Annual Membership Meeting, Saturday, January 9: Live on Zoom

The festive board at a previous Membership Meeting.
This year, BYOB (bring your own brunch) and enjoy
online fellowship with other CGS members

We hope you'll make a virtual appearance at our Annual Membership Meeting this coming Saturday, January 9.  We know it's not the same without the usual potluck and in-person fraternizing, but you can still see your friends online (and message one another via the Chat feature). President James Sorenson will give a recap of the past year and Past President Jane Lindsey will discuss the 2022 National Genealogical Society Conference in Sacramento, which CGS is hosting. We'll also vote on the slate of new nominees to the board and the 2021 budget. 

Still here and fun-loving as ever.

 

Grab your favorite snack and beverage of choice, and join fellow CGS members online - for Auld Lang Syne. Enjoy these photos from past Membership Meetings and remember: we WILL gather again some day. A toast to the new year, and to putting the pandemic behind us!

Register at EventBrite to receive your link to the Zoom meeting.

We'll meet again!

 

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society

CGS Member Perks: A Visit to the Oakland Library History Room

Photos by Kathy Ikeda and Jennifer Dix

Librarian Dorothy Lazard in the Oakland History Room

One of the many perks that come with being a member of the California Genealogical Society is getting to go on special members-only outings every year. On January 23, a group of us got a close-up look at the Oakland Public Library’s historical and genealogical holdings. The delightful Dorothy Lazard, principal librarian at the Oakland History Room, gave us an introduction to the library’s rich trove of books and artifacts.

The History Room holds numerous documents that could prove invaluable for local genealogical research. These include bound volumes of Oakland birth and death certificates from 1870 to 1904, records of the West Oakland Home orphanage, Oakland Police arrest records from 1877 to 1912, indexes to vital records and cemeteries in several other counties, numerous old photos, and much more. For details, check out the old-fashioned card catalog, housed in good old wooden storage drawers (the library catalog is also online).

The library has some very detailed resources for property research in the Map Room. Dorothy passed around the oversized “Block Books,” tax assessment records showing owners’ names block by block. They also have a finely detailed Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, which showed the footprint of buildings and recorded physical details such as building material, number of floors, whether it has a basement, etc. Dorothy showed us that by backlighting pages, you may detect previous structures that were pasted over during later surveys.

Looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in the Map Room

Dorothy demonstrates how backlighting may reveal
earlier elements of the map

Dorothy gave us a brief overview of Oakland’s history. West Oakland is the original core of the city that was incorporated as Oakland in 1854. It grew quickly over the next half century and by 1909 was the second largest city in California. We got a rundown on the origins of the annexed districts: for example, Brooklyn was originally settled by Mormons and named for the ship that brought the settlers from New York in 1854; the San Antonio neighborhood takes its name from the old Peralta family ranch. The glass display case in the History Room is used for rotating exhibits. Currently it showcases Oakland’s final annexation in 1909, when the city came to encompass Claremont, Fruitvale, Dimond, Fitchburg, Beulah, Melrose and Elmhurst districts.

While only a fraction of the library's historical collection is available online, there's still a lot to see. Go to the library's home page and click on "Oakland History Online" to start exploring. Our thanks to Dorothy Lazard for the wonderful tour and to Jane Lindsey for organizing the event. Our next two outings are coming up soon! Click on the names below for more information:

Feb. 25: Field Trip to the California Historical Society

March 21: "The Naughty and Notorious Tour of Mountain View Cemetery"

All smiles after an informative and enjoyable visit!

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Summer Thursday Evenings at the Library

In case you missed it: our library is open till 8 p.m. on Thursdays in July and August! More time for research, and we offer FREE classes by a variety of our members.

Talks kicked off last week with Robert Jackson speaking on "Discovering Your German Roots." This is a 3-part series, with classes continuing July 18 & 25. Check the listing for more details.

On August 1, Stewart Blandón Traiman discusses "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Genealogy."

Maureen Hanlon offers tips on research using "Historical Newspapers" on August 8. 


August 15: Therese Hart-Pignotti and Dawn Kosmakos lead a DNA roundtable.


August 22: Keith Montgomery talks about using Genome Mate Pro to keep track of your DNA information.


August 29: Jane Lindsey presents "Beyond the Search Boxes on FamilySearch."

The classes are all free, but size is limited; please follow the link to register your attendance.

Parking is free after 6 p.m. in downtown Oakland, and North Oakland is hopping with new restaurants within blocks. Grab a friend and come on down!

