San Francisco Deaths 1865-1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records

The California Genealogical Society is pleased to announce publication of a new four-volume set: San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records. Now, for the first time, an index is available to all San Francisco civil death records known to have survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. The index was compiled by a team of member volunteers lead by Barbara Close and Vernon A. Deubler.

Research Director Nancy Peterson provides some background in Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research (2006):

While most of the vital records that were created by the city and county of San Francisco were destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906, a few volumes of death records and indexes, six months of death certificates, a coroner's register and an index to a little under two years of marriage records somehow survived.

Access by the public to the original records has been restricted. Fortunately, the Genealogical Society of Utah filmed most of the records that did survive. Using their films, the California Genealogical Society (CGS) extracted enough information to build an index of these death records. CGS was able to film the several indexes that had not been previously filmed.

Most records contain a wealth of genealogical information: sex, age (often in years, months and days), occupation, place of birth (sometimes very specific information, including, for instance, county of birth in Ireland), marital condition (married, single, widow or widower), date and cause of death, residence at time of death, place of burial, physician, undertaker and additional remarks. This collection includes records for many who were not necessarily San Francisco residents, including the
following:

• those who died in San Francisco
• those who died at sea for whom San Francisco was the next port of call
• military personnel who died in the Spanish-American War and whose bodies were returned
  to the Port of San Francisco
• those who died abroad and whose bodies were returned to San Francisco 
• those whose bodies were to be re-interred
• those whose bodies were sent to San Francisco for forensic or other investigation

San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records is available for purchase at our Lulu bookstore.

Many members of the society contributed to this effort. Barbara Close and Vernon A. Deubler, long
time members of CGS, led the project and contributed innumerable hours working with other volunteers in doing research and in extracting and digitizing information from all the pertinent records they could find. The result is this unique and invaluable four volume set of death indexes arranged alphabetically by surname.

The California Genealogical Society acknowledges with gratitude the many people who contributed to this publication. They include Kay Arnold, Bob Bly, John Callan, Barbara Close, Verne Deubler, Joyce Dye, George Field, Wil Frye, Tom Gesner, Marjorie Kelt, Judy Kettwig, Bette Kot, Lynne Fisher, Lisa Lee, Esther Mott, Mark Pierce, Michelle Reeder, Bev Schroder, Phil Seelinger, Nancy Servin, Rick Sherman, Marilyn Tanner, Shirley Thomson, Terry Toomey, Judy Velardi, Lorna Wallace, Marjorie Wyatt, Sharon Yost, and Judy Zelver. Special thanks goes to Cathy Paris who designed the covers and shepherded the digitization project from start to finish.

San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records
Softbound, 8 1/2 x 11" format
481 pp., vol. I, A-D
475 pp., vol. II, E-K
477 pp., vol. III, L-P
481 pp., vol. IV, Q-Z
Library of Congress Control Number 2009940489
ISBN (4-vol. set) 978-0-9785694-1-9
Published by the California Genealogical Society


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Announcing: San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions

In the early 1980s, the Superior Court in San Francisco completed the filming of the Registers of Action for probate cases dating from the 1906 Earthquake and Fire through early 1942. After learning that the intent was to destroy the original oversize volumes, the California Genealogical Society obtained the originals. These priceless volumes became a fixture on our shelves and were indexed by a team of our member volunteers lead by Vernon A. Deubler.
 
As explained by Research Director Nancy Peterson in Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research (2006):

Register of Actions ledgers reference all papers that will be found in a probate file. Arrangement of entries in them is chronological according to initial filing date, or the date of reopening of pre-earthquake proceedings... (R)eferences to pre-earthquake proceedings have been found in ledgers as late as 1925.

The 1906 calamity destroyed all San Francisco probate files including wills, guardianships and administrations. With the exception of one lost register (volume 11) covering the two-month period, January 9 to March 17, 1908, the registers include the period from April 12, 1906 to March 27, 1942. Some of the cases were not finalized until the mid 1980s.

For the first time in print, San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions, provides an index to the 108,898 names in the registers of probate action of the city and county of San Francisco.

