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Midwest Computer Genealogists newsletter for February, 2003

Volume 10 Number 2


The Midwest Computer Genealogy group usually meets the 3rd Saturday of each month with a 9 AM start time.  Our February 15th meeting will be at Foxwood Springs in Raymore.  Foxwood Springs is about a mile east of highway 71 on highway 58.  Foxwood's web site is <http://www.foxwoodsprings.org/>http://www.foxwoodsprings.org

The program for the February meeting will be given will be by Marilyn R. Finke, Marilyn R. Finke who specializes in genealogical research, use of original records, and record preservation at the National Archives and Records Administration - Central Plains Region, Kansas City, MO.  She is the 2002 recipient of the Anne Ross Balhuizen Award for Excellence in Teaching Genealogy, and an avid genealogist who holds membership in many area, regional, and national historical, genealogical, and archival societies.  She will be speaking on the following topic:

Using NARA Records to Determine Immigrant Origins
One of the most difficult research problems is trying to determine where our ancestors lived "in the old country".  This presentation will focus first on locating these records and second, on using immigration and naturalization records to determine origins Through the use of examples, we will learn that these records are filled with first-rate data to enhance our genealogy.

Other groups that meet:
For information on The Family Origins users group which usually meets at the Blue Valley Library, 151st and Antioch on the first Saturday of each mont from 9 AM to 11 AM and their next meeting will be march 1st.  The new Blue Valley Library address is 9000 W. 151st St.  Please contact Jim Stout at <mailto:jimstout@earthlink.com>jimstout@earthlink.com or Rowena Shaffer <mailto:snowtop@juno.com>snowtop@juno.com. for more information.

By the way if you have questions about FOG and its progarms you may e-mail them to Jim Stout he likes to know what we need help on.

To check on the status of FOG use this revised URL: http://chezjacq.com/fog and to check on MCG use: http://chezjacq.com/mcg. .

The TMG (The Master Genealogist) group Meeting is held the 2nd Saturday of each month starting at 10:00 AM.  ( I goofed last month and put down the wrong day, thought I coped it from an email and pasted it in) The meeting is at the Cedar-Roe Library at 5120 Cedar in Roeland Park KS this is (West of the shopping center).  For questions contact Judy Revare at 913-491-1768 or email to judy@revare.com. You can also check the these web sites for TMG for upcoming news ;  http://chezjacq.com/tmg and http://jacq.org/tmg.

Combination Secretary and President's Comments for the month.
It sure is a small world these days as this month I got an email message from a person in the state of New York and he had seen the name of someone he had lost track of in our newsletter.  What got me was his email started off as President Don.  Made my head turn a couple of times never been addressed as that before.

The new year is really moving along already into February and our second meeting of the year.  Last month we had 24 in attendance at an interesting meeting on the use of video recorders and such to do interviews with and what to do and not per Ken Sokels experiences in their use.  Ken brought up a good point who do we leave our genealogy history to as in many cases our children are not interested at the present time or unknown if ever will be.

Hope Ivan does not mind it I include this quote from his email in the newsletter: Yes, my resistance has weakened and I have thrown my hat in the ring for Councilman from Ward 1, city of Raymore. At this time, the filing deadline has occurred and I am currently running without known opposition!!  How- ever, opposition could arise in the form of a writer-in just a couple of weeks prior to the city election the first Tuesday of April.
Good luck Ivan in the upcoming elections.

Still could use some input on articles for future issues of this newsletter on items on interest to you.  Ideas for upcoming programs would be welcomed by the program committees, help them out on what you want.

Will pass along another lesson I learn this evening as I worked on this newsletter, save your work as you never know when something may cause it to disappear for you.  Done something with spell check in Star Office and it locked up and guess what I had to go back and redo some of it as I had been slow in doing saves as I put things into the articles.  Good thing I hadn't trashed the emails I got them out of.  Remember save, save.

Don


This and that from our members.

This according to Rowenna is a link to newspapers across the country.  <http://www.gebbieinc.com/dailyint>www.gebbieinc.com/dailyint.

This is from an email list and is a link to RELATIONSHIP CHARTS <http://www.seark.net/~sabra/relation.html>www.seark.net/~sabra/relation.html.

From an email list here is a news release on the Post 1901 Census Project website at

  The announced release of the 1906 Special Census of the Western Provinces is indeed a major victory for genealogists and historians who have been actively campaigning for this for the past five years.  It is felt that release of the 1906 Census will lead the way for the eventual release of the 1911 and subsequent Censuses of Canada.  More details at <http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce89.htm>http://globalgazette.net/gazce/gazce89.htm.

Think I have had this one in before but will do it again.  This site will look up information on surnames for you.
Here is the URL of the *Surname Navigator*: <http://www.rat.de/kuijsten/navigator>http://www.rat.de/kuijsten/navigator "Nine new windows pop up as a result of your search.

Here are some photo tips from MSN Photos..
When you're shooting in cold weather, keep in mind that you need to handle your camera and photo gear with extra care. Here are a few tips for cold-weather camera care.
  Carry spare batteries and keep them warm Battery life typically diminishes rapidly in cold weather. Be sure to carry spare batteries and keep them in a warm, inside coat pocket.
  Protect yourself and your camera Be sure to wear weather-proof warm clothing and gloves when you shoot in cold weather. Also consider buying a weather-proof protective cover for your camera. Alternatively, use a large freezer bag as a cover and hold it in place with rubber bands. To protect the lens, use a lens hood if you have one.
  Avoid condensation Before you bring your camera in from shooting in cold weather, let it gradually warm up to inside temperatures to avoid having condensation form on the camera body and lens. Keep the camera inside a tightly closed gear bag and let it warm up gradually to indoor temperatures.


