She Thinks He Had Them at Hello

Elizabeth O'Neal of the Little Bytes of Life blog has an entertaining account (with photos) of CGS member Steve Danko's recent appearance at the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society (SBCGS).

Steve has been a great supporter of our society, speaking this year at our July membership meeting and as co-presenter of the Eastern European Research Workshop in April 2008.

Be sure to read I Think He Had Them at Hello.

Blogging Workshop: Easy as 1-2-3

The reviews are in and Saturday's Genealogy Blog Workshop was a smashing success. Twenty-five participants gathered at the California Genealogical Society Library for three presentations by two well-known gen-bloggers and CGS members, Thomas MacEntee and Craig Manson.

Thomas got things started with "Become A Genealogy Blog User" – an overview of blog basics – with instructions on how to use blog readers, how to leave comments and how blogs can help with genealogy research. Attendees received a comprehensive hand-out which included a list of dozens of helpful genealogy blogs.

His second session was the "nuts and bolts" part of the day as MacEntee presented "How To Build a Genealogy Blog." CGS member volunteer Craig Siulinski provided the specifics in advance so Thomas was able to create a blog to Craig's specifications and the audience was able to see just how easy the process is using Google's Blogger.

Craig Manson ended the day with "Blogging and the Law" – a review of the copyright acts, their duration and limitations, fair use, public domain works, using photographs, defamation and privacy.

Two audience members deserve special recognition – bloggers Cheryl Palmer and Steve Danko came to lend support. Of course we took the opportunity to pose for a group geneablogger photo!

Cheryl Palmer, Craig Manson, Thomas MacEntee, Kathryn Doyle and Steve Danko.

And how successful was the day? Well, I'm thrilled to present three new bloglings for you to add to your readers:

August Legacy by Craig Siulinski

Hacienda Circle by Lavinia Schwarz

Historic American Landscapes Survey by Chris Pattillo

CGS member Cynthia Gorman summed up the day like this: "Great program, speakers and afternoon!

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, October 10, 2009, Oakland, California.

What You Missed: July Membership Meeting with Steve Danko

This month's second Saturday membership meeting on July 11, 2009, was a high tech show-and-tell by CGS member Steve Danko. Genealogist, blogger and specialist in Eastern European research, Steve recently earned his Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS) with specialties in both United States and Canadian records from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies in Toronto.




After some society business by CGS President Jane Lindsey and the unveiling of the new iceberg poster by Tim Cox, Steve presented Genealogy Gadgets and Gizmos: New Technology to Help in Your Research. He brought along lots of his favorite genealogy toys for a grown-up version of "show and tell." Tim got a shot of the collection of electronic devices that Steve brought to share.

Steve's Genealogy Gadgets and Gizmos.

Any regular reader of Steve's blog knows that he is one organized guy so it was no surprise that his presentation was well-ordered and his delivery crisp. Steve divided his gadgets into different categories of "family history" aides: gizmos for learning, for "finding your way," for recording, preserving, presenting and even "dressing for family history."

Steve and the 2GB Pulse SmartPen.

I won't go into detail about the items that Steve presented. He covered an impressive amount of technological gear and I don't even want to think about how he keeps track of all those power cords.

Steve spoke to a full house.

Needless to say, Steve's use of audio-visual aides gets an A+. (He even brought his own InFocus portable projector.) If you missed Steve you'll get another chance next year when he'll be presenting Genealogy Gadgets and Gizmos to the San Mateo County Genealogical Society on Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox and Kathryn Doyle, 7/11/2009, Oakland, California.

Fun at Jamboree!

Three exhausting but fun days at SCGS Jamboree 2009 are behind us. Tim has promised to write a report for the blog so I'll just share a few photos and express my appreciation to everyone who contributed to the CGS table in the exhibit hall.




Special kudos to Tim Cox and Carolyn Steinberg who organized every aspect of space #114 in the hall and who are already planning to make next year's CGS table even better. Heartfelt thanks also to CGS members Ron Filion, Arlene Folkers, Pamela Storm, Marston Watson and Geri Willinger for helping to staff the table.

Marston Watson and Tim Cox

Marston was a speaker at Jamboree this year. He graciously signed over his table in the hall to CGS and brought two of his Royal Families: Americans of Royal and Noble Ancestry books to sell: Volume Two - Reverend Francis Marbury and Five Generations of the Descendants Through Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson and Katherine (Marbury) Scott and Volume Three - Samuel Appleton and His Wife Judith Everard and Five Generations of Their Descendants.

