Genealogy Addiction

by CGS Vice President, Chris Pattillo

I think genealogy should come with a warning – Danger: May Be Addicting. I should know. I’ve been possessed ever since I took a month off last July to immerse myself in genealogical research. I’ve amassed volumes of new information, agreed to co-chair the RootsMagic Users Group, signed up for the ten week Intermediate Genealogy course with Marge Bell, paid the deposit for this year’s Salt Lake Research Tour and attended Shirley J. Riemer's German Genealogy workshop a couple weeks ago.

As the mound of new data has grown, I realized I need to get it all organized and ready to share with family members, but I pondered - at what point? The notion of stopping to write up what I’ve already found and needing to cut myself off from this feverish rush to discover more and more has been a bit unfathomable. I thought, “Well, something will tell me when the time comes to write it up.”

Then a few days ago a modest 4” x 5” card arrived in our mail with a simple message, “Save the Date! Dana and Mary will tie the knot June 18, 2011” and I knew this was it – a deadline. Counting on my fingers – February, March, April, May, June – that’s just four and a half months. When I published our family history in celebration of my oldest nephew’s marriage in 2001, I spent every weekend for six months to get the job done. That involved writing sixty-three biographies, scanning and composing over 100 black and white photos and writing captions. In the final days, before my flight to Australia for the wedding, I begged my partner and a friend to help with editing and rearranging several hundred commas – not my strong point.

Four and a half months would be tight and I wanted to learn a new program for the book production. Now mind you, I still work at a real full time job. In fact I own my own landscape architecture business and have partial responsibility for the livelihoods of three business partners and eight staff. But, at every opportunity, I am focused on research, writing, checking facts, selecting images and thinking about how to organize and present the new material I’ve found thanks to many at the California Genealogical Society. On weekdays, as soon as dinner is over, I’m on my laptop doing research or writing. During my lunch break at the office I edit what I found or wrote the night before. In essence, I am possessed. I talk about my latest finds with my staff – like the online Find A Grave website – oh, that’s cool. I found eight Stover and Drake family relatives, including one great obituary, in one evening all buried in the Carr and Drake’s Cliff cemeteries in Carter County, Tennessee, but my fascination is starting to make my staff a little nervous.

So, I needed to share this story because I knew you readers would be sympathetic – you’d understand, but really we should consider adding that warning label to the society's website. Genealogy – it’s great fun, but very addicting.

Chris reflected in a monument at the San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery
where her great-grandfather "James Pattello" is buried.

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

Anatomy of the Sanborn Maps Workshop with Melinda Kashuba

One of the things the California Genealogical Society does really well is events. Our classes, workshops and seminars are usually well-attended and more-than-meet expectations. Melinda Kashuba‘s Sanborn Maps workshop last December was a home run.

Events Coordinator Tim Cox and his team do a fantastic job at handling every aspect from scheduling, through execution. Online registration tools are now an integral part of the operation and make the collection of statistics a snap.

Tim sent these numbers:

• Total registered: 29
• Cancellations: 2
• No show: 1 (non-member)
• Non-members registered: 2 (1 was a no-show and the other one joined)
• Total in attendance: 26
• Total evaluations returned: 15

Tim also uses online tools to send an evaluation form to participants. It makes it easy for them to send feedback. The results:

• Length of workshop (2 hours) was appropriate.
• Number of attendees (24) was a nice size for most. Two responded that it was too crowded to get to the maps for the hands-on experience.
• The workshop met everyone's expectation! "There was enough information to demonstrate the maps' uses and advantages, but not so much that one is overwhelmed."
• It was unanimous that we should invite Melinda back for a repeat workshop or have her teach on another topic.
  

Thing that could be improved: moving the maps to the hallway for the interactive exercises for easier access.

Here's a sampling of some of the comments:

It was great to be able to examine the large Sanborn firemaps she'd posted on the wall in detail. I have a much better understanding on where to look for such maps, as well. – Dan Ford.

She had a nice mixture of listening to lecture and actively using our knowledge that required some physical movement. She was able to tie it altogether to make a very understandable and usable lecture. – Cheryl Schmidt.

The informal atmosphere made it easy to ask questions of the instructor. The presenter was well informed and the hand-outs were helpful for reference. – Ed Souza.

