Yelp: Genealogy!

I've experimented with a variety of online calendars and social media sites to promote California Genealogical Society events with varying success. The newest trend in social networking is "checking in" with GPS-enabled smart phones and applications such as Foursquare, Yelp, and Facebook Places. So, yes, I've created CGSL pages on all of the above – just in case.

One benefit – besides the free publicity – is the periodic emailed statistics report on the activity on the sites. Imagine my surprise when I got this month's breakdown of the page views on Yelp:

The bar graph shows 767 page views in October! The CGSL business page on Yelp was viewed an average of 25 times a day during Family History Month. I really can't explain the numbers except that we did do a lot of promoting of our classes and workshops.

Our First Free Saturday Intro to Genealogy class has been a fixture on Yelp since July 2007 and it does seem to be translating to increased attendance at the classes, especially among younger genealogists. It's not just beginners either. We're noticing experienced researchers who are taking advantage of the free day and are coming in to check us out. I'm proud to report that our volunteer teachers are great at making everyone feel welcome. They are taking the time to learn the experience level of their students so they can tailor the material and make sure everyone learns something.

Yelp.com markets itself "Real people, real reviews." It's primarily a place for ordinary people to write about their experiences at restaurants and the businesses they frequent. So far we only have two reviews but they're both 5 stars and one reviewer has since become an active member.

Mary Beth Frederick taught the first Saturday in October class and she sent this feedback from one of her Yelping students:

You mentioned that I might be a bit advanced for the class, but I wanted to assure you that it was one of the best things that I have done. Not only did I learn some interesting information, but I made use of the links provided by you in the workshop. After posting pictures on deadfred.com I was contacted within 72 hours by a distant cousin!

I know that I could have found the links another way, but I might not have used them because I wouldn't have trusted them. But I felt that the ones that were provided had most likely been tested and I would have a better chance of not going to a bogus website.

After several conversations with my cousin, I have been able to get the names on pictures that my grandfather left me and start making more connections. Thanks again!

So if you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at Yelp.com and see what "genealogy" venues and reviews have been posted in your neighborhood.



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

eNews November 2010, volume 4, number 11

The November 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 11,  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's photograph was submitted by Ron Davis of his homesteading ancestors –  the family of Martin Enos DAVIS, of Amidon, North Dakota. 

Past issues of the eNews are available at the eNewsARCHIVE.

The December 2010 issue will be emailed on November 30, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.


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

Workshop: Heating Up Your Research with Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

Saturday, December 11, 2010
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

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

Join Dr. Melinda Kashuba for this informative workshop and learn how to use Sanborn fire insurance maps in your family history research.

Tracing urban ancestors can be challenging because of the mobility of city residents and the ever-changing nature of cities. Maps assist genealogists in not only locating physical addresses but also providing context for the lives of their family. Maps can provide details about the places where an ancestor lived, worked, worshiped, attended school, shopped, and recreated.

There are a number of map resources available to the researcher to help flesh out an urban ancestor’s life. The lecture portion of the workshop is designed to introduce you to fire insurance maps and what they can tell us about individual properties, neighborhoods as well as the development of cities during the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States and Canada. The workshop includes a participatory component where you will become familiar with the symbols used on fire insurance maps and have an opportunity to study examples of this phenomenal information source.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to twenty people. 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.

Register online.

Melinda Kashuba holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a popular lecturer and author of Walking with Your Ancestors: a Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography (Family Tree Books, 2005) plus numerous articles in genealogical magazines and other publications. Her specialties include nineteenth and twentieth century American records and maps. She performs genealogical research for clients and can be reached at TKashuba@aol.com.


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

On The Road to San Joaquin County

Thursday, November 18, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Cesar Chavez Central Library
605 North El Dorado Street
Stockton, CA 95202


REI

Stone Creek Shopping Center
5757 Pacific Avenue (cross street is Robinhood Drive)
Stockton, CA 95207

It's time for another roadshow!

This time, California Genealogical Society members are invited to join with members of the San Joaquin Genealogical Society for networking and two presentations.

PROGRAM

1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.   Have You Been to the California Genealogical Society Library?
Past-President Jane Lindsey will present an overview of the outstanding resources at the CGS Library and share information about upcoming events and programs.

1:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Break. Refreshments will be served!

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Some Brick Walls Are of Our Own Making
Lavinia Schwarz’s spell-binding talk will help you look at your own brick walls with new openness, ideas, strategies and historical insight.

"On the Road" get-togethers are a fun way to meet members in the target locale and are designed to help link neighbors who share an interest in genealogy. The programs are open to the public. If you live in the San Joaquin County, please join us!