Pamela Storm and Ron Filion

Pam and Ron of SFgenealogy.com brought their brochures and magnets and their expertise to the table. (And they wore their special tee shirts!)

Carolyn Steinberg, Steve Danko and Elyse Doerflinger.

Steve Danko of Steve's Genealogy Blog and Elyse Doerflinger of both Elyse's Genealogy Blog and The Graveyard Rabbit Student stopped by. They are both first-name-only geneabloggers since they have universal recognition in the gen-blog world (think Madonna). Steve will be our speaker at the July membership meeting.

Marston, Kathryn and Tim

Thanks, everyone, for a successful California Genealogical Society and Library presence at Jamboree!

What You (and I) Missed: Morse and Morse on DNA

CGS membership meetings are held every other month in January, March, May, July, September and November but this month we had a special presentation by Steve Morse and his daughter Megan Morse on DNA on Saturday, June 13, 2009.

Steve Morse

We had a record turn-out (56!) which meant that I gave up my seat. Fortunately, two of my fellow genealogy bloggers were on hand – Craig Manson of Geneablogie and Steve Danko of Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve has written up an excellent summary of the talks on his blog: Morse and Morse on DNA.

Megan Morse

I did sneak in to take a couple of photos, including this one of Petunia the opossum.

Petunia the opossum

We also took a minute to get a photograph together. (Thanks to Steve Harris for acting as photographer.)

Steve Danko, Craig Manson and Kathryn Doyle

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle and Steve Harris, 6/13/2009, Oakland, California.

July Membership Meeting - Steve Danko

July Membership Meeting
Saturday, July 11, 2009
1:00 p.m.
CGS Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California 94612

Genealogy Gadgets and Gizmos: New Technology to Help in Your Research

CGS is thrilled to have member and noted blogger Steve Danko as our speaker for the July membership meeting.

New hardware, software and online technology make finding, recording and sharing information faster and easier than ever. Many of these advancements have found their way into genealogical research, enabling even a moderately technology-capable genealogist to take advantage of these new gadgets and gizmos. New technology allows genealogists to have access to family history data from anywhere in the world. Researchers can avail themselves of genealogy education at times and places of their choosing, collect documents and information more easily and prepare professional-quality family books without the commercial price.

Please note that the short membership meeting starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. Steve's talk follows at approximately 1:20 p.m. Seating is limited so please arrive early. Meetings are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member of CGS!)

Dr. Stephen J. Danko holds a Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology and recently completed requirements for the Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS) from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, University of Toronto.

Steve began seriously researching his family history ten years ago, focusing primarily on American, Canadian, and Polish records. He has conducted research on location in Poland and Lithuania and has visited the villages in which his immigrant ancestors lived.

Steve writes a daily genealogy research blog where he posts images of family documents and discusses his genealogical research process. In the course of his writing his blog, Steve has reconnected with lost cousins in Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Puckerbrushed by Randy

I was gobsmacked to learn that Randy Seaver included the CGSL blog in his Genea-Musings: My Puckerbrush Blog Awards of Excellence and bestowed The Janice Brown Puckerbrush Blog Award for Excellence. Randy writes Genea-Musings and is the most prolific genealogy blogger, just ask anyone. He's been tremendously kind and supportive and his Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe was a model when I got started in the society blogging business. Thank you, Randy, for the honor.

The award was created in honor of genealogy blogger Janice Brown by Terry Thornton, author of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi, who explained that "Janice told us all about the word 'puckerbrush' in an article she posted August 27, 2007, at Cow Hampshire. Terry elaborated a bit further in a comment:

On any land allowed to go fallow and left untended, a wild assortment of wild plants grow – in some areas, this wild growth results in such a thicket of plants that it is almost impossible to push your way through the growth.

So it is with the growth of blogs --- so many that it is impossible to read them all. But in the puckerbrush eventually a few plants/trees become dominant and influence all who view them through the thick surrounding puckerbrush.

And it is those outstanding blogs whose influence spreads beyond just the surrounding rabble of puckerbrush that I'm honoring.

Terry issued this challenge:

Henceforth these awards will be called the Janice Brown Puckerbrush Blog Award for Excellence. All blog authors are hereby challenged to name the ten blogs which have influenced their writing the most and list them as a tribute to Janice --- the Janice Brown Puckerbrush Blog Awards for Excellence.

