Friday, November 1, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Nov 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Nov 2013

01 Nov 2013
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version you can extract parts from the first two paragraphs, give the UVTAGG URLs, and mention that there will be classes for all levels of family history interest.  Please email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 Nov 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Timothy G. Cross of the FamilySearch Department of the LDS Church.  His presentation is titled, THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN FAMILY TREE PHOTOS AND STORIES.  Tim is currently responsible for FamilySearch Family Tree Photos and Stories which now includes Documents.  Pictures and stories of our ancestors help us know them much more than just knowing their dates and places.  For those who have uploaded scanned documents, e.g. birth certificates, into the Photos section, there is now an easy way to move them into the Documents section and that's probably the reason that the Documents section is with the Photos now.  This is still in beta test, so we can hope that eventually the Documents section will be with the Sources section where you would expect to find it.  The file size limit has also been increased recently for uploaded files and you can now upload pdf's (Portable Document Format).  Family Tree has been making good strides from when it started a couple of years ago.  Tim Cross graduated from BYU in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Management in the Business School and has worked as a Product Manager for FamilySearch for 9 years.  Prior to working for the Church, Tim worked in the computer industry for PriceWaterhouse, Booz, Allen, & Hamilton, and for Novell.  He and his family live in Mapleton, Utah.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Are There Germans In Your Past?, by Laurie Castillo;  (2)  Presenting and Preserving Your Family History:  You Can't Take It With You, So How Do You Leave It?, by Don Snow;  (3)  Q&A: The Latest and Greatest in FamilySearch Family Tree, by Tim Cross;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom, Finn Hansen, & Beth Ann Wiseman;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: A Fanciful Genealogy or Clues to the Past, by Karen Clifford;  (6)  MAC: OS Mavericks Update and Evernote, by Ron Snowden;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Benjamin Findlay;  (8)  RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee; and  (9)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.  

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants in their areas. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying the $10 per year dues to receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information on the websites mentioned above about the presentations, classes, and class notes, or to join the Group.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu  

Friday, October 4, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 12 Oct 2013


04 Oct 2013
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version you can extract parts from the first two paragraphs, give the UVTAGG URLs, and mention that there will be classes for all levels of family history interest.  Please email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow -- snowd@math.byu.edu

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 12 Oct 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Karen Clifford on A FANCIFUL GENEALOGY OR CLUES TO THE PAST.   This presentation will explain how to approach an online public family tree appreciatively and cautiously in order to determine the sources for the statements of fact provided.  It will include an overview of record groups most likely to keep you from going astray and a few good techniques to speed up your work. Karen Clifford is an Accredited Genealogist Professional (AG), and a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association (FUGA). She is President/CEO of Genealogy Research Associates, Inc. -- http://www.graonline.com .  She teaches family history classes at BYU, the Salt Lake Community College, and Monterey Peninsula College, as well as other venues.  She has authored several college textbooks on genealogy and credentialing in genealogy and numerous family histories.  She serves as Co-Chair of the Testing Committee of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (one of the two major credentialing bodies for genealogists in the United States see http://www.ICAPGen.org .  She served 10 years on the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and was the founding President of the Monterey County (CA) Genealogy Society.  Karen was the Director of the Monterey California Family History Center for ten years and now lives in Provo where her husband, Ray Clifford, is an Associate Dean of the BYU College of Humanities.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Accessing RootsTech and Other Online Family History Videos, by Gerhard Ruf;   (2)  Mobile Device Apps (continuation of his presentation last month), by Bret Petersen;  (3)  Q&A: A Fanciful Genealogy or Clues to the Past, by Karen Clifford;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: Making the Most of Your Mobile Devices, by Bret Petersen;  (6)  MAC: Using FamilyTree, by Bud Wood;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett;. and  (9)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  Many of the members are Family History Consultants in their areas.  See more information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes on the websites mentioned above, or contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu  

Thursday, September 5, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 14 Sep 2013