The society gratefully acknowledges the assistance of famous geneablogger, Sheri Fenley. True to her blog name, The Educated Genealogist, Sheri made the arrangements for the program. She is a member of both societies as well as editor of the San Joaquin Genealogical Society newsletter.

Update! The venue has changed for this event. New location:

REI Meeting Room
Stone Creek Shopping Center
5757 Pacific Avenue (cross street is Robinhood Drive)

Stockton, CA 95207

GPS Coordinates [Hey, this is REI, after all!]
38° .124' N
121° 19.023' W
WGS84

The meeting room is located in the rear of the store, upstairs.

RSVP online.


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

Tuesday Tales: Cemeteries - Sometimes Places Neither Final Nor Restful

Just in time for Halloween, Mary's back with tales from some cemeteries.

I spent a Sunday “tombstone tripping” in Rhode Island, and the experience made me think of some of the things that can happen to ancestors’ remains after burial in cemeteries. In 2008, I went to the Old Cemetery in Suffield, Connecticut to find a number of tombstones. Unfortunately, the church had expanded right over the early Kent graves!  They were now buried under the church, and the tombstones were gone. I guess their early 1700s bones were dust by the time of the construction, but the situation was unsettling.

On this Sunday in Bristol, Rhode Island, I went to Juniper Hill Cemetery, one of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever seen. It was located, as the name implied, on a gentle hill in a wood of juniper trees. You walk along and a cleared area of tombstones, usually all of one family, would appear. Two of my ancestral families were early settlers in Bristol and were founders of St. Michael’s Church and were buried there. The stones from St. Michael’s cemetery were moved to Juniper Hill, and some were moved back to St. Michael’s later and placed near the church. Members of one family, the Pearses, were in a nice clearing in the woods; however, I was dismayed to see their stones stacked in rows with a foot or two between each stone. Obviously, only the stones were moved. Where were their remains? And what about the stones moved back to St. Michael? Shouldn’t our ancestors be left in peace?

The early members of the Monro/Munro family were also moved to Juniper Hill to join later family members. One important member was missing originally. My 4^th great grandfather, Dr. Thomas Munro, lived in Bristol but died in 1785 on a trip to visit friends at the Davis farm in Stonington, Connecticut. He was buried there; however, his granddaughter, Lydia M. Cook, had the remains brought to the family plot in 1900. The original stone was also relocated and seems prophetic. Part of the transcription reads:

O, Death, thou hast conquer’d me.
I by thy dart am slain,
But Christ hath Conquer’d thee
And I will rise again.

I feel somewhat better about this move.  He was buried alone in Connecticut, and his remains and the original stone were moved to join the other family members in a lovely cemetery.  All these examples remind us that being buried in a cemetery does not guarantee that we will be left in peace for eternity.

– Mary Mettler

Photograph by Julie Nathanson, used with permission.


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

Blood on the Ramparts

Board member Jeffrey Vaillant sent this announcement. Jeff serves as Secretary of the Friends of Civil War Alcatraz.

The 26th Annual West Coast Civil War Conference will take place November 12-14, 2010, at the San Francisco War Memorial Building located at 401 Van Ness Avenue. Nationally known speakers will address the subject of coastal defenses so the conference is called Blood on the Ramparts. The conference is co-chaired by Fred Bohmfalk who ran the last conference in Sacramento and Brad Schall who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a 6000 member organization. Along with Fred and Brad there have been about a dozen people (Jeff included) who have been planning the event for the past eighteen months.

After two days of presentations, Sunday, November 14, will be tour day of Fort Alcatraz, Fort Mason, Fort Point and the Presidio. The event is co-hosted by the Friends of Civil War Alcatraz and with the San Francisco Civil War Round Table. The key note speaker will be the renowned Civil War author and speaker James McPherson. His book Battle Cry of Freedom has sold six hundred thousand copies.


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

San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar: November 2010 Published

November 2010 events have been published on the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar – a collection of local genealogical society classes, workshops and meetings within a 75 mile radius of San Francisco.

The November calendar includes thirty-eight offerings from twenty-three listed Bay Area genealogical societies. Two seminars are planned for Saturday, November 6, 2010:

Family History Keepsakes sponsored by Sacramento Regional Family History Center

Using and Interpreting Records with Michael John Neil sponsored by the San Mateo County Genealogical Society.

If you would like to add your group's events to the calendar, please email the information by the 20th of each month for publication on the 25th. (Please put "SFBA Calendar" in the subject line.)


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

Wordless Wednesday

California Genealogical Society

Board of Directors Meeting

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 7/21/2010.


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

Tuesday Tales: Mary's Uncooperative Ancestor

Mary Mettler sent one more installment of her adventures on the road. Anyone out there have some clues about Oren PARKER?

