California Genealogical Society blog

01 November 2020

Online genealogy, week of November 2-8

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our Events

November 7: "Intro to Genealogy" our FREE popular monthly basics class. This month: Vital Records (Birth, Marriage & Death)

Conferences and Seminars:
November 7: "The Bookends of Liberty: 300 Years of the Growth of Freedom in North America" featuring David Allen Lambert and Gena Philibert-Ortega (Bucks County Ancestry Fair)

Classes:
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.

American Ancestors

November 5: "Stories from the Archives: Objects of Mourning" by Judy Lucey

BYU Family History Library

November 4: "'Extra! Extra! Read All About It’: Finding Your Family History in Newspapers” with Kathryn Grant

November 5: The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X with author Tamara Payne

Family History Library
November 2: "Using the Family Search Catalog"

November 3: "Using the Family Search Mobile Apps"

November 5: "Swedish Genealogy Files: Mystery of the Unknown Father in 1800"

Legacy Family Tree

November 3 & 4: "Australian Census Substitutes" by Helen V. Smith

November 4: "How to Connect with Your Pilgrim Ancestors to Join the Mayflower Society" by Kate Eakman

Southern California Genealogical Society

November 7: "Researching Your French Canadian Ancestors" by Johanne Gervais

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

November 3

"From Webinar to Degree: Exploring Genealogy Education Options for You" (Utah Genealogical Association)

"Tap Into Your Inner Private Eye" (Manatee Genealogical Society)

"The Forgotten and the Maligned: Using Government Documents for Genealogical Research" (Allen County Public Library)

November 5

"Genealogy for Misers" (Omaha Public Library)

"Past is Present: Using Digital Resources to Find Your Family's First World War History" (Quebec Family History Society)

November 7

"Finding Your Mexican Ancestors: An Introduction to Mexican Genealogy" (Santa Rosa Junior College)

"Advanced Polish Research" (Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society)

"Native American Family Research" (Tennessee Genealogical Society)

"Digging Deeper: Researching Women's History" (Seattle Genealogical Society)

"Researching Military History and Records and the Making of We Are American Soldiers” (Chinese Family History Group of Southern California)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

24 October 2020

Online genealogy, week of October 26-November 1

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Conferences and Seminars:
October 26-20: German Handwriting Seminar (Family History Library)
October 31: Fall Genealogy Conference: DNA with Blaine Bettinger (North Hills Genealogists)
October 31: Passports to the Past: Discover Your Family Stories (Topeka Genealogical Society)
October 31-November 3: "What Scares You in Genealogy?" Annual Family History Day Seminar (Connecticut Genealogical Society)

Classes:
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.

BYU Family History Library

October 21: "Building Your Genealogical Tool Kit” with James Tanner

Family History Library
October 26: "Mournful Exodus": Finding your Irish Ancestor’s Home

Legacy Family Tree

October 27: "Jumpstart Your MyHeritage Family Tree with Instant Discoveries" by James Tanner

October 28: "In Black and White: Finding Historical Newspapers From Around the World" by Gena Philibert-Ortega

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:

October 27:
"Making Sense of Your Jewish DNA Results" (Utah Genealogical Society)

"Family Tree Maker 2019 Refresher: Fixing Errors And Beginning A Book" (Heritage Library)

"DNA Methodology for Unknown Parentage Research" (Louisville Genealogical Society)

"Relatives in Print! Researching Newspaper Databases" (New York Public Library)

"Online Resources of the Tennessee State Library & Archives" (Allen County Public Library)

"Genealogy Research of Mysterious Relatives" (Dallas Public Library)

"Where Were You? History Captured in Quilts" (Rogue Valley OR Genealogical Society)

"Exploring Ireland’s History Through Maps" (St. Louis Genealogical Society)

"Quaker Records and Migration" with Craig R. Scott (Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia)

October 30

"Medical Genealogy: Defining Obscure Medical Terms Used by Our Ancestors" (Houston Public Library)

"Researching Black History in the UK" (National Archives UK)

October 31

"Researching Our English Ancestors" with Paul Milner (Allen County IN Genealogical Society)

November 1

"Trace Your Patrilineal Ancestry and Knock Down Brick walls Using Y-DNA" (Genealogical Society of Broward County FL)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

19 October 2020

Hale Collection Now Available on Our Website

Posted by Chris Pattillo

John Ellis Hale, ca. 1927

Super scanner Stewart Traiman has completed digitizing the documents contained in the John Ellis Hale files from our Manuscripts Collection. John E. Hale served as CGS President from 1979 to 1982. He was a dedicated family historian/researcher who spent forty years collecting, documenting and writing about his family and ancestors.