I see this award as a way to acknowledge the blog authors who paved the way and inspired us to take our own blogging baby steps and to those who continue to influence our work. Here are my ten recipients for the Puckerbrush Blog Award for Excellence:

1.) Steve Danko: Steve's Genealogy Blog was the first blog I ever read. Early in 2007 I stumbled upon his New Year's Resolution list where he pledged to renew his California Genealogical Society membership and help with a society project. Since then he has become a wonderful supporter of CGS and a noted lecturer (he'll be our guest speaker at the July membership meeting.) Steve's blog is the model for what a research blog should be.

2.) Jasia of Creative Gene is my blog mentor and she is the reason I started the blog for the society. Her series Declining Membership in Genealogical Societies should be required reading for every genealogical society board member. As a matter of fact, it's been awhile since I've done a re-read so I'm adding it to my Google Task List. (She always has great ideas.)

3.) Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family is the king of the GeneaBloggers and one of the most supportive and generous people I know. I am thrilled that we will finally meet at Jamboree. (Summit 2 Son of Blogger is going to be a kick.)

4.) Denise Olson of Family Matters: Tech Support for the Family Historian is my "go-to" person for anything technical and everything macintosh. She is all about helping genealogists into the digital age.

5.) Miriam Robbins Midkiff of Ancestories: The Stories of My Ancestors and the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog has become another blogger buddy. She introduced Scanfest - a monthly online scanning party so genealogists can chat while they digitize photos. Hers was one of the few society blogs out there when I got started.

6.) Linda, the Footnote Maven, and author of the beautiful Shades of the Departed, creates blogs that are as beautiful to look at as they are a pleasure to read. The fact that I ever actually started this blog is a testament to fortitude – hers is a tough act to follow.

7.) Maureen Taylor is an incredibly talented speaker and author who fused her expertise in history, photography and genealogy to become The Photo Detective.

8.) Schelly Talalay Dardashti is the author of Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog – a superlative example of what I now know is a niche blog. Whenever I get tempted to go beyond the scope of what the CGSL blog should be I think about Schelly's good example.

9.) Ben Sayer of Mac Genealogist.com is one of my new favorites. He is re-introducing me to my mac genealogy software – Reunion®. I love his QuickTime videos.

10.) Julie Cahill Tarr of GenBlog makes my top ten because I thank her almost everyday. Her post Managing Your Blog(s) is where I learned to create a blog editorial calendar. It's the organizational tool you MUST use if you are writing a society blog. I've just recommended that we create a similar calendar to coordinate our marketing efforts.

There you have it - my top ten, in no particular order. I hope many other gen-bloggers will come forward with their own list of ten influential blog authors.

Jane's Interview with Lisa Louise Cooke

I've reported several times on the successful genealogy classes that have been jointly offered by the California Genealogical Society and the Oakland Regional Family History Center. Things got started October 2008 with the Family History Month Beginners Series, then the Intermediate Series in January and February 2009, a full-day Beginning Genealogy Seminar held in April and a four session Spring Intermediate Series that is half completed.

Jane Lindsey and Marge Bell came up with the idea and since then the two of them have been a couple of whirling dervishes, teaching class after class after class.

Now, thanks to the magic of podcasting, anyone with a computer can sample a taste of what it is like to learn a little genealogy from Jane and Marge. Both of these dynamos have been recent guests of Lisa Louise Cooke on her Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast.

Part one of Lisa's interview with Jane was published today as Episode 27: Your Ancestors in the News Part 1. Part 2 will be published next Friday, May 8, 2009. I'm taking Lisa up on this suggestion:"She's a great interview and I hope you'll let your readers on the CGS blog know about it."

Lisa Louise Cooke is the producer and host of The Genealogy Gems Podcast and her blog Genealogy Gems News. Her goal is to provide fun and interesting genealogical education in a variety of mediums: audio podcasts, videos, books, online resources, daily blog and e-newsletter.

Update:
The link to Part 1 and 2 of Jane's interview can be found on Jane's bio page on Lisa's site. (Thanks for the blog link, Lisa.) The bio page for Margery Bell lists several interviews about Family History Centers. Lisa has also featured interviews with two other CGS members: Steve Danko and Cath Trindle.

