Recap: The California Nugget, Spring 2020 issue

The California Nugget, mailed to all CGS members
and now available in digital form at our website

 

Amid all the tumult of the last few months—including but not limited to COVID-19, heat waves, power outages, and wildfires—we neglected to announce our Spring 2020 issue of The California Nugget, which was published and mailed out in early August.

Here is our Editors' Note from the latest issue:

To our members and readers, we hope you will enjoy this issue of the Spring 2020 Nugget, produced while we are all under quarantine. Perhaps it is appropriate that several members have shared anecdotes of their ancestors who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic. As they endured the challenges and disruption brought about by that global crisis, we can take heart from their examples.

Our articles in this issue illustrate how Americans of different eras took on the challenges and opportunities of their time and place. Melissa Kelley revisits the life of her distant cousin, Pearl Eubanks. Born into a troubled family and orphaned by age five, the young Pearl was the subject of a sex scandal, described as “incorrigible,” and sent to a reformatory school before embarking on the first of three marriages. However, she rose above her early misfortunes to carve out a happy and stable life.

In “The Rise and Fall of George Gray,” Robbie Johnson traces the successes and failures of George Gray, a humble farmer from Ontario who found fame and prestige in California in the last decades of the 19th century, but who was unable to navigate the politics of an increasingly urban society in his later years.

Lisa Gorrell offers a primer on using the FAN network (friends, associates, and neighbors) to expand our understanding and further trace the lives of ancestors.

It’s our hope that you will find some insights and inspiration in these pages.

The Editors

Table of Contents

Our Ancestors

• The “Incorrigible,” Indomitable Pearl Eubanks by Melissa Kelley
• From Canada to California: The Rise and Fall of George Gray by Robbie Johnson, CG
• 1918 Flu Epidemic Stories by our members

21st-Century Genealogy

• How the Probate File of Frederick Bishop Illustrates the Importance of FAN Research by Lisa S. Gorrell, CG
• Online Resources Recently Added to the Library Catalog

ALSO...

We are pleased to announce that digital issues of the Nugget are now available to members on our website. Currently you can access the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 issues. If you are a member and have not yet received your print copy in the mail, please let us know at nugget@californiaancestors.org

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

February Classes and Events

 

No Valentine-themed events this month, but we're still sure you'll LOVE our selection of lectures, classes, and other events. 

We start off with our FREE "Intro to Genealogy" class, Saturday, February 1. This month, Dick Rees gives tips on "Using the Census."

Then it's on to more adventures:

February 8: On the Road Again: Practical Tips for Successful On-Site Research

Pam Brett discusses how a well-planned on-site research trip will increase your chances of answering your most perplexing research questions and enhance understanding of the lives of your ancestors. 

February 19: Intermediate Record Series

Lisa Gorrell kicks off her popular five-week course for those ready to go beyond vital records and the census. This intermediate class will focus on court records, church records, emigration/immigration and naturalization, land and property records, and demonstrate how to find these records both on and off line.

February 22: Photo Scanning Workshop

Ron Madson leads a hands-on photo scanning class using a PC or MAC to assist you in scanning documents for use with genealogical projects. 

February 25: Field Trip to California Historical Society

(CGS members only) CHS reference and outreach librarian Frances Kaplan will describe the Society's diverse holdings and share selected materials for our perusal. 

AND: Planning ahead? You can still register for our May trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City!

Don't forget our Special Interest Groups!
All our events can be found listed on our website
Or at the CGS Facebook page
Or at EventBrite.com (search for "California Genealogical Society")


Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Why You Should Go: 2020 Trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City

Lisa Gorrell, CG, is leading the upcoming CGS research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this coming May. Here's what she has to say about it:

Lisa Gorrell

Our upcoming trip next year to the Family History Library will be from Sunday, May 24 to Sunday, May 30. These dates follow the dates of the National Genealogical Society’s Conference. If you would like to attend the conference, too, you will need to book your own hotel for those dates. Now, you’re probably asking “Why would I want to go to the Family History Library? Isn’t it all online now?” Yes, it is true that FamilySearch has been digitizing their collected records and putting images online, but they are far from putting it all online. Let’s talk about their collection:

Books. Many of the books in their collection may never be digitized. Books that have been recently published are still under copyright laws. Even if a book is digitized, only one person can view it at a time. Your chances are greater viewing a physical copy at the library.

