New Genealogy Book Chronicles Nine Generations of an American Family’s History

by Georgia Lupinsky

We’re excited to announce that in June we are publishing the highly anticipated book, The Ancestors of Samuel Sterling Sherman and Mary Ware Allen.  It tells the stories of nine generations of former California Genealogical Society’s president, Frederick "Rick" S. Sherman’s family as they move from New England and Kentucky westward to California. Whether you love history, individual family stories or learning new research tips, or all three, we think this book has something to offer you. Whether a genealogist or not, readers will be moved by getting to know these diverse human beings. 

The California Genealogical Society published Mr. Sherman's incredible research effort as a fitting tribute to a man who gave to the society in so many ways as President, Chief Researcher, and Benefactor.  His efforts were suddenly cut short by his death in 2008.

“I can attest to the richness of Rick’s research and to the personal stories of his ancestors that he has uncovered. Among them is the story of an ancestor sea captain in the early 1800s attacked by pirates; of a minister who sailed from a religious convocation in Europe to America on the same boat as refugees from the Irish Potato Famine, praying with them as they lost their loved ones during the voyage. Many written accounts have survived and are included in his book, showing his ancestors joys and hardships and acts of bravery and charity. Through these stories we become witnesses to historical moments”, said co-chair of the Manuscript Collection, Georgia Lupinsky. 

Ministers, lawyers and politicians appear side-by-side with farmers, merchants and craftsmen, each with their own meticulously told stories, as Sherman unfolds his family saga.

What to expect

The text is richly supplemented with numerous original photos and portraits as well as excerpts from dozens of personal letters and journals, and contains a complete index and a list of all the materials in the Sherman Manuscript Collection. In addition, Sherman’s book is an excellent example for all those who want to know how to tell the story of their own families.

This wonderful paper trail includes numerous letters, diaries, speeches, articles and books. Rick’s great-grandfather, Samuel Sterling Sherman (1815-1914) was a noted educator and later successful businessman. He dictated his autobiography when he was 95, and then made an addendum four years later!

Ann Tufts, the “Mystery Woman”

Students of genealogy will be interested in Rick’s research tips that are interspersed throughout the book.  For example, he shares his methods of dealing with a “mystery woman” in his ancestry. Whether a genealogist or not, readers will be emotionally moved by getting to know these diverse human beings. 

California Stories

There are three compelling stories focused on California ancestors.  The first is Frederick S. Sherman’s maternal grandfather, Russell Carpenter Allen, who made his way to California by way of Panama in 1882.  With a partner, he traveled California extensively before settling in Dehesa, near the Sweetwater River in San Diego County. 

His first ranching venture was devoted to olives and raisins. In 1890 he took charge of a new citrus ranch in Bonita and this became the family home. His central contribution to economic life was the development of citriculture, both in agricultural and marketing methods. He was an active and well-known pioneer in San Diego County and a director of the Panama-California Exhibition of 1915 in San Diego and a Commissioner for the construction of the California Building which graces Balboa Park to this day.

Russell Carpenter Allen

The second ancestor profiled is Frederick S. Sherman’s maternal grandmother, Ella Bradford (Copeland) Allen. She came to Bonita after her marriage to Russell Carpenter Allen in 1888.  She was an active participant in the family fruit business, where they raised lemons, figs, guavas and olives. 

Her grandson fondly recalls “the gorgeous and delicious guava jelly she made, and the little kegs of hand-cured olives that she would pack and send to her children and grandchildren when they were away at college.” She was well known for her educational and philanthropic work with the Sweetwater Women’s Club, “Casa de Salud,” a well-baby clinic, and the National City Library Board.

Ella Bradford (Copeland) Allen

The third story focuses on Frederick S. Sherman’s father, Samuel Sterling Sherman.  He came with his family to the San Diego area in 1905. After World War I he decided to try citrus farming and was told to contact Mr. R.C. Allen of Bonita, manager of the Sweetwater Fruit Company. 