John was the son of Peter Morrell Hale and Katherine McRae. He married Ethel McRae Bemis. The collection includes these surnames along with thirty-nine additional surnames. The collection was donated to CGS in 2012 and was first indexed by Georgia Lupinsky. Georgia created a finding aid to the materials included in the ten archival boxes. Stewart has scanned the collection and expanded the index, which can be accessed from our website. To see the digitized images, click on the hyperlink found in the online finding aid.

John's wife Ethel Bemis

Until now the only way that researchers could view these records was by visiting the library. Now, the digitized documents are accessible to all members on our website. Note: The collection includes additional material for persons still living that may only be viewed in person at the library. There is a total of 741 items in this collection, of which 432 can be viewed online. Many items are multi-page so there is a total of 1,973 viewable images.

The collection is organized by surname and includes family trees, fan charts, pedigree charts, biographies, newspaper articles, DAR documents, diplomas, certificates, and lots of photographs of individuals and of family homes. There is a 20-page personal account of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire San Francisco written by Marion Baldwin Hale in 1975. The collection includes a few personal letters and documents for Thomas McRae, who served as Governor of Arkansas in the 1920s.

Images in the collection are well labeled

This project is one of several efforts undertaken by the CGS Website Content Committee in an effort to expand the society’s offerings of unique resources as a benefit to our members.

17 October 2020

Online genealogy, week of October 19-25

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our Events:
October 24: The Naughty and Notorious of Mountain View Cemetery

Conferences:
October 24: Germany Seminar Day (Family History Library)
October 23: A Day with Judy Russell (Tennessee Genealogical Society)
October 23 & 24: Family Roots Family History Conference
October 24: 2020 Virtual Symposium and Annual Meeting (Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International)
October 24: "Seeking the Past, Envisioning the Future" (Illinois State Genealogical Society)
October 24: Annual Seminar featuring J. Mark Lowe (San Antonio Genealogical & Historical Society)

Classes:
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.

American Ancestors

October 24: "Kant's Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write" with Claire Messud

BYU Family History Library

October 21: "Research Walk-Through: Best Practices for Adding a Family from England to Family Tree” with Kathryn Grant

Legacy Family Tree
October 20 & 21: "Using DNA Test Results to Confirm a Pedigree" by Angela Packer McGhie

October 20: "Comparing the Genealogy Giants 2020: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, and MyHeritage" by Sunny Morton

October 23: "How Old Did He Have To Be...?" by Judy G. Russell

Southern California Genealogical Society

October 21: "Researching California Mission Indians Using a Case Study" by Jean Wilcox Hibben

October 19:
"Researching Your Quaker Ancestors" (Heritage Library History & Ancestry Research Center)

October 20:
"Researching African Americans in the Mid-Hudson Valley" (New York Genealogical & Biographical Society)
"Mayflower Research" Allen County Public Library
"Public Records, Public Trust: Records Management in Government" (Library of Virginia)

"Native American Genealogy Research" (Oklahoma Genealogical Society)

October 21

"Remembering Zion: How a Black Cemetery was Erased and Then Rediscovered" (Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative)

October 22

"Reclaim the Records" with Brooke Schreier Ganz (Marin County Genealogical Society)

"17th-Century Maps of Virginia, Maryland & the Southeast, 1590–1720" (Library of Virginia)

October 23

"Sources and Methods for Researching Native American Ancestors" (Houston Public Library)

"The History of Your House" (Allen County Public Library)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more.

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

13 October 2020

2020 Genie Awards

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Usually we have a cake and celebration, but this past Saturday we had to present the Genie Awards via Zoom. (See our previous post for details on this year's honorees.) Here's a screenshot showing our All-Stars: Arlene Miles, Rich Kehoe, John Ralls, Chris Pattillo, Theresa Murphy, Stewart Traiman, and Shannon Reese! We appreciate you! Your genie lamps are in the mail!