Some ancestors just don’t want to be researched, and they let you know it! In 2008, I drove out to Westford, Vermont, which is in the middle of nowhere. My second great grandmother, Sylvia Parker, was born there, the daughter of Oren/Orin/Orrin and Lavina (Farnsworth) Parker. The Farnsworths have rarely been a problem, as they reported births, marriages and deaths to the various towns in which they lived in New England. Oren, however, left few “footprints.” I dug into the dusty town records and found very little. From other sources, I found that he and extended family moved to what was then Antioch Township, now Lake Villa, Lake County, Illinois in the late 1830s.

Over the next year, my cousin Aimee Miller and I did more digging. In the Westford census, Oren lived next door to an Aaron Parker, who was the same age as he was. Perhaps he was a cousin? Later censuses all reported that Oren had been born in Massachusetts. We searched and searched and came up with nothing! Other researchers provided possible fathers; however, land, probate and family records disproved them all. In Antioch records, we discovered that Oren was buried in Angola Cemetery, which was on his original land. Of course, he had no tombstone; however, the sextant reported the place of his burial. I was in Indiana on my way home, so, I decided to go to Antioch to dig some more there.

I waited until after rush hour to take on the formidable Dan Ryan freeway in Chicago. That’s when Oren started giving me fits! I struggled through bumper-to-bumper traffic, major construction, and closed freeway exits. When I finally reached the cemetery, I gathered up all of my camera gear for the various Parker and Farnsworth tombstones and, of course, the empty spot which was Oren’s burial plot. As I stepped out of the car, a huge rainstorm began! Okay, I just hopped in my car to go to the Lake Villa library. Halfway there, the rain stopped. Ha, I’ll fool Oren and sneak back to the cemetery. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the rain began again in earnest! So, back and forth I went until I just gave up and took pictures in the rain.

Later at the library, I discovered that Oren and his two brothers, Abel and John, were some of the founders of Antioch. But, to this day, Aimee and I have been unable to find Oren’s birthplace and his parents. We will continue to search and look forward to whatever tricks Oren might have to block our research!

– Mary Mettler 

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

Workshop: Guidelines for Writing Your Family History 11/20

Saturday, November 20, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

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


Join Don Edwards for this informal interactive workshop to help you write creative family stories, professional reports and clear articles. Bring your current genealogical writing projects to discuss.

Schedule
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Interactive lecture.
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Break for lunch. Bring a brown bag or purchase at a local restaurant.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.    Writing activities.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to ten people. 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.

Register online.


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

CGS Website Honored by Family Tree Magazine as One of the Best!

Woo hoo! Family Tree Magazine has named the California Genealogical Society website – CaliforniaAncestors.org – one of the Best State Websites for 2010.

In the article Heads of State in the December 2010 issue of Family Tree Magazine (pages 20-27), author David A. Fryxell lists their 2010 picks for the 75 best U.S. state-focused websites for genealogical research.

To help you find these outstanding state sites – and to salute their efforts at making genealogical and historical information available online – we've compiled this state-centric Best Websites list.

California has two sites listed:

Online Archive of California <www.oac.cdlib.org>
Recently redesigned to take advantage of new technologies, the OAC opens the golden gate to more than 170,000 digital images and documents and nearly 20,000 collection guides.

California Genealogical Society and Library <californiaancestors.org>
You can search the library catalog and find answers in Research FAQs, or search the 350,000 names in the California Names Index. Get a hit? Just $10 will buy a lookup in the original source.

We're honored to be chosen and to be listed among so many fantastic online state resources. Thank you, Family Tree Magazine!

Congratulations to the Kathy Watson, Larry Youngman and the other members of the Website Committee and to all the volunteer members who have contributed to the California Genealogical Society website.

Kudos also to our volunteer librarians - past and present - whose hard work culminated in our online catalog and to the many members who have contributed to the California Names Index. We have the best volunteers in the world!



Copyright © 2010 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

Wordless Wednesday

CGS Table in the Exhibit Hall at the California Family History Expo

October 8-9, 2010

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, Pleasanton, California.

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

Tuesday Tales: Visiting iBrat in Illinois

Mary's back with another edition of her Tuesday travel adventures.

Doesn’t everyone have an iBrat? Daylene Goetz, a young woman who was beginning to research the KENTs, found me in August 2009 through my Tuesday Tales in Dorset, Vermont. Since she was a beginner, I tried to send her as much as possible – the direct line from the first Kent to our mutual Kent, some tombstone pictures, some town records and a few sources. She was going to write up the entire Kent family line as a Christmas present for her mother-in-law. Needless to say, I couldn’t believe she had a chance of finishing anything worthwhile by Christmas. Oh, my goodness, was I mistaken!  She is a wizard at using the internet and incredibly well organized and disciplined. Her mother-in-law and my fifth cousin, Sherry Goetz, was overwhelmed by the extraordinary 149-page book on the Kents, which she received for Christmas. My contribution was only a tiny part of what Daylene created.

