Meet a Genealogy Volunteer: Pat Smith

I recently sat down with one of our experienced volunteer genealogy researchers, Patricia "Pat" Smith, to learn a bit about how she got started in the world of family history.

Why did you start researching your genealogy?

I used to take the occasional class at Piedmont Adult School and one year they offered a genealogy class.  I went to the class, but there weren't enough people signed-up to continue the class.  The instructor's solution was to ask if any of us would like to go to Oakland's LDS (Mormon) church.  At the FamilySearch Center we learned what they had and got a feel for genealogy.

After the walk-through, we were given some time to try our hand at it.  At that time, all they had were four microfilm     readers and several stacks of books. Boy, how times have changed!  

"The only person I knew to search for was my third great grandfather, who had been in the revolutionary war.  That first night I found him on several census records.  I was in."

What did you need to learn?

Everything.  I attended some classes at the Adult School and a few other LDS classes.  I made lots of trips to the Sutro Library (San Francisco) and the National Archives (San Bruno), plus I went to Salt Lake City on a New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) research trip and asked a lot of questions. 

What were some of your first experiences with the California Genealogical Society?

I was in Salt Lake City with NEHGS and was talking to someone about a family I was working on.  He said,  "You know, your own society in Oakland has information about that family in their collection."  

When I got home, I went to the library in Oakland, which at the time was located at 16th St and Telegraph Ave.  Sure enough, there was the material that I had been seeking.  After that, I spent more time at the library, became a member, volunteered, etc. 

Describe a personal "brick wall, break-through moment".

I had looked for my second, great grandmother for some time.  I knew her maiden name was Durham; at least that was what it appeared to be on the marriage license.  I had looked at Durham's all over Ohio and Indiana with no luck.  One day I was at the Sutro library reading a county history for Sandusky County Ohio and saw the name Charles Dirlam in the index for the biographies. 

I decided to read his bio.  In it, he had listed the names of all of his siblings along with the cities and states in which they lived. And then I saw it, "The name of his sister (my second, great grandmother), her husband's name and where they were living in 1896.  I was so thrilled!"

What do you hope someone new to genealogy research will get from joining or visiting our library?

Our library has a wealth of printed material, from our extensive book collection and periodicals to our archival holdings.  Our collection also includes information about every state in the United States and much about Great Britain.  "As impressive as that is, the main thing is that our desk people are very friendly and the classes are invaluable."  

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society

Wordless Wednesday

Research Committee

California Genealogical Society and Library

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, 8/14/2013.


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

Wordless Wednesday

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Desk Duty Training at the CGS Library
Saturday, August 8, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California

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
A Typical Tuesday at the CGS Library
Lavinia Schwarz, Pat Smith and Lorna Wallace

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 11/18/2008, Oakland, California.

How An Item in the Personals Led to a Photo I.D.

My favorite type of genealogical pastime is newspaper research. I've wiled away more hours than I care to admit scrolling through microfilmed papers borrowed through inter-library loan from the Pennsylvania State Library. Obituaries, legal notices, passenger arrivals and news articles provide important information and often point to documents needed for the search. But the really fun stuff resides in the personal columns – the collections of gossip often grouped by neighborhood or town – that offer glimpses into the lives of our ancestors.

Lookups volunteer Patricia Smith stumbled on to a personal item in an Indiana newspaper that led to an unexpected find when the California Genealogical Society acquired NewspaperARCHIVE.com last summer.

According to Pat, CGS President Jane Lindsey was helping her to navigate the site and found an item in the personals about the 50th anniversary of Pat's great-grandparents, Alanson and Laura Ross, in The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. It was published " Tuesday morning" January 2, 1917, under the headline "Pleasant Lake News."

Mr. and Mrs. Alson Ross celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary last Sunday and a public reception was given them at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Frank Chadwick, from 2 to 4 p.m. The Pleasant Lake concert orchestra furnished music during the afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Ross were seated in the large window beautifully decorated for the occasion. Those present from a distance were: Mrs. Lucey Widney, of Auburn; Otto Ross and wife, of Louisville, Ky.; Bessie Cross of Fort Wayne; Mrs. Bert McNett and children of Nevada Mills; Donn Ross and wife of Monpelier, O. Miss Laura McEthenie sang "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnett." L.L. Matson gave a short eulogy on the couple and closed by reading Riley's "That Old Sweetheart of Mine." Mrs. Frank Chadwick gave a short poem on "Mother." Miss Helen Huffman read "When This Old Ring Was New" with Miss Maurine Huffman presiding at the piano. A vocal solo, "Silver Threads Among the Gold," was sung by Maurine Huffman. Light refreshments were served, after which the Ross family sang "Bless Be the Tie That Bonds," with the guests joining in the chorus. It is not often that a couple celebrates their fiftieth anniversary who are as supple and robust as Mr. and Mrs. Ross. Fred Fay was present and took the family picture.

Image from newspaperarchive.com.