The most important effect of the meeting with Mr. Allen was becoming reacquainted with Allen’s daughter, Mary Ware Allen, whom Samuel married in 1924. “Their honeymoon was a rugged camping trip on San Pedro Martir, about two hundred miles down into Baja California. An album of photos of this trip, with a charming narrative written mostly by Sam, survives today.”  Sadly, Sam died in 1933 at age 35 from bronco-pneumonia, complicated by strep throat.

Samuel Sterling Sherman with his wife, Mary Ware Allen,
daughter Eleanor, and son, Frederick "Rick" S. Sherman

How we brought the book to life

Georgia is part of the team of dedicated volunteers that have worked tirelessly to bring this book to fruition.  Others include Jane Knowles Lindsey, Cathy Paris, Kathy Beals, Matt Berry, Shirley Thomson, and Marie Treleaven.

The book will be sold through our online publisher, Lulu, beginning in June.  We also plan to have a very limited amount of inventory available at the library.  If you have questions, please contact Georgia Lupinsky.

We hope you enjoy the book!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

East Bay Gives: Look who's supporting this event on May 3rd!

If you follow us on social media, then you may have seen a few tweets or Facebook posts by now about #EastBayGives, the May 3rd online giving event.

It's an opportunity for us to raise money towards our goal of $10,000 to purchase a new microfilm/microfiche reader for the library.

How does it work?  On May 3rd, go online to http://eastbaygives.org/npo/california-genealogical-society and donate. The money is collected by the The East Bay Community Foundation and will be returned to us without any fees.  Want more details?  A more in-depth blog post will be posted shortly with all the information.

In the meantime, look who's lending their support, you might know a few of them!

France Silcox

Felicia Addison 

Arlene Miles

Jamie McGrath

Georgia Lupinsky

Nancy Russell

Jim Russell

Nancy Cork

Diana Edwards

Cathy Paris

Maureen Hanlon

Jane Ordway Carman

Matt Okada

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Research Inspiration at the the San Francisco Special Interest Group

Saturday, January 18, 2014
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

California Genealogical Society Library

2201 Broadway, Suite LL2

Oakland, CA 94612

The San Francisco Special Interest Group (SIG) will start the new year with a question: "What inspires your genealogy?"

Come and share what inspires you to do family history research.

Member Cathy Paris will talk about the how she has translated her research data into creative videos kid-friendly books. Cathy uses her blog Is Meets Was to share photos and stories and connect with family around the world.

Cathy Paris is an independent writing and editing professional. Cathy joined the California Genealogical Society in 2008. She has served as a member of the society's board of directors and as chair of the Publications and Marketing Committee. Cathy oversees the publication of the society's books using Lulu.com.

The California Genealogical Society sponsors Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for members to pursue the study of a particular geographical research area or genealogy discipline. The San Francisco SIG meets on the third Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Copyright © 2014 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

eNews March 2013, volume 7, number 3

The March 2013 eNews, volume 7, number 2, 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.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we pay tribute to Irish-born Jennie McCormick Fitzgerald, great-grandmother of member Cathy Paris.

Jennie McCormick Firzgerald (1861–1935)

Past issues of the eNews are available at the eNews archive.

The April 2013 issue will be emailed on March 31, 2013. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.

Photograph courtesy of Cathy Paris.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Greek Like Me by Cathy Paris

When Cathy Paris brought her new book Greek Like Me into the library everyone gathered around to marvel at her creativity. Cathy wrote the book so her children and grandchildren could learn about their Greek heritage and their roots in the Greek village of Koroni.

One of Cathy's acknowledgments is to her father-in-law for "enduring my relentless questions about his life in Koróni." From his recollections as a young boy, Cathy tells the story of his grandparents, Pavlos Psaropoulas and Irini. She describes how the events of history impacted the lives of the citizens of Koroni, especially the family of Pavlos and Irini.

Greek Like Me is a seventy-nine page illustrated children's book with an overview of Greek history from ancient times until the 1930s.

The book is filled with colorful images in which Cathy has magically added photographs of her grandchildren. I can only imagine their delight in seeing themselves inserted into the pages of their family history.

Greek Like Me was published on Lulu.com. She has also published a private version of the book for family only.


Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 5/3/2011, Oakland, California.

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

San Francisco Deaths 1865-1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records

The California Genealogical Society is pleased to announce publication of a new four-volume set: San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records. Now, for the first time, an index is available to all San Francisco civil death records known to have survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. The index was compiled by a team of member volunteers lead by Barbara Close and Vernon A. Deubler.

Research Director Nancy Peterson provides some background in Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research (2006):

While most of the vital records that were created by the city and county of San Francisco were destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906, a few volumes of death records and indexes, six months of death certificates, a coroner's register and an index to a little under two years of marriage records somehow survived.

Access by the public to the original records has been restricted. Fortunately, the Genealogical Society of Utah filmed most of the records that did survive. Using their films, the California Genealogical Society (CGS) extracted enough information to build an index of these death records. CGS was able to film the several indexes that had not been previously filmed.

Most records contain a wealth of genealogical information: sex, age (often in years, months and days), occupation, place of birth (sometimes very specific information, including, for instance, county of birth in Ireland), marital condition (married, single, widow or widower), date and cause of death, residence at time of death, place of burial, physician, undertaker and additional remarks. This collection includes records for many who were not necessarily San Francisco residents, including the
following:

• those who died in San Francisco
• those who died at sea for whom San Francisco was the next port of call
• military personnel who died in the Spanish-American War and whose bodies were returned
  to the Port of San Francisco
• those who died abroad and whose bodies were returned to San Francisco 
• those whose bodies were to be re-interred
• those whose bodies were sent to San Francisco for forensic or other investigation

San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records is available for purchase at our Lulu bookstore.

Many members of the society contributed to this effort. Barbara Close and Vernon A. Deubler, long
time members of CGS, led the project and contributed innumerable hours working with other volunteers in doing research and in extracting and digitizing information from all the pertinent records they could find. The result is this unique and invaluable four volume set of death indexes arranged alphabetically by surname.

The California Genealogical Society acknowledges with gratitude the many people who contributed to this publication. They include Kay Arnold, Bob Bly, John Callan, Barbara Close, Verne Deubler, Joyce Dye, George Field, Wil Frye, Tom Gesner, Marjorie Kelt, Judy Kettwig, Bette Kot, Lynne Fisher, Lisa Lee, Esther Mott, Mark Pierce, Michelle Reeder, Bev Schroder, Phil Seelinger, Nancy Servin, Rick Sherman, Marilyn Tanner, Shirley Thomson, Terry Toomey, Judy Velardi, Lorna Wallace, Marjorie Wyatt, Sharon Yost, and Judy Zelver. Special thanks goes to Cathy Paris who designed the covers and shepherded the digitization project from start to finish.

San Francisco Deaths 1865 - 1905: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records
Softbound, 8 1/2 x 11" format
481 pp., vol. I, A-D
475 pp., vol. II, E-K
477 pp., vol. III, L-P
481 pp., vol. IV, Q-Z
Library of Congress Control Number 2009940489
ISBN (4-vol. set) 978-0-9785694-1-9
Published by the California Genealogical Society


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

Todoroo Genealogy Apps for the Android

Dick Eastman recently published an update article in response to a reader's comment: "I wish someone would write a genealogy application for the Android operating system." I'm pleased to announce two Android apps for genealogy from Todoroo – both created by our own Cathy Paris.

Todoroo is the Palo Alto, California company that created Astrid - the popular organization tool for Google Android phones that was downloaded over 300,000 times in less than a year. Co-founded by Cathy's son, Jon Paris, Todoroo is developing a line of "self help" mobile apps called "Roos." Their unique approach to technology has a decided psychological bent which promises to "nudge" us into action with "expert advice and creative reminders" to help us reach our goals.

Our Roos know that you're forgetful, lazy, and easily taken off-task. They help by super-charging the classic to-do list. Trying to manage your money better? Let the wisdom of experts provide you with new tips and relevant feedback based on your spending patterns last week. Working hard to meet a deadline three weeks away or hardly working? A Roo can provide a helpful nudge on the to-do items you keep postponing. Whatever the task, a Roo can help you keep moving in the right direction.