Since her work on the book, Daylene and I have continued to email and to get to know each other. She asked me if she could adopt me as her iMom (Internet Mom). I loved the idea of having an iDaughter, but she much preferred to be called iBrat. She is a very good cook and sent me three cookie cans full of homemade goodies for Christmas – pecan turtles, peanut brittle and fudge. I sent her a big box of Meyer lemons from my tree.

She has researched and found tough-to-find information for me on Cephas Kent, Sr. and his son, Cephas Kent, Jr. I am writing a chapter on each of them for a book on Revolutionary War Patriots, which will be published by  group of us next year. Her sharp eye has edited them for me before they go off to the official editor. Thus, what I thought was an act of kindness turned into a fruitful genealogy partnership!

When she found out that I was driving back east, she graciously invited me to stop in Illinois and stay with her and her family – her husband, Todd, who is my fifth cousin, once removed, and their daughter, April. I spent a weekend with them and had a wonderful time. Todd’s parents, Sherry and Steve, came for dinner and we thought of Cephas Kent (1725-1809),  a strong-willed and very religious man, who often proclaimed, “Verily, I will have it so.” We all laughed and were sure we heard his voice in approval of our gathering!

iBrat Daylene Goetz and iMom Mary Mettler

Thank you, CGS, for posting my blogs and introducing me to a very fine genealogist and an inspiring new friend!

Your Roving Reporter,
Mary Mettler

Photograph courtesy of Mary Mettler.

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

Pick Up the New CGS Bookmark at California Family History Expo!

Ever since we unveiled our new look in February, members of the society have been working hard to incorporate the new "brand" into our various web homes, publications and other written matter.

The wonderfully talented Lois Elling has created a new bookmark for the society and we are giving them away today and tomorrow at the California Family History Expo.

Next week I'll be sure to blog the stories of the faces on the family tree.


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

Amazing 1906 Footage: San Francisco After the Quake and Fire

Thanks to Tim Cox for sending the link to this spellbinding video of San Francisco just after the Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire from Red Channels. It is a documentary compilation of actual footage from various parts of the city showing people getting on with their lives amidst the devastation. Especially interesting are the sections showing demolition of the burnt-out buildings and the temporary housing set up in tents.

San Francisco Earthquake and Fire from Red Channels on Vimeo.

1906/2009. 17 minutes. Film/Video. Silent.
Edited by Dan Meyerson and Matt Peterson.


Update: In case you missed it, on October 16, 2010, Morley Safer of 60 Minutes, the CBS News show, aired a full investigative report about the origin of the film.

The 60 Minutes site features lots of extras. Fascinating stuff!

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

Wordless Wednesday

Workshop: How to Conduct Oral Histories with Nancy Thompson
Saturday, August 14, 2010

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, Oakland, California.

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

Tuesday Tales: Salt Lake City Two Years Later

Mary Mettler returns! It's been two years since Mary shared her genealogy road trip across the country in the ten-part Tuesday Tales series. Now Mary is traveling again and is back with some new blog adventures. Thanks so much, Mary!

I’m on the road again for several family weddings and gatherings – mixed in, of course, with some genealogy! As always, my first stop was in Salt Lake City. The LDS Family History Library has added some additional scanners for microfilm. Two years ago, I signed up for my half-hour slot and was bumped off promptly. This year I was able to scan to my heart’s content. As to be expected when one doesn’t use equipment for awhile, I needed some technology assistance. My techie was a bit unusual! Pearl is ninety-five years old, yes, 95, and an absolute wizard on the scanner/computer/software! She showed me some shortcuts and tricks and had me well-trained in record time. Although she stood up with me for forty-five minutes, she did admit that she might use her walker a bit by the afternoon! She works three eight-hour days a week and feels it is very important to keep up on technology. I’d say she is doing a terrific job of keeping up!

Every time I come to the library, I look at the wall on the first floor where the library posts a large family tree for a line from which some of the Mormon founders or leaders descend. Each time I have been disappointed that none of my lines were shown. I almost didn’t look this time! There was one of my lines! My 11^th great-grandparents, Robert White (1558-1617) and his wife, Bridget Allgar (1562-after 1623), were the progenitors of eleven lines shown on the chart. Each line ended with a well-known person. The eleven famous descendants are Hiram Ulysses Grant, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Shirley Temple Black, William Williams, Emily Dickinson, Steve Young, Donnie Osmond, Joseph Smith, Gordon Hinckley, Lucille Ball and Philo Taylor Farnsworth, my second cousin twice-removed. I quickly figured out that Steve Young was my 12^th cousin twice removed. Hmmm…guess I won’t call him for dinner after all! 

