California Genealogical Society blog

05 September 2020

Online Genealogy, week of September 7-13

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series continues Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
This eight-part series walks through the steps needed to produce a well-researched and handsome family history book, from the basics of storytelling to the finished product. Sign up for one, several, or all sessions! This week: Lois Elling talks about "Making Your Book Look Good: Type and Graphics."

Conferences: [fee charged, with the exception of German Genealogy Conference]

Institute for British Genealogy and Family History hosts a 2-day DNA Seminar with Maurice Gleeson, September 8 & 9.
New York State Family History Conference: September 10-12.
Utah Genealogical Association holds its 2020 Summit of Excellence, September 10 & 11.
GeneaQuest hosts its biennial conference, "Frontiers in Genealogy," September 11 & 12.
American Historical Society of Germans from Russia holds a FREE German Genealogy conference, September 11-13.
The Association for African American Life and History holds a virtual conference, with events every Thursday and Saturday in September. Visit their website to register.
Note: Southern California Genealogical Society has issued a call for virtual presentations for Jamboree and its other 2021 events. Submissions are accepted through September 30.

Classes:

Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

American Ancestors

September 10: "Carville's Cure: Leprosy, Stigma, and the Fight for Justice" by Pam Fessler

September 11: "All Roads Lead to London" by Curt DiCamillo

BYU Family History Library

September 9: "Mysteries of the Change Log Revealed" with Kathryn Grant

Legacy Family Tree
September 8: "New Searching at MyHeritage" by Dana Drutman

September 8: "New Historic Records on MyHeritage" by Tal Erlichman

September 9 & 10: "Cyndi's List in Practice" by Cyndi Ingle

Southern California Genealogical Society
September 12: "Let's Explore the LAPL Photo Archives" by Christina Rice

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently. Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

September 7: "FamilySearch Catalog" (Family History Library)

September 8: "Take a Virtual Stroll Through the New Genealogy Center" (Allen County Public Library)

September 8: "Beginning Irish Genealogy Research" (New York Public Library)

September 8: "Westward Ho! The Impact of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787" by Dorothy Miller

September 8: "George D. Prentice: Scoundrel or Scapegoat?" (Louisville Genealogical Society)

September 8: "Restoring and Preserving Civil War Cemeteries" Willard Library (Evansville, Indiana)

September 9: "An Introduction to NYC Land and Buildings Research" (New York Public Library)

September 10: "World War II Records at the National Archives of Australia" (Queensland Family History Library)

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

30 August 2020

CGS September Classes and Events

Posted by Jennifer Dix

The California Genealogical Society has adapted during the pandemic, moving many of our classes online. To judge from the response we've been getting, this is very popular with many of our members. As we move into our fall classes, you'll see some old favorites as well as exciting new offerings. We hope you'll check them out and consider joining us online!

September 5: 1st Saturday FREE "Intro to Genealogy," our popular monthly series. This month: Genealogy Basics.

September 1, 8, 15, 22: Our "Writing Your Family History" series continues on Tuesdays through September. Join us for tips on citation, graphics, layout, and indexing!

Two special multipart courses launch this month:

September 19: "Exploring Military Records" with Susan Goss Johnson, a 4-part course on alternate Saturdays.

September 29: "Introduction to DNA and Genetic Genealogy" with Mark McLaren, a 6-part course held Tuesday evenings.

National Hispanic Heritage Month spans September 15-October 15. We have two special presentations on the theme:

September 26: "An Introduction to Researching Your Mexican Ancestors" by Colleen Robledo Greene.

October 1: "Researching Mexican Land Grants in Alta California" by Susan Skilton.

All our Events can be found listed on our website
Or at the CGS Facebook page
Or at EventBrite.com (search for "California Genealogical Society")

29 August 2020

Online Genealogy: Week of August 31-September 6

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series continues Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
This eight-part series walks through the steps needed to produce a well-researched and handsome family history book, from the basics of storytelling to the finished product. Sign up for one, several, or all sessions! This week: Stewart Traiman talks about "Citation: Easier Than You Think."

