Seeking Immortality: Your Family Photos Wanted!

Now that you have done all that work of researching and finding your elusive ancestors, give them immortality! As part of our website update we are planning to create a collage of historic photos of CGS members’ ancestors for the home page. Graphic design artist Lois Elling has volunteered to design the collage and is now eager to receive your photos. This is just one of the many new features being planned by the website update team.

We are particularly interested in showing the diversity of our members, so if you have photos that display the cultural or ethnic backgrounds of your family, please consider submitting them. Some pictures are more interesting than others as far as unusual hairstyle, props, costume, etc. Photos of individuals or couples will work better than photos of a large group. Photos may be in color or black and white – all will appear in sepia in the collage. 

Please select and send your digital photos to Lois at: lelling@californiaancestors.org and cc: Chris Pattillo: cpattillo@californiaancestors.org. Files should be JPG 72 dpi or higher. We encourage you to provide proof of copyright or to submit photos taken prior to 1924 which are free from copyright law. Names will not be shown. Photos may be cropped to fit the overall layout requirements. We cannot guarantee that all photos will be used. Please submit your photos no later than July 31.

Support the website upgrade: We have already received two generous donations, from Arlene Miles and from an anonymous donor, to help pay for the website update. If you would like to support this work please consider making a donation either through the DONATE tab on our website, or by check to California Genealogical Society & Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA  94612-3031. Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Have you joined? Have you renewed? Last chance before fees increase!

Even if you are a regular reader of this blog, and even if you joined CGS long ago, it's possible you've unintentionally allowed your membership to lapse (your blog editor herself has been guilty of this in the past).

CGS annual membership fees are very reasonable (they begin at $40), and quickly pay for themselves. Members can attend most classes at a reduced cost, take part in free members-only events (like tours of area archives, cemeteries, and historic sites), receive the twice-yearly journal California Nugget, and have access to the members-only sections of our website.

These very reasonable fees will undergo a modest increase as of June 1, 2019, so now is the perfect time to renew or take out a membership

You can easily join or renew your membership online by visiting our Membership page.

If you're not certain of your current membership status, email membership@californiaancestors.org.

Thank you!

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Updates: Recent Progress; New Membership Rates Beginning June 1st

Past President Steve Harris and others
at this year's annual meeting

Chris Pattillo reports:

As you should know by now if you are a regular blog reader CGS has a new Strategic Plan. I’ve written about this a few times and mentioned some of the new things that are being planned. One of the first priorities is to update our website. I am happy to report that we have assembled a fabulous committee to work on this and that we have made excellent progress.

Jane Lindsey and board member Felicia Addison have jumped right in on our new Training program. I attended the first session with the Desk Volunteers (aka Desk Duty, aka Desk Divas) last week and was very impressed with what Jane and Felicia have started.

Our committees have a new format for reporting their activities and needs to the Board of Directors which is intended to increase and improve communication both ways.

Rich Kehoe introducing new board members

Georgia Lupinsky published her first article in this blog from our Manuscripts Committee with a great tale about how a woman’s dream saved her life; a story that came out of using our new finding aids. This too is an outcome of the strategic planning efforts.

One of the other changes that will go into effect on June 1^st are modest changes to our Membership Rates so if you have been thinking about joining the society and want to get a good deal – don’t wait. Now is the time to join at our current rates.

In June the cost of a Basic Membership will increase from $40 to $45 annually and from $75 to $85 for a two-year subscription. Still a bargain. Family Memberships will increase by $20 per year. We changed the Student Membership category to a “Youth Membership” to avoid the hassle of having to have proof of being a student. The cut off for being considered a youth is 30. The fee for a Youth Membership will increase from $20 to $25.

The only substantial change we’ve made is to clarify that a Life Membership is for one person. But, if a partner in a couple also wants to be a Life Member, the two can join for an additional $600 which is half price.

The Annual Membership meeting in January

The other categories of membership are not being changed.

We hope you will agree that the value of your membership is well worth the cost and that you will continue to participate actively in the society so you can take advantage of the many things we offer – great classes, field trips, research trips, membership meetings, and opportunities to work with other members on projects.

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Help us Help you: The CGS Annual Appeal

Holiday Lights. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

At the heart of the holiday season, we at the California Genealogical Society give our sincere appreciation for your support. If you're a member in California, you'll soon be receiving our Annual Appeal letter, so don't forget to donate. Your help is crucial to increase the breadth and diversity of our classes and events, as well as add to the library's collection and teach generations of genealogists how to research and tell their families stories.

Thank you for being part of our largest membership in our 117 years.

Over the years, CGS has survived earthquakes and migrations, and grew by staying true to the goals of members and directors of previous years -- to maintain and share a high quality genealogical library and help others learn about their own family history. 

Don't forget-- when you contribute, you're helping to sustain a dedicated genealogy library with over 38,000 volumes of hard to find materials that can further your family history research. 

