Monday, August 31, 2009

How To Locate Information on Upcoming Classes in either REGINA or INDIAN HEAD

Blogs (which is what you are now reading) always place the most recent posting (information I've written) at the top of this page. The easiest way to locate each, or one specific, posting is to simply scroll down the right hand side of this page. Once you locate the TITLE you're looking for, click on that title and you will be taken directly to that posting. Classes are available in Regina or Indian Head - where Pat has recently moved to. For instance, if you want information about Indian Head & area + Fort Qu'Appelle classes, simply scroll down the right, find that Title and click on it. If you want to read about the upcoming course [which runs in both Regina and Indian Head] Unpuzzling Your Past - Using the Internet, locate it on the right hand side, click, and read. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

Until I get classes under way, I will refrain from entering general genealogical postings such as new or really good web sites, interesting genealogy news, updates, links etc. Once the classes get going, you guys will learn how to use this blog (and blogs of others), and then I'll start throwing on whatever I think will be of interest to y'all.

If you want to receive an email notice whenever I add something new to this site, just click on FOLLOW BLOG located at the very top of this page in a colored bar. See y'all soon!!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Indian Head & Area plus Fort Qu'Appelle - classes

For the first time - outside of conferences or seminars -Pat will be offering genealogy classes in a location outside of Regina. She moved to Indian Head in Feb. 2009 and is now ready to make this offering to a whole new group of genealogists. Over the past ten years of teaching classes in Regina, Pat has always had students travel to her from Estevan, Weyburn, Lloydminster, Strasborough, Wolseley, Balgonie, Pilot Butte, Lumsden, Craven, Moosomin, and Saskatoon.

She will still be teaching her courses at the University of Regina Seniors Education Centre and through the City of Regina at night school, but Fall of 2009 will give eastern Saskatchewan residents a new opportunity.

St. Andrew's United Church of Indian Head, located at 801 Buxton Street [email pryan@sasktel.net for directions] has a wonderful room Pat has secured for classroom sessions. She is offering a FREE Information & Registration session, 7pm Sept. 22nd. Pat will talk a little about each course she will teach this fall, and everyone is welcome to come and ask their questions! It's a fun, informal evening and gives you a chance to get a 'feel' for what these courses are all about.
Then the first course, Unpuzzling Your Past - Using the Internet, will begin 7pm, 29th Sept. and will be every Tuesday evening up to and including 20th Oct. [4 weeks]. To read the class description, scroll down the right hand side of this page and click on Unpuzzling Your Past - Using the Internet.
The next course will follow immediately and is titled Family History Centre - beginning 20th Oct as it is mostly an Internet based course. The beauty of an Internet course is that you can complete the work at YOUR leisure - you don't even have to be in the area, the province, or even the country!! Anywhere you have an Internet connection capable to receiving email means you are still part of the class and you receive lessons on a regular basis. Take your time doing the work, or complete the lessons quickly. It doesn't matter! The very detailed and comprehensive lessons are yours to keep! And Pat is always only an email away ... ask your questions, and get her response quickly by email.
The last course offered this semester will be WOW! Secrets of the Canadian Censuses. This is completely an Internet based course. Again, on the right side of this page, scroll down and then click on the course of your choice for a full description. I look forward to meeting you and working with you on your family history!! Come on out on Sept. 22nd. I look forward to meeting everyone. See ya' soon.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

University of Regina Senior Education Centre

{Pat will again be teaching at SEC, Fall 2009.

(35046) Genealogy – Family History II
Genealogy is the #1 hobby in the world! The pursuit of your
family history is interesting, educational, rewarding and
fun plus it works the mind and tickles the senses. In this
course, you do hands-on research for YOUR families in the
Canadian censuses [1666-1916] plus land record searches
[homestead files], both on the Internet and on-site at
Regina repositories. This is a course not to be missed! Basic
computer skills are required.
Instructor: Pat Ryan
Tue, Sep 22-Nov 17, 9:30–11:30am
Room: CB 115
Seniors: $80 Other adults: $105
Course limit: 16
Registration for this course is only through SEC located in the College Building on College at Cornwall Street. You can phone 585-5816.

