Report Two from NGS 2013

I had a chance to sit down with 2013 Conference Chair Stefani Evans to talk about the collaboration with local genealogical societies.

NGS 2013 Conference Chair Stefani Evans, CG

Stefani explained that "normally" the NGS Annual Conference partners with one or two large groups to serve as "local host societies" who are asked to provide more than 400 volunteer hours to help staff and run the four-day event. Since none of the local Las Vegas groups were large enough to supply that kind of woman/manpower, a new model had to be created.

Evans put out a call to several organizations and for the first time a coalition of six "hosts" was formed, representing "a really good demographic in genealogy."

Centennial Las Vegas Genealogy Society
Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society
Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas FamilySearch Library
Nevada African American Genealogy Society
Nevada State Society Daughters of the American Revolution

One positive outcome for the local societies is a new spirit of cooperation and collaboration going forward. Stefani calls it "cross-pollinating" since host members are joining each other's groups. She sees it as a positive example for groups across the country who sometimes exist in isolation from each other.

Well done, Las Vegas area societies! And thank you, Stefani Evans.


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

What You Missed: Genealogy 101 at the Society of California PIoneers

On Saturday, September 9, 2012, Lavinia Schwarz presented Genealogy 101: Getting Started, at the Society of California Pioneers in San Francisco. Lavinia heads the research team at the California Genealogical Society and is a former member of the board of directors. The class grew out of a desire for collaboration between our two societies. Our board members, Pat Gallagher and Henry Snyder, worked with California Pioneers Director of Library and Archives, Patricia L. Keats, to make it happen.

Lavinia Schwarz teaching "Genealogy 101" in the
Joseph and Mildred Rolph Moore Gallery. 

The setting was the beautiful Joseph and Mildred Rolph Moore Gallery. The class was free and open members of both the California Genealogical Society and the Society of California Pioneers. SOCP Director of Membership Services, Peggy Huntington, and SOCP Board President Thomas McLaughlin were present to welcome attendees and get things started. More than thirty participants heard Lavinia's excellent presentation on how to get started on a genealogical quest.

Members of both the California Genealogical Society and the Society of California Pioneers were in attendance.

Lavinia provided an excellent overview for the beginner. Using examples and photographs from her own family, she outlined the "how-to process" and shared her secrets for success. Her discussion covered the following topics:

1. Talk to everyone in the family.
2. Gather what you collect and pick an approach.
3. Learn the lingo.
4. Copy and source what you find.
5. If you can, use technology.

Lavinia provided a hand-out with resource suggestions, a comprehensive list of genealogy websites, and three sample forms – ancestral chart, research calendar, and family group record sheet.

Tim Cox, Lavinia Schwarz and Thomas McLaughlin, President of the Board of Society of California Pioneers

The class was very well-received. Organizer Pat Gallagher noted: "Lots of folks left the room saying how inspired they were to get going."

The California Genealogical Society gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Education and Gallery Manager John Hogan for facilitating the event.

We look forward to future collaborative endeavors with the Society of California Pioneers.

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

Genealogy 101: Getting Started – A Program with the Society of California Pioneers

Saturday, September 8, 2012

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. 

Society of California Pioneers

300 Fourth Street

San Francisco, CA 94107

The California Genealogical Society is pleased to offer a class in collaboration with the Society of California Pioneers at their beautiful facility in San Francisco.

Genealogy 101: Getting Started is more than an introduction to the basics. Beginners will be given blank family group sheets and pedigree charts and will learn how to navigate in the genealogy world. But experienced genealogists, too, may pick up some pointers and be reminded of techniques to use and new places to search for their elusive ancestors. The handout includes some essential websites to use.

The class is free and open to members of both the California Genealogical Society and the Society of California Pioneers. Preregistration is required. Registration confirmations will be emailed to registrants.

Register online.


Lavinia Gilbert Schwarz was born and raised in the East Bay. She is a third generation northern Californian (and third generation Cal grad) who has traced her roots to France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Cuba, and San Domingue (now Haiti). She has been a member of the California Genealogical Society for twelve years, and spent five years on the Board. She presently coordinates the CGS Research and Lookups service. A genealogist since 1999, she completed the National Institute on Genealogical Research (N.I.G.R.) program in 2008 at the National Archives in Washington D.C. and College Park, Maryland. To hone her skills she has attended numerous National Genealogical Society conferences including those in Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, VA; Sacramento, CA; Durham, NC; Salt Lake City, UT, and Cincinnati, OH as well as visiting courthouses and genealogically significant sites in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Louisiana, and California.


