Kelowna & District Genealogical Society

06/15/2026

AI is on our minds these days and we all want to use it to the greatest advantage.
This article teaches how to speak to AI to get the results you're looking for.

If you’ve attended one of my webinars, read my book, or followed my social media posts, you’ve probably heard me talk about the basic structure of a good AI prompt as: Role – Task – For…

06/01/2026

Do you use wildcards when you search? It is a skill that seems to be lost. Try them out at Familysearch.org

https://www.learnfamilyhistory.com/wildcards-familysearch

Every genealogist eventually hits the same wall: the record you know should exist simply will not appear in your search results.

05/31/2026

Don’t miss our last Family History Forum before the summer break! Claire Smith-Burns will share some great ideas for “Crowdsourcing” your genealogy brick-walls!

June 23: Generosity & Genealogy: Crowdsourcing Your Family History Research - Reach out for help on your Brick Walls!

The genealogy world is full of passionate family historians, archivists and librarians who love to share their knowledge and contribute to your success. We will explore many avenues (some surprising!) for crowdsourcing your family history to find the answers you are looking for!

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 6:30pm PDT

Presenter: Claire Smith-Burns

Location: via Zoom

REGISTRATION REQUIRED through the Okanagan Regional Library’s Events Calendar, https://orl.libcal.com/calendar/kelowna/fhf





Claire Smith-Burns

05/23/2026

Reverse image search is a valuable tool if you have photos with no details.

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega explains how to do a reverse image search for unknown people or locations in old photos. In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega explains how to do a reverse image search for unknown people or locations in old photos.

05/23/2026

Did you know that when you use Full Text Search on FamilySearch at home, some records aren't searched? This blog post from Lisa S. Gorrell's blog My Trails Into the Past, explains how to find which ones.

Is your local library an Family Search Affiliate? Visit there, log into their wifi and more records are available.

The KDGS Resource Centre is located in the dfowntown Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. Stop by and have a look at our wonderful collection and take some time to do some full-text searches.

https://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/2026/05/new-strategies-when-using-full-text.html?

Researching: Davey, Gleeson, Gorrell, Hork, Hutson, Johnston, Jones, Lundquist, Nilsen, Selman, Sievert, Sullivan, Tierney, & Wollenweber.

05/06/2026

Obituaries are definitely one of the records genealogists seek out. We are pleased to have Xenia Stanford tell us about what we can learn from an Obituary at our May 26th FREE Family History Forum!

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM AN OBITUARY!
“Contrary to what you might believe, the obits page is full of life.” — Catherine Garcia, The Week. An obituary is more than a final notice; it’s a cultural time capsule. Whether you are tracing a family tree or uncovering a city’s past, these records are the ultimate key to unlocking a community’s history. In this talk, we go beyond the ink to find the "hidden" stories waiting in any archive. Using local examples—from a 1904 infant to a nearly 110-year-old matriarch—we will demonstrate women were once "invisible" hidden behind a husband’s initials, bridge the generations by turning every notice into a roadmap for your family tree, and discover the incredible stories of how people lived and died. Join us to learn how to look past the paper to find the person. Because when we give a name back to the nameless, we don’t just record history—we restore it. “They say you die twice. Once when you stop breathing, and the last time somebody says your name.” – Banksy. We give life to them once more.

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 6:30pm

Presenter: Xenia Stanford

Location: via Zoom

About Xenia Stanford
A researcher for over 60 years, Xenia Stanford has always been drawn to the documents that define us. At one family reunion, when Xenia went missing, her sister knew exactly where to look: "Oh, she’s probably at the cemetery." She was right—but for Xenia, there is a vital difference between a headstone and an obituary. While one marks a death, the other celebrates a life. As Chair of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society’s Obituary Committee and leader of the Central Okanagan Obituaries Project, Xenia has reviewed thousands of the 25,000+ records in the database, ensuring that every photo and detail serves its true purpose: to show exactly who these people were in life.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED through the Okanagan Regional Library’s Events Calendar, https://orl.libcal.com/event/3988571.

04/30/2026

From Family History Daily some great questions to get you started or boost you along. Or, if you've been researching for a long time, to remind you of how much fun it is to find new things!

Every day at Family History Daily we see questions from our readers, students and group members about their family history research and trees. Here are 25 of your most-asked questions answered!