My grandnephew, Andrew Mettler, is finishing up jet pilot training with the Marines. He was very excited to learn about the Wright brothers and exclaimed, “The genes must run deep!” The survival of a flight gene through all of those generations would be highly unlikely. But…our cousin flew planes right after World War I; my brother was a career Air Force pilot; my niece has a pilot’s license...

Your Roving Reporter,
Mary Mettler

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

November Membership Meeting - Soldiers and Statesmen: The History of the de Büren Family

Saturday, November 13, 2010
1:00 p.m.
California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California

Covering over 800 years of family history in the United States, Switzerland and Argentina, the de Büren story encompasses passionate tales of suitors, soldiers, statesmen and saints. CGS member Jean-François de Büren will share tales of historical intrigue and the compelling family drama of his family's journey from Swiss nobility to the California Central Valley.

The short membership meeting starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. Mr. de Büren's presentation follows immediately after. Seating is limited so please arrive early. Meetings are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member!)

Graphic designer, writer, historian and genealogist, Jean-François de Büren has been passionate about his family history for as long as he can remember. For the past ten years Jean-François has actively worked on the story of his roots and is acknowledged as the family historian. He is the author of three blogs: The De Buren Family, The Grand Tour and The French of San Francisco. A dual Swiss and American citizen, he also writes about Swiss emigration to California and aims to retrace the journey of his great-great-grandfather through the Americas of the 1850s for a documentary film.


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

eNews October 2010, volume 4, number 10

The October 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 10,  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 we pay tribute to Florence Randolph Jackson Lee, grandmother of Lisa B. Lee of GotGenealogy.com.

Florence Randolph Jackson Lee

Past issues of the eNews are available at the eNewsARCHIVE.

The November 2010 issue will be emailed on October 31, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.



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

CGS Member Speakers at the California Family History Expo

The California Family History Expo is just a week away and the event is shaping up to be the largest gathering of genealogists in Northern California in the last several years.

The California Genealogical Society is a local sponsor of the event and we will be present in the Exhibit Hall at Booth #57. In addition, several members of the society will be speaking at the two day conference at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton, California.

CGS members Ron Arons, Amy Coffin, Tim Cox, Ellen Fernandez‐Sacco, Thomas MacEntee, and Craig Manson are presenting a variety of lectures and mini-sessions on Friday and Saturday, October 8-9, 2010.

Ron Arons
Researching Your Criminal Ancestors 10/8, 11:30 a.m. Ag Building 101 (Bldg. P)
Putting the Flesh on the Bones - 10/9, 11:00 a.m. Special Exhibits 106 (Bldg. D)

Amy Coffin - Four social media mini sessions, Beacon of Bloggers Exhibit Hall (Bldg. C)
Social Networking Open House - 10/8, 9:30 a.m.
Facebook: What is it and how do I use it? - 10/8, 4:00 p.m.
Blogging Open House - 10/9, 10:30 a.m.
Twitter Open House - 10/9, 3:30 p.m.

Tim Cox
Hard Drive Organization – How to Easily File Your Genealogy Documents and Images - 10/8, 3:00 p.m., Special Exhibits 106 (Bldg. D)

Ellen Fernandez‐Sacco
Latino Roots: Beginning Research in Spanish Language Records - 10/9, 1:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Classroom (Bldg. C)

Thomas MacEntee
Build a Genealogy Blog Workshop - 10/8, 10:00 a.m., Exhibit Hall Classroom (Bldg. C)
Twitter: It’s Not Just “What I Had For Breakfast” Anymore - 10/8, 4:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall Classroom (Bldg. C)
Facebook for Genealogists  - 10/9, 11:00 a.m., Exhibit Hall Classroom (Bldg. C) 
Social Networking: New Horizons for Genealogists - 10/9, 2:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall Classroom (Bldg. C)

Craig Manson
Breaking Through Brick Walls in African American Research - 10/8, 4:30 p.m., Special Exhibits 105 (Bldg. D).

In addition, several members of CGS are Bloggers of Honor for the event: Leah Allen, Amy Coffin, Sheri Fenley, Craig Manson, Elizabeth O'Neal and Kathryn Doyle.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!


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

Using Microsoft Excel 2007 for Tracking Your Genealogy Research

Saturday, November 6, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Excel 2007 is a powerful tool for creating spreadsheets, analyzing data already collected, and sharing information with others.

In this workshop, Tim Cox will show you how to:

• Create a worksheet
• Use workbooks
• Format cells
• Create charts and graphs
• Use tables
• Sort columns

and more!