Honored as One of the Top 25 Genealogy Blogs

The CGSL blog is proudly displaying a new badge in the sidebar. ProGenealogists, Inc. announced their list of the 25 Most Popular Genealogy Blogs and we made the cut! CGS is represented by two other blogging members who made the list – Steve Danko and Craig Manson.

Top 25 Genealogy Blogs as of 3 April 2009:

1. About.com Genealogy (Kimberly Powell)

2. Eastman Online Newsletter (Dick Eastman)

3. Genea-Musings (Randy Seaver)

4. Creative Gene (Jasia)

5. Dear Myrtle (Pat Richely)

6. AnceStories (Miriam Midkiff)

7. Genealogue (Chris Dunham)

8. footnoteMaven (Anonymous)

9. Genetic Genealogist (Blaine Bettinger)

10. Tracing The Tribe: Jewish Genealogy Blog (Schelly Talalay Dardashti)

11. GenaBlogie (Craig Manson)

12. Olive Tree Genealogy Blog (Lorine McGinnis Schulze)

13. Steve’s Genealogy Blog (Stephen J. Danko)

14. 24-7 Family History Circle (Juliana Smith)

15. TransylvanianDutch (John Newmark)

16. GenDisasters (Stu Beitler)

17. Genealogy Insider @ FamilyTree (Diane Haddad)

18. Think Genealogy (Mark Tucker)

19. California Genealogical Society and Library Blog (California Genealogical Society)

20. The Genealogy Guys (George G. Morgan and Drew Smith)

21. CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' (Diane Rogers)

22. Ancestry Insider (Anonymous)

23. GenealogyBlog (Leland Meitzler)

24. Ancestor Search Blog (Kathi)

25. Tie Hugh Watkins Genealogue (Hugh Watkins) [tie]
    

26. Legacy News (Legacy Tree Software) [tie]
    

Leland Meitzler posted the full press release which also includes this year's list of the 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites for 2009.

Thanks very much to ProGenealogists, Inc. for the honor to be listed among so many excellent genealogy blogs!

Steve’s Report on Breaking Down Brick Walls at CGS

If you missed the "Breaking Down Brick Walls" panel discussion last Saturday, July 12, 2008, be sure to read Steve Danko's report at Steve’s Genealogy Blog.

Steve posted a great photo of panelists Jane Hufft, Nancy Peterson and Lavinia Schwarz who presented their three techniques for dissolving research barriers: Review, Reach Out, and Reframe.

Be sure to leave a comment and tell Steve how much you appreciate his accounts of the CGS meetings and events he attends - bloggers love feedback.

If you haven't attended a membership meeting in awhile, plan to attend the next meeting on Saturday, September 13, 2008, when genealogist and author Ron Arons will present Best Bet Web Sites for Genealogical Research.

In case you missed Steve Morse...

Jeremy Frankel, Steve Harris, Ron Arons and Steve Morse

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, 10 May 2008

If you weren't able to attend the May membership meeting last Saturday, May 10, 2008, with Steve Morse, read the full report by Steve Danko at his blog: Steve Morse at the California Genealogical Society. Danko gives a detailed synopsis of Morse's two lectures: The Jewish Calendar Demystified and What Color Ellis Island Search Form Should I Use?

Be sure to leave a comment and tell Steve how much you appreciate his accounts of the CGS meetings and events he attends - bloggers love feedback.

If you're new to the blogosphere, Steve Danko is a CGS member and author of Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, June 27-29, 2008.

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.

Feedback on the Eastern European Workshop

Nancy Hart Servin sent a glowing report on the first CGS "Second Saturday" workshop held yesterday at the CGS Library. Events coordinator, Carolyn Steinberg, did an excellent job of setting up the program entitled Eastern and Central European Research. Attendees first heard formal presentations by Jeremy Frankel, President of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, and Steve Danko, author of Steve's Genealogy Blog before the informal work session began. Steve gives a full report on his blog: Eastern European Research Workshop.

Nancy's account: "We had eight CGS members and one woman from the San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society, and the two leaders. Both presentations were interesting and informative, and Steve Danko's slides/powerpoint was a good addition. They are very knowledgeable and a few researchers who stayed afterward got some important extra help. We exchanged phone numbers and Emails addresses so if anyone wants to continue the search thread with someone from the meeting they can."

"The whole thing was very well done, and at least three members really seemed to benefit from it. Thanks to Jeremy and Steve for volunteering their time. Thanks to CGS for introducing us to two members who have expertise in a specific area."