Each Register of Actions captures in abbreviated fashion every transaction required to process the probate. Many of the transactions are routine administrative actions, such as the recording of an affidavit, public notification of time and place of future actions or hearings, voucher files, etc. Some probate proceedings required years to complete. Entries for wills, mailings to heirs, final settlements and distributions of assets may lead to useful genealogical information. Rarely are original wills retained in the files that are indexed, but register entries usually point to locations where these documents have been transcribed or summarized.

The index is presented in two volumes, the first covering surnames beginning with A-K, and the second L-Z. Information was extracted from 179 volumes, each containing 500 pages. Included are 108,998 names, aliases and minor’s names representing over 85,500 probates and guardianship proceedings.

Many of the probates from 1906 were ongoing proceedings from before the fire and represent reopened and reconstructed files. A date of “1906” may, therefore, be misleading and refer to earlier probate proceedings no long in existence. Other probates from before 1906 may have been re-opened when additional assets were uncovered. Those will bear the date of re-opening and not the date of the original filing.

San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions is available for purchase at our Lulu bookstore.

Verne Deubler and the California Genealogical Society acknowledge with gratitude the many people who contributed to compiling the index, including Carol Backhus, Dorothy Fowler, Gloria Hanson, Patti Melvin, Nancy Servin and in particular, the most diligent proofreader, Anita Dean, who single handedly reviewed more than two-thirds of the index.

In addition, we extend our thanks to Barbara Close and Cathy Paris for transforming and publishing the index as reference books

Vernon A. Deubler is a past president and long-time board member of the California Genealogical Society. He compiled the book, San Francisco, California: Columbarium Records 1847-1980, published by the society in 2003. With Barbara Close, he compiled the four volumes set of books, San Francisco Deaths 1865-1904: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records, also scheduled for publication in 2010.

San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Registers of Action
Softbound, 8 1/2 x 11" format
498 pp. (vol. I)
490 pp. (vol.II)
ISBN 978-0-9785694-7-1
LOC 2010926283
Published by the California Genealogical Society


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

A Visitor From New Zealand

Helen Geary of Christchurch, New Zealand was trying to track down a "V. Deubler" researching surname DUNCAN who she knew from various Internet postings must be a relative living in the U.S. She located a genealogist named Verne Deubler who lived in the Bay Area and contacted him and was pleased to learn that while Verne wasn't the "V. Deubler" she was seeking, he had come across her DUNCANs and knew a bit about the family. Verne kindly agreed to do some digging and to meet with Helen when she visited the United States.

What Helen didn't know when she arrived at the CGS Library to meet with Verne in September was that the helpful stranger was a past-president and long-time board member at the California Genealogical Society. Verne is also the society's most constant volunteer – logging in several days each week – handling email, working on indexing projects and overseeing the day-to-day "running" of the society. I can't count the number of times I've heard President Jane Lindsey say that she couldn't have served her office without Verne's assistance.

Verne Deubler and Helen Geary

Verne collected an envelope full of goodies for Helen including newspaper articles, obituaries and patent applications of the Duncan and Humes families. Helen's gg-aunt, Mary A. Duncan, of Dunedin, New Zealand, settled with her family in San Francisco and married Robert Deniston Hume (1845-1908).

 Robert Dennison Hume

Hume was a salmon canning pioneer and a member of the California Genealogical Society. His biography and photograph are found in A History of the New California: Its Resources and People by Leigh Hadley Irvine. One of Hume's fishing vessels was named for his wife – the Mary D. Hume is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Helen had street addresses for two Duncan homes that she was eager to visit and I knew exactly where one of them was since I pass it quite frequently. I was able to drive her there and to Mountain View Cemetery for photographs. We easily found her Duncan plot after a quick stop at the cemetery office.

A former Duncan family residence.

I promised Helen that I would locate her second address on Randolph Avenue and take photographs of the Edwin Duncan home. The proof is posted here and I am happy to report that I met the current owner and she has traveled to New Zealand and visited Christchurch. How's that for coming full circle?

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
CGS Past President Verne Deubler

Photograph courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California, 5/9/2009.