You will get hands-on practice by working on some instructor created exercises. If you don't bring your laptop to class you can partner with someone and then try the exercises at home.

Skill level - beginner to intermediate.

This workshop is limited to fifteen participants and one of the free benefits for CGS members. Non-members fee is $20.00 (non-refundable) and can be applied towards a CGS membership the day of the workshop.

Preregistration is required.

Walk-ins will not be admitted.

Register online.

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

San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar: October 2010 Published

October 2010 events have been published on the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar – a collection of local genealogical society classes, workshops and meetings within a 75 mile radius of San Francisco.

October is traditionally celebrated as Family History Month so Bay Area genealogical societies are offering more than fifty classes, workshops and seminars to help you further your family history research.

In addition, there are two conference events in October:

California Family History Expo, Pleasanton - October 8, 9

Family History Day at the California State Archives, Sacramento - October 9

If you would like to add your group's events to the calendar, please email the information by the 20th of each month for publication on the 25th. (Please put "SFBA Calendar" in the subject line.)


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

October is Family History Month!

The California Genealogical Society opens its doors to the public every year during the month of October in celebration of Family History Month. We waive the library usage fee for non-members and host a number of free workshops and classes. Our experienced volunteers will be on hand to assist you with your research interests. Space is limited, so please RSVP to let us know you are coming.

Class offerings include sessions on using some of the major genealogy subscription sites such as FamilySearch.org, VitalSearch.com, NewEnglandAncestors.org, Footnote.com, NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Other classes include Introduction to Photoshop; The Census: We don't spell our name that way! and Creating and Using Timelines for Genealogy.

October member consultations have been a popular offering so we are pleased to feature them again. Members have the opportunity to receive assistance from volunteers with general research questions or with a variety of topics including the library’s online subscription databases.

Download the 2010 Family History Month flier for the full schedule of classes and consultations.


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

Win Two Free Tickets to the California Family History Expo!

CGS member Thomas MacEntee sent word that GeneaBloggers, the genealogy community’s resource for genealogy bloggers, is sponsoring the California Family History Expo Contest running from September 21, 2010 through September 24, 2010.

Win two free admission tickets to the upcoming California Family History Expo in Pleasanton, California on October 8 and 9, 2010. To enter, visit GeneaBloggers and leave a comment on the contest blog post describing how attending a Family History Expo event would help your genealogy research. Be sure to leave a valid e-mail address and check back on Saturday, September 25, 2010 to see if you are a winner!

Thomas is one of several CGS members who will be presenting at the Expo. Those of you who missed his blogging workshop last October and his virtual presentation in April will want to be sure to attend one of Thomas' four talks at California Expo. I'll list the complete schedule of CGS members and their presentations later this week.

Family History Expos, Inc. is a Utah-based company headquartered in Croydon, Utah. FHE has been holding successful expos throughout the Western United States for seven years, teaching thousands to learn the art of and experience the spirit of family history research.

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

Spotlight on the Manuscript Collection: The Covell Family Papers

Just over a year ago the California Genealogical Society celebrated completion of the Manuscript Project – a comprehensive review and organization of the collection of donated family materials made to the society over its 112 year history. The collection totals ninety linear feet which has been cataloged and stored in a specially prepared archive room. Boxes of family information including the usual ancestry charts, family group sheets, ancient documents, letters, photographs, and many other types of items are alphabetically arranged.

A comprehensive document contains a descriptive synopsis of each family collection, providing the family surnames, geography, timeframe and description of the material. The latest version of the CGS Manuscript Collection Database was uploaded to the website in July 2010, and is free and available for download.


Materials continue to be donated to the society. Those recently received include materials from the Fischbeck, Covell, and Young families, and a Mills Terrace Christian Church, Oakland, photo album with more than 70 identified photographs.

Manuscript Committee members Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner are the current caretakers of the collection and they hope shine a periodic spotlight on some of the family treasures under their care. This month's focus is COVELL.

Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner

The Covell collection was received in March 2010 and contains vital, deed and probate records, obituary and news articles, family correspondence, mementos, many original photos and portraits, school yearbooks, pedigree charts and family history files on the Covell and Coover families and related lines. It was compiled by Leah Jeanette Porter Gainer, great-granddaughter of Frank Marion Covell and Ann Eliza Peffers, granddaughter of Archer Morgan Covell and Leah Coover, daughter of Leah Jeanette Covell and Homer Porter. Mrs. Gainer died December 29, 2007.

Ann Eliza Peffers Covell

The patriarch of the family in California was Frank Morgan Covell, born to Morgan Covell and Laura Chamberlain on March 12, 1851 in Ridgebury Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Frank came to California by 1871 and settled in the Santa Cruz area. His interest in genealogy is evidenced by his 1918 hand-written account of the family that details military service by his ancestors in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

 

The collection is filled with personal material that can enrich and amplify a family history. Items include a diary that Frank kept for a brief period of time in which he notes: “May 10th 1872. Took Annie Peffers to dance. Made Charly Myars mad. He won’t hurt anybody I guess.” Frank and Annie were married a year later.

