April 21, 2024

April showers bring May flowers, and here is a Sunflower Gnome to welcome the month of May. Many thanks to Donna Mazur for this delightful April 25th Meeting Door Prize.

UPCOMING KFHS MEETINGS  AND EVENTS

REMINDER: KFHS Next Regular Meeting - Thursday, April 25
Theme: Where We Have Been and Where Are We Going?
Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 Set Up (Help Always Appreciated)
6:30 - 7:00 Social Time
7:00 - 7:30 Where Have We Been?
7:30 - 8:00 What's In The Cupboard?
8:00 - 8:15 Break Time
8:15 - 8:45 Where Are We Going?
8:45 - 9:00 Clean Up

Note:  Our May KFHS Management Zoom Meeting scheduled for May 7 has been  moved to May 8.

REMINDER:  Presentation by KDGS and the Okanagan Regional Library Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. via Zoom (FREE) Topic: "Hidden Genealogical Gems Online" Presenter: Claire Smith-Burns of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society

The Internet has greatly impacted how we do genealogical research but we can get stuck using the same collection of websites and may miss some wonderful gems. This talk will survey some underused and little-known websites that could provide genealogical treasure to further your family history. If you’ve discovered a “hidden gem” website, please share this with the group at the end of Claire’s talk.

Family History Forums are a partnership presentation series of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society and the Okanagan Regional Library. The topics vary but are typically at the beginner’s level in Family History research. All are welcome to these FREE Zoom presentations, but pre-registration is required through the ORL’s Events Calendar, https://orl.evanced.info/signup/Calendar, scroll down to the fourth Tuesday of the month (no FHF in Dec, July or August), 6:30pm and find, “Online Family History Forum.” Click on the event in the Calendar and follow the instructions. Be sure to enter your email address correctly and watch for the email from the ORL to confirm your registration and the Zoom link. A handout for the Family History Forum will also be sent via email shortly before the Forum date.

REMINDER:  Presentation by KDGS free to our Members Date: Monday, May 6, 2024 Topic: "Organize Like An Archivist" - Taming your Genealogy Records & Research Presenter: Nancy Loe Location: via Zoom (through Kelowna & District Genealogical Society) Price: KDGS Members - FREE; Non-members $15; REGISTRATION REQUIRED Bite Size: Using Adobe Express for Family History Presenter: Gord Hodgkiss

This presentation helps you put your family history research in order. Learn effective strategies to organize your research and link digital and paper records, using the same principles as professional archivists. No need for color codes, numbering systems, or other complicated schemes with this archives-based system. Also, when your records are organized, you can spend more time on the things that matter: finding more ancestors.

Nancy Loe is an archivist, librarian, and genealogist who has been helping researchers with their family trees since 1977. She specializes in US and European family history research, presenting at webinars and conferences in the US, Canada, and Australia, including NGS and RootsTech. Nancy’s genealogy e-books and free monthly newsletter are available at Sassy Jane Genealogy | US and European Genealogy Research.

This is a FREE EVENT for KFHS MEMBERS - BE SURE TO REGISTER TO GUARANTEE A SPOT!

Go to Meeting Registrations for 2023-2024 (cognitoforms.com)

1.  Click "No" to "Are you a paid up member of K&DGS?"
2.  Fill in the fields and at the bottom of the page, put in the coupon code:  KAM#7#8
3.  Then click on "Next Page" and choose the May 6 meeting
4.  Finally, click on "Next Page" and fill in how you heard about this meeting.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Is there Viking or Scottish in your DNA? Well, here's your chance to explore more! CHAT YOUR DNA WITH KAY Our member, Kay Mihalech, is going to restart meetings for members regarding your Family Tree DNA in the fall. If you have any suggestions for topics for DNA, please email kaymihalech@gmail.com.

WHAT'S NEW ON THE WEBSITE AND PROJECT UPDATES

Have you checked out this Facebook group?  OBITUARY Lookups CANADA

About this group: In an effort to help people find CANADIAN obituaries to assist them in their genealogical research, I have created this group. If an obituary is not easily found it is perfectly reasonable for volunteers to offer other items that may lead to the obituary in question. This group is meant to be a give and take group.
We are looking for people that are willing to help others by volunteering their time at local libraries and such or using whatever knowledge/experience they have in order to help others out.
We are hoping this group will grow and become a valuable resource to Canadians and others looking for CANADIAN obituaries. OBITUARY Lookups CANADA | Facebook

Check out the latest BCGS GenBlasts and Exchange Journals under Members Only. Take a look at our latest uploads: Genealogy Toolbox/Cemetery Records & Monumental Inscriptions for Kamloops & Area, including Clinton, Upper & Lower Nicola Valley, Savona CLICK HERE. Also, a list of Kamloops Funeral Records: CLICK HERE.

