On the 1st Saturday of the month, BGS regularly hosts a FREE, in-person Genealogy Open Lab. The Lab is dedicated genealogy research time without the distractions at home. Research on your own, or if you have questions about a research problem, the Open Lab volunteers or other participants are nearby to offer assistance.

There is not a program presentation at the Open Lab. Bring your laptop or other device to use for research; WiFi is available. Come once, or come every 1st Saturday. The BGS Library is open, too, from 10 AM to 2:00 PM.

The public is invited to the Open Lab. If you are interested in starting your family tree, come to the Lab. We can help your find you first ancestor and assist you in beginning to research your family history. 

Location: Williamson Hall, 2200 NE Hwy 20, Bend, 97701. Click here for a map to see the Hall's location. Thank you for clicking Register to RSVP, so we know to expect you.

10 AM (Pacific Time), Tues, April 8th, 2025 - Hybrid Mtg

The Magic of German Church Records

Learn how to extract the exact information you need from those valuable German church records – without having to decipher every word. We’ll take an in-depth look at the columns you’ll come across, and discover where to find - and how to read - important words that will tell you all about your German ancestor. Get ready to make the most out of any records you find!

Katherine Schober:  Katherine is German-English genealogy translator, author, and dedicated educator. As the founder of Germanology Unlocked, she brings over a decade of professional experience to her mission of helping individuals uncover and preserve their German family stories.

She specializes in deciphering old German handwriting, offering a range of services that include expert translations, engaging webinars, and in-depth classes and workshops. Her expertise has made her a sought-after speaker at major national genealogy conferences such as RootsTech, the International German Genealogy Partnership Conference, National Genealogical Society, and more.

Her contributions to the field have been featured on the History Channel and PBS’ “Finding Your Roots”.

Ancestor Short Story Workshop

USING PHOTOS & GRAPHICS

Learn How to use Photos & Graphics
in Your Short Story

In this workshop, you'll learn how to prepare and add graphics or photos to your story.
We'll cover the differences between scanned images, digital photos, and copy-and-paste methods. You'll explore common techniques such as cutting and pasting, inserting digital images, and optimizing and formatting them for the best placement. Additionally, we'll introduce the use of a light tent to enhance your visuals.

Who Should Attend?

Our Ancestor Short Story – Workshops are designed for anyone writing a short story about their ancestors. This workshop is open to all however, the primary focus will be on properly using Photos and Graphics within a story.

Be Ready:

✅ Bring your laptop, journal, or digital notebook

✅ Have a photo and / or graphic file on your device
        (No Graphic or Photo on your device? Then come early (by noon)
          we'll help you load one to use for this workshop program)
✅ Registration required
✅ We provide Wi-Fi and extension outlets for your convenience

Location & Details:

BGS Library at Williamson Hall (behind Jake’s Diner)
Library Hours: 11 AM – 4 PM – Arrive early, bring lunch or coffee, and make it a full writing day!

Join us to get help or offer support to fellow genealogy writers.
Let’s preserve our ancestors’ stories with accuracy and authenticity!

Please review the Ancestor Short Story Project page for more information. 

This program is free for everyone & registration is required! We look forward to seeing you at the BGS Library on Thursday 17th of April at 1:00 PM for this Ancestor Short Story Workshop program!

What Is Your Story?

Meet with fellow genealogists on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Kelly McCray hosts Coffee & Cousins from 10 AM to Noon. Share your discoveries, mysteries, finds, and brick walls!

Experienced & Independent

Researchers Welcome! 

DNA Workshop Series:
DNA Painter by Jonny Perl

Last November we had to cancel our DNA Workshop Series session on DNA Painter. We are now rescheduling it for April 22nd at 10 am.  It will be a Hybrid event, you can attend In-person at Williamson Hall or join by Zoom (registration required to get Zoom link for the event).

Read about the 5-session series at the DNA Series webpage. All sessions were FREE. Thank you to everyone who participated in the series!

Gary Putnam, BGS Past President, is the Workshop Host. He has been researching families for 63+ years. 

