Helping one another

Report and pictures by Penny Evans

 The meeting held on 15 October 2011 took the form of a workshop. Members were divided into groups with a facilitator to guide the discussion. Each person was asked to discuss the areas where they were having problems with their research. It was hoped that the facilitator and group members could give advice.

Richard Ford (left) and Louw du Plessis.

For some people the problem was limited access to the internet. New members needed advice regarding which websites to look at, as well as how to navigate around genealogical websites. Members needed to know where to find passenger lists, what to do if you could find no records at all, where to find the Dutch Reformed Church records in Zimbabwe, as well as records in Holland.
 
A useful tip for those who were struggling to trace farm gravesites, is to go to the undertaker in the village or town and ask for information.

Louise Dick (left) and Elsabé Calitz.

Several members are still not using a genealogical program to record their information. There is a need for personal assistance, on a one to one basis. A suggestion for future workshops of this sort, is to have a laptop with internet access. This would be an excellent way of assisting a beginner.

Some members were able to exchange information with others, especially where they were researching the same family name. The workshop gave members a chance to chat and get to know each other a little better.

From left:  Lindsey Goslin, Margaret Humphreys and Elizabeth Lawrence.

Our vice-chairman, Bob Saunders, thanked the committee and facilitators for their assistance. Our chairman, Lucas Rinken, was unfortunately not able to attend the session due to ill health.

 How Petro Meyer solved her problems

Ten minute talk Petro Meyer told her story, and what an interesting story it was! After Petro’s son and family emigrated to Australia she decided to make a heritage scrapbook for her grandchildren. It soon became evident that she did not have enough information about her forebears.

Fortunately her father had researched the Oberholster family. The progenitor Hans Oberholster had left Wald in Switzerland and arrived in the Cape in about 1696. One of his descendants, owner of the farm Wonderfontein, donated some ground to the Nederduits Zuid-Afrikaanse Spoorwegmaatskappy. The station, Oberholzer still exists today.

Petro and Andrew struggled to research the Meyer family. It was after a visit to Hobby-X to buy scrapbook paper that Petro came across the GSSA stall. With the help received at the monthly meetings they were able to make progress. They organized a family gathering of the Meyers in 2010 and this enabled her to fit together many pieces of the “puzzle”.

Petro is writing a book for her grandchildren telling the intriguing family stories and recording the results of her research. She hopes that when they visit their homeland one day, that they will have compassion for the many generations of forebears who lived and died here.

Introductory Genealogical Training Course

 Invitation to a three-hour introductory training course in genealogical research

Date: Saturday 22 October 2011 

Time: 14:00 to 17:00 

Venue: Dutch Reformed Church – Ontdekkerskruin, Phillips Avenue, Discovery 

Cost: Members: Individual R95 or R155 for a couple (bring your partner)

Non-members: Individual R125 or R195 for a couple (bring your friend)

(Includes your own copy of the workbook and refreshments)

This course, produced by the Genealogical Society of South Africa and brought to you by the West Gauteng branch, offers an introduction to genealogical research in eight modules. It is ideal for newcomers to genealogical research and for those who have made a start but who feel they need help with their research: where and how to find information; how to capture the information; and how to present it. Every participant will receive a certificate on conclusion of the course.

Program
Module	Title	Time	Presenter
1	Background	14:00 to 14:20	Dennis Pretorius
2	Working documents	14:20 to 14:45
3	Unpublished sources	14:45 to 15:05	Richard Ford
4	Internet sources	15:05 to 15:30	Lucas Rinken
Refreshment break	15:30 to 16:00
5	Formal sources	16:00 to 16:20	Dennis Pretorius
6	Interesting facts	16:20 to 16:40	Lucas Rinken
7	Presentation	16:40 to 17:00	Richard Ford
8	Your own Family History

Contact Richard Ford by not later than 14 October 2011 at:  

Cell: 073-250-6208; Fax: 086-515-8128 or e-mail ryford@iafrica.com

Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally

Nearly a year ago, I published an article about Gary Wright's definitive whitepaper on preserving your family history records digitally, writes Dick Eastman in his online newsletter.

Gary is an employee of FamilySearch. In his paper, he explained the many issues involved with digital archiving, including the pitfalls of digital storage of priceless paperwork and of old family photographs that have been digitized.

