The California Nugget: Passing the Genealogy Baton

The California Nugget, our genealogy journal, is getting a new editor.  After many years of wonderful work and tireless dedication as its editor, Jane Hufft has decided its time to pass the baton onto someone else.  Who’s that someone?  Janice M. Sellers.  

  

Why she's the right choice for us

Janice already edits three genealogy publications: ZichronNote, journal of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS); The Baobab Tree, journal of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC); and the CSGA Newsletter, from the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA).  Drawing on this wealth of experience, society members should feel confident that she will produce a genealogy journal that will continue the high standards of quality and interesting stories we’ve all come to love.

In addition to her editing credits, she’s a professional genealogist who specializes in Jewish, black, dual citizenship, and newspaper research.

What’s her philosophy on genealogy?

Janice said, “I am passionate about genealogy.  I love researching my own family and everyone else's.”

She also offered, “I love to find the stories behind people and learn as much as I can about why they did what they did.  By looking at the historical context around the people I research, I’m able to help a client understand who came before them.  Once you know what was happening in your ancestor’s world, their actions begin to make more sense.”

Her extensive genealogy background

Janice is the vice president, as well as the programming and publicity director, for SFBAJGS.  She’s a board member of AAGSNC and CSGA.  She has been on the staff of the Oakland FamilySearch Library since 2000.  In addition, Janice has been researching her own family for more than 40 years.

She’s also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and California Genealogical Society.  Janice is active as a volunteer in the genealogy community and has taught many classes here at the California Genealogical Society & Library. 

Before becoming a professional genealogist, she worked in publishing for many years as an editor, indexer, translator, and compositor.

On a fun note

Way back when, Janice was in the USC Marching Band (according to her, “The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe”) for five years.  While in the band, she had the joy of performing at two Super Bowl halftime shows and one World Series game, and can still be seen in the movie "The Naked Gun".  She says, “Being in the band was one of the best experiences of my life.”

What does Janice like to do outside of genealogy?

When not involved in genealogy or publishing, she loves music, singing, cooking, needlework, gardening, historical reenactment, painting small miniatures, and taking care of her birds and cats.

Help her make a successful start as the next California Nugget editor!

Do you have a story, idea, or concept you’d like to have published?  Send her an e-mail and get the conversation started.  Who knows, you just might be in an upcoming issue of the Nugget!

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

2015 Genie Awards

 Congratulations to our award recipients.
Thank you, Diana Edwards and Kathleen Beitiks, for hosting an event showcasing our "Behind the Scenes" Volunteers!

2015 Genie Award Recipients
Back Row: Karen Wetherall, Ron Madson, Bill O'Neil, Rich Kehoe Larry Youngman,
Georgia Lupinsky, Phil Hoehn
Front Row: Keith Montgomery, Jane Hufft, Virginia Turner

Diana Edwards, Genie (aka Linda Harms Okazaki) and Kathleen Beitiks

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society

The California Nugget preview: Fall is filled with mystery & intrigue

Are you ready for the fall issue of The California Nugget ?

Editor Jane Hufft says, “In each issue of the Nugget we want to offer something for every reader, especially for those newly embarked on genealogical research. Fortunately for us, our submitters always seem to light the way.”

Here are Jane's thoughts on this upcoming edition:

Two of the articles in “California Ancestors” demonstrate the importance of an ancestor’s F.A.N. club, or Friends, Associates and Neighbors, the approach to research stressed by renowned genealogy researcher, Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Powerful research approach

While family connections are important, the addition of the names of friends, neighbors, and associates enlarges the historical context, suggests possible links to new information, and adds layers of richness and detail to the story.

Hollywood Intrigue

In the first article, Darcie Hind Posz takes on an unsolved Hollywood mystery that both celebrity writers and other researchers had not been able to solve, and found the true identity of Dorothy Millette. By tracing associates and siblings Darcie uncovered Dorothy’s real name and family, showing how she had lived two lives, first as a poor foster child and then as a player in a Hollywood tragedy.

A Woman of Color

Next is Robert Bubb’s account of Louisa Yoos’ life, first in Texas and then in California, which also followed associates to gleen wonderful nuggets about her past. Not only is Louisa located in very precise times and places because of careful attention to those around her, but her neighbors and associates were also brought to life, painting a clear picture of the challenges she faced as a former slave and woman of color.