Also in the file is Frank’s 1926 letter written to granddaughter, Esther Covell, reminiscing about his 1868 high school graduation and sharing with her some of the hopes and dreams he had as a young man. These items and many more are awaiting the visits of interested descendants and researchers.

The Covell Family papers are a 40 linear inch collection with the following surnames: Aronen, Chamberlain, Chisolm, Coleman, Coover, Covell, Farum, Finley, Gainer, Gammon, Holway, Kane, Maki, Peffers, Porter, Quinn. The family geography includes: California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.


Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle. COVELL family information provided by Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner.

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

RootsMagic Special Interest Group Starts October 19, 2010

The last and best attended session of the Thursday evening discussion groups this summer was the August 26 meeting on RootsMagic. Tim Cox reports that nine members (and one non-member) participated after he advertised the session on the RootsMagic Users Mailing List.

The discussion was very informal and allowed everyone to ask questions about the application. RootsMagic4 is so robust with so many easy-to-use features that none of us have mastered all of them. There were lots of "ah ha!" moments and comments like: "That's so easy! and "That's how to do it!" Because of our different experience levels, we had the opportunity to learn some new tips and tricks and some shortcuts. We all left with some new knowledge and I think we may have convinced a couple of version 3 users to upgrade to version 4.

The meeting was so successful that the group decided to form an official RootsMagic Special Interest Group and have monthly meetings at CGS. Tim Cox submitted a formal request which has been approved by the Board of Directors.

The RootsMagic Special Interest Group will meet on the third Tuesday of every month from 6:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. beginning October 19, 2010. All meetings are FREE and open to the public. Registration is not required. Guests are welcome, as are all levels of experience from beginning to expert.

Chris Pattillo and Tim Cox will be the facilitators and they plan to start each session with an open discussion about any issues members may be experiencing with RootsMagic4. They will always have a live database to work with. If you are interested in more information about topics, parking or transportation, please email Tim Cox.

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 8/26/10, Oakland, California.


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

Wordless Wednesday

The Merry Men of CGS

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Photographs courtesy of Mary Beth Frederick, Oakland, California.

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

Google All the Way with Lisa Louise Cooke

Saturday October 30, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Cathedral of Christ the Light Conference Center
2121 Harrison Street
Oakland, California 94612

Join us for this special program! Lisa Louise Cooke presents four talks at a full day seminar which includes a boxed lunch and silent auction. Advanced reservation required.

SCHEDULE:
9:00 a.m. –    9:30 a.m. Registration and coffee, and view silent auction
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems (two-parts)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Boxed luncheon served, view silent auction and announce results
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.   Google Search Strategies and Google Earth For Genealogy

REGISTER NOW and SAVE!


'Early Bird' Registration (Postmarked by October 1st):

• CGS Members: $38 
• Non-members: $48

Registration (Postmarked After October 1st):

• CGS Members: $48 
• Non-members: $58

Please note: No walk-ins will be permitted.

This is a great price for this presentation, thanks to the underwriting of an anonymous donor. Registration fees include all workshop materials and a box lunch. Choices include:

• California chicken salad w/balsamic vinegar 
• Greek salad with Feta and red wine vinaigrette
• Chinese chicken salad w/sesame dressing

Public Transportation:
BART:    Exit the Oakland, 19th Street station, take the stairs near the Subway Sandwich shop
PARKING:    Parking at the cathedral garage is $5.00 all day on Saturday

Register online.

Lisa Louise Cooke, is a media producer and host of the popular Genealogy Gems Podcast, an online audio and video genealogy show available through her Web site, GenealogyGems.com. She also hosts the monthly Family Tree Magazine Podcasts as well as videocasts for Family History Expos. Lisa is the author of the book, Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies, and is a national genealogy speaker who regularly speaks to sold-out audiences.


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

Chinese American Family History Conference

Sunday, October 10, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.)

Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth Street
Oakland Chinatown

Learn about how to research your Chinese family ancestry and history at this informative and interactive all day conference. Speakers will include staff from the In the Search of Roots program, National Archives San Francisco and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Three CGS members are part of the planning committee for the event: Christine DeVillier, Douglas Joe and Kay Speaks. Christine and Kay are two of the scheduled speakers.