Conferences:

The Federation of Genealogical Societies holds a virtual conference beginning September 2, with recorded sessions available to participants until March 2021. Click here for details and to register. (fee)
The Association for African American Life and History holds a virtual conference, with events every Thursday and Saturday in September. Visit their website to register. (fee)

Classes:

BYU Family History Library

September 2: "How to Ask Your DNA Question" with Bonnie Belza

Legacy Family Tree
September 1 & 2: "Wilkommen in Australien! Researching German-Australian Families" by Benjamin Hollinger

September 2: "Using Chromosome Browsers, Segment Data, and Triangulation" by Michelle Leonard

Southern California Genealogical Society
September 5: "Who Needed It, Anyway? Researching Around the Missing 1890 Census" by Sara Cochran

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently. Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

September 1: "A Genealogist's Guide to Digital Marketing" with David Ryan

September 2: "An Introduction to Ellis Island Genealogy" (New York Public Library)

September 3: "German Resources to Trace Your Roots" (Germanic Genealogy Society)

September 5: "Using Historical Maps to Research New England and Beyond" by Sara Campbell

September 6: "400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage" (DuPage County Genealogical Society)

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

26 August 2020

Two new medals honor World War II veterans: Chinese Americans and Merchant Marines

Posted by Jennifer Dix

The history of Americans who served in World War II has been told many times by many different people. One ethnic group that has often been overlooked is that of the Asian Americans who fought for their country – even when that country did not grant them full citizenship. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prevented Asian immigrants from becoming naturalized and otherwise discriminated against them and their families, was still in effect during World War II. In 1943 the Magnuson Act repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Long-overdue recognition has come gradually to Asian American WWII veterans. Japanese American Nisei soldiers collectively received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Filipino vets were awarded the medal in 2017. Bipartisan legislation to create a Congressional Gold Medal for Chinese American veterans was introduced in 2017 and signed into law in December 2018. This medal was to be awarded collectively this spring at an April ceremony at Emancipation Hall in Washington, D. C., with a regional ceremony to follow in Hawaii. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has delayed those plans.

The front of the 3-inch medal depicts six men and one woman in various uniforms highlighting the fact they served in every branch of service and in every theater. Whether or not they were citizens during the war, the medal proclaims that each was "Proud to serve as an American."

Design for the Chinese American Veterans of WWII Congressional Gold Medal*

There is also a new Congressional medal recognizing those who served in the Merchant Marine, previously unrecognized because they were not part of the military, although they served and supported the U. S. Navy during the war.

CGS member Justine Wong is the daughter of Leland Wong, who served in the Merchant Marine during WWII. “Growing up I heard my dad talk about his time as a Merchant Marine,” she remembers. “He did not talk much in detail but I do remember hearing about the booming of cannons and something about my dad standing up to an officer about turning a ship around because of a sick seaman.” She learned about the Congressional Gold Medal last year, but didn't consider making an application for her late father until encouraged to do so by a friend. Her mother had lots of documents that included slips of paper with names of ships and their departure and arrival dates. The application process turned up some happy surprises: although the family's copy of her father's record stated "no medals," Justine learned from the U. S. Maritime Administration Department that her father was due a Victory Medal and an Honorable Service Medal as well as several others. Her next research project is to try to confirm stories that Leland was at Iwo Jima as well as in China and the Phillippines during the war.


Leland Wong on Catalina Island during WWII

The Bay Area Chinese Genealogy Group is trying to raise awareness about the Chinese American Congressional medal so that surviving veterans or their family members may apply to be recognized. Those who served in the Merchant Marine during WWII are also encouraged to apply for that medal. Tributes to Chinese American WW2 veterans are at baccg.org and caww2.org.

BACGG also is hosting several events commemorating the service of Chinese Americans. This year is the 75^th anniversary of the end of WWII. This coming Saturday, August 29, at 1:15 p.m., a webinar featuring a virtual panel discussion with filmmaker Montgomery Hom, Ret. Major General William Chen, and historian Connie Young Yu is open to all.

On September 26, an online Chinese Genealogy Workshop will help participants with tips on how to research their Chinese ancestry. That same day, a one-hour virtual celebration will feature presentations from the State of California and from several U.S. military and Veterans organizations. A special short film by Montgomery Hom, co-produced with Chinese American Citizens Alliance, highlights Chinese Americans in military service from the Civil War to WWII. More events are planned for November. See the BACGG website at https://bacgg.org/.

Any WWII veteran may be honored with an online profile at the Friends of the WWII Memorial. Fill out the application here:

https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/veteran-profile/

To apply for a Congressional Gold Medal, the veteran or next of kin should visit one of the following websites:

1. Chinese American WWII Congressional Gold Medal Recipient.

Additional resources are listed at www.caww2.org.