Information & Registration

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 your ancestors had on history, and on your own life! Your physical appearance, likes or dislikes, health, even your occupation may be traced back to your ancestors.
At this FREE session you can meet your instructor and hear an overview of each course being offered this Fall 2009 semester. You are also encouraged to 'ask your questions'. Pat is happy to assist in your decision of which courses will benefit you most at this time.
All courses are taught by Pat Ryan who is a certified record searcher, researcher, and instuctor. Pat is well known in the North American genealogical community. Her style is relaxed and humorous, but make no mistake she is a professional genealogist [member of the Association of Professional Genealogists] - competent, educated and passionate. Pat's courses specialize in saving you time and money. Each course makes use of the most current methods, including using the Internet (only free and trusted web sites). She is a popular speaker who has delivered lectures and courses at numerous genealogical conferences. You can email Pat at pryan@sasktel.net for additional information.
You are invited to attend this FREE session - just to listen if you wish. Registration for the following courses is also available at this session.
Wednesday, 09 Sept, 2009 at Pasqua Rec Centre, 263 Lewvan Drive, Regina SK, 7 - 8pm.
OR
Tuesday, 22 Sept, 2009 at St. Andrew's United Church, 801 Buxton St, Indian Head, SK, 7 - 8pm.

Unpuzzling Your Past - Using the Internet

This course always fills quickly. Registrations are being accepted for the Sept. 2009 course. Email Pat

Genealogy is the #1 hobby in the world!
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 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 MCCSG.




All classes are on Wednesdays, and run from 6:50pm - 9pm.

Dates: 16 Sept, 23 Sept, 30 Sept, 07 Oct.

Location: Pasqua Rec Centre, 263 Lewvan Drive, Regina, Sask.

Registration fees: $99.00

OR

All classes are on Tuesdays, and run from 6:50pm - 9pm.

Location: St. Andrew's United Church, 801 Buxton St, Indian Head, Sask.

Dates: 29 Sept, 06 Oct, 13 Oct, 20 Oct.

Registration fees: $99.00
For additional information, email Pat Ryan at pryan@sasktel.net

Family History Centre - Accessing Salt Lake City Records

Using the Internet, access the largest genealogical library in the World.
This course has been totally re-written for this course to reflect the newest and most advanced search methods possible. Brand new in Nov. 2008 - an early access pilot site helps you identify your ancestors by letting you search millions of indexed records and by letting you browse actual images of records that have not yet been indexed. All this is online, and FREE!!
This course always fills quickly. Pre-registrations are now being accepted for the October 2009 course. Email Pat

Session 1: using an Internet connection and your home computer you will follow the first four emailed lessons that will teach you how to access the World's largest genealogical library, located in Salt Lake City Utah. Following step-by-step detailed instructions, provided by your instructor, you will perform real searches from the 1700's & 1800’s plus a whole lot more. Locate ancestors and their families using a wide variety of record types from numerous localities around the world. If you do not have a home Internet connection you can do this research from a library computer. You will already now have enough knowledge to begin to research your own ancestral and collateral families!
Session 2: the next four lessons take you deeper into the records. You will learn to examine and understand the results of your Session 1 lessons. It is great to find records to search, but it is imperative that you understand: what you have found; where the record came from (i.e. it's source); the reliability of that source; what you can do next; & how to find even more. Following this session, you will receive another four emailed lessons.
Session 3: the next four lessons teach you some SIGNIFICANT research methods that few people know or understand.
Session 4: before our on-site visit to the Regina Family History Centre, you will receive your last set of four emailed lessons that will enable you to use ALL the tools available from the Family History Library web site which catalogues the largest collection of genealogical records in the World. On-site, at the Regina Family History Centre, you will participate in a tour of the facilities. This is a working tour so you will also learn to examine the vast array of resources available at this facility - which is one of 'the best' in this instructor's opinion. You will also locate, view & examine the 'original' records identified in Sessions 1 and 2. In other words, you will be looking at records originally written in the 15, 16, 17 & 1800s!!

All sixteen lessons come with detailed, easy to follow instructions - even if you are not entirely computer literate. You can anticipate spending approximately three to six hours completing each set of lessons.

Following the completion of this course you will be aware of how to open up even more research doors which will allow you to perform combination searches you would never have believed possible! And the best part is that you can do these searches knowledgeably, effectively, and inexpensively - without ever having to leave Regina. Do as much research as possible BEFORE you make that visit to your ancestral home. This will allow you to spend your time and vacation dollars enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, and joys of your homeland, ensuring you are walking in your ancestors footsteps ... and only doing specific research there when and if you choose to.