05 Sep 2013
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version you can extract parts from the first two paragraphs, give the UVTAGG URLs, and mention that there will be classes for all levels of family history interest.  Please email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 14 Sep 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Bret Petersen on MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MOBILE DEVICES.  Mobile devices are all around us with smartphones, tablets, and other devices.  We use them for communicating, playing games and maybe keeping our calendar up-to-date. However, many don't realize all of the ways that they can help in our genealogy research.  Come with us as we explore some of the many ways that one might make the most of the power behind these devices.  Bret Petersen developed a love of family history research at a young age and it continued through his college years at BYU where he graduated with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Education. His passion for family history research and the growth of computer-assisted research led him to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group where he served as their volunteer webmaster for a decade.  He is currently serving as President of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA).  He is a graduate of the National Institute on Genealogical Research and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.  As a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild he has been a presenter and teacher for groups ranging from just a few to several hundred participants. He loves teaching and helping others learn all they can about using technology in researching their family history.  More information about him is on a blog that he writes about his own ancestors http://blog.branchesofourtree.com/ and at  https://plus.google.com/110509921128790991142 .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Prison, Criminal, Asylum and Other Records, by Bret Petersen;  (2)  A Comparison: Ancestral Quest, RootsMagic, and a Touch of Legacy, by Bud Wood;  (3)  Advanced Animap, by Marilyn Thomsen;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation: Zap the Grandma Gap: 10 Best Ideas to Leap the Generation Gap, by Janet Hovorka;  (5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (6)  MAC: Getting Started with Reunion and MAC Essentials, by Ron Snowden;  (7)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell;  (8)  Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen; and  (9)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.
All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  Many of the members are Family History Consultants in their areas.  See more information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes on the websites mentioned above, or contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu 

Saturday, August 3, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for meeting Saturday morning 10 Aug 2013


03 Aug 2013
Journalists and ward newsletter editors, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  For a shorter version you can extract parts from the first two paragraphs, give the URLs, and mention that there will be classes for all levels of family history interest.  Please email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 10 Aug 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Janet Hovorka on ZAP THE GRANDMA GAP:  THE TEN BEST IDEAS TO LEAP THE GENERATION GAP IN A SINGLE BOUND.  These are the 10 most important ideas to connect to your posterity by connecting them to their past.  If they are bored, you are doing it wrong.  Go from Snoring and Boring to Exciting and Inviting.  Janet Hovorka received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ancient History and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from BYU.  She accepted teaching and library positions at BYU and Salt Lake Community College before having her three wonderful children. She and her husband, Kim Hovorka, own Family ChartMasters -- https://familychartmasters.com/php/index.php -- an online genealogy chart printing service that was the first company to be FamilySearch Certified by the LDS Church. She writes The Chart Chick blog -- http://thechartchick.blogspot.com/ -- winner of the 2009 Geneablog award and is currently serving as Past President of the Utah Genealogical Association.  One of Janet's greatest genealogy accomplishments was the completion and publication of her mother-in-law's oral history just one year prior to her untimely death.  She has presented 100s of lectures all over the country to help countless people find out more about their family’s history.

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.   (1)  Zap the Grandma Gap: Leave a Heritage Hands-on Workshop, by Janet Hovorka;  (2)  A genealogy Tour of the BYU Map Collection, Physical and Digital, by Rick Grapes;  (2)  Advanced AniMap. by Marilyn Thomsen;  (4)  Video from last month's main presentation: Treasures in Your Own Backyard: Genealogy Resources in the BYU Library, by Terry Dahlin;  (5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Finn Hansen, Beth Ann Wiseman, and Bud Wood; (6)  RootsMagic, by  Sue Maxwell;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay; and  (8)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett.  THERE WILL BE NO MAC CLASS AT THIS MEETING.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  Many of the members are Family History Consultants in their areas.  See more information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes on the websites mentioned above, or contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG), snowd@math.byu.edu 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press Release for Meeting Saturday morning 13 Jul 2013

04 Jul 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 13 Jul 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Terry Dahlin on TREASURES IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD: GENEALOGY RESOURCES IN THE BYU LIBRARY .  This will be a discussion of the wealth of services, technology, and print and online collections available to genealogical researchers at the Harold B. Lee Library on the BYU Campus.  Terry Dahlin is the Family and Local History Librarian at BYU.  He was born in Bremerton, Washington, raised in Utah, and served an LDS mission to Chile.  He met his wife in a BYU singles ward and they have two sons and two daughters.  He completed a bachelor’s degree in U.S. social history and a master’s degree in library science, both at BYU.  He pursued advanced graduate study in public and educational policy at the University of Utah.  He has worked in a variety of positions in the Harold B. Lee Library since 1974, including head of government documents and maps.  He has served as a bishop and a high councilor with responsibility for temple and family history work.  His genealogical research interests have been in the western U.S. and England and more recently on pursuing his family lines into Sweden.  
 
