July Membership Meeting: DNA Testing for Genealogy with Pam Miller

by Diana Edwards, Membership Chair

Diana Edwards and members at the July Meeting 

Twenty-one members of CGS had a great time at the recent July Membership Meeting. We ate lunch together and chatted about everything from summer travel to genealogical trials and triumphs. It was a good way to get to know some of our newer members.

Next, we sat in a circle in the Learning Center and shared experiences with DNA testing and family research. We asked lots of questions, and shared some fascinating stories of how DNA testing has helped some of our members to follow elusive genealogical trails.  

Fortunately, Pam Miller had returned from her 3,000 mile road trip just in time to come and host the meeting, and was able to answer many of our questions. She has been using DNA in her research for some time. We also were lucky to have Judy Bodycote, a retired scientist with a real, in-depth knowledge of the different types of DNA and how the different tests can be used in our research.

The meeting was scheduled from 1pm-3pm, but the conversations were still going strong at 4pm!

Would you like to learn more about this fascinating topic?  

Pam will be facilitating another DNA conversation at our Thursday Summer Evening program, on August 21, from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Come on down!

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Angel Island Family History Day Views

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Photographs courtesy of Judy Bodycote.


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Book Repair Committee
California Genealogical Society Library

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, 8/14/2012.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

San Francisco History Expo

Old San Francisco Mint

March 2-3, 2013

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, San Francisco, CA, 3/3/2013.


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Lavinia's Report from the Researcher Forum with Bill Mayer at the National Archives at San Francisco

The National Archives at San Francisco hosted a public Researcher Forum on Monday, January 28, 2013, at 4:00 p.m., with NARA Research Services Executive Bill Mayer from College Park, Maryland. Mayer oversees fifteen facilities of the National Archives nationwide, but this was his first visit to our regional facility in San Bruno.

The NARA forum was designed to gather feedback from researchers who visit the San Francisco facility on a regular basis. He came to answer questions and discuss issues related to the National Archives as a whole as well as to the San Francisco archive specifically.

Lavinia Schwarz and Judy Bodycote-Thomas represented the California Genealogical Society. Lavinia sent this report:

Judy Bodycote-Thomas and I attended the public researcher forum at the National Archives at San Francisco (which is actually in San Bruno) with Bill Mayer who was hired in May of 2012 as Executive of Research Services at NARA. 

Mr. Mayer is traveling to meet and talk with researchers and constituents at all fifteen facilities of the National Archives nationwide. The Seattle-based manager of the western NARA facilities was also in attendance as well as the San Bruno staff and a variety of researchers and historians, individual writers including representatives of Angel Island, Chinese genealogists, and others. Judy and I were pleased to represent the CGS. Mr. Mayer began by thanking the staff for its good service and asking for our input on what we would like the future NARA to be. 

Black and White vs. Color 

He told us of ongoing discussions about color vs. black and white digitizations; whether old microfilm should be recopied; concerns about minimal handling of old documents; space limitation of the various facilities (Cape Canaveral data is now being transferred north). Attendees prefered color – especially for maps and building plans which are often color coded. We pointed out that the earlier black and white microfilming was done when color procedures were not yet available, but to fulfill NARA's goal of preserving documents we preferred the preservation of the original color as opposed to changing original documents to black and white. 

One attendee asked if it is possible to digitize a front page with maximum information and indicate that a certain number of pages follow, e.g., an Angel Island file might have a name, date, photo, and say that the person's file consists of 30 more pages. Apparently, this would be quite hard as the information is dispersed throughout the file so creation of the front page would be labor intensive. 

Another asked why the photos of Pearl Harbor, which used to be housed at San Bruno, have never been returned after they were borrowed while text documents have? Apparently all these docs were sent to Pearl Harbor at one point with the intention of their being returned for permanent housing at San Bruno, but the photos have been retained in a warehouse in Hawaii which is difficult for researchers to get access to. There was discussion of a trio of possible "owners" of the photos – The USS Arizona group, the US Navy, and the US Park Service. Without agreement among them, the photos have not been copied nor returned. This is an ongoing issue.

Another question was why are copies priced by the linear foot? Some maps, plans, Chinese scrolls, etc. are quite long. However, a flat fee, say $5 for simple text might suffice for other items. Mr. Mayer mentioned discussion of having researchers use NARA flash drives to make their copies, and those digitizations being added to the NARA files as they are made. This might be a way to expand the digitization process organically. We were amendable until he mentioned that we'd have to fill out forms as we made our copies. And there were questions about how labor intensive this would be for the staff each day to add the new digitizations to the database. Clearly NARA is trying to figure out how we can help them. 