Our volunteers donate thousands of hours to help our members and the broader community to discover and tell the stories of their ancestors, at the library and through archival visits and research services. Thanks to them and to your support, we've grown a community of like-minded lovers of genealogy. So many people have learned from each other, discovered new family connections and even found a distant cousin among CGS members. Many realize what an invaluable resource it is to belong to a community of like-minded individuals focused on one thing: genealogy. 

• We’re proud to announce a new membership perk: a discount on new annual World Subscriptions with FindMyPast.com. 
• We’re finalizing details on our events calendar, including a special Irish Heritage event in March. 
• We’re building on our nationally recognized website to bring new online services for our members.
• We’re adding to our library collections and the ways you can discover our materials.

Keep an eye on your inbox for more information on these new benefits and other exciting news from the dedicated volunteers at California Genealogical Society. 

Help us grow better and stronger by donating today. California Genealogical Society is maintained entirely by volunteers---we have no paid staff.

 Your gift goes directly to supporting the library’s rent, acquisitions, publications, subscriptions, bookshelves, computers, website and outreach. 

Donate by check or visit us online at http://www.CaliforniaAncestors.org & click “Donate.”

With gratitude and many wishes for a wonderful New Year, 

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco                       President	Kim Cotton                        Vice President

California Genealogical Society is a 501-(c)(3) non-profit corporation, so your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please note that the Society is solely supported by individual donations like yours -- we do not receive funding from the city, county, state nor Federal government!   CGS Federal Tax ID #:  #94-6130842

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Thank You and Welcome New Members!

Volunteers at the California Genealogical Society had a very busy fall season this year with three big events: Angel Island Family History Day, Their Roots Are Showing, and Ancestry Day - San Francisco.

Our amazing Events Committee works tirelessly to bring quality educational programs to our members and to interested genealogists and family historians in the Bay Area and beyond. Our programs lead directly to increased visibility and new members.

The Membership Committee has been taxed with processing a flurry of new memberships following our busy autumn. They report a new one-day record: 118 new members joined on Ancestry Day!

Welcome to all of our new members! Thank you for your support.

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

Members United at Jamboree #SCGS2013

Lots of our members are here in Burbank for the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree.

We gathered for a group photo but I know several members are missing. We're having a great time!

L. to R. Nicka Smith, Lavinia Schwarz, Diana Edwards, Susi Pentico, Vicky Kolakowski, Gene Pennington, Kim Cotton, Denise Richmond (front), Nancy Schlegel, Janice Brandt, Cheryl Palmer, Linda Darby, Karl Weiler, Mary Mettler, Kathryn Doyle, and Jim Sorenson.

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

Members at RootsTech 2013

Several members of the California Genealogical Society attended the third annual RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City. Amy Coffin nailed it when she tweeted "So far, the theme for #rootstech 2013 seems to be 'bigger than last year' in every aspect." With more than 6,700 attendees, it was the largest ever gathering of genealogists in the United States.

The best thing about genealogy conferences (in my opinion) is the face-to-face. I spend a lot of time in a virtual genealogy world so connecting "in person" with gen-friends and distant members is a real treat. We successfully gathered nine members together for a "CGS photo."

Linda Darby, Patricia Burrow, Sandra Benward, Nancy Schlegel, Amy Coffin, Virginia Kysh, Kathryn Doyle, Tim Cox, and Kim Cotton. 

Missing were Bill George, Gloria Hanson, Paul Hawthorne, Lisa B. Lee, Thomas MacEntee, and Gene Pennington.

Next year's RootsTech Conference will be held February 6-8, 2014, in Salt Lake City.


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

Fifth Blogiversary Thanks

The California Genealogical Society has been publishing this blog for five years! The blog was created for and about the members of the society. I offer my annual "thank-you" to the members who have contributed photographs, articles, and their stories.

In addition, this year I would like to highlight some special friends who I first "met" virtually but who have become great "real-life" friends as well. They have all since become members and supporters of the California Genealogical Society. Thank you, Craig, Sheri, Cheryl, Thomas, Amy, Elizabeth, Kim, and Denise!

• Craig Manson, author of Geneablogie
• Sheri Fenley, author of The Educated Genealogist
• Cheryl Palmer, author of Heritage Happens
• Thomas MacEntee, author of Destination: Austin Family 
• Amy Coffin, author of We Tree Genealogy Blog
• Elizabeth O'Neal, author of Little Bytes of Life
• Kim von Aspern-Parker, author of Le Maison Duchamp
• Denise Levenick, author of The Family Curator

Links to all of their blogs can also be found in the right sidebar of this blog under "CGS Member Blogs" with those of other blogs written by members of the society. For a long time this blog roll was a lonely place, but as you can see, many members are blogging. Thank you all, for the time and effort you expend to share your genealogy. If I have missed your blog and you are a CGS member, please leave a comment so I can add yours to the list.


