Oakland FamilySearch Center Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events     April 27, 2021     6:30 pm PDT Cracking Your Brick Wall with DNA Matches A Case Study from an Amateur Genealogist - presented by Ross Reynolds How do I make sense of my 5,000+ DNA matches? Who are these 4th and 5th cousins with surnames I don't recognize? Join us as Ross Reynolds talks about using DNA for family research and the lessons learned along the way. This case study will start with the basics and progress into advanced techniques, like cluster analysis, all with the purpose of answering your family history questions. Ross Reynolds is a product manager and tech entrepreneur. He also describes himself as an amateur genealogist who has struggled to get beyond the brick wall where record keeping ends in the 1700-1800's. His personal research extends across a family with European, Asian, Latin, and African American roots.     May 12, 2021     6:30 pm PDT Our Portuguese-American Ancestors: From the Azores and Madeira to the U.S. - presented by Ralph Severson There are over one million people living in the United States who have Portuguese roots, the majority coming from the Azores and Madeira. This class will explore various methods of tracing one's Luso-American ancestors across the Atlantic and back to the islands, and to the Portuguese mainland. Ralph Severson is currently the director of the Oakland FamilySearch Library, and has been researching his Azorean ancestors since the 1980's. He previously worked at Goldman Sachs for 30 years in the investment banking business. Ralph is married to Elizabeth Susan "Sue" Severson, also an avid genealogist, and has 5 married children and 22 grandchildren. Besides family history, Ralph's passions are family, baseball, the stock market, gardening and reading.