Mr. Mayer gave us his card and encouraged us to email him with specific suggestions. It was very good  we were there.

William A. Mayer was appointed Executive for Research Services for the National Archives and Records Administration in June 2012 when he was the University Librarian at American University in Washington, D.C. Previously, he served as the Associate University Librarian for Information Technology and Technical Services at George Washington University and as an adjunct faculty member for the School of Library and Information Science at Catholic University. Prior to his twenty-year career in academic libraries, Mayer worked in a variety of occupations, including vineyard management, cattle ranching, and residential construction. His interests include ocean ecology, music, and next-generation learning systems. He earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Washington and a M.L.S. from Simmons College in Boston.


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

San Francisco History Expo 2013

Saturday, March 2, 2013, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 3, 2013, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Old Mint
88 Fifth Street at Mission

San Francisco, CA 94103

The California Genealogical Society will have a booth at the Third Annual San Francisco History Expo the first weekend in March. Admission is free (donations are welcome).

The San Francisco History Expo brings local and neighborhood history groups together under one roof. This is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about—and participate in—San Francisco history though presentations, photographs, artifacts, children’s activities, and historical reenactments.

More than forty organizations will be represented at the two-day event, displaying their connection to San Francisco's history and sharing information about their group. The CGS will be sharing a room with SFgenealogy.org and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogy Society.

This year we will be promoting our new San Francisco Special Interest Group and, of course, Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research. 

Judy Bodycote helped with last year's CGS table and sent this review:

The exhibits are all very interesting, covering many aspect of SF's past and present. Last year, the Maritime Museum exhibit was particularly noteworthy with a whole room full of items including a model ship with working rigging, and the parts labelled. It is also one of the few times when the mint is open to the public.

Judy Bodycote and Nancy Servin are overseeing our presence this year. They are coordinating schedules for volunteers to staff our booth. If you can help, please email Nancy.


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Evening Discussion 

August 23, 2012

Stump the Panel

Photograph courtesy of Tim Cox, 8/23/2012.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Have You Seen Our New Facebook Timeline?

Facebook is updating their look again and "Pages" are being moved to the new "Timeline" format. Non-profits have the opportunity to use new features to jazz things up and present an historical perspective. Like most genealogical societies and libraries, we don't have a marketing budget so we've completed the transfer with volunteer time and "creativity on a shoestring."

The Publications/Marketing Committee discussed cover photo options at the March 6, 2012 meeting. After weighing several options, the group unanimously chose Judy Bodycote's great black-and-white photograph of our volunteers at work in the library. Judy is also responsible for editing and enhancing the photograph of the California Genealogical Society's first president – Dr. Edward Stephen Clark – for the start of our timeline.

Changes implemented so far:

1. Cover photo and thumbnail of the CGS seal as our inset photo.
2. Milestones – "founded" in 1898. Only 114 more years of CGS history to record!
3. Pinned posts – featured the Insider's Guide to California Research.
4. Applications – featuring our YouTube and Twitter pages.
5. Message inbox is activated for fans who want to contact us privately.

Please take a look and be sure to give us a Like if you approve!

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

A Visit from KTVU Channel 2

Sometimes a quiet day in the library takes an unexpected turn. That’s what happened yesterday when Volunteer Coordinator Linda Okazaki fielded a phone call from a reporter on deadline.

KTVU’s Maureen Naylor was working on a story about the Miller twins whose remains were found in their Lake Tahoe home.

Gloria Hanson working the case.

Volunteers dropped everything to find additional information and Naylor arrived at the library but spent just a few minutes with her 3:00 p.m. deadline looming.

Naylor’s piece aired on Channel 2 at 6:00 p.m. and footage from the library made it into the final story. Linda had a brief on-camera interview and our gorgeous new sign (created by Judy Bodycote) was featured.

I took a few screen shots but you can view the two minute piece at SAN JOSE: Twins found dead in South Lake Tahoe.

Kudos to Linda Okazaki, Gloria Hanson, Laura Spurrier, Judy Bodycote and Kim Cotton for their efforts to find information on the family. It was great to have some media attention for the library!


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday

 Book Repair Committee Luncheon
Tuesday, December 13, 2011

 Bill O'Neil, Lorna Wallace, Marianne Frey, Judy Bodycote and Dick Rees

Photographs courtesy of Lorna Wallace and Dick Rees, 12/13/11, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday

Working on the Judge Project

Lavinia Schwarz and Judy Bodycote

Photograph courtesy of Arlene Miles, November 16, 2009, Oakland, California.