11 October 2020

Online genealogy, October 12-18

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Our Events:
October 10: Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group

Conferences:

October 12-14: Virtual British Institute
October 14: "The Kitchen: Culinary Inspirations from the Past" New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Fall Benefit
October 14-17: Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Conference
October 17: 15^th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar
October 17: Virtual Conference with Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist (Mid Atlantic German Society)

October 17: Fall Seminar with Fritz Juengling (North San Diego County Genealogical Seminar)

October 17: Virtual Fall DNA Seminar with Blaine Bettinger (Seattle Genealogical Society)

Classes:
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.

Allen County Public Library

October 13: "Using Railroad Records" by Kim Harrison

October 14: "Finding Unknown Fathers or Grandfathers by DNA" by Sara Allen

October 15: "Death Business: Searching Funeral Home Collections" by Melissa Tennant

American Ancestors

October 13, 20, 27: "An Explosion of Beauty: The Art, Architecture, and Collections of British Country Houses, Part I" course with Curt DiCamillo

October 14, 21, 28: "Adoption Research" course

October 14: "The First American Jewish Woman Novelist: Uncovering the Story of Cora Wilburn and her Spiritualist Novel, Cosella Wayne" by Jonathan D. Sarna

October 15: "Using Bank Records in Family History Research" by Eileen Pronti

BYU Family History Library

October 14: "Improving Your Genealogy Research Skills" by James Tanner

Legacy Family Tree
October 13: " Use MyHeritage Records to Quickly Discover and Write the Story of Your Ancestors " by Devon Noel Lee

October 14 & 15: "Dealing with Endogamy" by Paul Woodbury

Southern California Genealogical Society
October 13: "Beginning Genealogy: Census and Naturalization Records" by Beverly Truesdale

October 12:

"Cemetery Art for Genealogy" (Midwest Genealogy Center)

"Reconstruction On Hilton Head Island & Beaufort County (1862-1877)" (Heritage Library History & Ancestry Research Center)

October 13:

“Researching Your Chicago Ancestors” (Schaumburg IL Township District Library)

"Intro to African American Genealogy" (New York Public Library)

"Identifying Unknown Ancestors with DNA" (Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia)

October 14:

"German Naming Conventions and Other Oddities" (Doña Ana County NM Genealogical Society)

"Walk a Mile in Their Shoes: Using Maps to Understand Our Ancestors’ Journeys" (Rogue Valley OR Genealogical Society)

October 15:

"A Thousand Thirsty Beaches: Smuggling Alcohol from Cuba to the South during Prohibition" (Alabama Department of Archives)

"The Great War: Researching Your World War I Ancestors" (Florida State Genealogical Society)

"Dethorning Interviews, Cold Calls, and First Contact" (Utah Genealogical Society)

October 16:
"Don't Leave Any Stones Unturned! Finding Collections Anywhere and Everywhere" (Wisconsin State Genealogical Society)

"Fantastic Canal Records and Where to Find Them: NY Repositories" (New York Genealogical & Biographical Society)

"Using DNA to Identify Enslaved Ancestors" (Houston Public Library)

October 17:

"German Genealogy" (New York Chapter of Palatines to America German Genealogy Society)

"Tracing Your Irish Ancestors"(Irish Genealogical Society International)

October 18:

"Past the Cemetery Gate with the Gravestone Girls" (Portsmouth NH Public Library)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more.

Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

09 October 2020

Weigh In By October 23 On Proposed NYC Public Records Fee Hikes

Posted by Jennifer Dix

Marriage record pictured on the DORIS website

Another fight is brewing between New York City repositories and the genealogists and others who depend on their records for research. As explained by "The Legal Genealogist" Judy Russell, the New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) wants to impose a licensing fee for the use of tons and tons of genealogically-relevant materials. The public comment period closes October 23, so time is limited.

It may seem like there's little we can do as individuals, but the more people who speak out against obstacles to public records access, the more likely we are be heard. Late last year, we wrote about USCIS plans to raise their fees by "astronomical" amounts. Despite thousands of comments lodged in protest, and concern raised by U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, the Department of Homeland Security vowed to go ahead with the fee hikes, scheduled to begin on October 2. However, they were halted by a preliminary court injunction just days before the deadline.

The public can send comments by email, sign a petition by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, or virtually attend the hearing on October 23. For more details on the proposed DORIS rules, and a guide to actions you can take, visit Judy Russell's blog:

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2020/10/07/heads-up-on-nyc-records-access/