Newspaper Research Pays Off

There’s yet another elusive ancestor story, this time from Henry Snyder.  In this case, newspaper research revealed decades of information about Rhenodyne August Bird’s drama-filled life, the good and the bad. The resources he found in various online archives, especially the California Digital Newspaper Collection, shows how they should not be overlooked.

The War to End All Wars

We finish with three WWI ancestor sketches that take us back to the trenches:

A positive experience was had by Clement Robert Gibson (written by Mary Keller) who wrote lively, reassuring letters from France to his family and then returned home to civilian life.

The flipside was true for two other soldiers who perished.  The tales of George Fail of England written by Hugh F. Daniels & Sharon Corey Harris and Henry Oscar Sommer of California as told by Scott Taylor, lost their lives in the huge Allied offensive during the last days of the war. They are not forgotten by their descendants. David Goerss’ introduction to their stories explains the history of the Hindenburg Line.

We hope you enjoy this edition (publication expected by end of November).  Thank you to all our submitters for their thoughtful stories about their ancestors.  Also, kudos to Lois Elling for design and layout!

Have a story about one of your ancestors that you’d like to share?

To submit an article for one of The California Nugget’s upcoming editions, please email Jane Hufft.  She can be reached at jhufft@californiaancestors.org

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society

The California Nugget - Fall 2013, Volume V, Issue 2

The Fall 2013 edition of The California Nugget, edited by Jane Hufft and produced by Lois Elling,  has been mailed to members. Here is Jane letter from the editor:

Dear Readers,

For most genealogists, it is all about the chase: to find the maiden name, the death date, the elusive spouse. Were there five children or six? What made them leave there to come here? It is a whole tapestry that we family historians want to weave, and it takes patience to bring all the strands together, perseverance to untangle the knots and determination to tug out the threads that don’t match. We hope that the articles in this issue will inspire you to keep on with your own researching and writing, not only to preserve your family’s story, but to share your discoveries with others.

Bill O’Neil’s World War I ancestor gave his life for his country, and the small town Richard Howard Ferrell came from will never forget his sacrifice. We are inviting more WWI ancestor stories for our next two issues, Spring and Fall 2014, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of this calamitous upheaval that tragically altered forever the lives of so many families around the world. Bill’s article is in our “ Twenty-First Century” section to acknowledge that online resources and newspapers are major avenues for WWI research.

Henry Snyder’s ancestor, the brilliant and restless lawyer and newspaperman William Wal- lace Theobalds, traveled up and down the West Coast with his family in the nineteenth century. Were the early western states, so open and full of opportunities, a magnet for the talented and the restless? Because of the new, and magnificent, newspaper archives that are now online, the kind of detailed, careful and thorough research that Henry Snyder carried out is something more of us can aspire to. The powerful technology of OCR (optical character recognition) continues to improve, opening new avenues of information.

Georgia Lupinsky’s beautiful story of her grandfather’s life captures a bygone era and paints a portrait of a courageous, loving and kindly man. It is a perfect example of how a memoir can become part of a genealogist’s work.

Laura Lee Karp didn’t give up the search! Her story will rekindle your energy to keep on looking for that missing gravesite and lost ancestor. Although Find-a-Grave is marvelous, not all cemeteries and gravesites are yet included in its huge database, and sometimes we have to rely on tenacity and—gravestone karma. 

Jane Hufft, Editor 

TABLE of CONTENTS

Twenty-First Century Genealogy

• Richard Howard Ferrell, World War I Soldier in France by Bill O’Neil  

California Ancestors

• William Wallace Theobalds: Itinerant Lawyer, Newspaper Editor, Professor by Henry Snyder
• Ellis Shinkle Baker of Morning View Kentucky by Georgia Lupinsky
• James M. Everett’s Gravesite: Do Our Ancestors Signal Us from the Grave? by Laura Lee Karp
• 1883 Pensioners: Phippen, Marg’t to Von Prieson, Victor

At the Society  

Save the Date!

Member Anniversaries

For Our Readers

Send Your Stories, Sketches, and Articles to "The Nugget"

Name Index 

Do You Have a WWI Ancestor?