Coming in January: Tech Saturdays

The CGS Events Committee is excited about a new "Tech Saturday" forum starting in January 2010. The sessions will focus on tech tools for genealogists, including software, hardware, web databases, social networking and more. Tim Cox is the point person and he welcomes ideas for future classes as well as willing volunteers to help facilitate the meetings which will be scheduled on the third Saturday of every other month.

Starting things off will be a Genealogy Tech Discussion on Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the CGS Library.

Members with all levels of computer experience are invited to join panelists Kathy Watson, Judy Bodycote and Cathy Paris as they share their expertise and offer their insight to answer some common questions:

• What are the advantages of Mac over PC?
• What are the advantages of PC over Mac?
• How do I chose a genealogy software?
• What are "social media" and how do I use them for genealogy?
• Does the CGS Library offer tech benefits to members?
  

The panel will also share information about new technology available in the library and have time to answer audience questions.

The session is limited to thirty attendees. Pre-registration is required. Tech Saturdays are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member of CGS!) Email Events@californiaancestors.org for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
California Genealogical Society and Library
Research Team - the Look-up Ladies
Judy Bodycote, Pat Smith, Lavinia Schwarz

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 3/3/2009, Oakland, California.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
The California Genealogical Society Library

Photograph courtesy of Judy Bodycote, Oakland, California, 2/27/2009.

CGS in the News: Family Tree Magazine - July 2009 issue

The July 2009 issue of Family Tree Magazine is out and some CGS researchers are featured in "Changing Gears" an article by Maureen A. Taylor, the Photo Detective, about "reverse genealogy" – finding living relatives to further your research.

Among the five reasons to research forward in time, Maureen counts "grow your family tree" and two of her examples come from the California Genealogical Society. CGS President Jane Lindsey is sited for her use of newspaper research to sidestep San Francisco record gaps after the 1906 earthquake and fire. One of Jane's clients was able to make a Mayflower connection "through the work of researchers on three continents."

CGS example two sites the work that Lavinia Schwarz, Judy Bodycote and Richard Rees did on the Peralta Project and the database they created of some 700 descendants of Luis Maria Peralta.

It's great to see the fantastic research team at CGS acknowledged for their excellent work! Thanks, Maureen.

Wordless Wednesday

CGS Research "Look-ups" Volunteers

Patricia Smith, Lavinia Schwarz, Judy Bodycote-Thomas

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

Wordless Wednesday

Tenants of 2201 Broadway - Information Swap Meet
Thursday, October 23, 2008 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Lavinia Schwarz, Nancy Servin, Judy Bodycote

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, 10/23/2008.

Peralta Hacienda Banquet

As reported in August, CGS has been involved in an extensive research project of the Peralta family over the last several months. The research team – Judy Bodycote, Dick Rees and Lavinia Schwarz – was honored at a banquet hosted by the Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park (FRIENDS) on Sunday, October 12, 2008. The dinner was held in the Victorian-style home on the grounds of the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park.

Lavinia Schwarz and Judy Bodycote
arriving at the Peralta Hacienda Victorian.

Lavinia Schwarz sent this report:

Last Sunday the three CGS volunteers (Judy Bodycote, Dick Rees and myself) who have worked on the Peralta family tree for Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, were feted at a banquet in the dining room of the Victorian built by Antonio Peralta's son near where the original land grant adobe was built in 1820. It was the first non-native dwelling in the East Bay. A second adobe, constructed in 1840 when the family outgrew the original, smaller structure, was later destroyed by an earthquake. The family moved back into the 1820 adobe and started building the Victorian home where we enjoyed our dinner.

Time for some conversation before dinner.
(Note the antique Peralta trunk.)


Chris Pattillo, Ken Talken and Judy Bodycoat with
the portrait of Ken's great-grandmother, Tonita –
Maria Antonia Peralta Lehmann (1877-1954).

There were fourteen people at the banquet including members of the FRIENDS board – Justin Brown, Ken Talken, who is also a Peralta descendant, Chairman Dale Hagen and Treasurer Mike Falk and his wife Lynne; Deborah Cooper, Collections Curator (retired) of the Oakland Museum; L. Thomas Frye, Curator of the Gold Rush exhibit at the Oakland Museum and former director of the museum; CGS board member Chris Pattillo and her partner Dianne Sierra; Holly Alonzo, Executive Director of FRIENDS and the three of us.

Deborah Cooper, Holly Alonso, Lynne Falk and Justin Brown.