All our events can be found listed on the CGS Facebook page

or on our website:

or at EventBrite.com (search for California Genealogical Society)

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

January 12, 2019: Annual Meeting & Program

Please join us for the 2019 CGS Annual meeting. Before the meeting, we will share a potluck lunch.

All are welcome--just bring a dish to share with your fellow members. We have potluck at 11:30 a.m. The meeting begins at 12:15 p.m. We will review the past year's activities and discuss plans for 2019, including a report on the Strategic Plan. After business, all are invited to stay and hear stories from two of our members:

1 - Chris Pattillo will share a story about how FamilySearch helped her find a third cousin once removed who lives in the town of Hildesheim, Germany where their shared second great grandparents lived. This new connection led to a treasure trove of information and two more generations of ancestors not previously known to her.

St Goehard's Church in Hildesheim, Germany
where Chris Pattillo's great grandparents were
married. Photo by Thomas Henze, the subject
of Chris's talk

Her presentation will prove the benefits of "talking to strangers" and show how getting a little help from friends can lead to new discoveries. Chris is an entertaining storyteller with useful tips and reminders for family history research.

2- And the Answer is Just a Phone Call Away!

Have you found a family member's phone number but were afraid to call?  Jane Lindsey shares how she got some amazing results by just making ONE phone call.

You can register on Eventbrite for the talks; room limited to 50 people. We hope to see you there! 

Here are the event details:

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Potluck Lunch at 11:30

Membership Meeting at 12:15

Speakers from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Location: CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Oakland, CA

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Report from the field: The Allen County Library Trip

The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library

Last month, CGS led a research trip to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It ran concurrently with the annual meeting of the Federal of Genealogical Societies. This year for the first time the trip was restricted to intermediate-level researchers. Everyone worked independently but there was a lot of networking and helping one another.

Led by CGS past president Jane Lindsey, the trip yielded some new discoveries for participants. Lavinia Schwarz, current researcher for the Cresap Family Association, was able to extend one of her long-neglected early female ancestors’ lines.  Kate Black was visiting the library for the first time and was so excited with the records available to her there. Wendy Polivka, Pat Smith, Sandy Fryer, Linda Darby, Alison Shedd, Kath Merilo, and Diana Edwards all were taking advantage of the unique resources at this library, the largest public genealogical library in the country. It holds more than 513,000 rolls of microfilm and 55,000 compiled genealogy volumes, as well as privately published family histories, an impressive collection of state and territorial censuses, and much more.

The gang: Diana Edwards, Pat Smith, Lavinia Schwarz, Kath Merilo, Wendy Polivka, Linda Darby, Alison Shedd, Sandy Fryer. Not shown: Kate Black. Photo: Jane Lindsey

We had dinner together every night. (Jane Lindsey notes, “Since my last trip there about eight years ago, the restaurants available have greatly improved!”) Regular breakfasts together at the hotel also provided more time for networking, and on Sunday morning we all gathered to brainstorm until the library opened at noon.

Trip leader and "mother hen" Jane Lindsey hoists a glass after a hard day of research

August is thunderstorm season in Indiana. Two members had flights delayed by a day due to the weather, and we had a few storms while we were in the library, too. Fortunately we didn’t have to go out in them!

For more than 10 years, CGS has organized research trips to this invaluable repository. We trust the tradition will continue.

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

The Hearts of the Fathers

"Gathering the Family of God" at LDS.org

Our friends at the Oakland LDS Family History Library shared this sweet video in which Bay Area people of all different backgrounds share the emotions they've experienced while discovering their ancestors. CGS members Jane Lindsey and Chris Pattillo are among those interviewed.

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Free talk, free resources!

The knowledgeable and always engaging Jane Lindsey will share tips about some of the best free websites for genealogy research, including USGenWeb, WorldGenWeb, RootsWeb, the state archives, Cyndi's List, and more. It's a great opportunity to learn how to use these popular sites or to refresh your knowledge.

This "casual talk" will take place Wednesday, April 18, at 2 p.m. at the Oakland FamilySearch Library, 4766 Lincoln Ave, Oakland. For more information, contact Teresa Coons at 510-531-3905.

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Capital Campaign Successful

The 2016-18 capital campaign is now officially over as of February 18, 2018 – the actual date of the Society’s 120th anniversary. As chair of the campaign I want to thank everyone who made a donation and helped us raise over $402,000. This money is invested in our Sherman-Haughton Fund and will continue to help augment the society’s financial needs for the next 100 years.