The California Nugget, the journal of the California Genealogical Society (CGS), is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The journal is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

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

Call for Articles: The California Nugget Seeks WWI Accounts for 2014 Centennial of the Start of The Great War

Do you have an ancestor story about World War I?

Was there a WWI soldier, sailor, marine, nurse, journalist or ambulance driver in your family? Did an ancestor contribute to the war effort from home?

The California Genealogical Society is looking for accounts and ancestor stories about the Great War, including letters, photos, service records, and military records for the "California Ancestors" portion of The California Nugget in 2014, as the anniversary of the start of the war is commemorated. A descendancy chart for the ancestor would be a welcome addition. 

Download the submission guidelines. Email your submissions to Editor Jane Hufft.

The California Nugget, the journal of the California Genealogical Society (CGS), is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

Images from the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, WWI Posters Collection, LC-USZC4-7313 (Do Your Duty), LC-USZC4-9940 (Farm to Win), LC-USZC4-10783 (Doing Her Part).


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

The California Nugget, Spring 2013, Volume V, Issue 1

The Spring 2013 edition of The California Nugget has been sent to the printer and will soon begin arriving in members' mailboxes. Editor Jane Hufft and Production Editor Lois Elling have created another great issue. Here is Jane Hufft's letter from the editor:

Dear Readers,

Yes, it has been a race against time to have this issue of The California Nugget arrive in your mailboxes while it is still officially spring! We do hope you will enjoy the articles and information we have gathered for our CGS readers and friends.

The reissue of Kathleen C. Beals’ Index to San Francisco Marriage Returns 1850 – 1858 is one of many projects underway at the society. This new edition will once again make this important data available to researchers. We asked Kathleen about the history of the Index, which she recounts in her article that begins on the front cover. Data from the nineteenth century, compiled in the twentieth, is newly available in the twenty-first.

This issue is especially rich in family history. Linda Harms Okazaki tells the story of her research into the Okazaki family’s internment during WWII and what she discovered as she traced the ordeal: forced removal from home and possessions, separation from family members and community, loss of identity and dignity.

An ancestor’s diary is a treasure for a family historian. Lisa Gorrell places a series of diary entries into the context of her ancestor’s life, illuminating courtship in the 19th century, and letting us know how Amos Gorrell chose his future wife and made important personal decisions.

Lavinia Grace Schwarz has meticulously traced the history of her most elusive ancestor, Laura Evelyn Duggan Gilbert Christie, in the hopes that someone, somewhere, has a photograph of her. In the meantime, Lavinia’s sketch of Laura’s complicated life is not to be missed.

While CGS currently has over a thousand members, the special page honoring Member Anniversaries celebrates the long-term commitment to the society demonstrated by those who have been members from twenty- five to fifty years. In the fall issue, we will celebrate another group, those who have been members for twenty to twenty-four years.
Jane Hufft
Editor

TABLE of CONTENTS

Twenty-First Century Genealogy

Compiling the San Francisco Marriage Returns Index by Kathleen C. Beals

California Ancestors
Ancestral Footsteps: The Okazaki Family by Linda Harms Okazaki
The Courtship and Marriage of Amos Gorrell, Jr. and Catherine E. Sayre in Ross County, Ohio by Lisa Gorrell
Laura Evelyn Duggan Gilbert Christie by Lavinia Grace Schwarz
1883 Pensioners List: Millidge, Charles to Philps, Oren 

For Our Readers
The Borkenhagen Files: Born in San Francisco compiled by Carol Horn

At the Society
Research Trip to the Allen County Public Library: Registration Flier 
Save the Dates!
Member Anniversaries Twenty-five to Fifty Years
Index 
Do You Have a WWI Ancestor?

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

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

Genealogy Writing Series Begins Saturday, February 16, 2013

The California Genealogical Society will present an encore of our popular series Writing Your Family History: Start Now. By the end of the course, you will be ready to start writing, or will be already writing, a family history with confidence and style!

Who Should Take this Course?
This course is for genealogists and family historians who are ready to transform their research into a quality family history.