Microfilm. The plan is to digitize all of the microfilm. They are having a hard time getting blank microfilm and it is very expensive. Also, the microfilm machines are getting old and it’s difficult to find parts to repair them. So digitizing the film is a win-win situation for the library. However, some of the original repositories where the records were filmed the have not given permission to publish the images online. Therefore, the only place you can view some “digitized” films is on computers at the Library itself, or perhaps at local Family History centers. This will also include microfiche.

Advantages.  

So what is the real advantage of an in-person trip to the Family History Library?

Six days of distraction-free research
Six days where you didn’t have to do household chores
Six days of being with others who share your enthusiasm for genealogy research
Research assistance from the leader (me) or one of the experts at the library (especially at the foreign language floors)

How should you prepare for such a trip?

Decide which ancestral lines you want to work on

Record the localities where these families lived

Check the FHL catalog for the records and books that are available at the library for each locality. Some items may be available online, but if there is a “key” symbol next to the film number, that film can only be viewed at the FHL or at a Family History Center.

This symbol indicates records
that may only be viewed in a library

If you find lots of books and films you would like to view, then it may be worthwhile to make the trip with CGS.

Consultation

You can schedule a pre-trip consultation with the leader, Lisa Gorrell. You will also be able to have consultations during the trip at the library.

We have fun, too! Of course, the trip isn’t just all serious research. We have three planned joint meals together, and every day we get together for lunch and dinner at a variety of places. It’s a great time to share our successes and get help with our research issues.

To sign up for the trip, use this link at Eventbrite. There are limited spaces, so be sure to register soon!

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Intermediate Records Class! Starts May 29

Have you been researching mostly online at Ancestry and FamilySearch and feel you’ve exhausted what you can from their site using the search feature? Do you want to learn more about your ancestors so you can write their story? Perhaps you have been afraid to tackle land and court records, thinking they were too hard to find and use. Or lastly, you would like to take a road trip and do some research in the counties and cities where your ancestors lived but don’t know how to begin... This Intermediate Records class is for you!

 

Lisa Gorrell will teach a 5-session course
on how to use records to deepen your research

Well-known teacher Lisa Gorrell, CG, returns with this in-depth five-session class, held Wednesday nights at the Oakland Family History Center (May 29-June 26) from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. It will cover the following subjects in depth:

Court Records. This class will cover wills, probate, guardianship, and other court records. Learn how to used them and how to use the FamilySearch Catalog to find records.

Church Records. The session will cover the types of records created by religious organization such as sacramental, membership, and business records. These records can be found in many places online and off-line.

Emigration, Immigration, and Naturalization Records. The class will cover the records our immigrant ancestors created when they left their home country and came into the United States, as well as those records they created to become citizens.

Land & Property Records.  This session will cover the land records issued by the federal, state, and local governments. In-class exercises will aid in the student’s understanding of land description. Also included is how to locate local land records on the FamilySearch Catalog.

Off-Line Research. This class will discuss how to use online sources to prepare for an off-line research trip. These same techniques can be used even if you never leave home but instead make contact with out-of-town repositories by email, mail, or telephone.

Many of these classes have in-class exercises and all have optional homework to support the learning from class. A computer is not necessary. Just come prepared to go further in depth on these intermediate subjects.

Register through EventBrite.

Lisa S. Gorrell is a Certified Genealogist® who has been researching her family for over twenty-five years. She leads the research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for CGS. She is a former board member of CGS and current Secretary for the Contra Costa County Historical Society. She enjoys teaching about genealogy and writing about her family on two blogs: “Mam-ma’s Southern Family” and “My Trails into the Past.” 

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Notes from the field: 18th Annual Family History Library Trip

In our 120^th anniversary year, CGS members continue to host and participate in a variety of learning experiences. Last month, Lisa Gorrell led a group on the 18th annual trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lisa Gorrell (left) orients visitors to the library

We lucked out with the weather; while it had snowed in Salt Lake just the week before, during our visit temperatures soared and flowers were in bloom everywhere.
 

Our group of 14 had a great week of research, study, and socializing. 

Four of our members also took time for a day trip to the recently opened Topaz Japanese American Internment Camp Museum in Delta, where more than 11,000 persons of Japanese American ancestry were confined during World War II.