After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.  (1)  Q&A: Treasures in Your Own Backyard:  Genealogy Resources in the BYU Library, by Terry Dahlin;  (2)  Evernote:  The Genealogist's Workhorse, by Don Snow;  (3)  MAC Help: Individual Help With Problems & OSX, by Ron Snowden;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom, Finn Hansen, & Beth Ann Wiseman;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: Techniques for Successful Searching, by Alan Mann;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Diana Olsen and Renee Zamora.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVDs of the presentations and classes.  And gift memberships are wonderful presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes on the websites mentioned above, or contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 08 Jun 2013

30 May 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 08 Jun 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org . Saturday morning 08 Jun 2013 will be the marathon races down University Avenue in Provo, so expect delays when trying to cross University Avenue to get to the meeting in Edgemont.

The main presentation this month will be by Alan Mann on TECHNIQUES FOR SUCCESSFUL SEARCHING.  This presentation will demonstrate how different search parameters and terms give different results, with some suggestions specific to FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindMyPast, and Google.  Alan E. Mann, AG®, is an accredited genealogist in England, Australia, and the Channel Islands and is a popular speaker.  He is a senior research consultant in the FamilySearch's Family History Library in Salt Lake City and in the past has been a community manager for the FamilySearch Community Services team and the Information Services manager for the Family History Library.  He has taught British Research for BYU (History 412, 413, and 481) and various computer courses for Salt Lake Community College.  Alan writes columns, reviews, and articles for several magazines, and presents around the country about genealogy, the Internet, and British research.  He has been on the Board of Directors of the Utah Genealogical Association (2004-2009), was program chair for GenTech 2000 in San Diego, and was co-founder and co-chair of the BYU Annual Computerized Genealogy Conference (1998-2002,2006-2010), now replaced by the annual RootsTech conferences.  He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, has lived in 9 states and Puerto Rico, France, and England, and has visited 46 states and 14 countries.  He attended the University of North Dakota and BYU majoring in accounting and minoring in French and speaks fluent French and some Spanish.  You can find much more information about him and his presentations and publications at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/User:MannAE .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled.  Check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions.  (1)  Doing English Research in the 21st Century, by Alan Mann;  (2)  MAC: Genealogy and Law: How Law Helps You Understand Records, by Stephen Ehat (Bring information about an ancestor for him to do a legal search for you there.);  (3)  Ward Family History Web Sites: A Unifying Tool, by Abe Martin;  (4)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom, Finn Hansen, and Beth Ann Wiseman;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: Writing A Personal or Family History, by Don Norton;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year, so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And gift memberships are wonderful presents for your family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes on the websites mentioned above, or contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

Friday, May 3, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 11 May 2013


03 May 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 11 May 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Don E. Norton on  WRITING YOUR PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY.  This presentation will help all of us write and preserve our own and our ancestors' life stories.  Don Norton is a retired professor of BYU's Department of Linguistics and English Language.  For thirty years he taught the Personal History class at BYU, as well as senior seminars in oral history.  A special interest is oral histories of military veterans, notably veterans of WW II, but of other "wars" as well.  He has interviewed literally hundreds of military veterans and compiled their stories.  He has written books and articles and headed the Faculty Editing Service at BYU for more than 20 years.  As a professional editor for 45 years, he edited several volumes in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley series at BYU.  More information about him is online at  http://iris.library.uiuc.edu/~iris/expertise/expertise.htm?id=6716 .