Course Details
This course will meet for a five-hour session one Saturday a month at the library in the Learning Center. Class size is limited to twelve participants. All sessions are on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with one hour break for lunch.

The course will provide participants with all the information and assistance needed to get started on writing a family history. The course includes

• a copy of the class text Producing a Quality Family History 
• helpful course materials organized in a binder 
• step-by-step instruction in organizing and writing your history 
• a variety of lecturers on topics to expand on reading assignments 
• experienced instructors 
• editing and writing help 

Session dates:

• Saturday, February 16, 2013
• Saturday, March 16, 2013
• Saturday, April 20, 2013
• Saturday, May 18, 2013
• Saturday, June 15, 2013

The course has been created by a team of dedicated volunteers – Matt Berry, Tim Cox, Lisa Gorrell and Jane Hufft – who have different and complementary skills.

Fee $100*
Non-members $125

Register online.

Registration Requirements

1. Attendance is required at all five sessions.
2. There is no registration for individual sessions.
3. Participants must be willing to commit a reasonable amount of time to the homework assignments, which consist of reading assigned chapters in the provided text and working on individual writing projects.

Last year's course filled very quickly, so please register now!

*All course fees are non-refundable.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

The California Nugget, Fall 2012, Volume IV, Issue 2

The Fall 2012 edition of The California Nugget has been sent to the printer and will soon begin arriving in members' mailboxes. Editor Jane Hufft and Production Editor Lois Elling have created another information-packed issue for your reading pleasure.

Here is Jane Hufft's letter from the editor:

Dear Readers:

Too much family history piled up in the garage? Denise Levenick will make you feel better about all of it. Still looking for that elusive female ancestor’s family? Alison Shedd shares her strategies in “Finding Carrie Seigle.” Ever wonder what good a genealogy society does? Read Virginia Turner’s “The International Congress of Genealogy, 1915, San Francisco.” To this day stories and excerpts from that significant, founding event are discussed and archived on the internet. Need new places to look for information? This issue of the California Nugget has a mini-theme of specialty libraries: The Maritime Museum in San Francisco, described by Gina Bardi, is a local treasure; in Boston, the New England Historic Genealogy Society’s library and the Archdiocese Archives of Boston, more commonly called the Catholic Archives, both maintain unique collections, as does the Leo Baeck Library in New York City. Oh, and don’t miss the list of family surname newsletters we have at the library. Is your surname there?

New research opportunities continue to come to light. In their article on the Alien Case Files, Jeanie Low and Jennie Lew describe an amazingly rich and valuable resource at the National Archives, only recently made available to the public. More newspapers appear online; see “Historical Portuguese Newspapers of California Digitized.” Society-sponsored research trips always yield fresh discoveries, as you will read in “Researching the McKinley Family in Boston.” This fall the CGS library acquired a wealth of new books, an event documented by Henry Snyder in “Generous Gifts Enrich the Library.”

No matter how quickly you read through the following pages, don’t miss the wonderful family photograph shared by Cynthia Gorman, a treasure from by-gone era.

—Jane Hufft, Editor

TABLE of CONTENTS

Twenty-First Century Genealogy

I’m Rich! I’ve Inherited My Grandmother’s Stuff! by Denise May Levenick
The Maritime Museum Library in San Francisco by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian
The Alien Case Files at the National Archives in San Bruno by Jennie Lew and Jeanie Low
The Story of SONA, “Save Our National Archives” by Jeanie Low
Researching the McKinley Family in Boston by Alison Kern Shedd

California Ancestors

Cynthia Louisa Capron by Cynthia Gorman
Finding Carrie Seigle’s Family: Tracing a Female Ancestor by Alison Kern Shedd
The International Congress of Genealogy, 1915, San Francisco by Virginia Turner
1883 Pensioners List: Isaacs, Alf. S through Miller, Isaac Compiled by Jane Hufft

For Our Readers

Historical Portuguese Newspapers of California Digitized by Henry Snyder
Jewish Archives Now Online 

At the Society

Generous Gifts Enrich the Library by Henry Snyder
Family Surname Newsletters at the Library Compiled by library staff
Research Trips With the Society 

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

The California Nugget, Spring 2012, Volume IV, Issue 1

The Spring 2012 edition of The California Nugget has been sent to the printer and will soon begin arriving in members' mailboxes. Editor Jane Hufft and Production Editor Lois Elling have outdone themselves with another fantastic issue filled with interesting articles.