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

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
The California Genealogical Society Library

Photograph courtesy of Judy Bodycote, Oakland, California, 2/27/2009.

A Tale of Ten Computers

Two short months ago the California Genealogical Society learned about an incredible price on computers from Charity Advantage, an association that offers technology solutions at low cost to non-profits. An e-mail plea went out to CGS members and friends asking for donations to purchase replacements for the society's fleet of well-used computers.

Four weeks ago ten refurbished Pentium 4 - 80GB Dell desktop computers were delivered after twenty CGS members came forward to contribute to their purchase. Two additional members pitched in to buy a new laser printer.

This week eight dedicated volunteers spent an exhausting but fruitful thirteen-hour day installing the new hardware.



Steve Harris, Peter Moller, Cathy Paris, Nick Paris and Nancy Servin met Computer Committee members Al Clark, Paul Mayer and Kathy Watson at the library at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2009. The group started by reviewing an installation plan prepared by Peter Moller.



By 10:30 a.m. sleeves were rolled up and the serious work began. Kathy Watson reported "There were a few glitches, but essentially by 10:00 p.m. the work was finished. Any leftover clean up items were completed on Tuesday."

So far, the reviews are positive. Kathy notes that these computers are a significant improvement over our old hardware, almost doubling the speed (from 1.83 GHz to 3.2 GHz) and doubling the memory available for using the programs loaded on the machines (from 448 mb RAM to 1 GB RAM). She also wanted me to thank everyone who participated to make the computer replacement project a huge success.

CGS President Jane Lindsey echoed her gratitude:

We are so appreciative! These computers will not only help patrons and members in the library but also our volunteer researchers, our indexers and our desk duty personnel. Faster computers will also help the hardworking members of our finance, library and membership committees do a better job for CGS.

So what is the message to other societies? Aim high and don't be afraid to ask. In the midst of a tough economic downturn the members of the California Genealogical Society and Library came together and accomplished something fairly remarkable in a short period of time. It's a testament to our members and our volunteers. Great work, CGS!

Photographs courtesy of Cathy H. Paris, 3/20/2009, Oakland, California.

The "Person-Coming-the-Longest-Distance" Prize Goes to...

Last week the California Genealogical Society was honored to host Nora Keohane Hickey who came all the way from Cork, Ireland for A Day of Irish Information.

The event, which attracted members and guests from all over the Bay Area, included one other person who had to board an airplane to participate – member Jackie Carroll of Winter Springs, Florida.

Jackie traveled 2900 miles to hear Nora's lectures and to meet with her for a private consultation. Jackie was hoping that Nora could help her break down a brick wall - Hugh MILLING of Drumbo, County Down who settled in North Carolina and was a captain in the Revolutionary War.

Keep us posted on your search, Jackie. We love hearing from (and meeting!) our out-of-state members.

National Volunteer Week

I couldn't let this week go by without acknowledging the fantastic work of the many volunteers at the California Genealogical Society and Library.

That said, please be assured that this is one place where recognition is not a once-a-year occurrence.

There were many reasons why I started this blog for the society, and many goals I hope to achieve with it. I never doubted that there was plenty of content to share - beyond recording history or announcing society meetings and events - because of the richness and depth of the members themselves.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about the people who are the California Genealogical Society. As I write about them you will find their names under "Labels" on the side bar to the right. Thanks, member-volunteers, for letting me share your contributions with the world. There are many more stories to tell.

CGS Annual Membership Meeting - 1/12/2008

The Annual Membership Meeting of the California Genealogical Society will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2008, at 1:30 p.m., at the CGS Library (2201 Broadway at 22nd, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA). Please join CGS President, Jane Lindsey, for a quick review of the society's accomplishments in 2007 and a look forward to what's in store for 2008, our 110th year of helping people find their roots.

This important session will include Colleen Huntley's power point presentation on the history of the society, an update on our Web site and blog, brief committee reports, approval of the society budget and election of new board members. There will be time for questions and answers.

The annual meeting is always well attended so arrive early to get a front seat, see old friends and meet some new ones. Light refreshments will be available before the meeting at 12:30 p.m.

An Experiment

I often find myself looking back and retracing my steps to remember exactly how I got to where I am. It's something I do when researching my family genealogy and what I am doing now as I write this first blog entry. For me, the journey into the blogosphere started with a special report in the July 2007 Family Tree Magazine about shrinking membership in genealogical societies by Diane Haddad. Diane quoted Jasia, a "marketing expert who blogged at CreativeGene about societies after hers shrunk by half in three years." Off I went to learn from the master and to read her series of 17 posts: "Declining Membership in Genealogical Societies." Then I attended the 2007 FGS Annual Conference Meeting at the Crossroads of America in Fort Wayne, Indiana with a group from CGS. The keynote address was Societies Going Virtual by David E. Rencher and his conclusion was "Go Virtual or Perish!" I figured it was time to give this a try.