What You Missed: The January Annual Business Meeting

With a nod to Miriam Robbins Midkiff and her "What You Missed" posts at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog (Miriam always says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery), I'm reprinting the minutes of Annual Business Meeting. Very special thanks to Shirley Pugh Thomson, CGS Recording Secretary who submitted these minutes as her last act as she departs the board of directors.

The annual business meeting was called to order by President Jane Lindsey at 1:00 p.m. She distributed copies of minutes of the January 12, 2008, annual business meeting to the approximately fifty-five members attending and introduced the Board of Directors of 2008.

Vice President Verne Deubler provided copies of the proposed $118,750 budget for 2009, discussed various elements of it and pointed to the need to constrain expenses in the coming year. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That the 2009 budget is adopted as presented.

Nominating Committee chair Chris Pattillo presented the list of nominees for seats on the Board of Directors: Kathryn Doyle and Chris Pattillo, for second terms, and Stephen Harris, Cathy Paris, Carolyn Steinberg and Diana Wild for first terms. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That those people nominated for directorships are hereby elected. Directors
leaving the Board in January 2009 are Jane Hufft, Laura Spurrier and Shirley Thomson. Following the election, Jane briefly described plans being considered for revisions in directors’ areas of responsibility in 2009.

Activities of the various committees were reported by chairs Bill O’Neil, Lorna Wallace, Carolyn Steinberg, Chris Pattillo, Laura Spurrier, Sandy Fryer, Linda Darby, Kathryn Doyle, Nancy Peterson, Marianne Frey, Nancy Servin and Jane Lindsey.

Jane described a wide variety of events and activities being planned for the coming year and urged that members keep up to date on such matters by frequent visits to the CGS Web site and the CGS blogspot.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Shirley Pugh Thomson, Recording Secretary

Questions? Leave a comment and I'll be glad to elaborate on any aspect of the annual meeting.

Volunteer of the Year - Anne Robinson

On Thursday, November 20, 2008, CGS Vice-President Vern Deubler presented Anne Robinson with a certificate of recognition for her long service to the California Genealogical Society. Anne was nominated for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Ruth C. Bishop Family History Volunteer Hall of Honor, Living Award for 2008. Only one nominee is so honored each year so even though Anne was not inducted into the Hall of Honor, FGS sent a certificate to recognize her volunteer efforts.

Anne Robinson receives certificate from CGS Vice President Verne Deubler.

Anne A. Robinson, CGS Volunteer of the Year, 2008.

The certificate, signed by Wendy Bebout Elliott, President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, reads:

The Federation of Genealogical Societies is pleased to present the Volunteer of the Year in the year 2008 to Anne A. Robinson, nominated by the California Genealogical Society and Library in recognition of outstanding service to the genealogical community.

Congratulations, Anne!

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California, 11/20/2008.

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.

The Peralta Project

The California Genealogical Society has embarked on an ambitious new project with The Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. The six-acre park, in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, includes the restored 1870 home of Antonio Peralta and preserves the lost legacy of the 44,800-acre Peralta rancho that once covered nearly all of present-day Alameda County. The park site is a city and state landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chris Pattillo, principal of the landscape firm, PGA Design, has been working with the Friends of Peralta Hacienda on the implementation of the landscape masterplan for the last three years. Chris also sits on the CGS board of directors, so when she learned the next phase of the renovation project included a Peralta family tree, she knew it was time to marry two of her pet projects. Pattillo arranged for Holly Alonso, Executive Director of the Park, to visit the California Genealogical Society and the alliance was born.

Graphic artist Gordan Chan has been commissioned to create the large wall mural featuring the Peralta family tree. The work of art will reside in the 1864 Victorian building on the site and is to be an accurate depiction of some of the genealogy of the family.

Lavinia Grace Schwarz agreed to coordinate the team of CGS volunteers who stepped forward to tackle the enormous project. Judy Bodycote has contributed countless hours of research time and is in charge of creating the database. Dick Rees and Marilyn Willats concentrated on some of the well-known "celebrity" descendants. Some preliminary work was done by Arlene Miles and Verne Deubler.

I'll have lots more to report on the project in the coming weeks.

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