This is the spring letter from Jane:

Dear Readers:

We have a variety of articles for you, each one an exciting account of significant discoveries. Wayne W. Padgett found a forgotten Civil War soldier in a very unlikely place and uncovered the details of his battle experiences. What started out as a quest to answer a few questions concluded with a moving ceremony involving two countries.

Last spring Chris Pattillo shared with Nugget readers, in her enthusiastic account “Thirty Days of Total Immersion in Genealogy,” what it was like to dive into the sometimes cold waters of family history research. In November 2011 Chris took the next step when she joined other CGS members and friends for her first trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her newest discoveries are recounted in “One Week in Salt Lake.”

Linda Okazaki was on the same trip and she will agree the stars were aligned! The startling discovery of an ancestor’s true name in a San Francisco newspaper account sent Linda’s research in completely new directions, solved a long-standing mystery and provided an astonishing story for descendants.

Without Amy Coffin, many of us would not be aware of what is happening on the frontiers of genealogy. Her insider view of the 2012 RootsTech conference gives an update on the future of family research, and it most certainly involves technology.

CGS President Jeffrey Vaillant tells all in his account of the society’s August 2011 research trip to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Participants met Library Manager Curt Witcher, found genealogical treasures in the stacks and microfilm collection, and sampled Fort Wayne restaurants and Indiana weather.

Write your stories and send them to us. We’d love to hear about your research, your discoveries, and your aha! moments with technology. There is space reserved in The California Nugget for your family, and, please note, you do not have to be a CGS member to submit a manuscript. Having your family history in print in a journal that is archived in libraries across the United States guarantees permanency for your research. Email me at jhufft@comcast.net for the Submission Guidelines and then take the leap. Make 2012 the year you visit a new library, learn the latest technology skills, and write it all down! 

—Jane Hufft, Editor

TABLE of CONTENTS

Twenty-First Century Genealogy
A Tombstone for Ulrik by Wayne W. Padgett
One Week in Salt Lake by Chris Pattillo
RootsTech 2.0: A Report from the 2012 RootsTech Conference by Amy Coffin

California Ancestors
Who Was Emerson Corville? by Linda Okazaki
1883 Pensioners List: Dorsey, Eliz. Eleanor to Hayes, James Compiled by Jane Hufft

For Our Readers
CGS Visits the Allen County Public Library by Jeffrey Vaillant and Nancy Peterson
Boston, Massachusetts Research Trip Information

At the Society
Book Review by Laura Spurrier
Recent Acquisitions in the Library
New Members
Index

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Writing Your Family History: Start Now!

The California Genealogical Society is offering an intense writing course to help you begin writing your family history. By the end of the course, you will be ready to start writing, or will be already writing, a family history with confidence and style!

Who Should Take this Course?
This course is for genealogists and family historians who are ready to transform their research into a quality family history.

Course Details
This course will meet for a five-hour session one Saturday a month at the library in the Learning Center. Class size is limited to fifteen participants. All sessions are on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with one hour break for lunch.

The course will provide participants with all the information and assistance needed to get started on writing a family history. The course includes

• a copy of the class text Producing a Quality Family History
• helpful course materials organized in a binder
• step-by-step instruction in organizing and writing your history
• a variety of lecturers on topics to expand on reading assignments
• experienced instructors
• editing and writing help

Session dates:

• July 7, 2012
• August 25, 2012
• September 15, 2012
• October 13, 2012

The course has been created by a team of dedicated volunteers – Tim Cox, Lisa Gorrell and Jane Hufft – who have different and complementary skills. Events Chair Tim Cox is the organizer and leader. He also  a vast store of feedback data collected after every class at the library. Tim knows what members want! Board Recording Secretary Lisa Gorrell has taught several course and has curriculum experience. California Nugget Editor Jane Hufft brings her experience as an educator, writer, and editor.

NOTE: This course will NOT focus on research techniques or evidence procedures.

Course Fee*
CGS Members: $50
Non-CGS Members: $75

Register online.