Workshop Topics include:

• Why work on learning about family history?
• How do I start my family history project? An introduction to Chinese surnames.
• Why did our ancestors migrate within and beyond China?
• How do I research family documents from the National Archives?
• What are some good research techniques to use to learn about my family and roots?
• Fascinating case studies showing use of many different research methods and technology.
• Journeys to the Motherland: What can I expect if I go to China? Who can help me get there?

Registration is $25 online and includes a box lunch. There is a reduced fee of $15 for students with current ID.

For more infomation, email rchan@oacc.cc or call (510) 637-0463.

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) was founded in 1984 by a coalition of volunteers who recognized the need for a strong artistic and cultural force in the Chinatown area. Since opening its own facility in 1996 in the heart of Oakland's Chinatown district, the OACC has presented countless high quality cultural programs including performances, workshops, festivals, school tours, classes, and exhibitions.

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

Wordless Wednesday

Volunteers in the Library

Dick Rees and Pam Miller

 Photograph courtesy of Arlene Miles, Oakland, California, 4/6/2010.


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

Book Repair Workshop Returns Saturday, October 16, 2010

Saturday, October 16, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

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

The California Genealogical Society is taking reservations for the popular Book Repair Workshop to be held on Saturday morning, October 16, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Taught by Book Repair Committee Chairman, Bill O'Neil, the workshop is limited to ten enrollees.

Workshop participants learn book repair techniques by creating a book for themselves. Pages are provided and the pupils create the binding. The finished product will be a copy of a "how to" pamphlet written by the late Dick Thrift, founder of the CGS Book Repair Committee. Everyone goes home with a self-made instruction book and souvenir of the day.

PLEASE NOTE:
• Workshop is limited to ten.
• $25 charge for materials must be pre-paid.
• Walk-ins will not be admitted.

Register online.

Payment instructions will be emailed with registration confirmation. A registration confirmation will be sent to the first ten who register. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

The full schedule of classes offered during October Family History Month is available for download.

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 10/25/2008.


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

eNews September 2010, volume 4, number 9

The September 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 9,  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's photo tribute was contributed by past-president Jane Knowles Lindsey who told the story of her mother's special brooch and how she learned it had once belonged to her great-great-grandmother, Magdalena Gerth Eberle.

Past issues of the eNews are available at the eNewsARCHIVE.

The October 2010 issue will be emailed on September 30, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.


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

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Evening Discussion Group

German Research

August, 19, 2010

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, Oakland, California.

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

California Family History Expo - October 8-9, 2010

The California Genealogical Society and Library will be a local sponsor of the upcoming California Family History Expo at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton, California, Friday and Saturday, October 8-9, 2010.

Come join us for two days of Genealogy! Learn about all aspects of researching your family history from our expert speakers. Try out the latest in genealogical tools in our Exhibit Hall. Whether you are new to tracing your family tree or are a professional genealogist, spend time with us learning the tech to trace your roots!

CGS will have Booth #57 in the Exhibit Hall and adjoining Booth #56 has been assigned to local Bay Area genealogical societies to share.

I'll have more information in the coming days about Expo and about the CGS members who will be speaking.


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

Clues in Correspondence: Using California Letters to Reconstruct a Family

One of the common misconceptions about the CGS is that the library and society are "only about California." In fact, the library holds resources from all fifty states and members' ancestors come from all over the world. Members have published articles about far-flung family in the NGS Magazine and in state genealogical journals in Louisiana and Missouri. Now Jane Hufft tells how a cache of letters revealed an ancestor's roots in North Carolina.

"Clues in Correspondence: Using California Letters to Reconstruct an Edwards Family in Polk and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina" by Jane Hufft is the first article in the May 2010 issue of the North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal.

Jane outlines the information found in eight letters written between 1860 and 1877 to Joseph Green Edwards (1825-1906) who left his native North Carolina for Georgia and eventually California when he answered the call of the Gold Rush. The letters were carefully secured in the Edwards family bible and provide "the only evidence for the North Carolina ancestry of Joseph Green Edwards."


Edwards was the son of Smith and Mira (Green) Edwards, both natives of North Carolina. The earliest surviving letter was written by them in 1860. The other letters were written by Joseph's siblings and all are lengthy missives full of news of the family he had left behind. Hufft quotes liberally from the letters and provides biographical information about each of the letter writers and how they relate to Joseph. The letters also include details of how the Civil War years impacted the family.

Hufft concludes, "Researchers should always make sure that their prospecting is persistent and thorough, in case there is a similar mine of evidence in any branch of their own family." We should all be so lucky!

Jane Hufft is the editor of the California Nugget and serves on the Publications/ Marketing Committee. She has thirty-six years of experience in education as a teacher, project manager and administrator.

"Clues in Correspondence: Using California Letters to Reconstruct an Edwards Family in Polk and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina" by Jane Hufft.   
North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal 36 (May 2010): 101-118.


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