2. U. S. Merchant Marine WWII Congressional Gold Medal Recipient

Additional resources are at http://usmm.org/contact.html.

Leland Wong and fellow Merchant Marines on Catalina Island

*Chinese American Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Images © United States Mint 2019. Non-journalism use requires U.S. Mint permission notwithstanding any terms of use.

22 August 2020

Online Genealogy: Week of August 24-30

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series continues Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

This eight-part series walks through the steps needed to produce a well-researched and handsome family history book, from the basics of storytelling to the finished product. Sign up for one, several, or all sessions! This week: Matt Berry leads a class on "Genealogical Numbering Systems."

Courses:
August 24-September 20: "U. S. Land Records: How to Use Them for Family History" (Family Tree Magazine) [fee]
August 25: "Finding Your Ancestors in International Censuses" (Family Tree Magazine) [fee]

Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization. See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more.

American Ancestors
August 25: "Jews in the Catskills During and After the Holocaust" by Phil Brown

August 25: "Say I'm Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets, and Love" Dolores Johnson discusses her book about her mixed-race family

BYU Family History Library

August 26: "2020 Update: Basics of FindMyPast" with James Tanner

Legacy Family Tree
August 25: "How to Use MyHeritage DNA Results to Enhance Your Family Tree" by Michelle Leonard

August 26: "Slack for Genealogy Projects" by Thomas MacEntee

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently. Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

August 25: "Using the Periodical Source Index (PERSI)" by Allen County Public Library
August 26: "Newspapers and Print Resources" by Boston Public Library

August 26: "Googling for Genealogy" by Irondequoit Public Library

August 26: "Family History Resources at the Library of Congress" by Homer (IL) Public Library

August 27: "Finding Pre-Immigration Records: a Three-Step Approach" by Jay Fonkert

August 27: "Hurra, wir fahren nach Amerika: Travel Patterns from the Age of Sail to the Age of Steam" by Wolfgang Grams

August 29: "Introduction to African American Genealogy: Let's Find Some Ancestors" by Annette Burke Lyttle

August 29: "75th Anniversary of the End of World War I" (Colorado Genealogical Society)

August 29: "Operation: WWII Chinese American G. I." (Bay Area Chinese Genealogy Group)

August 30: "Out of the Whirlwind: Finding Your Family Lost in the Holocaust" by Deborah Long

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

16 August 2020

Help Find Photos of These California Veterans

Posted by Jennifer Dix

The California Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Photo by Sarbjit Bahga (Wikimedia Commons)

CalVet Connect has been compiling photos of Vietnam War veterans from California with the aim of creating a "virtual wall" to put faces to the names on the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento. The task now is almost complete: just four more names need to be matched with photos. They are:

Tommy R. Henderson, Los Angeles, U.S. Army
John E. Magee, Los Angeles, U.S. Army
Vernon P. Smith, Los Angeles, U.S. Navy
Frank Spotwood Jr., San Francisco, U.S. Army

CGS Member John Ralls, who belongs to the Northern California post of the Scottish American Military Society, brought this to our attention in hopes that someone with genealogical skills might be able to locate a photo for these fallen servicemen.

For more details about the project, see this blog post at the CalVet blog. If you are a relative of, knew, attended school with, or served with any of these men, please contact Mike Kennedy at mike3sps@verizon.net.

15 August 2020

Online genealogy, Week of August 17-23

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series continues Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

This eight-part series walks through the steps needed to produce a well-researched and handsome family history book, from the basics of storytelling to the finished product. Sign up for one, several, or all sessions! This week: Jennifer Dix leads a class on "Writing With Style."

Courses:

August 17-September 13 "Find Your Italian Ancestors" (Family Tree University) [fee]

August 24-September 20: "U.S. Land Records: How to Use Them for Family History" (Family Tree University) [fee]

Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization. See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more.

American Ancestors
August 20: "How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decision" Susan Eisenhower discusses her book about her grandfather, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

BYU Family History Library

August 12: "How to Ask Your DNA Question" with Bonnie Belza

Legacy Family Tree

August 18 & 19: "The Advance of Research Habits Over Recent Decades--And the Downside" by Tom Jones
August 19: "Getting to Know Mexican Church and Civil Registration Records" by Colleen Robledo Greene

Densho.org concludes its "Finding Your Nikkei Roots" series.
August 20: "Recording Oral Histories" with Tom Ikeda

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently. Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

August 17: "Building a Better Syllabus" (Association of Professional Genealogists)

