search. There are many *more* times when you can perform that search yourself, if you just knew how. This course will teach you those 'how's'.

Experienced genealogists
Take a look at all the work you've done or inherited and think of what you might yet accomplish! Is part of the reason you do family history research so it will be preserved, passed on and added to? Is your work clear, concise and presented in an organized, understandable format? Will the next person who looks at, or inherits it, be able to understand exactly what you found, and exactly where you found it? Will they be able to, and want to, continue your work? Do you have any recorded information, but are unable to remember where you found it or who told it to you? Have you been given any names, dates, locations but you have no idea where that information was found? If you knew, you could go back to those records, double check for accuracy and perhaps add some new details the original researcher, or story-teller, missed, misread or misinterpreted!

Only you know how much time, expertise, money, frustration, and intense happiness you will or have invested in researching and preserving your family history. Wouldn't it be terrible if it was all disposed of because it's value was not readily apparent? It happens every day. How many precious old photos, books or other memorabilia have you seen in second hand shops or garage sales? Your talents and your hard work need to be preserved and your descendants will thank you - after all, how much would you appreciate even one piece of well documented research?

If you are just getting started, congratulations, as you have no bad habits to break and this class will teach you all the good habits. For those of you who have spent decades doing research, isn't that research worth the investment of a little more time in order to preserve it for future generations? Do not despair if you're body of work needs attention - you are certainly not alone - but Do Not Delay any longer. Get into this class - quick! Student enrollment is kept low to accommodate student/instructor interaction. Students work on their own family research.

These courses are not designed to be the cheapest in the world - we all know that you usually get what you pay for. They *are* designed to be the BEST. Pat is most concerned with giving you the best and most recent tools available [including those on the Internet], and equipping you with the knowledge you need to take your research as far as you'd like. She also believes in having fun, and there is always much laughter shared by all. Additionally, following each one of the four class sessions, you will receive a set of complete and comprehensive notes covering the details taught and discussed in that class. This means you will not have to attempt to take notes during the class. Instead, you can devote your full time and attention to listening, learning, participating, and sharing in your own successes. Students continually express their gratitude and appreciation to Pat. They realize her knowledge is vast, and that she goes 'above and beyond' for her students. They also realize that her notes alone are worth hundreds of dollars - and appreciate that they can continue to refer to those notes, forever! Pat clearly loves what she does ... and it shows. Instructor Pat Ryan.


To pre-register send Pat an email now at pryan@sasktel.net or call her at her office 306-695-2241 or cell 306-533-3941.

Classes will all be held at Arcola East Community Centre which is located at 3860 Buckingham Drive within Jack MacKenzie School in Regina Sask.

Classes will run from 7 - 9pm on 19th & 26th of Sept, + 3rd & 10th of Oct.
[4 weeks] $200.00.00/4 sessions
PLEASE NOTE: this course ends on 10 October. The classroom session for 17 October, as shown in the AECA Newsletter, is the first class of the second course titled FREE LAND. Sorry for the confusion.

[Each year I update this course to include the most recent sites, but this year is phenomenal. There have been so many advances made, and new opportunities offered it's like a brand new course. I often have students take this course more than once. For anyone considering, THIS would be the year to do it.]




Second Course
FREE LAND
Western Canada was primarily settled by homesteaders. Most were recent immigrants, and few had any farming experience. Many 'town' folks also homesteaded, to make ends meet. It is therefore, very normal to find homesteaders also included teachers, doctors, lawyers, ministers, and business owners/shop keepers within the term 'homesteaders'.

A file was created about each piece of land - not organized by personal names - so you need to learn how to locate and read legal land descriptions, using a special map that you'll each get to keep. There is a wealth of information within each file regarding the person(s) who farmed that piece of land. We have found details such as former residences, important dates, the size and cost of buildings, livestock, family details, signatures, personal correspondence, and even birth/marriage/death and divorce papers.

The fortunate students enrolled in this course will learn how to use the Internet to locate land details across Canada, and will also spend the last two classes doing hands-on research AT the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan in Regina ... with your instructor there to assist you every step of the way!

These students will also be treated to a private tour of the Archives 'hidden' records - those precious records that are only accessed through normally locked doors/drawers/cabinets!! An archive is very different from a library. In a library we browse the shelves looking at the books. A library is meant to disseminate information. An archive holds original materials - often one of a kind, available only in that one archive. An archives records are mostly held in the stacks, behind closed and locked doors. You need to fill out their forms properly, and then an archivist will go through those locked doors to retrieve what you have asked for. BUT how do you know what to ask for if you can't just browse the shelves? THAT is part of what this course will teach you.