As he explains, if done right, digital archives will last for decades. If done wrong, they may not last three years. 

Gary has now updated his white paper. Changes in the new version include:

1. Recommendations about using flash drives and cloud backup to preserve family history records 
2. Important and exciting news about a new industry partnership that has the potential to create a new de facto standard for archiving storage media
3. Removal of the internet service offering for personal archiving since its launch has been delayed 

 You can read this important analysis HERE. 

Erfenisdagviering in Roodepoort

Die tak se deelname aan Erfenisdagviering by die Roodepoortse Musuem op Sondag, 25 September 2011 het goed afgeloop. Altesame elf taklede het aan ons genealogie-uitstalling deel gehad.

Digby 100 name is tot e-SAGI bygevoeg. Nuwe taklede is die geleentheid gegee om hul eie navorsing met Lucas Rinken te bespreek. Terselfdertyd het lede die geleentheid gebruik om mekaar beter te leer ken.

Dit was 'n goeie voorbereiding vir die Hobby-X-uitstalling later vanjaat.

Op 4 Februarie 2012 hou ons weer ‘n Genealogiedag saam met die Roodepoortse Museum. Dis ‘n geleentheid wat die museum ons elke jaar met hul opedag bied. Vir die tak is dit ‘n uitstekende geleentheid om ons produkte te verkoop, nuwe lede te werf en ons tak wyer bekend te stel.

Besige tyd

Giel Nel

Deur John Stephens

Verlede Saterdag, 17 September, het ‘n elftal lede onder leiding van Giel Nel, ons begraafplaaskoördineerder, die fotografering en optekening van die grafstene in die Panorama-begraafplaas aangepak. Honderde grafte is opgeteken en gefotografeer.

Margaret Humphries

Dit was ‘n heerlike lentedag. Daar was nie net gewerk nie, want Margaret Humphries  het heerlike verversings saamgebring en ons kon dit geniet en terselfdertyd ‘n bietjie asem skep. Dis jammer dat nie meer lede hierdie ervaring kon beleef nie. Dit was ‘n geleentheid om onderlinge verhoudinge te verbeter en kameraadskap te bou.

Lucas Rinken

Ongelukkig het voorsitter Lucas Rinken ongesteld geraak en hy moes vertrek.

Sondag, 25 September, neem die tak deel aan ‘n Erfenisdaguitstalling saam met die Roodepoortse Museum. Lucas sal die leiding neem. Talle lede sal ook daar wees vir morele ondersteuning en om toeskouers in te lig oor ons tak en sy aktiwiteite.
 
Lucas is 'n ervare man as dit by uitstallings kom. Nie aleen voer hy die span by die jaarlikse Hobby-X uitstalling aan nie, maar hy was ook die leier by die uitstalling op 3 September in Pretoria. Hierdie uitstalling word jaarliks deur die bekwame Isabel Groesbeek georganiseer. Vanjaar was Lucas en Kriek Fourie ons verteenwoordigers.

Uitstallings is vir die tak ook van groot waarde, aangesien dit ook die geleentheid skep waar takfondse versterk word deur die verkoop van ons produkte soos e-SAGI.

Kriek Fourie

Die volgende takbyeenkoms is op 15 Oktober 2011.  Ons gaan in groepe verdeel.  Onder bekwame leiers gaan ons probleme wat ons in ons eie navorsing ondervind, bespreek en oplossings daarvoor probeer vind. Ons nooi alle lede en belangstellendes om dit by te woon. Die byeenkoms begin om 14:00 in die kerksaal van die Ned. Geref. Kerk, Ontdekkerskruin.

Vanjaar is ons tak tien jaar oud. Om hierdie geleentheid feestelik te vier, hou ons ‘n verjaardagmakietie op 19 November 2011 om 14:00 op die kerkgronde van die Ned. Geref. Kerk, Ontdekkerskruin. Daar sal ‘n verjaardagkoek wees. Mienie Pretorius en Margaret Humphries sal daarvoor sorg. Kriek Fourie sorg weer vir die bring-en-braai. Om die taklede se verskuilde talente na te speur, sal daar ‘n impromptu-konsert wees. Dit gaan ‘n jollige affêre wees. Terselfdertyd is dit ook die afsluiting van ons jaar.