The unexpected find happened when Pat went home and tried to decipher the family relationship of those named in the article. Pat explains:

I recognized the name "Mrs. Bert McNett" as that of my mother's cousin – Parepa Walker McNett – and I remembered that I had a family photograph that included her. When I retrieved it, I noticed that almost everyone mentioned in the article was in the photograph. On the back was written "Taken at Pleasant Lake, Indiana."

The family of Alanson and Laura Ross (left to right): Nellie Ross Chadwick, Alanson Ross, Don Ross, Parepa Walker McNett, Laura Ross, George McNett, Walker McNett, Bessie Ross Cross, Esther Westergren Ross, Ella Ritter Ross, Otto Ross, Gertie Ross and Harry Ross.

On closer inspection, I could see that it was taken in the winter – you can see some snow on the ground. Parepa's little boys were born about 1913 and 1915 and would have been approximately four and two years old, if this photo was taken in 1917, which looks about right. I also know that Perapa had a daughter born late in 1917 and although her waistline isn't totally visible, she doesn't appear to be pregnant, or if she was, she was not far enough along to show.

The news item states that Fred Fay took the family picture and I think, given the above information, that this photo was taken on that January day in 1917.

Do you have a great story about a find made at the CGS Library? If so, leave a comment. Inquiring minds want to know!

Wordless Wednesday

CGS Research "Look-ups" Volunteers

Patricia Smith, Lavinia Schwarz, Judy Bodycote-Thomas

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

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.

Wordless Wednesday

Lunchtime at the California Genealogical Society.

Left to right: Arlene Miles, Nancy Peterson, Sandy Fryer, Pat Smith and Verne Deubler.

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, July 15, 2008.

Feedback on the Scandinavian Workshop

Cynthia Peterson Gorman sent this report on the last Saturday's Scandinavian Research Workshop:

All three presenters were so well prepared and had spent a great deal of time organizing their talks and materials. We had a great group - more than expected and it was definitely worth attending. We also all gave our email addresses so we can continue to share questions and information. It was nice to have a facilitator to keep the group 'on agenda.'

Events coordinator, Carolyn Steinberg, reports that there was a "full house" - seventeen attendees - plus the three specialists, Laura Spurrier (Danish), Pat Smith (Swedish) and Gloria Hanson (Norwegian). Carolyn also noted:

There was some lively conversation amongst attendees as they contributed their knowledge and asked questions. Three of the four non-members who attended joined CGS on Saturday. Cynthia Gorman brought a number of books to share and to demonstrate the resources available. Rick Sherman also assisted with information on church records and brought up an Online Web site for anyone interested after lunch. A new member who joined Saturday was also able to contribute based on his knowledge and experience being Swedish-born. Our speakers had also brought in some books from the library to show the resources available in the library. Pat, Laura, and Gloria all deserve to be commended for a job well done! CGS is very fortunate that these three members rose to the occasion, providing a very informative, lively, and interesting workshop for us.

Carolyn is compiling the lessons learned from this workshop and the Eastern European one held in April. She would appreciate additional reviews from those who attended on Saturday. Please share your comments here or send an e-mail to Carolyn.

Do you have a suggestion for the next workshop? French-Canadian? German? Do you have expertise in researching another location? Let us know!

Workshop: Scandinavian Research - June 14, 2008

When: Saturday, June 14, 2008, 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Where: CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland

The second in a series of CGS Research Workshops will focus on ancestors from Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Please join our specialists: Laura Spurrier (Danish), Pat Smith (Swedish) and Gloria Hanson (Norwegian) as they examine Scandinavian research. Topics will include: border changes, census, church books and immigration information - where immigrants settled in the U.S. - and more. Handouts will be provided.

The workshop day will include a panel discussion, lunch break and informal work session so attendees can share ideas, do some computer research and consult one-on-one with Gloria, Pat and Laura. Members are encouraged to bring laptop computers; the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Reservations are required; no walk-ins will be permitted. The workshop is free for CGS members but is limited to 15 people. There will be a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (The fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) There is a sign-up sheet at the CGS Library desk. Please call (510) 663-1358 to reserve a space.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn new strategies and meet other members with similar research interests.

Roberts: What We Found

CGS volunteer Dick Rees handles the mail at the society, so it was he who first read McMaster's request. Dick spearheaded the research efforts of a small group that included Verne Deubler, Nancy Peterson, Vinnie Schwarz and Pat Smith.

William Harold Roberts was the son of John and Elfreda Seifert Roberts, born October 14, 1895, in San Francisco. No official birth record exists because the ledgers were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The team gathered data from all the likely sources and also contacted the Episcopal Diocese Archives, the Lick-Wilmerding High School, the San Francisco Historical Society and the San Francisco Public Library and their Sixth Floor History Center.

But "Look-up" volunteer, Pat Smith, hit pay dirt when she followed the "no stone left unturned" approach and found a listing for William Harold Roberts in the San Francisco probate index.

The estate file includes a typescript of a letter that Roberts wrote to his father on July 4, 1918 from France. After Robert's death in November of that year, the letter became his last will and testament.

