The following is a press release written by the folks at: JewishBoard.org:

• National Desertion Bureau Card Catalog (1911–1935)
https://150yearsofcare.org/ndb-database/
An index to cases pursued by the National Desertion Bureau, an agency that helped women track down husbands who had abandoned their families. Each entry typically includes the husband’s and wife’s names, the date a case was opened, the referring agency, the recorded “cause of desertion,” the case disposition, and a case/file number. From the database, readers can request the corresponding case file from the YIVO Archives at no cost.

• United Hebrew Charities of New York: Recipients & Donors (1869–1877)
https://150yearsofcare.org/uhc-recipients/
A dataset of 1,231 recipients and 368 donors from New York City’s United Hebrew Charities. Fields include names, street addresses, amounts of aid, and contemporary “worthiness” notations; entries also appear on aninteractive map that helps place families on specific blocks and visualize neighborhood patterns in the 1870s.

Both resources live at 150yearsofcare.org, a new digital exhibit marking The Jewish Board’s 150th anniversary.

An interesting article at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/an-inside-look-at-how-pbs-host-henry-louis-gates-jr-met-pope-leo 

Monday, September 8, 2025     6:15 PM

Kelowna and District Genealogical Society, Zoom Meeting

"Taking Advantage of Google Translate on Foreign Language Databases for Better Results," with Vera Ivanova Miller

So much information is offered for genealogy research on foreign websites. Vera Ivanova Miller will show how to use several databases for Ukrainian, Russian, German, Polish and Belarusian, genealogy with the Google Translate web browser app step-by-step. In addition viewers will see how to search in foreign languages on Google with the app. Her presentation will also include how the Russian-Ukrainian war is affecting research in Russia and Ukraine and how to work around the challenges due to the war. This presentation will give your genealogy research an extra boost by showing how to find more useful information, resulting in saving time and money, where ever you are researching for your genealogy.

Vera Ivanova Miller, a former newspaper reporter, has been researching her ancestry from Ukraine, Russia and Poland since 2006. Her journey was the inspiration in 2011 to start a blog "Find Lost Russian and Ukrainian Family, (https://lostrussianfamily.wordpress.com/) that was honoured as a 2023 Family Tree Magazine "101 Best Websites". Thanks to learning how to use Russian-and Ukrainian- language resources online, Vera has been able to trace her Eastern European family tree back to the 1600's. She is the author of "Genealogy at a Glance: Ukrainian Genealogy Research" and "Genealogy at a Glance: Russian Genealogy Research", publications of Genealogical Publishing Co.

Bite-size presentation to follow: Searching the KDGS Central Okanagan Obituary Database, by KDGS member, Xenia Stanford.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Price: KDGS members Free; non-members $10

Kelowna and District Genealogical Society annual membership fee is: Single-$50 or Family-$60.

For the 2025/26 year we have a schedule of speakers with a variety of backgrounds and experience in genealogical research.

Join us! New Members Welcome! Get to know your Ancestors!

For more info visit KDGS.ca

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Ranger Division, working in conjunction with the Mineral Wells Police Department, has arrested William Henry Lowery (W/M, 60 YOA, photograph included at left) for an Aggravated Sexual Assault that occurred on December 10th, 2016.

On December 10th, 2016, the Mineral Wells Police Department responded to a call for service in the 300 block of 27th Street. At the time, investigators learned that a female victim had been sexually assaulted by an unknown male in her home. The suspect fled the scene before police arrival. During the investigation, law enforcement collected DNA evidence from the crime scene.

In 2023, this case was adopted by the Texas Ranger Sexual Assault Kit Initiative program (SAKI) under a grant from the United States Department of Justice. This grant provides funds for advanced DNA testing, including genealogy. Evidence was sent to BODE technology for SNP testing and genealogy research. Through this testing, a possible suspect was identified.

Evidence collected from the crime scene was compared to a possible suspect, identified as William Lowery. An arrest warrant for Aggravated Sexual Assault was issued, and Lowery was arrested on August 7th, 2025.

The Texas Department of Public Safety thanks the Mineral Wells Police Department for their continuous efforts to bring justice for the victim in this case. The Texas Rangers appreciate the grant funding from the United States Department of Justice.

 

The El Cajon Police Department needs your help; DNA may hold the key to uncovering the identity of a woman lost to time—and justice.

On August 13, 1998, the body of an unidentified woman was found in the brush near the 1300 block of Avocado Ave in El Cajon, CA. The victim, believed to be a white or Hispanic female in her 30s, stood around 5’2” and weighed approximately 110 lbs. She had brown hair and signs of at least one prior pregnancy.

She wore a silver herringbone bracelet, black shoes, and a blue t-shirt that read: “Woodruff Warriors 20 Year Reunion 1971–1991.”

She is believed to be a victim of a homicide.

Thanks to advancements in forensic technology, her DNA was submitted to Othram Labs for genetic genealogy and Parabon Labs for phenotyping — revealing ancestral roots in Michoacán, Mexico and a possible relative in the San Diego area.