Cathy's first app is Introduction to Genealogy which is a module for beginners which sends messages to the user's phone to help them get started and presents a variety of ways for the novice to become acquainted with the world of genealogy.

Who do you think you are? I will direct you to tools for effectively journeying into the past and will lead you to the places - both real and virtual - where genealogists lurk and where invaluable information can be found.

For experienced family historians, Cathy created the Genealogy Research Planner:

Are you doing research on multiple branches of your family and having trouble creating and maintaining detailed research plans? As an alternative, use me to create, for handy reference on your smart phone, a research plan/checklist for each of the eight major branches of your family. Simply check one or more of the twenty-five significant areas in which you plan to focus your research activities.

The Todoroo website states that the company will be releasing a version for the iPhone in the coming months.

Cathy H. Paris is a member of the California Genealogical Society's board of directors and is chairperson of the Publications and Marketing Committee. With her expertise in process engineering, she was the creator of the federal government's first fully functional electronic commerce system. Cathy has been researching her family history since 1999 and she's been blogging her genealogy at Is Meets Was. She is currently working on The Ancestor App, coming soon, which will lead users to various websites to learn more about an ancestor.

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

Announcing: San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions

In the early 1980s, the Superior Court in San Francisco completed the filming of the Registers of Action for probate cases dating from the 1906 Earthquake and Fire through early 1942. After learning that the intent was to destroy the original oversize volumes, the California Genealogical Society obtained the originals. These priceless volumes became a fixture on our shelves and were indexed by a team of our member volunteers lead by Vernon A. Deubler.
 
As explained by Research Director Nancy Peterson in Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research (2006):

Register of Actions ledgers reference all papers that will be found in a probate file. Arrangement of entries in them is chronological according to initial filing date, or the date of reopening of pre-earthquake proceedings... (R)eferences to pre-earthquake proceedings have been found in ledgers as late as 1925.

The 1906 calamity destroyed all San Francisco probate files including wills, guardianships and administrations. With the exception of one lost register (volume 11) covering the two-month period, January 9 to March 17, 1908, the registers include the period from April 12, 1906 to March 27, 1942. Some of the cases were not finalized until the mid 1980s.

For the first time in print, San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions, provides an index to the 108,898 names in the registers of probate action of the city and county of San Francisco.

Each Register of Actions captures in abbreviated fashion every transaction required to process the probate. Many of the transactions are routine administrative actions, such as the recording of an affidavit, public notification of time and place of future actions or hearings, voucher files, etc. Some probate proceedings required years to complete. Entries for wills, mailings to heirs, final settlements and distributions of assets may lead to useful genealogical information. Rarely are original wills retained in the files that are indexed, but register entries usually point to locations where these documents have been transcribed or summarized.

The index is presented in two volumes, the first covering surnames beginning with A-K, and the second L-Z. Information was extracted from 179 volumes, each containing 500 pages. Included are 108,998 names, aliases and minor’s names representing over 85,500 probates and guardianship proceedings.

Many of the probates from 1906 were ongoing proceedings from before the fire and represent reopened and reconstructed files. A date of “1906” may, therefore, be misleading and refer to earlier probate proceedings no long in existence. Other probates from before 1906 may have been re-opened when additional assets were uncovered. Those will bear the date of re-opening and not the date of the original filing.

San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Register of Actions is available for purchase at our Lulu bookstore.

Verne Deubler and the California Genealogical Society acknowledge with gratitude the many people who contributed to compiling the index, including Carol Backhus, Dorothy Fowler, Gloria Hanson, Patti Melvin, Nancy Servin and in particular, the most diligent proofreader, Anita Dean, who single handedly reviewed more than two-thirds of the index.

In addition, we extend our thanks to Barbara Close and Cathy Paris for transforming and publishing the index as reference books

Vernon A. Deubler is a past president and long-time board member of the California Genealogical Society. He compiled the book, San Francisco, California: Columbarium Records 1847-1980, published by the society in 2003. With Barbara Close, he compiled the four volumes set of books, San Francisco Deaths 1865-1904: Abstracts from Surviving Civil Records, also scheduled for publication in 2010.