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

Update on CGS Projects with FamilySearch Indexing

The California Genealogical Society and Library is partnering with FamilySearch Indexing on its second Partner Project – the U.S., California 1852 State Census. The project is classified as “Skill level: Intermediate” and is “recommended for volunteers who are familiar with the indexing process and comfortable using various system features. The documents are old and some of the handwriting is difficult to read.”

FamilySearch is indexing the 1852 California census even though this record set is available on Ancestry.com. Once this project is complete, there are some San Francisco record sets in line to be indexed, including records of San Francisco citizens of German descent who were required to register during WWI. The San Francisco Public Library has information about the Alien enemy registration affidavits, 1918. There are several other sets to follow that will greatly assist San Francisco researchers.

Heading up the 1852 State Census project for the society is one of our new members – Maureen Stephan. Maureen joined CGS last year after she visited the library during a family vacation to San Francisco from her home in Kansas:

It was the best vacation we've ever had! We did and saw so many wonderful things. We walked up and down Lombard Street a couple of times, went on a cruise on the bay, saw the tiled steps, went on a walking tour of Chinatown and an architecture tour of downtown San Francisco, drove up to Twin Peaks and looked out over the city (we were lucky - no fog!), rode the cable cars – and ate at In-N-Out Burger for the first time (loved it!).

The Stephan family.

One day I went to the CGS Library while my husband took our two daughters up to Sacramento (my oldest daughter was born at Mather AFB) where they went to Old Town and the train museum. I had a great time at the library – everyone was so helpful. I found a couple of things about some of my relatives who used to live in San Francisco.

Maureen is able to coordinate the project for CGS from her home in Kansas for the same reason that our members can index from where ever they live. If you don’t yet have an indexing account with FamilySearch, find out how easy it is with the two-minute test drive. Follow the instructions to download the indexing program to your computer.

Once have an indexing account with FamilySearch, you will need to “join” our group. If you have any problems, either with joining the group or indexing, email Maureen and she will guide you through the process.

I'm honored to have been asked to coordinate the California 1852 state census project, and look forward to helping on more projects!  –Maureen Stephan

Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Burbank to Oakland: South Comes North For a Visit

A special meeting occurred on Thursday, September 23, 2010, when Jay Holladay and Vieve Metcalfe of the Southern California Genealogical Society paid a visit to the CGS Library. The couple were in the Bay Area for a school reunion and decided to mix in a little gen society business. It was an opportunity to meet with their NorCal counterparts, tour our library and take a look at our operation.

While Jay met with Technology Director Kathy Watson to discuss the website and facility equipment, Vieve met with CGS Librarian Laura Spurrier. Laura provided a tour of Surpass, our catalog software which our neighbors to the south are considering to replace their Access file.

Vieve Metcalfe, Laura Spurrier, Kathy Watson and Jay Holladay

Jay and Vieve are both active members of the Southern California Genealogical Society. Jay currently leads their Information Technology Team and the RootsMagic User Group. He has been a member of the SCGS board of directors since 2008 and he also serves on the Long-Range Planning Committee. Vieve presently serves as librarian, member of the Long Range Planning and Library Operations Committees, and as cataloguer for the CD collection. In the past, she has served as the Jamboree chair.

All genealogy societies face similar challenges but collaborative sessions like this are few and far between. The visit was so successful that it is likely to be repeated again as both societies plan to continue to share their experiences. Thanks, Jay and Vieve, for stopping by!


Photograph courtesy of Kathy Watson, 9/23/2010, Oakland, California.


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

A Collaborative Formula For Success

The California Genealogical Society has participated in several collaborative projects with groups, such as: SFgenealogy.com, the Peralta Hacienda and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. But the most successful venture has been a partnership with the Oakland Regional Family History Center started in October 2008. Then-president Jane Lindsey and Marge Bell, Assistant Director of the ORFHC, cooked up a scheme to offer a menu of beginning genealogy classes at both facilities. The classes were offered on Tuesday evenings at the Family History Center or Saturday mornings at the CGS Library which enabled free parking at either venue. The classes were a huge hit and the formula was expanded to intermediate sessions as well.

Jane Knowles Lindsey and Margery Howe Bell

In all, a total of 174 students have been through five sessions of classes: three for beginners and two for intermediate level participants. The classes have led to an increase in membership and volunteerism and have been successful by any measure.

Jane and Marge – keep talking – we're ready for your next good idea in collaboration.


Written for the second edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies: Collaboration.

Photograph courtesy of Judy Bodycote, Oakland, California, 3/30/2010.


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