Got to include an Ole and Lena joke sent to me by J Suman.

Poor Ole! He answered the phone and came back to the living room crying.
"Vell, Ole! Vat in da vorld is da matter?" asked the sympathetic Lena.
"I yust had bad news, Lena," Ole replied, "My fadder yust died!!"
Just then the rang again, Ole went to answer it and came back crying again.
"Vell, now, Ole, vat is da matter?" asked Lena.
"Dat vas my brudder." said Ole. "His fadder yust died too!"$

How true the following is.  Sent in J Suman “Strangers in the Box”
  Come, look with me inside this drawer,
  In this box I've often seen,
  At the pictures, black and white,
  Faces proud, still, serene.

  I wish I knew the people,
  These strangers in the box,
  Their names and all their memories
  Are lost among my socks.

  I wonder what their lives were like.
  How did they spend their days?
  What about their special times?
  I'll never know their ways.

  If only someone had taken time
  To tell who, what, where, when,
  These faces of my heritage
  Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?

Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.
© 1997 by Pamela A. Harazim. All Rights Reserved.  May be used in unchanged form for non-commercial purposes if accompanied by this copyright message.

Fast Fact: Need More Information About A Database?
  So, you've successfully searched for an ancestor at Ancestry.com.  Now all you need is the source documentation for your records. Just scroll down to the bottom of the results page and click on "More info about this database." There you'll find the extended description of the database, as well as the source information, ready for copy/pasting into your files.

Ancestry Quick Tip Digital Time Saver
  I work and have very little time to spend in libraries and archives so when I do get to spend some quality time looking for information, I bring my digital camera and take photos in the text mode. I can copy hundreds of pages and download them to my computer for later investigation. I receive permission from the staff at the facility prior to using the camera and never use the flash. I photograph the cover of the book before photographing the interior so I will have a record of where the information was found. This saves me time and money. I have also taken the camera to relatives' homes, which do not want to lend their photos for copying, and adjust the camera to the photo mode. They are amazed that I can take a good picture from their pictures. I can resize and enhance them at a later date.
Debbie Laffoon in Belton, Missouri
The two tips above are from Ancestry Daily News January 2003 issues

Map site
The item below is from an email list and I checked it out but the maps are too big to print out on one sheet of paper and I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to get the map printed or reduced in size to use in a presentation or such?  The US is too big for an ordinary piece of paper. Each State will be only be a few centimeters wide and tall.  You need to print each state separately.

Don't Respond to an E-Card Sent From "friendlygreetings.com"-Truth!
A warning is circulating on the Internet about a “virus-like” program that says a friend has sent you an e-card, but if you respond to it, all the addresses in your Outlook address book will be sent to the greeting card company.  The Truth: The warning is true.  What appears to be an invitation to read an e-card actually forwards your Outlook addresses to a Spammer who will be sending advertisements to your friends about pornography.

The email arrives with a cartoon-like graphic that says “You have received an e-card.  Click here to open.”  It says it’s from friendlygreetings.com.  In smaller print you are told that an e-card viewer plug-in may be required to view some cards.  When you click on the link to view your card, you are asked to run an installer.  You are also asked to read and approve some fine-print but since most of us don't take the time to read that stuff, you don't realize that that you have just approved a user agreement that authorizes all of the addresses in your Microsoft Outlook address book to be sent to the originator of the message.  According to Bob Sullivan of MSNBC, this is a scheme to collect email addresses for a Spammer and one who sends porn Spam.  CNN says this particular site, which has since been taken down, was operated by a Canadian company called Cytron Communications.

It’s not technically a virus since it doesn't “infect” your computer or damage it and you have given permission for the email addresses to be collected.  It is misleading and sleazy and doesn't disclose that the email addresses will be used for Spam.  Most legitimate e-card companies do not ask you to download a file.  They merely refer you to a safe web site where your greeting card can be viewed online.  Virus experts are warning that there are other companies now trying this tactic.  They suggest avoiding installing programs from emails and that if there is fine-print, read it.  Also, Lawrence Baldwin, president of Internet security firm myNetWatchman.com told CNN that he suggests disabling the Internet Explorer function that allows browsers to instantly download ActiveX Controls. Doing so will cause a warning box to appear anytime such files are encountered, which could get annoying because Macromedia Flash, used to create Web animations, uses ActiveX Controls.

Although at least one virus protection program will alert you to the danger of the friendlygreetings.com email, not all of the virus protection companies are classifying it as a virus and are not detecting it.

Contact members of the MCG group are as follows:
President---------- Donald Bjuland   816-461-4948 <mailto:dbjuland@att.net>dbjuland@att.net
Vice President---- Judy Revare        913-491-1768 <mailto:judy@revare.com>judy@revare.com
Secretary---------- Open---need help on note taking
Program chair----- Have group but no chairman named as of yet.
Members are as follows:
(James E. Stout)  <mailto:jimstout@earthlink.com>jimstout@earthlink.com
(George Wiszneauckas)  <mailto:geowis@aol.com>geowis@aol.com
(Rowena J. Shaffer)  <mailto:snowtop@juno.com>snowtop@juno.com
(Ruth MaGill)  <mailto:armagill@worldnet.att.net>armagill@worldnet.att.net
Kathleen McPhilliamy <mailto:jrmcp@earthlink.net>jrmcp@earthlink.net
Treasurer---------- William Hawkins---913-631-6294 <mailto:bihawk@earthlink.net>bihawk@earthlink.net
Don Bjuland (editor)  <mailto:dbjuland@att.net>dbjuland@att.net

Group dues are still $12 a year and the year runs from June 30th to July 1st of the following year.  New member dues are prorated at a dollar a month for balance of club year remaining.
You may send your dues payment to
William Hawkins
5436 Flint
Shawnee, KS 66203