San Francisco Probate 1906-1942 Registers of Action
Softbound, 8 1/2 x 11" format
498 pp. (vol. I)
490 pp. (vol.II)
ISBN 978-0-9785694-7-1
LOC 2010926283
Published by the California Genealogical Society


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

eNews March 2010, Vol. 4, No. 3

The March 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 3, 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 Editor's Picks: Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: California Ancestors.

This month, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, Cathy Paris pays tribute to her Irish Roots – the photographs and story are of her grandmothers, Helen Elizabeth Nimmo (1898 - 1976), left, and Mary Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1886 - 1918), right.

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


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

Our New Look

Whew! It's taken almost two years but the dust has settled and I've just checked a big "to-do" off my list. Welcome to the new and improved California Genealogical Society and Library blog. Do, please, let me know what you think!

First, you should know that this is more than just a blog remodel. Our new look extends to all of the locations that the California Genealogical Society sponsors across the web. We've come a long way since 2000 when the society put up its first web page. I was able to find an image thanks to the wonders of the Wayback Machine.

For many years it was our sole home on the net until things changed in 2007 when we published the first edition of the eNews and started the blog. With the addition of a Facebook Page in 2008 and Twitter in 2009, it became apparent that we needed to think about coordinating our look – to create a "brand" – to present a cohesive message to the world.

The one piece that has remained at the center of our look has been the seal of the California Genealogical Society. Who created it is lost to history but it was certainly commissioned under the auspices of the New Englanders who founded the society on February 12, 1898.

 

Some call it a "logo" but our former recording secretary, Shirley Thomson, set me straight. It is a seal and the library is still in possession of the hand crimper that is used to emboss the image onto paper. The digital image has been cleaned up a bit as evidenced by this photo I took of the front page of The California Register, Vol. 1, No. 1, April 1900. As you can see, the original seal was quite a bit more detailed. It has been prominently used by the society since our earliest days.

We had a couple of false starts with the "branding project" but things came together last July at a meeting of the Publication and Marketing Committee when Cathy Paris pushed us to think of a "nickname" for the society. She was concerned that our domain name, calgensoc.org, was difficult to remember and in a brilliant, collaborative session CaliforniaAncestors.org was born.

It is fitting that 112 years after its founding, the California Genealogical Society is once again following the lead of the New England Historic Genealogical Society which has been using NewEnglandAncestors.org for several years. The Website Committee, under the leadership of Kathy Watson and the technical skills of Larry Youngman, took care of all the details and coding involved in switching to a new domain and changing the masthead and colors at the website.

Cathy Paris created a mock-up of a banner and we turned things over to our wonderful graphics volunteer, Lois Elling. Lois works for CGS behind the scenes but her work is everywhere. She is the production editor for The California Nugget and it was she who created the cover for our magazine. Lois's first clever idea was to use that old Ted Turner trick and add color to the seal.

Lois has been a patient and tireless artist, taking in MANY suggestions, and tinkering with colors and fonts to come up with what we now proudly display as our new masthead. (I especially love the outline of the state and yes, the blue field on the far left IS the ocean!)

So now you know the backstory of our new look. We aren't Coke™ or Nike™ so there won't be any Superbowl ads. We did this on a shoestring budget thanks to an army of society volunteers. And we are putting our best face forward in time for what we hope will be a surge in interest in genealogy with the premier of Faces of America on February 10 (PBS) and Who Do You Think You Are? (NBC) on March 5, 2010.

Coming in January: Tech Saturdays

The CGS Events Committee is excited about a new "Tech Saturday" forum starting in January 2010. The sessions will focus on tech tools for genealogists, including software, hardware, web databases, social networking and more. Tim Cox is the point person and he welcomes ideas for future classes as well as willing volunteers to help facilitate the meetings which will be scheduled on the third Saturday of every other month.

Starting things off will be a Genealogy Tech Discussion on Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the CGS Library.