Kathy and Steve Ikeda, Linda Okazaki, and Jim Russell at Topaz

Our research was as varied as the participants. A few of us had amazing breakthroughs, while others found their brick walls remained stony. Sometimes it's a kind of vindication to know that even the experts can't trace that maddeningly elusive ancestor. All agreed it was well worth our while. Thanks to our fearless leader, Lisa, for organizing and leading the trip! 

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Remembering Jane Wolf Hufft, 1943-2018

Jane Wolf Hufft, a lifelong educator, was a warm and gracious woman, devoted to her family. She died 30 January 2018 and is survived by her husband Ron, daughter Amy, son Brian, and three grandchildren. 

Jane was born 21 August 1943 in Norfolk Virginia, a child of Colorado native Robert Joseph Wolf (1915–1977) and Mary H. Omer (1914–1981) of Illinois. Her paternal grandparents were George Wolf, a Denver police captain, and Katherine Elizabeth Sallen. Jane’s maternal grandparents were Lewis Omer and Edith Nevins of Carthage, Illinois, a small farming community. Lewis Omer was a farmer and teacher at Carthage College.

The eldest of four children, Jane and her two sisters and brother spent their early years in Norfolk where their father was stationed. Robert Wolf served as a naval officer during WWII. After the war, the family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Robert worked as an engineer in a construction firm.

The family moved again in the 1950s to Lafayette, California, where Jane attended Acalanes High School and graduated in 1961. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966 from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s degree from California State University at Hayward, and numerous educational certificates including an administrative credential. Jane began dating fellow Lafayette resident and Acalanes graduate Ron Hufft while they both were at Cal. They married fifty years ago in 1968.

Jane and Ron Hufft and family

Jane worked as an educator for nearly forty years, first as a teacher, then as manager of the Gifted and Talented Education Program in the Martinez, California, Unified School District, and finally as the well-respected principal of Morello Park Elementary School in Martinez. Her support of education and of children never wavered. Jane later served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children placed in the care of a Juvenile Dependency Court, where she provided expertise on educational issues.

Jane Wolf Hufft was an avid genealogist. In 1984, she and Jane Knowles Lindsey were introduced to each other due to their mutual interest in family history. The friends made annual research trips to Boston or Salt Lake City. Hufft researched her own family as well as her husband’s Cook line from Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The "two Janes"--Jane Lindsey (center, seated) and Jane Hufft (standing), with 2006 CGS Board members Glen Schimelpfenig, Vern Deubler, Will Frye, and Nancy Peterson

By 2004, when Hufft retired, the “two Janes” had been travelling and researching together for twenty years and Lindsey had become president of the California Genealogical Society. Hufft had always said that “someday” she wanted to edit a genealogical publication so Lindsey recruited her to serve as editor of the society newsletter, The CGS News. 
In addition to her duties as editor, Jane Hufft and Nancy Servin delivered the newsletters to the post office after the Mailing Committee did tedious work to meet the strict bulk mail postal requirements. It was typical of Jane to oversee every aspect of a project.

Jane’s editing skills contributed to the success of two books published in 2006 to commemorate the centennial of the 1906 earthquake—A Most Dreadful Earthquake: A First-Hand Account of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire – with Glimpses into the Lives of the Phillips-Jones Letter Writers, and Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research.

Jane with Jerry Anderson at NEHGS in 2006

Hufft and Shirley Thomson created the "CGS Style Sheet" in 2007, to lay the foundation toward a consistent style among the various publications of the California Genealogical Society and Library. Jane served as a member of the Publications Committee, taking over as chair after Barbara Close stepped down in 2008. In 2010, Jane was part of a large team that published The Ancestry of Theodore Timothy Judge and Ellen Sheehy Judge: Including the Families of Boland, Roussel, Harman, McMurphy, Kelley, Bohane, Chapin, Freiermuth, Taylor, Moore and Farneman for the society.

Jane continued to serve as editor of the CGS News until January 2009, when the society went to the digital eNews. Her editorial duties were transferred to the launch of the former Nugget, which began its new life as The California Nugget, published twice a year beginning with the spring 2009 issue. It was in this role where she may have had her greatest influence at CGS. Jane edited the society magazine for seven years, through the Spring 2016 issue, when she turned the reins over to current editor Janice Sellers.

Jane was an excellent writer and she published some of her findings in various journals. She often served as a ghostwriter for CGS members who needed assistance bringing their words to life.