I, and committee members Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer, also want to thank everyone who helped us during the campaign. Lois Elling who designed special graphics for the campaign, Shannon Reese who helped with writing and editing blog posts, and Stewart Blandon who promoted the campaign in our eNews. Kathie Jones kept us up to date with monthly financial reports. Linda Okazaki was a tremendously helpful sounding board, and the Board of Directors who reviewed and acted on our ideas.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOU DID & FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

Chris Pattillo, CGS Capital Campaign Chair

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Capital Campaign: Help Us Finish Strong

by Chris Pattillo, Capital Campaign Chair

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today our Sherman-Haughton fund has $384,390 more than it did before the campaign began. Wouldn't it be great if we could reach $400,000 by the time our Capital Campaign ends on February 1st?

The official kickoff of the first ever California Genealogical Society (CGS) Capital Campaign was February 2017, nearly a year ago. The Campaign Committee (myself, Jane Lindsey & Sandy Fryer) reached out to our membership as well as to individuals and philanthropists who have an interest in preserving family history. Our goal was to raise $1.2 million in honor of the 120th anniversary of the society. We did not succeed in reaching this lofty goal but have succeeded in raising an incredible $384,390. This is an amazing number for an all-volunteer organization to raise!

Where does the money go?
Our investment committee has managed our funds prudently, so for the past ten years our portfolio has grown by an average of 9.4% a year. These funds provide financial security for our society, and provide us with the ability to offer more services to our membership.

Why am I sending you another Capital Campaign Appeal?
As you may know, revenue generated from membership fees, seminars, classes, and research trips does not cover our annual expenses. Every year we rely on our members’ generous donations in response to the Annual Appeal and prudent withdrawals from the Sherman-Haughton Fund to supplement the budget shortfall. Our expenses, particularly the rent, continue to increase every year. Have you contributed yet?

Long-term goals and financial stability go hand-in-hand
The Board and Campaign Committee want CGS to continue to be a leader in family history. We want to offer value to our members by providing nationally known speakers and state-of-the-art educational programs for beginning to advanced researchers. We want to do more to enable our long-distance members to have better access to the society by offering participatory webinars and by digitizing our records and making them available online to members.

Here are 2 easy ways to make a donation:

Mail or drop off a check at the library:

2201 Broadway LL2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031

Write checks to: CGS – Capital Campaign

or

DONATE on our website, CaliforniaAncestors.org

Why I believe in this campaign
Family has always been important to me—it’s my anchor and enabler. CGS feels like an extension of my family. I value how being part of the society has helped me with my research—every visit to the society I learn something new from another member. I hope you share this feeling and will support CGS financially today with a donation to the Capital Campaign and always through donations in response to the Annual Appeal. The money donated to the Capital Campaign goes directly to the Sherman-Haughton fund.

Thank you.

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Putting It All Together

Do you know how valuable you are to The California Genealogical Society (CGS)?  Our member-volunteers are why our genealogy society and library exist.  From our first president, Dr. Edward Stephen Clark, in 1898 to our current president, Linda Okazaki, our society is filled with dedicated volunteers that are always pushing for genealogical excellence. You are now part of this heritage and we want you to know how your society can help you.

Visit the library

One way to help is to remind you to visit our research library. It is an amazing resource to historians and family history researchers alike.  Have you been to the library lately? Just a reminder that we're located in Oakland's Uptown District and the area is hopping with great restaurants, cool coffee shops and wonderful stores that are filled with the energy from the neighborhood. Luckily, we're in the middle of it all!  

Full of surprises

One of the unsung heroes of the library is our Manuscript Collection. It is comprised of 108 linear feet on the shelves, as well as loose papers, research and family histories that have been donated to our library over its almost 118 year history.  We are forever grateful to volunteers Pat Bonderud and Linda Darby for cataloguing and organizing this treasure trove. The incredibly helpful and insightful Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner are now the volunteers who manage our collection. They created a thirty-page inventory (in pdf format) available for download our website.

This searchable database provides a synopsis of each collection, providing enough information to help you determine if further examination of a manuscript is beneficial to your own research. Individual collections may be viewed at the Library by appointment.

Another way we can help you search for research materials is to use our online Library Catalog. I think you'll be amazed once you start looking at what's available to assist in your genealogy search.