Book Recommendations from Steve Danko

CGS Librarian, Laura Spurrier, sent word that new books were ordered for the CGS Library in anticipation of the workshop this Saturday, April 12, 2008, "Eastern and Central European Genealogy." Specialist Steve Danko of Steve's Genealogy Blog suggested several titles. These are now available at the CGS library:
In Their Words: a Genealogist's Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents, Volume I: Polish by Jonathan D. Shea and William F. Hoffman.

In Their Words: a Genealogist's Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents Volume II: Russian
by Jonathan D. Shea and William F. Hoffman.

Avotaynu Guide to Jewish Genealogy
edited by Sallyann Amdur Sack and Gary Mokotoff.

















Where Once We Walked : A Guide to the Jewish Communities Destroyed in the Holocaust, revised edition, by Gary Mokotoff and Sallyann Sack with Alexander Sharon.

Additional books on Polish, Ukrainian and Galician genealogy have also been ordered.

The workshop is free for CGS members and there are still a few slots open. Reservations are required; no walk-ins will be permitted. There is a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (The fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.)

Please call (510) 663-1358 to reserve a space.

Workshop: Eastern European Research - April 12, 2008

CGS is rolling out a series of research workshops in 2008 that will focus on specific ethnic groups and geographical regions.

The first, "Eastern and Central European Research," will be held Saturday, April 12, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., at the California Genealogical Society Library. CGS members, Stephen J. Danko, author of Steve's Genealogy Blog and Jeremy G. Frankel, President of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, will be on hand to lend their expertise.

The workshop will consist of two lectures (with handouts) by our specialists, a lunch break and a "hands-on" session so attendees can share ideas, do some computer research and talk one-on-one with Jeremy and Steve. Members are encouraged to bring laptop computers; the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Jeremy will discuss Don't Reinvent the Wheel:
"Before researching for original documents in faraway repositories, try finding other people who have done what you are attempting. Is there a special interest group for your geographical area of interest? Can you find someone who has already visited East European archives? Can they tell you what the date range, condition, access issues are? As with all foreign research, start by digging around in your own backyard. You might be surprised at what you find."

Steve will present Finding ancestors amidst the changing map of Europe:
"Finding the place of origin of an immigrant is crucial to finding historic records for that immigrant's ancestors. Complicating matters are the changing borders in Europe during the past two centuries as the territorial acquisitions obliterated some nations from the map. Border changes in Europe affected not only the map of Europe, but also the records on which genealogists depend to document their ancestors' lives."

The workshop is free for CGS members but is limited to 15 people. Reservations are required; no walk-ins will be permitted. There will be a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (The fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) There will be a sign up sheet at CGS. Please call (510) 663-1358 to reserve a space.

Jeremy Frankel was born in London and trained as a cartographer and surveyor. He has been investigating his East European roots in Poland and Lithuania for over 20 years. Frankel joined the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society after moving to the Bay Area in 1993. He has been the Society’s President since 2003. Jeremy has studied San Francisco and California Jewry and their history. His current projects include a San Francisco-born Jewish boxing glove manufacturer, and a Polish Jewish anarchist who co-founded the first sailor’s union in San Francisco. Jeremy is also a professional genealogist, able to research families who lived in the U.K., U.S. and parts of Eastern Europe.

Stephen Danko is a native of upstate New York. In the course of writing his daily genealogy research blog, Steve has reconnected with lost cousins in Poland, the U.K., and the U.S. He began seriously researching his family history nine years ago and has conducted research on location in Poland and Lithuania and has visited the villages in which his immigrant ancestors lived. In addition to research on his own family, Steve has conducted client research in records from the U.S., Poland, Italy, and Canada. He has formally studied Latin, German, and Polish, and has acquired a working knowledge of several other languages. Steve is currently studying for a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies in Toronto.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn new strategies and meet other members with similar research interests.

Update: Check out the books that Steve Danko has recommended.

In case you missed yesterday's meeting

If you missed yesterday's California Genealogical Society membership meeting, head on over to Steve's Genealogy Blog and read his detailed account of the proceedings. The meeting was standing-room-only at the Oakland Regional Family History Center, where 80+ members heard Assistant Director, Margery Bell, update members on the amazing new research opportunities offered by the LDS. An up-to-date calendar of the society's events and meetings is always available through the "Calendar" tab on the CGS Web site or from the "Google Calendar" button on the right side of this blog.