Registration Requirements
Attendance is required at all four sessions.
There is no registration for individual sessions.
Participants must be willing to commit a reasonable amount of time to the homework assignments, which consist of reading assigned chapters in the provided text and working on individual writing projects.

This course is expected to fill very quickly, so register now!

*All course fees are non-refundable.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Footnotes 101 with Jane Hufft

Saturday, December 17, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Footnotes made easy! Citing your sources is an important part of family history researching. Footnoting is easier than it looks.

This presentation will take the mystery out of constructing footnotes, explain why you need to cite your sources and show you how to do it. There will be clear explanations, examples and handouts so that you can cite your sources correctly and confidently.

Register online.

The class is limited to thirty 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 thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Jane Hufft, current editor of the CGS periodical The California Nugget and former CGS board member, has written several articles for genealogy journals and continues to work on her own family history research. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband Ron.



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

The California Nugget, Fall 2011, Volume III, Issue 2

The Fall 2011 edition of The California Nugget has been sent to the printer and should begin arriving in members' mailboxes next week. It's another information-filled issue by Editor Jane Hufft and Production Editor Lois Elling.

Here is Jane's letter from the editor:

Dear Readers:

This issue of the California Nugget is arriving in your mailbox earlier than usual so we can share exciting news about two events. First, the California Genealogical Society proudly announces the publication of the newly revised Raking The Ashes, Genealogical Strategies for pre-1906 San Francisco Research. This new second edition is the finest tool available for conducting genealogical and historical research in San Francisco in the years before the great earthquake. No one knows more about work-around strategies to find cemeteries, records, repositories, unique sources, church information, land records and other genealogical and historical records related to San Francisco than author Nancy Peterson. Completely updated, painstakingly researched, carefully organized and thoroughly user-friendly, Raking the Ashes, second edition, belongs on the shelf of every California researcher. For more information and ordering information, please see page 17.

There’s more! CGS and Ancestry.com are bringing a special all-day genealogy con- ference to San Francisco on Saturday, November 5. This informative day will offer many workshops and lectures. If you can be in the area, plan on joining us. Registration information is on page 16.

In other articles, Amy Coffin’s description of the first RootsTech Conference will take readers one step further into an exciting future where technology and genealogy meet. Rachel M. Popma, editor of Indiana Genealogist, has graciously allowed us to reprint her recent article that describes how to add eBay to your toolbox of genealogy search strategies. In “California Ancestors,” Jim Sorenson recounts the unexpected results of a persistent search to find just one more cousin. Virginia Turner looks back on early days of researching at CGS, and Sheri Fenley recounts the story of a successful pioneering family in San Francisco.

One way to have your family’s history saved for posterity is to have it in print. Have you thought about submitting your family’s story to the Nugget? We are always looking for well-researched family histories as well as articles that will help our readers become better genealogists and more successful writers and researchers.

Jane Hufft, Editor

TABLE of CONTENTS
Twenty-First Century Genealogy
RootsTech: A Report from the Trenches by Amy Coffin
Using Automated eBay Searches for Genealogy by Rachel M. Popma

California Ancestors
Chasing After Cousins by Jim Sorenson
Pursuing My Spooner and Ruffcorn Legacies at CGS by Virginia Turner
David Nathan Walter: Jewish Pioneer of San Francisco by Sheri Fenley 
1883 Pensioners List: Cashman, James to Dorland, John M.

For Our Readers
November 5 Ancestry Day in San Francisco Registration Form
Raking the Ashes order form

At the Society
Recent Acquisitions in the Library
New Members
Index

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non- members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.


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

Society Showcase at FGS Conference in Springfield

The California Genealogical Society sponsored a table recently at the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) annual conference in Springfield, Illinois. FGS made it easy for even distant genealogy societies to have a presence in the exhibit hall at Society Showcase on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in the Prairie Capital Convention Center. Exhibitors were encouraged to "bring display items and giveaways, such as membership brochures, sample publications, bookmarks, and event fliers." The FGS Conference blog published the full list of participating societies.