Our Capital Campaign Needs Your Donation

Even with all of the free labor given by our volunteers, we still need money to continue our mission. Between high real estate costs in the Bay Area, continual upgrades to our computer equipment, offering high quality speakers and classes, along with keeping our library filled with new resources (including online databases), a group of long-term volunteers realized the society needed a committee dedicated to raising long-term funding for CGS. So earlier this year, the Capital Campaign was born. 

Chris Pattillo (Chair), Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer began raising money that will help cover the shortfall in the annual operating expenses of CGS.  Think of it as a substantial rainy day fund that lets us all benefit by having access to great classes, seminars, plus all of our online and library resources.  

How you can contribute:
*  Make a donation on our website or send a check.
*  Become a Life member to support the campaign. 
*  List CGS as a beneficiary in your will or personal trust. 
*  Provide a tax-deductible donation through your IRA or 401K .

There are many ways to donate, so choose what works best for you. 

Questions? Send an email to Chris Pattillo or Jane Lindsey. They're waiting to hear from you.

  
Become a part of the campaign, and make a donation today.  Thank you for your continued support.

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Capital Campaign – Starting Strong

by Chris Pattillo, Chair, Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer

As we write this article we are thrilled to announce that we have met our initial goal to raise $350,000 during the early phase of the capital campaign. This addition to our fund alone will generate over $30,000 of income per year. Money that will help cover the shortfall in annual operating expenses of the California Genealogy Society (CGS) when needed. 

So far, the response to the campaign has been gratifying. Over 112 individuals have made contributions to the campaign as of August 31st. The amount of the average donation is $2600 and the median donation is $100. Individual contributions have ranged from one figure amounts to six figure amounts. 

There are myriad reasons why our members and non-members have chosen to support CGS during this capital campaign. One non-member made a $25,000 donation because she appreciated the help she received researching her family history.  

How you have given
Looking at the donations by categories we have 5 donors who have given $10,000 or more, 4 individuals made donations in the $5000 to $9999 range, 8 gave $1000 to $4999, 6 gave amounts in the range between $500 and $999, 6 others gave $250 to $499, 56 are in the $100 to $249 bracket and an additional 40 people gave $100 or less. Every gift helps us reach our goal.

Our members have responded to the campaign in various ways:
*  Donating through our website’s DONATE tab or by sending a check in response to the   campaign mailing sent earlier this year. 
*  Becoming a Life member to support the campaign. 
*  Listing CGS as a beneficiary in their will or personal trust. 
*  Providing a tax-deductible donation through their IRA or 401K .

We are grateful and THANK everyone who has contributed. All those who have contributed to the campaign are helping ensure that the society will be in a position to continue helping people research their family history for years to come.  

CGS has given so much to so many – now it is time to give back. Members tell us they appreciate the lectures, field trips, workshops and casual camaraderie they find with fellow members. They appreciate the one-on-one help they receive at the library and on research trips. We should not take CGS for granted. Genealogical societies like other non-profits are vulnerable to rising expenses and tough economic times. If we want the society to be around for the long term, we need to support it.   

Graphic designed by Lois Elling

If you have not already made a donation to the campaign, right now is the perfect time to do so. You can mail in a check or visit our website to use a credit card. Go to the donate tab where you will find a check box for the Capital Campaign with a link to PayPal. Or you can use one of the tax saving mechanisms that other members have used.  

We deeply appreciate everyone who has given to the campaign but there is more to do to achieve our ambitious goal of raising $1.2 million in honor of the 120th anniversary of the society. For those who made a donation to the campaign in 2016 please consider making an additional contribution that will provide a tax deduction for 2017.

This Capital Campaign will officially end in February of 2018. Become a part of the campaign, and make a donation today.  

Thank You.

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Why I Donated to the Capital Campaign: Ken Haughton

Ken and Beverly Haughton

Our third in a series of blog posts entitled, Why I Chose to Contribute to the Capital Campaign focuses on life member and donor, Ken Haughton.

Ken has given generously of his time and money for over 39 years to California Genealogical Society (CGS).  He was CFO for many years and has served on our board of directors. Ken also started our endowment fund and trained our current Investment Committee members, Chris Pattillo and Jim Sorenson.  He now serves as a sounding board to our investment committee.

Here are a few questions that I asked him on why he chose to financially support our society:

By contributing to the Capital Campaign, what do you hope to accomplish? The economy of the United States is somewhat temperamental.  A slump could affect the income from membership in a negative way.  It is important to keep the organization active and vital, no matter what happens, so that it can continue to preserve all forms of family history for future generations.