BITS & PIECES - Meeting Highlights & Members' Feedback

Highlights from City of Kamloops Family Day Festival February 19, 2024

Many thanks to our KFHS members for joining us at this fun family event. We had well over 150 children stop by to build and colour a Family Tree. We also enjoyed visiting with their parents and chatted about the importance of recording their Family History. Left to Right: Janice Kypriotis, Barb Pillar, Karen Collins, Al Yelland, Marg Rodgers (Missing Lindley Roff)

Highlights of our February 22, 2024 KFHS Regular Meeting ' Looking Back Going Forward'
We enjoyed the 'Rummage Table'. Members brought genealogy material they were no longer using and wanted to recycle to other possible interested members. We also cleaned out some of the educational material we had in our KFHS cupboard. Members also shared with our members the various other ways of preserving Family History with photo albums, scrapbooks and family collections binders.


Back row: Kate Cullinane, Lindley Roff, Al Yelland, Margaret Macdonald, Tracy Johnson, Carrie Wright
Middle row: Marg Rodgers, Helen Gendron, Glennis Vetter, Kay Mihalech, Karen Collins
Front Four: Catherine O'Reilly, Barb Pillar, Donna Mazur, Debbie McBride

Highlights from our KFHS March 28, 2024 AGM & Regular Meeting

Our March AGM was a time to celebrate our new members Kim and Bernie Jensen with cutting and serving cake. We welcomed guest, Chris Moser, and his wife, Deb. Chris is the administrator of the very successful Facebook group 'Kamloops History'.  Chris shared a wonderful story of a photograph found in a family attic with no information as to who it was... a brickwall to break through... 

New Members:  Kim & Bernie Jensen              Linda Cuthbert, Chris Moser, Marg Rodgers

Introducing our KFHS new-found friend, Jack Gin. Chris Moser, our friend and guest at our last meeting, gave my name to Jack Gin, Writer/Director of Ginsight Films. He has produced two documentaries, Finding Fred Lee and One of Ours. Fred Lee was a Chinese soldier from Kamloops who was killed in the First World War, and his name is on our Kamloops cenotaph. Jack is now working on a third film The Boys of Kamloops. I met with Jack and Roger, his sound and camera man, on Saturday morning, April 6, for breakfast at the Delta.   Roger videoed our three-hour discussion as we shared stories of veterans from Kamloops who served in the First World War.  On Sunday, April 7, we enjoyed the film One Of Ours at the Paramount Theatre.  Going forward our Kamloops Family History Society will stay in contact with Jack Gin.
Who is Jack Gin? His Website https://jackgin.com/ Jack Gin has dedicated an exceptional amount of time to uncovering and telling the story of Frederick Lee, a fallen member (1917) of the Kamloops Rocky Mountain Rangers. Jack’s award-winning documentary Finding Fred Lee, tells of Frederick’s unique experience as one of only a few Chinese Canadians in the military in World War I. Through years of research and heartfelt storytelling, Jack has been able to inform the community of Kamloops about a long-lost son, and an under known reserve army regiment. In addition to putting the film together, Jack ensured that Frederick Lee’s origins were included at the Hill 70 Memorial in France and its feature walkway named after him. Sharing Frederick’s sacrifice has instilled pride within the Chinese community in Kamloops and Vancouver while raising awareness. Jack has made Frederick’s story, and that of the Rangers, part of local memorial efforts in schools. Thanks to Jack’s efforts, students learn about Frederick’s participation in World War I and how he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

MEMBERS' FEEDBACK FROM VIEWING 'ONE OF OURS'

Kathleen Bennett: "I found the documentary One Of Ours, regarding the story of Fred Lee, very impressive and powerful.
There was so much work and effort and research put into this project by Jack Gin and many others. I was very moved by this film. It is so important to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for their stories to be told."

Karen Collins: "What a wonderful informative Sunday afternoon! Jack and Roger have done an awesome job on
the research and filming. Enjoyed the Q &A session with Marg on the stage and look forward to the next film."

Kay Mihalech: "I really enjoyed and found the film very interesting. Nice to see our City of Kamloops sites and scenes."

REMINDER:  Please note that due to possible construction we must park up by the fence in the Heritage Parking Lot, as per the map below: