Newsletter: November 2011

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Our tenth birthday

By Penny Evans 

Lucas Rinken and Minnie Pretorius cut the birthday cake.

 Ten years ago the West Gauteng branch of the GSSA was established. A function to celebrate this 10th birthday was held on 19th November at our usual venue in Discovery. Tables and chairs were set up under the shady trees and Christmas decorations added. Kriek Fourie soon had the fires burning in the braai.

Neels Coertse presented the birthday gift to our chairman Lucas Rinken. This marvellous gift of ten books and DVDs containing the newsletters written over the last 10 years was a project undertaken by Neels Coertse. Lucas Rinken thanked him for his excellent work. A great deal of information is contained in these newsletters.

Lucas Rinken handed out certificates of merit to the committee members, the course presenters Richard Ford and Dennis Pretorius and Japie Bosch, our blogmaster. Lucas thanked each person for their commitment and hard work. Dennis Pretorius gave Lucas Rinken his certificate and thanked him for serving as chairman for the last five years. Thank you Lucas for being so dedicated and attending the function while you are still not well.

Lucas receives a gift from Neels Coertse.

Members were asked to come dressed in an inherited outfit or a hat. Frans and Donna Viljoen and their granddaughter Donna were judged to be the winners. Well done, you looked stunning in the fashions of the thirties.

A highlight of the afternoon was the cutting of the birthday cake, baked by Minnie Pretorius. It tasted as good as it looked. We spent a leisurely afternoon enjoying the braai.

Thank you to all who helped with carrying tables and chairs, braaiing the meat and clearing up afterwards. A special thanks to Margaret Humphries for making this a success.

Lucas presents a merit certificate ro Penny Evans.

Some of our members could not attend due to ill health. We wish you a speedy recovery. For the committee members who have persevered despite illness, a very big thank you for your unselfish service. May you all have a good rest over the festive season and come back refreshed next year.

Fashion of the 1930's.  Frans and Donna Viljoen and their granddaughter, Donna, were winners.

Graham Southey receives his award.

Margaret Humphries receives her award.

John Stephens receives his award.

Giel Nel receives his award.

Dennis Pretorius receives his award.

Kriek Fourie receives his award.

Nuusbrief: Oktober 2011

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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.