The food was of the time – delicious chili stew, tortillas, mustard greens, potatoes, grapes, figs, bread pudding, champagne, wine, sherry, and chocolates. We were told that at the time the food of the poor and the rich was basically the same. The difference was that the wealthy enjoyed wine and spirits.

Judy Bodycote, Ken Talken, Lavinia Schwarz, Tom Frye and Deborah Cooper.

Dianne Sierra, Dale Hagen, Chris Pattillo and Mike Falk.

The company was delightful and the food was great. We swapped Peralta stories and a good time was had by all. Chris Pattillo and her firm PGA Design did the original landscape design for the park and it was she who thought of getting CGS involved with the Peralta family history. It's been a nice collaboration. Judy Bodycote has done most of the research. Her husband is a DeAnza party descendant (four ancestors) so she was up to speed right away with researching the early Californios. Judy also figured out how to print out a large color-coded family free.

Based on our work, graphic artist Gordan Chan will create a wall mural of the first five or so generations of Peraltas in California. In addition, our CGS research team has created a genealogy database of 700 plus descendants. We hope visitors to the park will be able to access the database to look up ancestors. The banquet was a thank-you beyond anything we imagined.

Photographs courtesy of Dick Rees.

SRVGS Field Trip to CGS & the City Directory Library

Members of the San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS) visited CGS on Friday, September 19, 2008. Gail Roche Van Wye, who is a member of both societies, was the trip coordinator.

CGS member Ilene Peterson sent this report:

We had a pretty good turnout for our field trip. Some of the SRVGS folks are also members of CGS so they had a good idea of what was where. Some were visiting for the first time and went first to look at California directories with Steve Harris. We used the resources in both the library and directory areas so it was never crowded. Steve also gave us special permission to bring directories into the CGS library area, which made it more convenient.

I had three neat 'finds' of my own!

I was successful at locating my grandmother's uncle in the 1905 Chicago city directory. Steve Harris has a fabulous collection. One particular directory stood out for me – even though I didn't find my folks in it – the tiny, well-preserved, 1876 Green Bay, Wisconsin directory. Searching for city directory information online is no substitute for holding the original book in hand and learning about all the things one would never think to search for.

I asked one of the CGS volunteers (I'm sorry I can't recall her name) if there was an alternative to ordering an AGBI reference from Godfrey. She looked at the citation I had printed from Ancestry.com and told me she thought CGS had the actual book. We went back to the Dorman Collection and there it was! I am always amazed at the knowledgeable CGS volunteers and at the depth and breadth of the CGS collections.

I was chatting with someone about our shared research in New York and volunteer Judy Bodycote overheard us and came up to suggest additional resources for Chenango County. I may be able to return the favor since I research people who came through Virginia and Judy said she might need some pointers from me for that state.

According to their Web site, the San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS), formed in 1985, has over 150 members. SRVGS meets in the facilities of the Danville Family History Center, Stone Valley and Smith Roads, Alamo, California from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the third Tuesday of every month. Each meeting includes an outside speaker who is expert in some aspect of family research. The society conducts educational classes for its members and has several special interest groups, including, Irish, German, Southern States, Publishing, etc.

The California Genealogical Society welcomes interested groups to come and tour the library and spend some time exploring our genealogy resources. Contact CGS by e-mail or call 510-663-1358 to schedule a group visit.

Desk Duty at CGS

Captain Marston Watson leads the trusty volunteers who staff the library desk on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the library is open (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays.) Officially and as a group, they are the "Desk Duty Committee" but individually they are the special volunteers who first greet our patrons and are the caretakers of the society's first impression. As you see, smiles come with the job.

Left to Right: Pat Smith, Kathy Watson, Lorna Wallace, Diana Wild,
Judy Bodycote and Dick Rees.

Besides opening for business and staffing the desk, committee members shelve books, field questions, assist patrons, answer phones and give occasional tours of the library. In addition, virtually all desk duty committee members perform other volunteer activities for the society. They are often seen multi-tasking – seeing to their other jobs when the library isn't busy. Members of the Desk Duty Committee also serve as librarians, look-up volunteers, researchers, book repairers and computer technicians. They open mail and do many other miscellaneous and essential tasks. Sometimes they actually get some of their own research done!

The current members of the Desk Duty Committee are: Judy Bodycote, Gloria Hanson, Barbara Hill, Gaye Lenahan, Mary Limosner, Dick Rees, Rick Sherman, Pat Smith, Roland Smith, Peggy Valponi, Lorna Wallace, Kathy Watson, Marston Watson and Diana Wild. Thank you all for your service to our patrons.

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, September 22, 2008.