Chinook Arch

Volume 2 (2020)

• Amber Godfrey tells the tale of an interesting ancestor, optician John Godfrey.
• The Celtic SIG shares how they used Google Maps to walk the footsteps of an Irish ancestor at a recent meeting.
• Katie Crossman describes how she used DNA to connect with Rennie/Rainey relatives.
• The Library Committee lists some of the digital journals available on the AFHS Library’s computers.

• Earl Schultz describes the fascinating story of Alexander Borainski, Rypin’s Propinator.
• The Legacy Users Group outlines some of the best practices for entering names.
• Jim Benedict remembers his father’s print shop in downtown Calgary.

• Amber Godfrey shares the interesting details she discovered in the Irish census about her great-grandpa, William Campbell.
• AFHS members who attended RootsTech 2020 share a few photos and thoughts about the experience.
• Terri Scruggs and Kay Clarke describe how they used DNA discoveries to assist in their family research.
• The Library Committee lists some of the resources available at the AFHS Library for Irish research.

• Marion Peterson shares the most unusual source she has discovered – a churching record.
• The Celtic SIG explains how many hands can make light work when trying to solve brick wall problems.
• Candice McDonald outlines how to use the Early Alberta Newspapers Collection on the University of Calgary website.

• Ann Williams tells the story of a treasured family heirloom.
• The Celtic SIG shares resources to research your Home Child ancestor.
• Amber Godfrey lists some novels with a genealogy twist.

• Earl Schultz explains why Big y-700 tests are the next BIG thing in genetic genealogy.
• Bev Smith shares how small matches on AncestryDNA helped narrow the search for her husband’s Smith ancestry.
• The Family Tree Maker SIG outlines some of the new features of Family Tree Maker 2019 as well as highlights from Greg Cave’s presentation about using timelines in your family history research.
• Leslie Dennis’ article looks back at the pandemic pandemonium that gripped Calgary in 1918.

• In our Ancestor Anecdotes feature, Marlene Knott shares the story of her British great-grandfather, Henry Jones, whose family was split apart by tragedy and who came to Canada with the British Home Children Program.
• The Ontario SIG describes some valuable resources for those with Ontario ancestors, available either online or in the AFHS Library, on the Special Interest Groups page.
• Thanks to a generous donation from the estate of Olive Carlin, a dedicated library volunteer for AFHS, there are new books in the AFHS Library on Scottish research. See the Library Highlights page for a list of new titles.

Volume 2, Issue 8, October 2020

• Leslie Dennis talks about finding a variety of records to help flesh out her grandfather’s life, during a trip to Nova Scotia, in Ancestor Anecdotes.
• On the Special Interest Groups page, Ann Williams gives us a summary of the Family History Federation, of which AFHS is a member, and shares their purpose and some of the resources we have access to through them. 
• Katie Crossman tells about her success using DNA to solve an old family mystery on the DNA discoveries page. 

Volume 2, Issue 9, November 2020

• Warren Peterson reflects on the strength of his ancestor, Per Persson (Peter Peterson), who immigrated from Sweden to Maine in 1903, then came to Canada to homestead in 1912.
• The English/Welsh SIG shares a summary of Iris Morgan’s presentation about using maps in your genealogy research including a few links to her favourite sites.
• Earl Schultz talks about testing your patrilineal line using Big-Y and the shocking results after one of his relatives did the test.
• AFHS Library Committee Chair, Linda Murray, tells us how useful community history books can be for our research and shares several new additions to our collection, including the surnames found within them, in Library Highlights.
• Many hard-working volunteers keep AFHS running smoothly and, in this newsletter, we highlight our Research Assistance Team. If you haven’t consulted these talented ladies with a question yet, perhaps you should!

Volume 2, Issue 10, December 2020

• Our next monthly meeting will give Society members the opportunity to share memories of Christmas traditions in their own families. Christine is still looking for people to sign up to do a 5-10 minute presentation so if you can help out, contact her at programs@afhs.ab.ca
• Step-by-step instructions on using the updated AFHS website to check on your membership status can let you know if it is time for you to renew!
• Amber Godfrey shares a sweet family story she discovered while scanning old photos and offers some tips on scanning your own photos.
• On the Special Interest Groups page, the Legacy SIG talks about what the Legacy program can offer to family historians and how to learn more about using the program (including a free trial version available).
• This month on the DNA Discoveries page, Anne Lennox shares her friend’s story of his journey to learn more about his birth parents using DNA.
• Wayne Shepheard appeals to members and other family historians to help identify people in a photo that includes his mother-in-law, who worked in the Officers’ Mess hall on the Canadian military base here in Calgary during World War II.
• As we continue to stay at home as much as possible to help reduce the number of COVID cases, workshops and conferences continue to go virtual. Check out the Upcoming Events section to see some upcoming learning opportunities that we’ve highlighted.
• 2021 is fast approaching and our next Annual General Meeting will be happening in April. We are still in need a Chair for our Volunteer Recruitment and Nominations Committee so check out our Volunteer Opportunities page for more information.