Nuusbrief: Augustus 2011

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Nuusbrief: Julie 2011

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The printing of your book

By Penny Evans

Marius Smit

On the 16 July 2011 Marius Smit gave an interesting talk on the different factors to consider when deciding to print your research in book form.

He spoke about the terminology used in the printing business, for instance the difference between leaves and pages and what scoring meant.

He advised members not to use too many fonts but rather to use different sizes of the same font. Unusual fonts are best avoided. Times New Roman is a popular choice of font.

One should consider the layout, either in landscape or portrait and the size of the page. The margin must allow for final trim cuts and must take the binding method into consideration.

He brought sample books to show the different binding types. There are many ways of binding a book for example fold and saddle stitch, plastic ring binding, wire binding and interscrews.

The thickness and type of paper needs to be considered.

Colour is more than three to six times more expensive than black and white.

Photographs should be high resolution to get crisp reproduction.

The talk was inspiring and made one realize that one’s family history research should be presented in book form.

  

The Stephens and Campher families

John Stephens

John Stephens gave his ten minute talk about his research into the STEPHENS and CAMPHER families. John has reached a brick wall in his research into the STEPHENS family, as he is unable to find out the names of his great grandfather and mother.

John was able to find more information about the CAMPHER family. The progenitor was LOURENS CAMPHER who married ANSELA van den Kaap. Certain sources state that she was a free slave, other sources indicate that she was born in Nederland in 1665.

John’s great grandfather was CHRISTOFFEL JOHANNES CAMPHER and his great grandmother was ELIZA BETHA GERTRUIDA CAMPHER born JOUBERT. Spelling errors have occurred on the gravestones of his great grandparents.

The name Campher is also spelt Kamffer or Kamfer.

New website for GSSA

By Penny Evans

There was a good turn out of West Gauteng members on 18 June 2011 at the Ontdekkerspark venue. Dirk Bloem gave a presentation on the new GSSA website that he is developing.

He stressed that the website was not only his work but gave credit to Richard Ball (eggsa webmaster) for his assistance, and Alta Griffiths and Lucas Rinken for their input.

The various branches had responded well to the questionnaire that he had sent out, asking what they wanted on the website.

He planned to have the website up and running by the beginning of July 2011. The web address is www.genza.org.za.

At this stage it will be a basic website. The following aspects will be available:

• Goals and objectives of the GSSA
• List of the NEC members
• Welcome note
• Information on GSSA and branch publications
• GSSA projects
• GSSA products
• Various links to genealogical sites
• Branches can place notices of their forthcoming events.

The website will be expanded gradually. Chairman Lucas Rinken thanked Dirk Bloem for his presentation and the wonderful work he is doing to get this new website up and running.

Hennie van Aswegen gave his ten minute talk on the origins of Ventersdorp. He was born in Ventersdorp and therefore has an interest in this town’s history. Venterdorp had its beginnings in 1859 after Johannes Hendrikus Venter placed an advertisement offering stands for sale.

Newsletter: June 2011

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Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-06

It is the First Day of the Month: Back Up Your Files!

It is the first day of the month. It's time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first of every month, if not more often.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first of each month?

Next, TEST YOUR BACKUPS. More than once I have heard sad stories of, "I thought I was making regular backups to the external hard drive but, when I went to restore some files, I found the hard drive was dead. I lost everything." The exact details will vary from one out-of-luck person to another, but many have similar stories. Yet it is so easy to test your backups to make sure they are being made in the manner you think.

On the first day of the month, restore one or two small files from your backups. You don't have restore everything, just pick a few typical files. Restore them to a temporary directory (mine is called WORK) and see if you can use them.

To avoid the "dead when you need them" problem, always make at least TWO backups to two differnet types of media in two different locations. Three would be better and four would be even better.

My computer automatically makes backups every hour to an external USB hard drive plugged into the back of the computer plus it also automatically makes backups in the middle of the night to an online backup service on the Internet while I am sleeping. Having redundant backups increases the odds of having at least one good backup at the time of critical need.

How much information and how many pictures will you lose if your hard drive crashes this evening?

By the way, all hard drives WILL crash someday. The only question is "when?" Make your backups today.

Published with permission from: Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. 

Newsletter: May 2011

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Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-05