August 18: "Bounty Land: It's Complicated" (Wisconsin State Genealogical Society)

August 18: "Unlocking Notation Codes on Alien Passenger Lists" (New York Public Library)

August 18: "Enrich Your Research With Digital Primary Sources" (Allen County Public Library)

August 18: "Genealogy Research Using Southern Manuscripts" (Dallas Public Library)

August 18: "Successful Strategies for Research Eastern European Ancestors" (Arlington Heights Memorial Library)
August 19: "The Most Prominent Citizens: Using County Histories" (Southern California Genealogical Society)

August 20: "Death By Undue Means: Coroners' Records" by Judy Russell (Florida State Genealogical Society)

August 20 & 21: "Researching Your Ancestors When You're Adopted" by Penny Walters (Utah Genealogical Association)

August 21: "Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy" by Penny Walters

August 22: "LGBTQ Genealogy" by Stewart Traiman (Kentucky Genealogical Society)

August 23: "Researching Displaced People" by Julie Goucher (Virtual Genealogical Association)
August 23: "Discovering Sephardic Roots Through DNA & Family History" by Shelley Talalay Dardashti

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

08 August 2020

Online genealogy, week of August 10-16

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series continues Tuesdays at 7 p.m.:

Thursday, August 13: Grant Din presents "Genealogical Resources for Angel Island" a FREE webinar about immigrants who entered the country at this station between 1910-1940.

Conferences:

August 9-13: 40th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy [fee]

Courses:

August 9-September 6: "In Sickness and In Death: Researching the Ill-health and Death of Your Ancestors" Pharos Online course with Janet Few [fee]

Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to archived classes available at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

American Ancestors

August 11: "Driving While Black" with author Gretchen Sorin

August 13: "The ABC's of Using School Records in Family History Research" by David Allen Lambert

August 14: "Speed, Style & the English Country House: Auto, Horse, and Airplane Racing at England's Historic Houses" by Curt DiCamillo

BYU Family History Library

August 12: “How to Repair Incorrect Merges in Family Tree” with Kathryn Grant

FamilySearch (Family History Library)

August 10: "Chinese ZhongYuan Festival and Cemeteries"

August 11: "Switzerland Records: the Zürich Census"

August 11: "El Arbol Familiar para principiantes" (in Spanish)

Legacy Family Tree

August 11: "Working with Different Family Tree Views on MyHeritage" by Uri Gonen
August 12 & 13: "Dissecting a Civil War Pension Packet—Union and Confederate" by Jill Morelli

Densho.org continues its "Finding Your Nikkei Roots" series.
August 13: "Writing Your Family History" with Linda Okazaki

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently.

Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

August 11: "Genealogy Research with Maps" (New York Public Library)

August 12: "Getting Started in Genealogy Research (New York Public Library)

August 13: "Evaluating Ancestry's Public Member Trees" (Allen County Public Library)

August 15: "2020 Summer DNA EConference" (Family History Fanatics) [fee]

August 15: "The Psychology of Searching" by Penny Walters

August 15: "Study Up on School Records for Success" (Chicago Public Library)

August 15: "Unraveling the Twisted Case of Angie Dodge" by CeCe Moore

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

06 August 2020

Free Webinar about the Angel Island Immigration Station, August 13

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Immigrants arriving at Angel Island dock. Department of Photographic Archives, State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation

Angel Island in San Francisco Bay is known as a place to enjoy a picnic or bike ride, or for some, for the Chinese poetry that immigrants carved into the walls of the barracks of the immigration station, which was used from 1910-1940. What is less known is that over 500,000 immigrants from 80 countries spent some time on the island during their immigration journeys.

CGS board member Grant Din worked for the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation for eight years and currently volunteers to manage its Immigrant Voices website, which has over 220 stories of West Coast immigrants, most of whom immigrated through the island. The site includes stories of immigrants from over thirty countries, including those from China, Russia, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Austria, Germany, the Philippines, and even a couple who escaped the Armenian genocide through Siberia and eventually made their way into the United States via Angel Island. Even composer Serge Prokofiev spent several days on the island.

“It’s not as well known as Ellis Island, and the immigrants’ entries into the U.S. were generally more difficult,” said Din. Whether trying to circumvent the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Asiatic Barred Zone, or fleeing Nazi-controlled Austria yet being labeled 'likely to become a public charge,' Angel Island immigrants often faced difficult obstacles to their admission to the United States.