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled.  Check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions to the class offerings.  (1)  Effective Use of Websites and Their Search Engines or Why Didn't I Find Them the First Time?, by Laurie Castillo;  (2)  Organizing Your Computer Files, by Robert Lasson;  (3)  Using Dropbox, Keynote, and Skype for Genealogy, by Ron Snowden;  (4)  Q&A: Writing A Personal or Family History, by Don Norton;  (5)  Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom, Bud Wood, and Jim Kendall;  (6)  Video of last month's main presentation: Are Your Ready Now That FamilySearch Family Tree is Live?, by James L. Tanner;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen;  (8)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell; and  (9)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett. 

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library, and Chris Stevenson as the Webmaster.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong by paying $10 per year so they can receive the monthly newsletter and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And gift memberships are wonderful presents for your family history-minded relatives and friends.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

------------
Dr. Donald R. Snow, Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
snowd@math.byu.edu

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 13 Apr 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 13 Apr 2013

04 Apr 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 13 Apr 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by James L. Tanner on ARE YOU READY NOW THAT FAMILYSEARCH FAMILY TREE IS LIVE?  FamilySearch Family Tree is taking the place of "new FamilySearch" and is now available to everyone, whether LDS or not.  The data comes from new FamilySearch, but in Family Tree it is easier to edit, add sources, and remove.  It also requires that you cite reasons for what you are claiming and has ways of entering links to webpages that substantiate your data.  You can also add photos and stories so it becomes more than just a collection of names, dates, and places.  Someone at RootsTech 2013 last week said, "Genealogy changes charts; family history changes hearts.", and James Tanner will discuss these features with us.  He is a retired attorney living in Mesa, Arizona, and is the author of Genealogy's Star blog at http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/ , an early and important family history blog and one of the official blogs for all three of the RootsTech conferences.  He has been actively involved in genealogy for many years, is on the support staff of the FamilySearch Research Wiki, and is moderator for Arizona and Utah.  He is also the author of The Guide To FamilySearch Online, published in hard copy and pdf and available from http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/store/product_view.php?id=1593 .  His blog has a good collection of articles about current items in family history and helps keep us up to date on what's happening.  He has over 30 years experience in law and computers and over 20 years doing genealogy research.  He presently serves as a volunteer at the Mesa Family History Center where he helps patrons and teaches classes.  We are pleased to have him talk to our group while he is in Utah.  After his main presentation he will also teach a class during the class period.

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled.  Check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions to the class offerings.  (1)  Effectively Using the Cloud: Dropbox, Evernote, Skype, etc., by James L. Tanner;  (2)  Tips and Tricks for Searching Historical Records on FamilySearch, by Sue Maxwell;  (3)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (4)  MAC:  Using iPhoto and Google Maps for Genealogy, by Ron Snowden;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: Solving Difficult Family History Problems, by David Ouimette;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Merlin Kitchen;  (7)  Legacy: Putting Your Genealogy File in Focus For Great Results, by Jim Kendall;  and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.   Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And gift memberships are wonderful presents for your family history minded relatives and friends.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)
-- 
Dr. Donald R. Snow, Retired Professor of Mathematics
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah - snowd@math.byu.edu

Thursday, February 28, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Mar 2013


[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Mar 2013

28 Feb 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 Mar 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by  David Ouimette on SOLVING DIFFICULT FAMILY HISTORY PROBLEMS.  Proving family relationships, the essence of  genealogical research, may seem daunting when the evidence is sparse.  This presentation will show how to solve difficult family history problems by applying sound research principles and practices.  David Ouimette, CG, is Manager of Content Strategy at FamilySearch.  His responsibilities include identifying the most valuable records for genealogical research worldwide and prioritizing records to preserve digitally and make available online.  He has conducted onsite family history research and participated in record negotiations in Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and much of the United States.  He previously worked in software development and product management at Ancestry.com and has lectured at many national and local gernealogy conferences.  His research specialties include Ireland, Quebec, and New England.  He has contributed articles to Ancestry Magazine, APG Quarterly, Crossroads, The Septs, and BYU Family Historian and is the author of Finding Your Irish Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide (Provo: Ancestry, 2005).  He currently serves as Vice President of the Utah Genealogical Association and is responsible for publishing Crossroads magazine.