The workshops are not lectures, but rather hands-on learning, and the focus is on utilizing DNA websites effectively to advance your genealogical research. Gary will share multiple examples from his DNA accounts at each company in the series.

DNA Painter is not a testing site. It is an award-winning website with a suite of 15 tools that can help you analyze and visualize your DNA matches. Find out which of the tools Gary demonstrates when you attend on 20 Nov.

Seeing DNA Painter in action will make it a fun morning! In-person participants may bring laptops and use the WiFi in Williamson Hall to access DNA Painter's FREE or subscription levels.

Be ready to ask specific questions or make comments related to your personal DNA research. Zoom participants can ask questions or make comments in Chat.

Gary encourages you to attend even if you have not used DNA Painter, since it has many features helpful for genealogical research. You may discover new ways to research by learning about DNA Painter.

If you haven't taken a DNA test yet, you are welcome to attend and see what DNA Painter can do. Registration required to receive the Zoom link. 

On the 1st Saturday of the month, BGS regularly hosts a FREE, in-person Genealogy Open Lab. The Lab is dedicated genealogy research time without the distractions at home. Research on your own, or if you have questions about a research problem, the Open Lab volunteers or other participants are nearby to offer assistance.

There is not a program presentation at the Open Lab. Bring your laptop or other device to use for research; WiFi is available. Come once, or come every 1st Saturday. The BGS Library is open, too, from 10 AM to 2:00 PM.

The public is invited to the Open Lab. If you are interested in starting your family tree, come to the Lab. We can help your find you first ancestor and assist you in beginning to research your family history. 

Location: Williamson Hall, 2200 NE Hwy 20, Bend, 97701. Click here for a map to see the Hall's location. Thank you for clicking Register to RSVP, so we know to expect you.

10 AM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, May 13, 2025  Hybrid - Zoom or In-Person at Williams Hall.   

ANNUAL MEETING:  

•State of our Society

•Election of Officers for 2025-2026

•Recognition of Volunteers

          AND

PROGRAM: Our Favorite Genealogy Websites by Jim Kleinschmidt, Sandy Thompson, Clark Pederson & Kim Anderson-Mitchell

Four of our members will share with you and demonstrate the use of their favorite genealogy websites:  Jim Kleinschmidt: findagrave.com, Sandy Thompson: myheritage.com, Clark Pederson: familysearch.org, and Kim Anderson-Mitchell:  newspapers.com,   fultonhistory.com, and gro.gov.uk.  

Come and hear about how members use their favorite genealogy websites!

The Annual Meeting will be first followed by the program which will start about 10:45 am 

Registration required to receive the Zoom link.

Learn Family Tree Maker (FTM): Genealogy Program
for Windows and Mac

ZOOM-only & FREE for everyone

Join the FTM Interest Group, facilitated by Sue Dolezal, to learn about using the features of FTM in the most effective ways, and discover the additions and improvements in version 2024, when it is released.

While the group will use the free, online FTM Companion Guide as a study guide for the sessions, your comments, questions, and tips will make the interest group a lively workshop experience for everyone.

Click here to  view the FTM webpage in the Events section of the BGS website. The plan right now is for the group to meet every other month through May.

The Zoom meeting will be open at 5:45 PM for extra chatting time before the official start at 6 PM. Join early, if you are available.

Registration is required to receive the link to join the Zoom meeting.

On the 1st Saturday of the month, BGS regularly hosts a FREE, in-person Genealogy Open Lab. The Lab is dedicated genealogy research time without the distractions at home. Research on your own, or if you have questions about a research problem, the Open Lab volunteers or other participants are nearby to offer assistance.

There is not a program presentation at the Open Lab. Bring your laptop or other device to use for research; WiFi is available. Come once, or come every 1st Saturday. The BGS Library is open, too, from 10 AM to 2:00 PM.

The public is invited to the Open Lab. If you are interested in starting your family tree, come to the Lab. We can help your find you first ancestor and assist you in beginning to research your family history. 

Location: Williamson Hall, 2200 NE Hwy 20, Bend, 97701. Click here for a map to see the Hall's location. Thank you for clicking Register to RSVP, so we know to expect you.