Harold's letter was started in ink but was finished in pencil when his fountain pen went dry. It was in the closing sentences, in pencil, that Roberts indicated that if he died everything should be left to his father's sister, Ida May Zeile.

Roberts, who was unmarried, left a war risk insurance policy, probably standard issue by the Army. The "will" was challenged by family members when Harold's aunt filed for probate in 1924, two years after the death of Roberts' father. An article from the November 18, 1924, San Francisco Chronicle, "Will of Hero Hit in Court - Relatives Attack Letter Written on Battlefield Leaving Estate" describes charges of forgery and the fight for the money.

Ultimately, Ida was named the executor and Roberts' $8000 estate was divided among the living relatives.

Read the entire series:

• Part 1 — Searching for Harold Roberts
  
• Part 3 — Roberts' Battlefield Letter
• Part 4 — A Face for Harold Roberts
• Part 5 — A Hero's Final Resting Place

Salt Lake City Success

Another CGS Tour to Salt Lake City came to a close on Saturday night with the annual dinner at Lamb’s Grill. Special guest and CGS member, Steve Danko, took time out from the United Polish Genealogical Societies Biennial Conference to join us.

President Jane Lindsey thanked all of the participants and gave an overview of the upcoming society events. Before the annual group photograph was taken, several members shared their research success stories.

Jane was doing the genealogical happy dance after finding the marriage record of Magdelena GERTH and Valentine HUND in Renchen, Germany.

Mother-daughter team, Penny Pollock and Faith Hazelton have attended the SLC trip for all eight years. Penny got closer to proving a Mayflower line through George SOULE; Faith proved one last year.

Mary White Limosner, equipped with new knowledge obtained during the Eastern European Research Workshop, finally had success finding her BUDNICK family in Polish records.

Arlene and Ted Miles enjoyed their first trip and found information on their Brooklyn ancestors and Ted's Kentucky MILES family.

Rick Sherman was finding elusive Danes online in his hotel room.

Pat Smith and Laura Spurrier took advantage of the Danish talks offered this week at the Family History Library. Pat applied the knowledge to her Swedish ancestor Johan WIDMAN and found a probate record from the late 1700s.

Betty Barnard Walker found her BIERMANN ancestor in German passenger records from the mid-nineteenth century.

Bill O’Neil finally found the documentation he needed for his French Canadian DRINKWINE/BOIVIN and MITCHELL/MICHAUDs.

And last but not least, Cathy Paris and CGS librarian, Laura Spurrier, discovered that they are MERRILL sixth cousins.

SLC Tour group 2008

Photograph courtesy of Cathy Merrill Paris.

Fort Wayne in August

President Jane Lindsey led a third CGS sponsored research trip to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 19-26, 2007. This year's trip was especially well timed to follow the FGS Conference which was held August 15-18. And while many attendees (Dick Eastman estimated the total to be about 1500) raced to the library to try and cram in some research time before, between and after conference sessions, we from CGS were smugly relaxed with the knowledge that we would be there for a whole week after the crowds had left. (Okay, so actually we did sneak in occasionally - the temptation was just too great and they opened the library at 6:00 am!)

The conference was my first and was as fun, informative and exhausting as I had expected. One of the high points was hearing Christopher Haley, nephew of "Roots" author Alex Haley and Research Administrator of the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland at the Maryland State Archives.


Even better was Chris's interview of our prez for Roots Television in the Exhibit Hall. Jane used the forum to tell viewers about some of the exciting changes we have made this year, including our long-anticipated online catalog.


Hmmm - it's daylight and we're not in the library. It must be Sunday - the library was closed but it was not a day of rest for us. Here we are in the dining room of the LaSalle Bed & Breakfast gearing up for our week of research.

This was the first CGS trip to the Allen County Public Library since the renovation project was completed. The library is a gem from its space-age pods where the littlest readers can curl up with a picture book to the state-of-the-art televison studio available to Allen County residents at no charge. Of course we only saw these things on the tour since we would go straight to the 2nd floor to the genealogy department and stay til closing with only a short break for lunch.

Jim Robinson is a CGS member and serves as 1st Vice-President of the Marin County Genealogical Society. His parents and grandparents were Indiana natives so his roots are deep there and he was able have Sunday dinner with ten ROBINSON third cousins.


One very special treat was a private lecture by Curt Witcher on "Fingerprinting Our Families: Using Ancestral Origins/Ethnicity As a Genealogical Research Key." Curt is the Manager of the ACPL Genealogy Department and author of the GenealogyGems Mailing List. He provided a comprehensive hand-out with reference suggestions for context which can be just the thing to help us over our brick walls. Jane arranged the talk for us which is typical of the kind of scrupulous attention she pays to the details on these research trips.

Here we all are on the last night - Jane always organizes a closing dinner so we can celebrate our finds. Starting at front left (around the table) are Sandy, Carol, Jane, Kathryn, Lorna, Lavinia, Gail, Jim and Pat. Thank you, Jane for another successful research trip.

Photographs courtesy of Jane Lindsey.