California Nugget Editor Jane Hufft and I staffed the table which we shared with fellow CGS member Denise Richmond who was representing the RootCellar Sacramento Genealogical Society. Denise handles publicity for RootCellar and she is one of the authors of the excellent Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society Blog with teammates Sandra Gardner Benward and Ron Setzer. Denise is also the blogger behind the conference blog for the upcoming Family History Day at the California State Archives on Saturday, October 15, 2011.

Jane Hufft and Denise Richmond

We had lots of information fliers and brochures highlighting the best of our California societies. Both Denise and I took advantage of the U.S. Post Office flat rate boxes to mail materials ahead of our arrival. Jane brought sample copies of our periodical as well as her submission guidelines for the Nugget. I think she talked to at least two potential authors who were intrigued with the idea of writing about their California ancestors.

Staffing the next table over and representing Fox Valley Illinois Genealogical Society was their president, Jane Haldeman, co-owner of It's Relative. Jane and I "met" years ago via a Rootweb mail list and exchanged information about our BRIGGS of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It's one of my "brick wall" lines so I'm not exactly sure how Jane and I are related but I'm optimistic that someday I'll figure it out. It was great to finally meet "cousin" Jane in person and to attend one of her lectures.

Genealogist quilters Pat Richley and Jane Hufft

The CGS contingent had one significant meeting that occurred just outside the convention center. Jane and I ran into DearMyrtle herself – Pat Richley. Jane had been wanting to meet Pat since they share a love of quilting. I'm still not exactly sure how it happened but in just a few minutes a cash transaction had taken place, fabric was exchanged and information was provided about the 1812 Preserve the Pensions Quilt Project.

It was a whirlwind few days but CGS was well-represented in Springfield.


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

The California Nugget, Spring 2011, Volume III, Issue 1

Yesterday, Harold Henderson of Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog, published State and Regional Genealogy Journals: The List. "The List" is a downloadable pdf file of genealogical periodicals published by genealogy organizations throughout the United States, compiled by Henderson and Michael Hait. They make the point that state journals "often contain high-quality genealogies of local families, utilizing a wide variety of local, state, and federal records."

The article was timely since the newest issue of The California Nugget has been printed and mailed to members. As always, the Spring 2011 Nugget includes exactly the kind of local genealogies Hait and Henderson describe.

I'm sure editor Jane Huff won't mind if I share her page one letter:

Dear Readers:

Do you feel like you are still just getting started in genealogy? Chris Pattillo had begun her family history research but felt like she still didn’t know what she was doing. The story of her headlong dive into genealogy when she unexpectedly had a month off from work and her emergence four weeks later with a treasure trove of new skills, resources and information is inspirational.

Finding the Laughran Sisters Part III wraps up, for now, the story of how the discovery of one online newspaper article revealed the names and relationships of an entire pioneer California family. Resources such as Newspaperarchive.com are truly goldmines of information. Be sure you are using the many online newspapers to further your research.
In our California Ancestors section, Virginia Turner and Georgia Lupinsky bring to life a treasure from the CGS manuscript collection, telling the story of the Covell family who settled near San Jose. Then Bill O’Neil shares the struggles of his Union soldier ancestors in the Civil War, a conflict that took a formidable toll on many families.

We have news for our members: now is the time to sign up for the August research trip to the Allen County Public library! Information is on the flier. Also, be sure to save November 5 for a spectacular day with Ancestry.com and the California Genealogical Society in San Francisco.

Capturing the story of any migration should be a focus of individual family histories as well as the work of genealogical societies. Now and then a best-seller, in this case Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, reviewed in the book section, turns out to be a real addition to the literature of genealogy and family history research. Whether or not you are descended from the black southerners who made the journey north, this book speaks to every family that has ever set out for someplace better.

Jane Hufft, Editor

TABLE of CONTENTS
Twenty-First Century Genealogy
Finding the Laughran Sisters Part III by Jane Hufft
Thirty Days of Total Immersion in Genealogy by Chris Pattillo

California Ancestors
Frank Covell: California Pioneer and Family Historian by Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner
Hill and Drinkwine: Civil War Ancestors by Bill O'Neil  
1883 Pensioners

For Our Readers
Save the Date! Ancestry and CGS Team Up!

News from the Society
Allen County Public Library Research Trip
Book Reviews
Recent Acquisitions from the Library
New Members
Index

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non- members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.


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