Someone out there knows who she is. More than two decades have passed, but her story is still waiting for an ending.

If you recognize this person or have any information on this homicide, please contact the El Cajon Police Department’s Cold Case Unit at 619-593-5774 or coldcaseunit@elcajon.gov(link sends e-mail).

The Local History Center of Rockbridge Regional Library System will offer a free online Zoom class on FamilySearch.org Tuesdays, Sept. 9 through Oct. 7, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. FamilySearch. org is the world’s largest free genealogy website.

Kerri-Ann Prince, an outreach program specialist, will lead the Zoom classes. Volunteers will help with one-on-one projects during the last part of each session.

Space is limited, so register by Sept. 2 by emailing Penny Dudley at pdudley@rrlib.net. For additional information, email her or call (540) 258-2509.

The sky-high shelves in Western's climate-controlled Archives and Research Collections Centre now house a remarkable gift: more than 150 years of medical history, entrusted to Western by the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).

This donation marks a meaningful chapter in the collaboration between two institutions with deep roots in London’s medical and academic history. Comprising 152 boxes of photographs, handwritten letters, medical records, and other artifacts, the collection traces the evolution of health care in the region.

“These records are a major part of London’s history and health care in Canada,” says Anne Quirk, Archivist in Archives and Special Collections at Western Libraries. “Bringing them into a secure, professionally managed archival environment means we can preserve them and eventually open them up to researchers. It’s a celebration of this community’s health-care legacy.”

A Century and a Half of Stories

The donated materials span institutions such as Beck Memorial Sanatorium, South Street Hospital, War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Westminster Hospital, and the London General Training School for Nurses—one of the earliest nursing programs in the region. Among the collection are items that speak to the lived experiences of health-care workers: letters from nurses, including one expressing frustration over not receiving time off for Christmas and hinting at a potential strike; a nurse’s uniform; a ceramic device for steam inhalations; and a wide range of medical records and administrative documents.

Darren Hamilton, Clinical Librarian Specialist at LHSC, led the initiative to ensure the archives were preserved for future generations.

“I connected with archival experts from across Ontario,” says Hamilton. “Anne Quirk and the team at Western Libraries were excited to develop this collaboration that maintains LHSC’s history at home in London at Western. These items are invaluable to those researching health care in London, and I am pleased that they will be well kept by the Western team.”

Research Potential: Unlocking New Narratives

While the materials have not yet been processed, the potential for research is already clear. Plans are underway to create a finding aid, enter descriptive information into Western’s searchable archives database, and explore digitization for broader access.

“We’re excited about the possibilities,” says Quirk. “These materials could support research in medical history, public health, nursing education, and even local business and social history. The scope is vast.”

Western Libraries has a strong track record of supporting research through its archival holdings. A recent example is the Bucke-Grosh expedition project, where a team of endurance athletes retraced a 19th-century gold-seeking journey using documents from the Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke and Family fonds. Bucke, a co-founder of Western’s medical school, survived the harrowing trek and left behind journals and maps that helped modern history enthusiasts reconstruct the route.

"That project shows how archival materials can help in bringing history to life,” says Quirk. “We scanned over 600 documents for the team, and they used them to correct and enrich the story of Bucke’s journey. That kind of impact is exactly what we hope to see with the LHSC collection.”

Looking Ahead

As Western Libraries begins the careful work of processing the LHSC archives, the academic community can look forward to new opportunities for interdisciplinary research, public engagement, and historical insight.

“This is more than a donation—it’s an invitation to explore, question, and understand,” says Quirk. “We’re honoured to be the stewards of this legacy.”

The following is a press release written by the folks at the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Thanks to an historically-conscious couple in California, the Pearl Harbor Navy (PHNY) Logbook from March 1941-June 1942 —which records and documents the December 7, 1941 attack as it occurred— was recovered by the U.S. government, resides in the National Archives and is now available to the American people.

Read About The Recovery Efforts In The Washington Post 

Jim Byron, Senior Advisor to the Acting Archivist, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said: “This special item is one of the few surviving records that helps tell the story of  the ‘date which will live in infamy.’ Thanks to the efforts of an historically-conscious California couple, it is now available to the American people, allowing everyone to better appreciate their history --- and especially the sacrifice and heroism of December 7, 1941.”

The Logbook contains regular, handwritten entries from March 1941 —when war in Europe was raging but prior to the entry of the United States— to June 1942 at the Battle of Midway. It shows the daily happenings at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, including vessel movements and which ships were under repair.

The devastating attack of December 7, 1941 by Japan brought the United States into World War II; a lesser-known, second attack on Pearl Harbor on March 4, 1942, known as Operation K is also recorded in this logbook, as is the repair of the USS Yorktown (CV 5) following the Battle of Coral Sea.

Enlarge

Entries from Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard Logbook, December 6-7, 1941.