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled:   (1)  Family History in Bulk: More Bang for Your Buck, by Linda Snow Westover;  (2)  Marching Forward in a Major Way: U.S. Military Records, by Laurie Castillo;  (3)  Q&A: Solving Difficult Family History Problems, by David Ouimette;  (4)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (5)  MAC:  Using Reunion 10 and Previous Versions, by Ron Snowden;  (6)  Video of last month's main presentation: Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons, by Margaret Young;  (7)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (8)  Legacy, by Jim Kendall; and  (9)  RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.  Check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions to the class offerings.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.   Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And many members give gift memberships to friends for presents.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106) or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

================
-- Dr. Donald R. Snow, Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah - snowd@math.byu.edu

Thursday, January 31, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Feb 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 09 Feb 2013

30 Jan 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 Feb 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Margaret Young on NOBODY KNOWS:  THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK MORMONS.  Margaret Blair Young teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  An accomplished author, she has won numerous awards from the Utah Arts Council and other organizations.  These include Best Short Story Collection and, twice, Best Novel of the Year.  She has also written three plays and teaches at the Spanish Institute at BYU. In addition, she and Darius Gray co-authored a thoroughly documented trilogy of historical fiction titled Standing on the Promises, about Black Mormon pioneers or slaves of Mormon pioneers, which received a special award from the Association for Mormon Letters.  She has also co-produced (again with Darius Gray) a documentary about African-American pioneer Jane Manning James, titled Jane James: Your Sister in the Gospel.  She is currently working on another documentary.  Margaret and her husband, Bruce, a professor of English at BYU, are the parents of four children and live in Provo, Utah.  A website listing her works and information is http://mormonlit.lib.byu.edu/lit_author.php?a_id=340 .

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled:   (1)  RecordSeek - A New Tool to Add Sources to Family Tree, by Marilyn Thomsen;  (2)  Jump Starting Your English Research (PC & MAC), by Ron Snowden;  (3)  Personal Help (including Family Tree and Family Tree Photos), by Don Engstrom, Finn Hansen, and Beth Ann Wiseman;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation: The Church History Library's Online Databases, by Alan Morrell; (5)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (6)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (7)  RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee.  Check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions to the class offerings.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with membership and finances, and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library.  Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.   Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And many members give gift memberships to friends for presents.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106) or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

----------------------
Dr. Donald R. Snow, Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah - snowd@math.byu.edu

Sunday, January 6, 2013

[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 12 Jan 2013


[UVTAGG] Press release for meeting Saturday morning 12 Jan 2013

06 Jan 2013
Journalists and others, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events.  Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.
Don Snow


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 12 Jan 2013, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation this month will be by Alan Morrell on THE CHURCH HISTORY LIBRARY'S ONLINE PRESENCE AND DATABASES.   Thousands of family historians regularly visit the Church History Library in Salt Lake City to learn more about their Latter-day Saint ancestors.  Increasingly, researchers can find information on the Internet, including major databases now on the Church History Library's website http://churchhistorylibrary.lds.org/ .  This presentation will introduce some of these databases at this and other websites.  Alan Morrell is the curator of Mormon history at the Church History Museum and previously worked in the Church History Library.  He is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah where he is doing research on the function of community in the creation of a Mormon identity.  He received his his BA degree from BYU in molecular biology and his MA from Villanova in American history.

After the main presentation the following classes are presently scheduled:   (1)  Introducing FamilySearch Photos, by Beth Ann Wiseman;  (2)  Ask an Expert, by various local family history experts;  (3)  Using FamilySearch FamilyTree, by Douglas M. Chabries;  (4)  Q&A on Church History Library Online, by Alan Morrell;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation, The Center for Family History and Genealogy at BYU, by Jill Crandell;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (8)  What's New in RootsMagic 6, by Renee Zamora and Diana Olsen.

All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Gerry Eliason, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library. Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.   Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter and purchase DVD's of the presentations and classes.  And many members give gift memberships to friends for presents.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106) or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at laurie@everythingisrelative.net, or 2nd VP Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu.

Don Snow, 2nd VP of Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG)

================
-- Dr. Donald R. Snow, Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah - snowd@math.byu.edu