Genealogical Forum of Oregon

09/04/2026

Please join our PACIFIC NORTHWEST GENEALOGY GROUP: Our next online meeting is Sunday, Sept 6 from 5:30 p.m. (PT). Register for this online SIG meeting at https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/pnwsig.html

Facilitated by Kenith Fritsche. The Pacific Northwest (PNW) has a unique history, from hosting the most culturally diverse indigenous populations in the United States, to supporting the arrival of tens of thousands of Oregon Trail settlers, and cultivating the boom years of the Silicon Forest. The PNW region is a special collection of ethnicities, people, and culture that deserves to be studied and learned about.

Please join us by Zoom on the first Sunday of every month to discuss genealogy
focused research topics, ideas, and project opportunities pertaining to the region.

https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/pnwsig.html

A GFO Special Interest Group (SIG) on the Pacific Northwest (PNW) area of the United States, its genealogical history, diverse population, and cultures.

09/03/2026

Please join VIRGINIA ROOTS & VINES: Our next online meeting is Saturday, Sept 5 from 10 a.m. to Noon. (PT). Registration available at https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/virginia.html

We hope you are all having a great summer. But now it’s time to plan for the new Virginia SIG year. In September, let’s meet to share our summer discoveries and plans for this upcoming year. We hope you have ideas for future meetings – what topics do you want to learn about, or know more about? See you on September 5th.
---
Virginia, the birthplace of the United States - the first permanent British settlement,
the birthplace of several presidents. Two more states were created from Virginia, and several more created from land ceded to the new government. The Great Wagon Road and the Wilderness Road – key routes to open and settle the country- ran through Virginia. In our meetings, we discuss all this and look at how to research in this difficult state.
Please join us and tell your friends. It’s free and open to the public.
https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/virginia.html

The GFO Virginia Roots and Vines is here to help you trace your roots to the earliest days of the settlement.

09/03/2026

08/23/2026

A huge thank you to all who attended the Property Research Class! Your enthusiasm and great questions brought the material to life.

Couldn’t make it? Our website has plenty of research tools to get you started - more class dates coming in 2027.

08/21/2026

Please join our FAMILY TREE MAKER GROUP: Our next online meeting is Sunday, Aug 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. (PT) Register in advance for this free meeting here:
https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/family-tree-maker.html

Whether you are considering a move to Family Tree Maker, just starting to use it, or have been using it for years, you will find value in this special interest group.
Please join us and tell your friends. It’s free and open to the public.

https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/family-tree-maker.html

Family Tree Maker software users can learn tips and tricks with the GFO's FTM group.

08/17/2026

Please join our IRISH ANCESTRY GROUP: Our next online meeting is Wednesday, Aug 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (PT) Register for this online SIG meeting at
https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/irish.html

Although all of the island of Ireland is included, our primary focus is the genealogical research of the Republic of Ireland, also known as the Irish Free State, Éire, Ireland, and Southern Ireland. Please join us and tell your friends. It’s free and open to the public.

https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/irish.html

Explore your Irish heritage. The GFO's Irish Ancestry Group is here to help you track your roots.

08/16/2026

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) is so proud of the work the volunteers have done with the Historic Columbian Cemetery Project! https://gfo.org/resources/digitalarchive/hcc/

Another Tool to Help Find a Grave
If you are looking for a burial location in Historic Columbian Cemetery (HCC), have you checked the Find a Grave website?
Genealogical Forum of Oregon volunteers (one family in particular) walked the entire cemetery last summer, row by row, obtaining GPS coordinates for all the grave markers they could find. One participant said, “It was a lot of fun to work on this as a family project. :-) Find a Grave shows far more memorials for folks than have a visible marker. When we started, only 4% of the HCC memorials on Find a Grave had GPS coordinates (approximately 280 graves). When we finished visiting the visible graves, 54% of the memorials had coordinates, or 3710 graves, so we ended up adding coordinates for more than 3400 graves!”
The image shows the GPS coordinates for the cemetery and a closeup of one section. To use this tool, go to Find a Grave, find Historic Columbian Cemetery, and click on Map. Then enter a name to search. Another way is to search for the person from the HCC page. On their memorial, click on Map for an image showing their location.
More markers have been located, and the coordinates are being added as time permits.

08/10/2026

Please join our GREAT LAKES REGION ANCESTRY GROUP: Our next online meeting is Wednesday, Aug 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (PT). Registration for our online SIG meeting available at https://gfo.org/learn/special-interest-groups/great-lakes-region.html

The group's interests include migration, travel, trade, historical events, and research techniques specific to the area. The group generally meets every other month on the second Wednesday. The facilitation of this group is a joint effort between the Genealogical Forum of Oregon (GFO) and the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society
(RVGS). Please join us and tell your friends. It’s free and open to the public.

The GFO's Great Lake Ancestry Group is here to help you trace your family roots in the upper midwest.

08/07/2026

Per Request:

Today, August 6, marks the 77th year since Thelma Anne Taylor was kidnapped and brutally murdered. It’s a day to remember the person she was, a 15-year-old girl with hopes and dreams and a life.
There is no need to rewrite the story of her end. It is all over the internet. She has her own Facebook profile. Wikipedia has a page with the story. She has a memorial on Find a Grave. KOIN 6 did a “Mystery Mondays” segment about the crime. On Facebook, “Forgotten Oregon” and “Ancient Chronicles” have recounted the story, and the list goes on. But don’t believe everything you read. There are discrepancies and tales that beg a little skepticism.
It’s unfortunate that so many of Thelma’s stories include so little about her and transform into lengthy accounts about the person who murdered her. It would be nice if more was known about her, to tell of her life rather than her death.
Thelma Ann Taylor was born on December 12, 1933, to Clarence A. Taylor and Florence (Hoyt) Taylor. U.S. census records from 1930 and 1940 show the family home at 9903 North Oregonian Avenue was the only home Thelma knew. She had a younger sister.
Thelma is said to have enjoyed spending time with her family and helping around the house. She worked doing odd jobs to contribute to the family income. She attended George School for six years and was graduated from James John Grade School in 1947. She attended Roosevelt High School and would have returned as a sophomore in the fall. She was described as quiet and kind.
On August 5, 1949, Thelma left her home in North Portland, reportedly heading out on a routine errand. It was an ordinary day for the family until Thelma didn’t return home.
Thelma was buried in Historic Columbian Cemetery on August 15, 1949. Her grave is marked with a small headstone; a reminder of the life she lived, one that was taken too soon.

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Dillinger, Find a Grave member no. 47565151