Having visited Scotland and Northern Ireland for a month in 2007 [and Germany, Austria, Czech Republic in 2006], Pat is glad she followed her own advice and had her research well under control before traveling. She was able to visit her ancestors homelands, locate their personal home addresses, and literally walk in their footsteps. She also saw and experienced the churches where ancestors births and marriages were performed - some back to the late 1600s. Cemeteries were easily located, as were family monuments. There is no feeling to compare this to - and tears were shed, and shared. Pat did manage to spend some time in archives and libraries, and learned how to research the records only available locally. She is excited to share with you the various record types you *should* be looking for - most of which have been filmed by the LDS church. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City:
The Family History Library contains a variety of records that can help with family history and genealogical research. First there are vital records; these include birth, marriage, and death records from both government and church sources. The library collection also includes census returns; court, property, and probate records; cemetery records; emigration and immigration lists; printed genealogies; and family and county histories.
The Family History Library’s computer system also contains several large databases. You can access these databases, which have over 1,000,0000,000 (1 BILLION) names ... using the Internet. The Family History Library’s collection concentrates on records of deceased persons who lived before 1930. All records are obtained legally with the approval and cooperation of the government and local authorities who have jurisdiction over the records.
• The collection includes over 2.5 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 300,000 books, serials, and other formats; and 4,500 periodicals.
• The Ancestral File database contains approximately 35.6 million names that are linked into families.
• The International Genealogical Index database contains approximately 600 million individual names. An addendum to the International Genealogical Index contains an additional 125 million names.
• The Pedigree Resource File database contains over 36 million names that are linked into families.
• Records available are from the United States, Canada, the British Isles, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
• In 2000, the collection increased monthly by an average of 4,100 rolls of film and 700 books.• A majority of the records contain information about persons who lived before 1920.
• Approximately 242 cameras are currently microfilming records in over 40 countries. Records have been filmed in over 110 countries, territories, and possessions.
About 100,000 rolls of microfilm are circulated to Family History Centres each month!
Recently, certain census records are now available to be searched, for FREE, on-line! There are also forms, charts, maps, videos, guides and other research helps available.
The Family History Department maintains a climate-controlled, underground storage facility to safeguard master copies of all it's microfilm records. The storage facility, built literally into a mountainside, is located about 25 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
You or your ancestors need NOT be members, current or past, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (often referred to as Mormons), to find records about your ancestors in the FHL. The Church or it's members will never contact you for religious reasons.
This course is an absolute ‘must’ for all genealogists. Class size is very limited and always fills quickly. Prior completion of Unpuzzling Your Past would be MOST beneficial and is strongly encouraged by Pat. Pat Ryan MCCSG
For those registered in Regina - Lessons will be emailed to you Wednesdays: 07, 14, 21, 28 October 2009.
Last class will be onsite at the Regina Family History Centre, 28th October 2009.
Registration fee of $99.00 must be received prior to lessons being sent.
OR
For those registered in Indian Head - Lessons will be emailed to you Tuesdays: 20 Oct, 27 Oct, 03 Nov, 10 Nov. 2009.
Last class will be onsite at the Regina Family History Centre, 10 November 2009.
Registration fee of $99.00 must be received prior to lessons being sent.
You can email Pat at pryan@sasktel.net for additional information.

WOW! Secrets of the Online Canadian Censuses

INTERNET COURSE
This has to be the best opportunity researchers have ever had! All you need for this Internet course is a computer and an Internet connection.

Why use the census? Census records, which contain the official enumeration of our population, are one of the most valuable sources of genealogical information - but there are major pitfalls. Taken every decade since 1851, listing each person individually, with details as to age, sex, place of birth, religious denomination, racial origin, occupation, marital status, education and more. Certain censuses asked each person for their date of birth, date they immigrated to Canada, and if they were naturalized [which can lead to incredible records]. Additionally there are some agricultural returns that list the crops they planted, how many bushels of each were harvested, as well as numbers and types of livestock. Canada took it's first census in 1666 - much earlier than other countries. Included in these lessons, there will be extensive and practical tips on not only locating and using each census [most are online], but includes all kinds of tips, hints, background information, and suggestions or solutions to help you find those 'lost' or elusive ancestors. The Canadian censuses were taken geographically, NOT BY NAME, which means you must search by District, then Sub-district etc. and indexing is far from complete for any one census. Pat loves using the census, and is a self-described 'expert' at census research and teaching census research!
Because Canada was settled from east to west, the earliest records available will be for eastern Canada. That does NOT mean there are not early records for western Canada - there are - just not as early as in the east.

For Regina students:
A total of eight lessons will be emailed to you on Wednesdays for four weeks. The course begins Wednesday 28th October, and ends 18th November 2009.

For Indian Head students:
A total of eight lessons will be emailed to you on Tuesdays for four weeks. The course begins Tuesday 10th November, and ends 08th December 2009.

You can pick up your lessons at any time. They will sit in your email box until you are ready. You can then work through the lessons at any time ... even months later!

Registrations fees are $99.00 Canadian and need to be received before the lessons will be sent. You can email the instructor, Pat Ryan, at pryan@sasktel.net for additional information and instructions.