Jane served on the board of directors for six years, from January 2003 to January 2009. She and her friend Laura Ferber assisted the CGS board as facilitators of their strategic planning retreats for two years.

Jane shared her experience as educator, researcher, writer, and editor by developing and teaching classes. In 2009, she was a member of a panel discussion on “Breaking Down Brick Walls” with Nancy Peterson and Lavinia Schwarz. Hufft and Matt Berry offered a “Footnotes and Indexing Workshop” in 2010. Jane taught “Footnotes 101" in 2011. Jane teamed up with Lisa Gorrell and Tim Cox in 2012 to create an intensive writing course, “Writing Your Family History: Start Now.” They taught an encore series the following year with Matt Berry. Lisa recalled that Jane was “a joy to collaborate with. Her expertise was grammar and citations, and she had such a wonderful delivery style that made it fun to review grammar.”

Jane was well-known for generously assisting others with their genealogy, especially their brick walls. Sally Houston Brown reminisced about the inability to locate a marriage record for her maternal grandparents, who came to Richmond from Illinois. Jane “found a sentence in the SF Call, that they were married in Stockton! How she remembered the names from our brief conversation and still looked for them fills me with amazement. From that bit of info, I was able to get the official records - and speculate about why there (probably grandpa met the train with grandma and g-grandma). I never, never would have thought to check an SF paper or the Stockton records. To me it was a true miracle. Jane probably fulfilled the role of fairy godmother for lots of us at CGS.”

With fellow quilter-genealogist Pat Richley-Erikson

Beyond family and genealogy, Jane was a skilled quilter and adventurous traveler. As recently as last year, she had a quilt displayed at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. She took two trips to Africa, as well as one to India, the ancestral home of her son-in-law.

A memorial service for Jane will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at the Lafayette Veteran's Memorial Center. Her obituary was published 9 March 2018 in the East Bay Times.

Contributions in Jane’s memory may be made to the California Genealogical Society, 2201 Broadway, LL2, Oakland California, 94612-3031. Alternatively, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Willamette University Jane W. Hufft Scholarship Fund, established by her family in 2017 to ensure students facing adversity can complete their education and live lives of contribution and meaning.

Photos provided by the Hufft family and the California Genealogical Society.
The editor wishes to thank the Hufft family, Jane Lindsey, and Kathryn Doyle for their contributions to this post.
Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society 

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) 2018!

The California Genealogical Society (CGS) was well represented, 17 members, at this year's Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, otherwise known as #SLIG2018! 

The 17 Genealogists were...

Ron Arons (Instructor), Sheila Benedict, Sandi Benward, Jan Brandt, Kim Cotton, Vanessa Crews, Lisa Gorrell, Stacy Hoover, Laura Lee Karp, Victoria Kolakowski, Linda Okazaki, James Russell, Joanna Shear, Jacqi Stevens, Jeffrey Vaillant, Tina Wikner, and Carolyn Williams

and they took 7 Courses...

Advanced Methodologies, Advanced Land Tools, Early English Records, Repositories and Archives, Great Lakes, Swedish and Finnish Records, and Writing.

We had a blast in Salt Lake!  
Send in your pictures and we will add to the mix! 

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Annual Appeal: You Make Our Society Amazing

"I want to thank each and every one of you that have donated or have volunteered in some way this year. Without your incredible dedication, none of this would be possible,” says out-going President, Linda Harms Okazaki. 

Why is the money needed? 
Membership fees only cover 40% of The California Genealogical Society’s operating expenses; most of the rest comes from special events and tax-deductible donations from members like you.  

Treasurer Kathie Jones stated, "The cost of real estate in the San Francisco Bay area continues to be our number one expense for the society---meaning our rent consumes about 70% of our budget." If you haven’t already done so, please consider contributing to the society.

Our library, with thousands of volumes, is one of the premiere genealogy libraries on the West Coast, and is one of the main reasons that many of you joined the society.  We also learned through our member survey results that The California Nugget, our biannual genealogical magazine, is another huge draw for our members.

2018 Goals 
This year, the goal was again set at $15,000 to help us continue offering quality trips, classes, events and speakers for you, such as a first-ever event by the indomitable genealogy lecturer Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist. 