110th anniversary bookmark

The 110th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday was a resounding success. Steve Danko has posted a detailed report on the day at his blog: Maureen Taylor, Photo Detective. I was struck by Maureen's incredible talent and passion for her subject, which we learned is a fusion of her expertise in history, photography and genealogy. I came away with a new appreciation for the value of photographs -- not just as a supplement to our family history but also as a research tool. We all have to become "photo detectives" to make sure we have gleaned all of the clues lying in wait in our own family photographs.

All 140 attendees went home with a special souvenir of the day. CGS President, Jane Lindsey, planned early on to create a bookmark to commemorate the anniversary but it was CGS News Production Editor, Lois Elling, who thought to merge the idea with the theme. She combined her design skills and love of ancestral photographs to create a keepsake that perfectly complemented Maureen's presentations.

Several CGS members submitted photographs for the bookmark. I promised that I would include a personal "thank you" to each and give a bit of background and biographical information about the CGS ancestors featured. I'll start with the two photos that I submitted.

The first is a photograph of my uncle and mother taken in 1938 in Sendai, Japan. My uncle, Iwao OKAMOTO, was graduating from high school and had been instructed by his mother to stop by the local studio to sit for a graduation photograph. He took along one of his younger sisters, Miyako, age 8. My grandmother was surprised to find that all of his portraits included his sibling! Iwao was unconcerned. He told his mother that if she didn't want to include his little sister she could be cut off. I'm so grateful that she wasn't.


The second is from my husband's extended NICKLES family. It is of two siblings, Pauline and George Nikolaides, taken about 1928 in the village of Tsintzina, near Sparta, Greece. The brother and sister spent their childhood years in two villages - summers spent in the mountains in Tsintzina, where it is cooler, and the winters in Zoupena; migrating back and forth, up and down the mountain each spring and fall, as has been the custom for hundreds of years. They came to the U.S. with their father and siblings in 1937; their mother remained in Greece throughout her life. Pauline Nickles Poulos died in 1986. George P. Nickles died November 22, 2007. May their memories be eternal.

This is one of only three photographs taken on the wedding day of Clare and Alta McAllister THOMSON, parents of Thomas Thomson who is the husband of Shirley Pugh Thomson, CGS board member and recording secretary. The young bride and groom (she only 18, he age 19) were photographed 4 June 1916, in Sullivan County, Indiana. In the back seat are their best friends and witnesses, Paul and Lena Sharpe. The car was the groom’s father’s Buick.

Two photographs were contributed by CGS member Lisa B. Lee. David Moses LEE was born in 1847 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, the son of William Barnard Lee and Eleanor Jane Smith, and descendant of William Lee, a black Loyalist who fought in the Revolutionary War on behalf of the British Crown. In his early 20s, he moved to Buffalo, New York with his mother and worked first as a blacksmith and then as a male nurse, a position he held for over 50 years. For much of his adult life, he worked in Dr. Pierce's Hospital, an institution on Buffalo's Main Street. Lee died in 1936 in Buffalo at the age of 89.



Lisa's second contribution was the photograph of the MILLER Family. William Miller was born in Pennsylvania about 1811 and escaped slavery to Ontario and settled in the Wellington County area around 1835. He and his wife, Mary Ann Clement (a Canadian native) had at least 11 children. Those pictured in the photo are William Miller's grandson John Sylvester Miller, John's wife, Amanda Cromwell (whose grandfather was a black Loyalist in Nova Scotia) and their children, Joseph, Jane, William and Cecil.

I have a few more details to gather for the remaining photographs so stay tuned.

Steve’s Blog About the Annual Meeting

The California Genealogical Society Annual Membership Meeting was held yesterday at the CGS library - the first of the yearly January "state of the society" gatherings to be held at our Broadway address. In addition to the various committee reports and election of board officers, President Jane Lindsey reported on the planned events for 2008 and presented a history of the society slide show created by Colleen Huntley.

Among the approximately 60 members in attendance was Stephen Danko, who is creating a national name for himself with his excellent Polish research blog. Steve brought his camera to the meeting and has posted a wonderful report with photos on Steve’s Genealogy Blog today.

Update: Steve Danko also visited and blogged about the Stephen G. Harris City Directory Collection which is adjacent to the CGS library.