What kinds of records might you find there? Things like local histories, Canadian censuses, biographies, provincial newspapers, fur trade, Metis, immigration, ships passenger lists, provincial settlement, rural life, urban life, economics, government, politics, court records, maps, architectural drawings, private records, border crossing, fire insurance, police, certain indexes to births, marriages, deaths etc. etc as well as audio/video and a huge collection of historical photographs. This is an opportunity not to be missed. Extensive computer use. Class size is limited to ensure I have the time to work with each person. Prior completion of Unpuzzling Your Past is strongly recommended as you will need all the skills learned in that course. Email pryan@sasktel.net if you have additional questions or to register if you miss Registration night. Pat Ryan

BTW, this course always fills very fast!

REGINA Classes
Tue, Oct. 17 7 - 9pm Arcola East Community Centre classroom session
Tue, Oct. 18 receive your emailed lessons (no classroom session)
Tue, Oct. 24 Sask. Archives, 3303 Hillsdale St, Regina 9:00am - noonish
Tue, Oct. 31 Sask. Archives, 3303 Hillsdale St, Regina 9:00am - noonish
COST: $200.00

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Update - Legacy Genealogy Software & Webinars

So, for whatever reason, Legacy has extended their offers by one week so ENDS AUGUST 20th, 2017.

Which means that you can still purchase their newest software, Legacy 9, for $17.48 instead of $34.95. Also a webinar membership at 50% off so one full year of unlimited membership (or extension if you purchased before this offer) will be $24.98 rather than $49.95. That's a pretty good deal even though this is still in US dollars. http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/index.php



BUT WAIT .... LOL (can you hear the informercial coming up? hahaha)

NOW, IF you rush and purchase before the end of today, August 13 2017, and use the promo codes offered by Thomas MacEntee, you'll save the 50% PLUS plus an additional 15%. Purchase them seperately and use his promo codes.

For Legacy 9 software, with the additional discount, by end of today, use promo code "thomas15leg" https://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/legacy-products-c1.php

For one year of the webinars, with the addtional discount, by end of today, use promo code "thomas15" using same link as above.


I'm still on the fence, but might just pull the trigger on the webinars - it's an awfully good deal. There are sessions in their library that I missed and what's 27 bucks Canadian? Hmmmmm. Yup. Gonna do it.


Cheers,
Pat

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Save Additional 15% off Legacy Family Tree Supersale

This amazing supersale ends tonight, so get it done quick! Legacy 9 software $14.86 AND 1 year Legacy webinars, unlimited access $21.23US. https://www.genealogybargains.com/save-additional-15-off-legacy-family-trees-super-sale/ Sorry for the late notice, but grab it quick and save some bucks. Always pays to pay attention? haha


Cheers,
Pat


Monday, August 7, 2017

Family Search Research Wiki

No matter how much, or how little, you know about researching in your area of interest, the Family Search Research Wiki will be helpful. And it's FREE!! Click on your country, and away you go. For those who are truly interested and serious about learning, don't miss what's in the "Guided Help" at the top; the "SearchTips" half way down; and "New to the Wiki?" at the bottom. https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page


Now we all need a rainy day to give us time to learn this!! Lol


Cheers,
Pat

Videos of Irish Farming Life

https://www.facebook.com/Irishfarmingvideos/videos/1387738704675312/


Cheers,
Pat

Any Scutchers in Your Family?

This video explains the entire process of flax scutching in Ireland. I'm interested as one of my great greats was identified as a 'scutcher' on a marriage registration. I also have some Irish linens, and clothing. Now good luck with understanding the language hahaha but interesting all the same. https://www.facebook.com/Irishfarmingvideos/videos/1381391021976747/


Cheers,
Pat

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Fighting 'hoppers' in the 1930s

Most of us have not lived through this. Many of us have been told stories of the '30s from parents, grandparents etc. But this story written by Bill Weiser really captures the many aspects of what life was like - especially dealing with those horrid creatures named grasshoppers that Prairie people still refer to as hoppers. I have an unreasonable fear of them that has lasted to this day.

My parents used to love to get in our old car, usually on Sundays, to go for a drive and 'look at' our crops. Of course no AC in those days. I begged to be left at home, but it never happened. Me in the back seat. My parents in the front. They chatted away as I literally screamed in terror. Somehow I never had to have psychiatric help , or perhaps I should say I never received that help ... which may explain why these darned things still scare the bajeepers out of me. LOL

Anyway, here is Bill's story http://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/history-matters-criddle-mixture-used-to-fight-hoppers-in-1930s


Cheers,
Pat

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Legacy Family Tree Sold to MyHeritage

WOW!! didn't expect this. 16 minutes ago I read this http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170803006451/en/MyHeritage-Acquires-Legacy-Family-Tree-Software-Webinar

Hope it's good cause I love my Legacy genealogy software, and still watch the odd webinar.


Cheers,
Pat

US Historical Newspapers - new website

Thanks to my friend Lisa Louise Cook for sharing a new website dealing with USA newspapers. She has even made a short video to walk us through the site. http://usnewsmap.com/ Thanks Lisa from her website https://lisalouisecooke.com/


Cheers,
Pat