Judy G. Russell with Linda Okazaki

We had a great turnout for her all-day seminar that received rave reviews from the attendees. Linda said, “It was a delight to have Judy talk to us about everything from copyright to enemy aliens, and from black sheep in the family to DNA." 

Linda also wants to remind you to check your mail to see if you have received the Annual Appeal letter that was sent out in mid-November. Don’t forget that there’s a 2017 tax deduction created by contributing before year-end.

How much have we raised?
Here’s the latest numbers: so far we have raised 41 percent — $6,200 — of our $15,000 goal. We’re currently on-track to meet it (thank you all). However, we still need your help to reach 100%.

What’s ahead in 2018?
Member Lisa Gorrell will lead our 18th annual genealogy research trip to Salt Lake City in April and on March 3rd we will play host to the amazing Blaine Bettinger, also known as The Genetic Genealogist.  We hope you’ll consider one or both of these amazing genealogical experiences. Visit our Eventbrite page for registration.  

Both of these exciting offerings help us raise needed funds for the society and library. We also have an interesting and constantly evolving slate of classes for you to choose from in the New Year.

Our genealogy community is amazing 
In order to ensure that our society remains a leader in the genealogy field (in February, we'll reach our 120th anniversary), your help is needed. 

You may be aware that we also have our Capital Campaign that has been raising money all year and will come to a close in Feb 2018. If you’ve contributed to this effort, then let me be the first to say “thank you”.  I want to stress that the Capital Campaign is for our long-term security, but our Annual Appeal is for our day-to-day expenses. Either way, the money will be put to good use. 

Even with all the constant, rapid advances in technology, we’re managing to stay current and remain a relevant resource for scholarship, education and community because of your generosity.

Please donate today.

You make our success possible.

Thank you. 

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Salt Lake City Family History Library: Why You Should Go on Our 2018 Research Trip

by Lisa Gorrell

Have you heard? The California Genealogical Society (CGS) has scheduled its 2018 annual genealogy research trip to the Family History Library from Sunday, April 22nd to Sunday, April 29th. As the team leader for the trip, for the third year in a row, I’m especially excited to get you to come with me!  Now you’re probably asking yourself,  “Why would I want to go to the Family History Library? Isn’t it all online now?”

Advantages
So what is the real advantage of an in-person trip to the Family History Library?

• Six days of being with others who share your enthusiasm for genealogy research
• Research assistance with the leader (me) or one of the experts at the library (especially at the foreign language floors)
• Six days of distraction-free research
• Six days where you didn’t have to do household chores

Yes, it is true, that FamilySearch has been digitizing their collected records and putting images online, but they are far from putting it all online. So let’s talk about their collection:

Books 
Many of the books in their collection may never be digitized. Books that have been recently published are still under copyright laws. Even if a book is digitized, only one person can view it at a time. Your chances are greater of viewing a physical copy at the library.

Microfilm 
The plan is to digitize all of the microfilm because they are having a hard time getting blank microfilm and it is very expensive. Also the microfilm machines are getting old and it’s difficult o find parts to repair them. So digitizing the film is a win-win situation for the library. 

However, some of the original repositories where they filmed the records have not given approval for publishing the images online. So the only place you can view some “digitized” films is on computers at the library itself, or perhaps at the local family history centers. This will also include microfiche.

Now that I’ve got your attention, the next thing to think about is: 
How should you prepare for such a trip?

• Decide which ancestral lines you want to work on
• Record the localities where these families lived
• Check the FHL catalog for the records and books that are available at the library for each locality
• Some items may be available online, but if there is a “key” symbol next to the film number, that film can only be viewed at the FHL or a Family History Center.
• If you find lots of books and films you’d like to view, then it may be worthwhile to make the trip with CGS

Consultation

You can schedule a pre-trip consultation with me, Lisa Gorrell, by sending an email. I’ll also be available for consultations while we’re on the trip in Salt Lake City.

We have fun, too!

Of course, the trip isn’t just all about serious genealogy research. We have three planned group meals together, plus every day we get together for lunch and dinner at a variety of places. It’s a great time to share our successes and get help with our research issues.

To sign up for the trip, use Eventbrite. There are limited spaces, so be sure to register soon!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Wordless Wednesday: SCGS Genealogy Jamboree 2017

Front row: Tim Foley, Diana Edwards & Lisa Gorrell
Back row: Lavinia Schwarz & Ron Madson

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society