Members with all levels of computer experience are invited to join panelists Kathy Watson, Judy Bodycote and Cathy Paris as they share their expertise and offer their insight to answer some common questions:

• What are the advantages of Mac over PC?
• What are the advantages of PC over Mac?
• How do I chose a genealogy software?
• What are "social media" and how do I use them for genealogy?
• Does the CGS Library offer tech benefits to members?
  

The panel will also share information about new technology available in the library and have time to answer audience questions.

The session is limited to thirty attendees. Pre-registration is required. Tech Saturdays are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member of CGS!) Email Events@californiaancestors.org for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Website Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

What You Missed: The January Annual Business Meeting

With a nod to Miriam Robbins Midkiff and her "What You Missed" posts at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog (Miriam always says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery), I'm reprinting the minutes of Annual Business Meeting. Very special thanks to Shirley Pugh Thomson, CGS Recording Secretary who submitted these minutes as her last act as she departs the board of directors.

The annual business meeting was called to order by President Jane Lindsey at 1:00 p.m. She distributed copies of minutes of the January 12, 2008, annual business meeting to the approximately fifty-five members attending and introduced the Board of Directors of 2008.

Vice President Verne Deubler provided copies of the proposed $118,750 budget for 2009, discussed various elements of it and pointed to the need to constrain expenses in the coming year. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That the 2009 budget is adopted as presented.

Nominating Committee chair Chris Pattillo presented the list of nominees for seats on the Board of Directors: Kathryn Doyle and Chris Pattillo, for second terms, and Stephen Harris, Cathy Paris, Carolyn Steinberg and Diana Wild for first terms. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That those people nominated for directorships are hereby elected. Directors
leaving the Board in January 2009 are Jane Hufft, Laura Spurrier and Shirley Thomson. Following the election, Jane briefly described plans being considered for revisions in directors’ areas of responsibility in 2009.

Activities of the various committees were reported by chairs Bill O’Neil, Lorna Wallace, Carolyn Steinberg, Chris Pattillo, Laura Spurrier, Sandy Fryer, Linda Darby, Kathryn Doyle, Nancy Peterson, Marianne Frey, Nancy Servin and Jane Lindsey.

Jane described a wide variety of events and activities being planned for the coming year and urged that members keep up to date on such matters by frequent visits to the CGS Web site and the CGS blogspot.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Shirley Pugh Thomson, Recording Secretary

Questions? Leave a comment and I'll be glad to elaborate on any aspect of the annual meeting.

Salt Lake City Success

Another CGS Tour to Salt Lake City came to a close on Saturday night with the annual dinner at Lamb’s Grill. Special guest and CGS member, Steve Danko, took time out from the United Polish Genealogical Societies Biennial Conference to join us.

President Jane Lindsey thanked all of the participants and gave an overview of the upcoming society events. Before the annual group photograph was taken, several members shared their research success stories.

Jane was doing the genealogical happy dance after finding the marriage record of Magdelena GERTH and Valentine HUND in Renchen, Germany.

Mother-daughter team, Penny Pollock and Faith Hazelton have attended the SLC trip for all eight years. Penny got closer to proving a Mayflower line through George SOULE; Faith proved one last year.

Mary White Limosner, equipped with new knowledge obtained during the Eastern European Research Workshop, finally had success finding her BUDNICK family in Polish records.

Arlene and Ted Miles enjoyed their first trip and found information on their Brooklyn ancestors and Ted's Kentucky MILES family.

Rick Sherman was finding elusive Danes online in his hotel room.

Pat Smith and Laura Spurrier took advantage of the Danish talks offered this week at the Family History Library. Pat applied the knowledge to her Swedish ancestor Johan WIDMAN and found a probate record from the late 1700s.

Betty Barnard Walker found her BIERMANN ancestor in German passenger records from the mid-nineteenth century.

Bill O’Neil finally found the documentation he needed for his French Canadian DRINKWINE/BOIVIN and MITCHELL/MICHAUDs.

And last but not least, Cathy Paris and CGS librarian, Laura Spurrier, discovered that they are MERRILL sixth cousins.

SLC Tour group 2008

Photograph courtesy of Cathy Merrill Paris.