Ethnic Series Workshop - Primeros Pasos: How to Look for Your Latino Ancestors

Saturday, June 19, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2,
Oakland, California

The society's ethnic series continues with a workshop for beginning genealogists who need assistance with research in Spanish speaking countries. Join Ellen Fernandez-Sacco as she presents three talks.

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.  Brief History of the Spanish Empire’s Government and Its Influence on Other Spanish Speaking Countries.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Researching Catholic Church Records.

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.  Break for lunch. Bring a brown bag or purchase at a local restaurant.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Searching Websites and Other Resources.

The workshop is open and free to all. Preregistration is required. Please note that seating is limited to the first fifteen who register.

Register online.

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco’s involvement with genealogy started in 1999, when she began researching the oral history of her family in Moca, Puerto Rico. She has traced her background to Mallorca and Galicia, Spain and is also of Taino Amerindian descent. She has a Ph.D. in Art History and is a co-founder and chair of Sociedad Ancestros Mocanos, a Yahoo! Group, whose focus is the genealogy and oral history of Northwest Puerto Rico.


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

eNews May 2010, volume 4, number 5

The May 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 5, has been published and emailed to members and friends. As always, the eNews features timely information about the California Genealogical Society and our upcoming events. Each edition also includes Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: California Ancestors.

This month, in honor of Syttende Mai (17th of May), the holiday celebrating Norway's independence, we honor the Norwegian ancestors of member volunteer, Gloria Hanson. By good fortune and hard work, Gloria has photographs of seven of her eight great-grandparents.

All past issues of the eNews are available for viewing at the eNews ARCHIVE. The June 2010 issue will be emailed on May 31, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.

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

Salt Lake City Successes: 2010 Edition

Lamb's Grill was the site of the traditional wrap-up dinner of the Tenth Annual Salt Lake City Research Tour. Most of the thirty three attendees at this year's trip joined in the celebration of a successful week at the Family History Library. Here are a few of the accomplishments reported.

Laura Lee Johnson Karp went back two more generation with her German GANSERT and VETER lines.

Jim Sorenson had nothing but praise for the library's collection and had success with Swedish church records.

Gary Willcuts reported he is on the "right track" tracing his MIDDLETON line from Los Angeles back to Scotland.

Bill O'Neil located a photograph of ancestor Jacob Frederick and learned of the work of a cousin, Arlene Gable, at Frederick Family Tree.

Pamela Wardall Lewis was tickled to find her own immigration record (and that of her mother and brother) on Find My Past.

Alison Kern Shedd found SEIGLE estate records in Porter County, Indiana.

Cynthia Peterson Gorman located an lithographic image of Nathanial Templeton being burned at the stake after capture by Indians at the Battle of Sandusky Plains.

Gabrielle Kojder put all the pieces of the puzzle together and located her Slovenian village.

Cathy Paris made progress with research of her ancestors in Scotland, particularly with Henry  WEBSTER.

This was Carol Levison Glesser's first trip to Salt Lake and she had considerable beginner's luck going back five generations with her LEVISON, MAXWELL and MASON families.

Thanks, Jane and Nancy, for another great week in Salt Lake City!

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

Wordless Wednesday

Tenth Annual Salt Lake City Tour
April 21 – 28, 2010

Jane Knowles Lindsey and Nancy Simons Peterson

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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

Jacob Workman Gesner of New Brunswick and Massachusetts

Inevitably, no matter the geographical region or ethnicity of interest, every genealogist comes to the same fork-in-the-road dilemma: keep researching or publish? When is the right time to stop the hunt and just start writing?

For Tom Gesner, the decision was helped along by some of his colleagues at the California Genealogical Society. Tom attended Hints On Publishing Your Family History, presented almost two years ago by Shirley Thomson, Jane Lindsey and Matt Berry. Tom concluded then that writing a book was something he could "really do."

The tangible result is Jacob Workman Gesner of New Brunswick and Massachusetts: His Ancestry and Descendants Through Three Generations. Jacob (1835-1920) was Tom's great-great grandfather. Tom estimates Jacob has hundreds of descendants.

A donated copy of the book sits on the shelves of the library and in it Tom has written, "In appreciation of the many helpful suggestions by CGS members, Tom Gesner, 15 Oct 2009." Tom told me that he  also found Matt Berry's Microsoft Word Skills for Genealogists workshops extremely useful and he acknowledges Verne Deubler's support and helpful information.