Grant Din

Come join a free webinar on Thursday, August 13 at 4 p.m. Pacific time to learn more about these stories and the genealogical treasures that can be found about these immigrants. Register here and we’ll see you online!

31 July 2020

Online Genealogy, Week of August 3-9

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Here is a list of online genealogy events for the coming week. Most are free. See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to archived classes available at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more.

Our "Writing Your Family History" Series begins Tuesday, August 4:

Conferences:

August 8: August Genealogical Society Symposium: "Honoring Our Female Ancestors"

August 7 & 8: Texas State Genealogical Society Virtual Conference

August 9-13: 40th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy

To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

American Ancestors

August 6-8: "Summer Research Stay-at-Home" a 3-day workshop (fee)

BYU Family History Library

August 5: "Raising Family Historians: How to Capture the Hearts of Future Genealogists" by Breanne Ballard

FamilySearch (Family History Library)

August 3: "Using the FamilySearch Catalog"

August 4: "Attaching Sources to Family Tree"

Legacy Family Tree

August 4 & 5: “Tracing Australian and New Zealand World War One Ancestors” by Helen V. Smith
August 5: “Using DNA to Solve Adoption and Unknown Parentage Mysteries” by Michelle Leonard
August 6: “Preparing a Portfolio: Applying to Become a Certified Genealogist” by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, Angela Packer McGhie, and Richard Sayre

Densho.org continues its "Finding Your Nikkei Roots" series.
August 6: "Preserving Your Family Archives"

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently.

Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

August 3: "Researching Institutional Records" with Lisa Louise Cooke

August 4: "If You Build It, They Will Come: Creating a Website for Your Genealogy Business" by Elizabeth O’Neal

August 5: “How’d You Find That?!? Tips for Locating Obscure or Hidden Records” by Cari Taplin
August 7: "Research in East & West Prussia" by Ute Brandenburg
August 7: “African American Genealogy Virtual Workshop. Reconstructing Family: Post-Emancipation Records at the Library of Virginia” by Cara Griggs
August 7: "Land Documents for Genealogy" by Josh Goodman
August 8: "Using Newspapers for Genealogy" by Marcie Crocker

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

29 July 2020

New Resources On The CGS Website

Posted by Chris Pattillo

Chris Pattillo is a CGS Board member and oversaw the development of the CGS Strategic Plan.

New resources have been added to the CGS website! During the interviews for the CGS Strategic Plan one oft-made suggestion was the need to add more resources to the website. Well, we heard you and are happy to announce that Part One has been accomplished and is ready for you to explore.

The Website Content Committee started by identifying resources held in our library that will be of interest to our members. We then ranked those suggestions and dove in. Committee member Stewart Traiman scanned two volumes of lineage charts that were created by CGS members between 1955 and 1957. Then our volunteer coordinator, Kathleen Beitiks, mobilized a team of volunteers to index the names that appear on those charts.

The team has finished indexing all of the 65 charts in volume 3.1.

These two volumes of lineage charts were
created between 1955-1957

All 135 lineage charts have been scanned and
over half have been indexed so far.

Committee member Theresa Murphy checked each chart for completeness and accuracy, and committee member John Ralls added links to each tree and has put the material on our website. You will find a link to these new records on the home page. You need to first Log-In as a member. The SEARCH button will take you to our Databases page where you should select the link labeled "Lineage Chart Images".

We invite members to use this new database and welcome feedback. You can use the SUGGESTIONS tab on the bottom left side of the website to submit comments or suggestions.

Much More To Come

Volunteers are working on indexing 70 additional lineage charts in Volume 3.2. As soon as that work is complete, we will add it to our website. We have also made excellent progress on two volumes of Pedigree Charts that were created in the early 1900s, which Ron Madson is photographing. We are looking into adding the Ahnentafel Charts that were done by CGS members in 1921 and 1944.

Other projects that are being considered include:

· A set of birth records from the San Francisco Archdiocese that was compiled by CGS member Anne Robinson

· Thirty biographies of signers of the original California Constitution that were researched and written by CGS member Wayne Sheppard

· Records from our manuscripts collection

We are also looking to add more culturally diverse records to our collection.