The topic was interesting and the speaker enthusiastic. I particularly enjoyed the exercise of looking at the maps. Learned lots. – Chris Pattillo.

Melinda is very knowledgeable and well organized. I thought she did a great job of presenting the information. – Marcia Holstrom.

Thanks, Tim, for the report and photographs of another well-run event.


Update 10/25/2011 – Craig Siulinski posted a summary of Melinda's workshop on his Genealogy Jamming blog: The Value of Insurance Maps. Check it out! —kmd.


Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California, 12/11/2010.

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

Wordless Wednesday

On the Road to the San Joaquin Genealogical Society

Jane Lindsey and Lavinia Schwarz

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, Stockton, California, 11/18/2010.


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

Top Ten Reasons to Go to Salt Lake City with CGS

Spaces are filling fast for the 2011 Salt Lake City Research Tour. Although final payment isn't due until April 15, 2011, plan to send a deposit ASAP to hold your place.

Payment can be made online via PayPal or you download the information flier and snail mail a check.

Once you have signed up, appointments can be made in person or by phone to discuss your research plan. Email Jane Knowles Lindsey if you have any questions.

I first published this "top ten" list of reasons to go to Salt Lake City with the California Genealogical Society three years ago – but they still hold true today.

#10 - The Family History Library is vast and going alone for the first time can be intimidating. Come with two experienced leaders who will save you hours of time learning what is where and how best to use the overwhelming number of resources.

#9. - Arrangements for hotel, breakfast, shuttles and three dinners have already been made for you. Accommodations are at the Shilo Inn - three blocks from the Family History Library and the rooms have free wireless internet.

#8. - Spend time with like-minded individuals. No one will roll their eyes when you start rattling on about your great-great whoever. Where else can you spend a week with other people who are just as nutty about genealogy as you are?

#7. - You will finally have time to organize your papers. Catch an early flight and throw everything into an extra suitcase. Spend Sunday afternoon in your hotel room without distractions and get ready for a week of research. (Believe me, we have all done this!)

#6. - Take advantage of advanced assistance. Jane and Nancy will review your research goals and objectives and make suggestions before you even go to Salt Lake.

#5. - The tour is a perfect blend of togetherness and alone time. Three dinners are planned with the group (don't miss Saturday night at Lamb's) and the other evenings are free to do with as you please. Groups meet informally in the library lobby for lunch and you can choose to join them, explore on your own or stay and work through lunch.

#4. - Nancy Peterson, CG has donated her time and expertise to assist you. Nancy is the CGS Research Director and has taught numerous genealogy classes. Private appointments with her during the week are included in the price.

#3 - Jane Lindsey is a mother hen who logs miles and miles running up and down the library stairs making sure we are all finding what we need. She has been researching in Salt Lake City for over twenty years and has led all of the CGS tours.

#2 - The company is fantastic. I've made friends that I only see once a year but we pick up just where we left off. And there is always someone in the group who has the experience in an area that you don't.

And the number ONE reason to go to Salt Lake City with the California Genealogical Society?

It is the perfect way to get away from life's distractions and responsibilities – except to your ancestors.


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

Workshop: Online Newspapers with Janice Sellers - April 2, 2011

Saturday, April 2, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society and Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, CA 94612

Newspapers are valuable in genealogical research because you can find information about births, deaths, marriages, moves, business, naturalizations, court cases, and more. Millions of pages of the world's newspapers are now accessible online, but there is no one place to find them all. Janice Sellers will give an overview of what is available and how to find it, and teach you some techniques to find your ancestors in the paper.

This workshop is limited to forty participants and is a free benefit of membership. Non-members fee is $20.00 (non-refundable) and can be applied towards membership on the day of the workshop.

Preregistration is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first forty participants to register. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Register online.

Janice M. Sellers is a professional genealogist who specializes in Jewish research. She is the editor of The Galitzianer, the quarterly newsletter focused on Jewish research in the former Austrian province of Galicia, and of ZichronNote, the newsletter of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS). She is also the publicity director for SFBAJGS and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, California State Genealogical Alliance, California Genealogical Society, and Gesher Galicia. She has been on the staff of the Oakland Regional Family History Center for eleven years.



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