The CGS Library holds one other GESNER title: The Gesner Family of New York and Nova Scotia: Together with Some Notes Concerning the Families of Bogardus, Brower, Ferdon, and Pineo by Anthon Temple Gesner. Written in 1912, Tom notes that the book details the story of the "progenitor of the North American Gesners" Johann Heinrich Gesner, who arrived at New Amsterdam in 1710.  Tom's book is a continuation of one branch of the family.

Jacob Workman Gesner of New Brunswick and Massachusetts: His Ancestry and Descendants Through Three Generations, Thomas G. Gesner, Emeryville, California : Brookside Publishing, 2009.
ix, 112 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm. An account of the migration of Jacob Gesner and his children from New Brunswick to Fall River, Mass. $25. Available from Tom Gesner, P.O. Box 99281, Emeryville, CA 94662.


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

Field Trip to Sutro California State Library

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
480 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132

The California State Library, San Francisco, known as the Sutro Library, bills itself as one of the largest genealogical collections west of Salt Lake City – and it is. With over 150,000 books and resources for all fifty states, it is a must-visit place for Bay Area genealogists.

Jack Leibman has written a fascinating history of Adolph Sutro's library: The Saga of Sutro Library which includes this description:

Today the Sutro is a major resource for genealogy research. It continues to gather a remarkable list of historical and genealogical publications from the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. The surviving original collections of Sutro include a wide variety of pre-1900 British scientific papers, a unique collection of Mexican works, and many rare ancient Hebrew texts. A treasure trove of Sutro's voluminous correspondence is expected to provide some fascinating new insights into the history of this brilliant, inventive, and bold avatar of San Francisco.

Ron and Pam Filion of sfgenealogy.com have posted a comprehensive review of Bay Area research facilities, including Sutro.

Dick Rees will lead a group to Sutro on public transportation using BART and Muni leaving from the 19th Street Station in Oakland. Members may also car pool and meet at the library. Library staff will give us a tour. The library's hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bag lunch recommended.

Register online.


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

Wordless Wednesday

Ethnic Genealogy Series: Chinese Ancestry Workshop I

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Christine DeVillier , Marisa Louie,  Jeanie Low and Kay Speaks

Photographs by Tim Cox and Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California.

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

Nancy Peterson at The Society of Mayflower Descendants in California San Francisco Peninsula Colony Luncheon

Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Society of Mayflower Descendants in California

San Francisco Peninsula Colony Luncheon
Delancey Street Restaurant
The Embarcadero at Brannan Street
San Francisco, California

Nancy Simons Peterson will be the guest speaker at The Society of Mayflower Descendants in California San Francisco Peninsula Colony luncheon on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Nancy is Research Director of the California Genealogical Society and the author of Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research, published by the society in 2006 to coincide with the centennial of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Nancy and the entire research team have been burning the midnight oil to complete The Judge Project – which will result in another publication by the society later this year.

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants was formed in Boston in 1896. The California Society, chartered October 17, 1907, was established in San Francisco as the first Western State society by pioneers drawn to the new land of opportunity created by the California Gold Rush. The San Francisco Penisula Colony meets five times a year to remember heritage, for social time, lunch and a program related to personalities, events or items of Pilgrim or California historical interest. They hold joint meetings with other colonies within the Bay Area, including their important Compact Day each November.

Any person able to document their descent from one of the Mayflower Pilgrims is eligible to apply for membership.

Wordless Wednesday

Frankie Rhodes, Dick Rees and Arlene Miles

March 10, 2010

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California.

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

Featured on RootsTelevision!

We're so honored and pleased that our YouTube video has been added to RootsTelevision and has been selected as one of this week's New Roots Tuesday picks.

Pub/Mark Committee chair Cathy Paris created Who Do You Think We Are? from blog photos and added captions to describe all aspects of the society and our members. RootsTelevision thinks it's "a great example of how a society can showcase themselves online." We agree! And we thank Roots Television for helping us to spread our message.

Roots Television offers free genealogy and family history videos. Topics include Conferences, How-to, DNA, African Roots, British research, Irish family history, Hispanic roots, Libraries, Archives, Reunions, Photo Restoration and more.

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