If you would like to get involved with any of these projects please contact me at cpattillo@californiaancestors.org or Kathleen Beitiks at kbeitiks@californiaancestors.org

24 July 2020

Online genealogy, week of July 27-August 2

Posted by Jennifer Dix

August 1: Be sure to check out the CGS workshop "Rules for Entering Family History Data" with Russ Worthington (fee)

Celtic Connections Virtual Conference (fee)

Registration opens July 31 for this series of prerecorded webinars and live chats

To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

American Ancestors

July 28: "Jewish Women in the Labor Movement" by Judith Rosenbaum

BYU Family History Library

July 29: FamilySearch Q&A with Kathryn Grant

FamilySearch (Family History Library)

July 28: "Where There's a Will, There's a Probate: U.S. Probate Records"

Legacy Family Tree

July 28: "Fabulous Photo Discoveries at MyHeritage" by Lisa Louise Cooke

July 29: "Researching a Loyalist Soldier" by Craig R. Scott

Densho.org continues its series on "Finding Your Nikkei Roots"

July 29: "Family History Records in Japan"

Southern California Genealogical Society

August 1: "Cousin Baiting and Cousin Stalking" by Christine Cohen

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of events (too many to list) hosted by various genealogical organizations. New events are added often, so check back frequently.

Here are a few of the coming week's highlights:

July 28: "Resources on AmericanAncestors.org" by Christine Cohen

July 28: "Jewish History and Genealogy" (panel discussion)

July 30: "African and Jamaican Roots: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Paul Crooks

July 31: "Tracing Black Ancestry: Secrets of the 1817 Slave Registers" by Paul Crooks

August 1: "The Psychology of Searching" and "Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy" by Penny Walters

August 2: "Mixing DNA with a Paper Trail" by Penny Walters

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

22 July 2020

Quarantine Quests: The joy of indexing!

Posted by Chris Pattillo

Two volumes of pedigree charts
created in the 1890s

This Quarantine Quests story is from Jean Alderson and the other CGS volunteers who are indexing four volumes of Pedigree and Lineage charts for our website.

CGS has a fabulous team of volunteers who have responded to an invitation to help index the names of individuals listed in four volumes of Pedigree and Lineage Charts. The Lineage Charts were prepared in the 1950s and the Pedigree Charts are much older, having been done shortly after the society was founded in 1896. So far, eight CGS members have indexed all the lineage charts in volume 3.1. They, plus seven additional volunteers, have also gotten involved indexing the pedigree charts.

Jean Alderson was the first to volunteer and she is our star indexer. Of the 63 lineage charts, Jean has indexed 37–more than half the total. Now Jean has taken on the pedigree charts and has already completed six of the 35 sets of cards that have been assigned.

Before the quarantine began Jean had been training to become a Desk Volunteer. Now that our library is closed she eagerly agreed to try on the indexing work. Jean taught computer applications during her teaching career so she has the right skill set for the task. She also likes the flexibility of being able to work on the project whenever it suits her and not having to commit to being in the library on a particular day and time.

One of the lineage charts
made by CGS members in the 1950s

Typically, Jean works on her charts after a morning cup of coffee. She leaves her computer open to these files and goes back to it throughout her day working 20-30 minutes at a time. She thinks it is a perfect project to cure boredom and sometimes a good alternative to watching the nightly news.

Of the two projects, Jean much prefers working on the lineage charts which involve extracting names directly from family trees. She enjoys seeing an entire family and learning a little about their lives from the biographical information that is included. Work on the pedigree charts involves typing names and dates from sets of 3x5 cards, which offers its own intrigue. For example, as names are repeated on multiple trees Jean has deduced multiple marriages for individuals. She has been loosely tracking naming traditions finding many Abigails and Hannahs but no Lindas, Karens or Sharons. For males, Ezekial, Ignatious and Zephemiah were popular when the pedigree charts were created. And, then there are oddball names like Deliverance and Experience.

When I asked if she would recommend these projects to others she said yes and noted that she has benefited from similar work that others have done. Now Jean is giving back and hopes that her efforts will help others.

Names from these old index cards will be
transcribed and added to our website.

One of our other volunteers, Barbara Valdriz, has indexed five lineage charts. Barbara enjoys the work and says, “I found myself being drawn in and a bit distracted by wanting to learn more about these families.” Kathleen Beitiks, our Volunteer Coordinator, was thrilled when we started this project because many CGS volunteers want to work from home and this is proving to be the perfect project–particularly now, during the pandemic.

CGS volunteer Ron Madson has been photographing the pedigree charts,
some of which include photos, news clips and other memorabilia.

If you are interested in joining the team to work on these or other remote projects, please contact kbeitiks@californiaancestors.org or cpattillo@californiaancestors.org