You have many organizations to choose from when considering a donation, what made you choose us? Well, history has an effect on history.  I have had many positive interactions with the Society and feel it should continue to perform in that manner with many more folks.

How does donating to CGS extend your personal legacy or the legacy of California Genealogical research? Providing facilities and assistance goes a long way toward extending the legacy of the Society and if it is healthy, this effect is multiplied.

How did CGS' genealogical resources help your research efforts? It's hard to enumerate all the ways it has helped me.  The Library and all of it resources have led me to any number of discoveries.  But most of all, the community associated with it has led me on with questions and suggestions (and general advice).

What would you say to those contemplating a donation to the Capital Campaign? This is an honest and solid society that provides an unbiased look into history on the personal level.  Anything to help this objective is worth the effort.  Besides, it's fun.

The idea behind the Capital Campaign

The California Genealogical Society's Capital Campaign kicked off this past February with a goal of raising $1.2 million dollars. The goal was created to coincide with the beginning of our 120th Anniversary in 2018. 

The money raised from the Capital Campaign will help ensure that our society will remain a leader in genealogy and give us the necessary financial cushion to weather various storms in the future.

A committee chaired by Chris Pattillo was created to lead this effort. Chris also has the considerable help and talent of both Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer to ensure that the campaign will be a huge success.

Are you interested in donating to our Capital Campaign?  Please contact Jane Lindsey or Chris Pattillo with any questions.  They would love to hear from you.  Thank you.

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

What the California Genealogical Society (CGS) Can Do for You

by Chris Pattillo (Chair), Sandy Fryer & Jane Lindsey

Want to hear how CGS has helped some of your fellow members?
Lavinia “Vinnie” Schwarz, long-time research volunteer & member told us, “When I first joined CGS, I just wanted a lovely local library where I could quietly concentrate on who my ancestors are and where they came from. I used the books and computers to research the pushes and pulls that made my families migrate.  But I found so much more. I took advantage of many CGS classes – like how to do English, African-American, Jewish, German, or Japanese genealogy, or how to organize material, use old newspapers, date photographs, navigate digital archives, plat maps, and use a genealogy database.

CGS is an all-volunteer organization whose members have histories from all over the world.  They are willing to share their knowledge and expertise in running the society and doing research. We continue to learn together how to study the past, and how to write up our work in the present so the stories will be known in the future.  It's an extraordinary place.”

One member told us a story about going on the CGS research trip to the Family History Library and how it jump-started her genealogical research. Other members have said that they really appreciate the help they received breaking down a brick wall.  Still other members say they appreciate the classes that CGS has offered that enabled them to hone their genealogical research skills.  

Member Lisa Gorrell said, "The RootsMagic Special Interest Group (SIG) helped me become more efficient in using the software so that I can keep better track of my research." A more recent response is that members appreciate the help they received interpreting their DNA results. What we’re hearing is that most members feel that CGS has significantly helped them with their genealogical goals.  Help us keep up the good work.

What have you given back to CGS?
Many of us start giving back to our university a few years after we graduate and we start to appreciate what our education has done for us. We may start donating to a medical non-profit when a medical crisis impacts our family or close friends. We may support our local arts, museums or institutions that interest us.  How many of you have considered supporting CGS in a significant way?  

Will you do something for CGS?
The Capital Campaign was started last year and the goal was set to raise  $1.2 million, an amount that will strengthen the financial stability of our society for the long term. To date, we have received one large donation and many other donations ranging from $20 - $15,000 in support of our campaign. Thank You!  As of June a total of $330,000 has been donated to the campaign.   We appreciate everyone who has made a contribution, but if we are to reach our goal more members must get involved and make significant contributions.   

Here are some ideas on how to give:

• One or more members could give a very large donation. In return, CGS will consider naming the library after the donor or the person of their choice. Genealogical research and/or a publication can also be rolled into a major gift.  
• If just 2-5% (25-50) of our 1000+ members donate $10,000, then we would have $250,000-$500,000.
• We also would love members to consider becoming a Life member at $1200 as a way to support our campaign.  If 100 of our members become Life Members at $1200, then we would have an additional $120,000.  Life Member dues are donations to the Capital Campaign.  

Thank you for all of the support and financial contributions that you may have already made!  Without you, The California Genealogical Society wouldn’t be here to support genealogical research or have our library to serve as a community-gathering place.  You are what has made and continue to make this possible. Please consider donating to the Capital Campaign and know that every dollar counts and is appreciated.

Photos courtesy of Chris Pattillo

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society