NOTE: Here’s an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it describes news about the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel  (and the FamilySearch Library) which has always been a very popular hotel for genealogists visiting Salt Lake City:

The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel has stood for 50 years in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, but it’s going to be closed and razed, according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ land development company.

The midrise hotel at 122 W. South Temple, one of downtown’s more affordable lodging options, will be demolished, according to a statement Tuesday from the church-owned Property Reserve. The teardown also will include the long-shuttered JB’s restaurant on the corner of West Temple and South Temple.

The plaza will become a parking area to help with traffic for the open house to mark the reopening of the Salt Lake Temple in April 2027.

The 13-story hotel building features 150 rooms, according to the hotel’s website. The building, which opened in 1973, is nestled between Abravanel Hall and the FamilySearch Library, which was previously the Family History Museum.

The decision to demolish the hotel was made due to the “costs to maintain, operate and update its aging structure continue to rise,” the release stated.

Guests will not be able to stay at the hotel after Nov. 1, according to the release.

“Property Reserve will provide financial support and job-searching assistance to hotel employees to help them transition to new employment, as the hotel prepares to close in November,” the release stated. Property Reserve did not respond to a question on how many employees work at the hotel.

The release noted that there will be 7,421 remaining hotel rooms within a mile of downtown Salt Lake City following the Plaza Hotel’s demolition.

The plaza landscaping “will complement” the nearby Temple Square and FamilySearch Library, the release stated. Plans for the parking area after the 2027 open house have yet to be determined.

Breast cancer, the most common cancer in women, makes up roughly 30% of new female cancers each year. The American Cancer Society reports nearly 317,000 new breast cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2025, with more than 42,000 women dying from the disease.

A significant amount of these cases is due to genetic mutations from parents passing defective genes down to their children.

"We inherit DNA material from our parents, both mother and father, and sometimes these genes can have a defect," says Jamin Addae, MD, a breast surgeon with OSF HealthCare. "This means the gene would not work very well, like a normal gene would." 

A significant family history of breast cancer is found in about 25% of patients with the disease. Up to 10% of all persons with a new diagnosis of breast cancer will have an “identifiable genetic mutation” that caused or increased the risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Addae says.

"For women with male relatives who have prostate cancer, these women in the family may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The gene mutation could increase the risk of several types of cancer, for instance in the case of BRCA 1 mutation, it increases the risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers,” Dr. Addae says. “Males in the family may not develop any cancers ("silent carriers) or may develop prostate cancer if they have the gene mutation. They can then pass this defective gene to their daughters who would later develop breast cancer. The disease itself is not what is passed down to the child, it is the defective gene that increases the risk of breast cancer that is passed down"

Several gene mutations can be passed down from parent to child.

• BRCA 1: Angelina Jolie carries this mutation, which she has spoken publicly about. This increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
• BRCA 2: Increases the risk of breast, prostate and other cancers.
• PTEN mutation, which can lead to PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS). PHTS increases risk for breast, endometrial, thyroid, and colon cancers.
• TP53 mutation
• STK11 mutation: Linked to Peutz-Jegher's syndrome
• PALB2 mutation: Very rare. Linked to a higher risk of breast cancer and hereditary pancreatic cancer.
• CD81 mutation

These gene mutations can increase your risk of developing breast cancer significantly over an 85-year lifespan, Dr. Addae says.

So how do you know if you have a gene mutation? Most of the time, you wouldn’t.

"With BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, you might have people in your family with prostate cancer, breast cancer or ovarian cancer. With this combination of cancers and young people developing these cancers, that serves as a red flag, which tells you with this strong family history, there might be something going on,” he adds.

To qualify for genetic testing, Dr. Addae says medical professionals must follow specific guidelines first. 

• You don't have breast cancer, but you come to your oncology team with a strong family history of cancers. 
• There are people with known mutations in your family.
• You come with a diagnosis of breast cancer under the age of 50 (some guidelines say 65).
• You have triple-negative breast cancer.
• You have Stage 4 breast cancer. Genetic testing might show your cancer team certain types of helpful treatment that are only available for people with that type of gene mutation.
• You have other family members with breast, prostate or ovarian cancer, and you develop breast cancer. 

Additionally, Dr. Addae says there are modifiable risk factors, or things we can control, that increase the risk of breast cancer. 

• Waiting longer to have a child
• Taking oral contraception
• Post-menopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy
• Radiation for certain cancers (like lymphoma): Dr. Addae notes that if the medical team deems radiation for lymphoma necessary, it’s important to receive the treatment
• Post-menopausal weight gain

There are proactive things you can do to decrease your risk of breast cancer as well

• Cut out smoking
• Decrease the amount of alcohol you drink
• Know your family history

Making an appointment with your doctor for a screening, along with self-examination of your breasts, are good ways to keep an eye on things, Dr. Addae adds.

For more information on breast cancer and programs and services available, head to the OSF HealthCare website.