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17 May 2021

Covell Family Manuscripts Added to the CGS Website

by Chris Pattillo

CGS Member extraordinaire Stewart Traiman just finished scanning the Frank Covell Manuscript Collection and our Technology Committee Chair, John Ralls, has uploaded the material to our website. You can access the material by clicking on Online Resources from the Research Tab, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for Resources Developed by CGS Members.

The following information about the collection is from a blog post was written in 2010 by blog editor Kathryn Doyle. The Spring 2011 edition of The California Nugget included an article about Frank Covell that was written by CGS members Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner, titled "Frank Covell: California Pioneer and Family Historian."

20 September 2010

Spotlight on the Manuscript Collection: The Covell Family Papers

Posted by Kathryn Doyle

The Covell collection was received in March 2010 and contains vital, deed and probate records, obituary and news articles, family correspondence, mementos, many original photos and portraits, school yearbooks, pedigree charts and family history files on the Covell and Coover families and related lines. It was compiled by Leah Jeanette Porter Gainer, great-granddaughter of Frank Marion Covell; Ann Eliza Peffers, granddaughter of Archer Morgan Covell; and Leah Coover, daughter of Leah Jeanette Covell and Homer Porter. Mrs. Gainer died December 29, 2007. 

Ann Eliza Peffers Covell

The patriarch of the family in California was Frank Morgan Covell, born to Morgan Covell and Laura Chamberlain on March 12, 1851 in Ridgebury Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Frank came to California by 1871 and settled in the Santa Cruz area. His interest in genealogy is evidenced by his 1918 hand-written account of the family that details military service by his ancestors in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

The collection is filled with personal material that can enrich and amplify a family history. Items include a diary that Frank kept for a brief period of time in which he notes: “May 10th 1872. Took Annie Peffers to dance. Made Charly Myars mad. He won’t hurt anybody I guess.” Frank and Annie were married a year later.

A Covell family portrait from the collection

Also in the file is Frank’s 1926 letter written to granddaughter Esther Covell, reminiscing about his 1868 high school graduation and sharing with her some of the hopes and dreams he had as a young man. These items and many more are awaiting the visits of interested descendants and researchers. 
Archival boxes in our Manuscripts room

The Covell Family papers are a 40 linear inch collection with the following surnames: Aronen, Chamberlain, Chisolm, Coleman, Coover, Covell, Farum, Finley, Gainer, Gammon, Holway, Kane, Maki, Peffers, Porter, Quinn. The family geography includes: California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle. COVELL family information provided by Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner.


 
Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society

15 May 2021

Online genealogy, May 17-23

Our weekly roundup of upcoming genealogy events. Numerous associations offer online genealogy classes every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

Conferences & Workshops 

May 17-19: Virtual 2021 Family History Conference: National Genealogical Society


May 19: "Enhancing Your Genealogy with Historic Environment Scotland" Scottish Special Interest Group, Ontario Ancestors


May 21: “Voices of Resistance”: Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage Conference 2021 

 

May 22: 10th Annual Scottish Indexes Conference 

 

American Ancestors

May 20: “The Beggars' Songbook: Music of the Dutch Revolt” by Anne Legêne and Karen Burciaga

May 21: “Artful Stories: Paintings from Historic New England” by Nancy Carlisle and Peter Trippi

 

FamilySearch Family History Library

 

20 May: “The United States Colored Troops and Buffalo Soldiers: History, Records, and Strategies”

Legacy Family Tree

May 18 & 19: “The Paternal Ten: Searching for Missing Heirs” by Claire Ammon

May 19: “Notion for Genealogists” by Lisa Alzo

May 21: “Researching Canadian Nurses, Pilots and Sailors in the First World War” by Kathryn Lake Hogan

 

Southern California GenealogicalSociety

 

May 19: “Using GEDmatch Basic Tools” by Andrew Lee


Other Listings

Sutro Library's Bay Area Genealogy Calendar
lists a wealth of Bay Area events and exhibits, including regular genealogical group meetings. This week's highlights:

May 18: “400th Anniversary of Mayflower” by Bob Trapp

May 18: “Researching Historic LGBT Relatives” by Janice M. Sellers (Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society)

May 20: “What’s in Your Closet? Home Sources for the Genealogist” by Mary (Napa Valley Genealogical Society)

May 20: MCGS DNA Group (Marin County Genealogical Society)

 

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of classes (too many to list) hosted by genealogical organizations around the country and abroad. Lots to explore, and new events are added often, so be sure to browse the entire calendar. Here's just a sampling of the coming week's offerings:


May 17: “Developing Skills in Identifying 19th Century Photographs” by the Bolger Heritage Center

May 18: Are There “Black Sheep” in Your Family? (Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center)

May 19: “Tips and Tools for Engaging Family with Your Research Finds” (National Archives and Records Administration)

May 20: “Researching Your Civil War Ancestors” (Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center)

May 21: “Finding the Trail: Using and Making Maps in Genealogy Research” (Mississippi State University Libraries)

May 22: “The Importance of On-Location Research in a Digital World” (San Mateo County Genealogical Society)

May 23: “Oy vey! Curing the ‘I can't find my shtetl’ Syndrome: Examples and Techniques” (Orange County Jewish Genealogical Society)


See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

 

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society 

 

13 May 2021

Your feedback is needed by May 19!


From time to time the CGS blog likes to inform our readers and friends about campaigns to improve access to genealogical records. A group of activists recently succeeded in forestalling a huge increase in the fees to access A-files and other immigration records. Now they are lobbying USCIS to transfer these records to the National Archives. Public comments are due by MAY 19.

Head to www.recordsnotrevenue.com for comment starters and to see a breakdown of the important issues open for discussion.

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society

08 May 2021

Online genealogy, week of May 9-15

Our weekly roundup of upcoming genealogy events. Numerous associations offer online genealogy classes every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

CGS Events

May 11: "WWII 'Internment Camps' and Mass Incarceration in the U.S."

May 15: Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group

May 15: Eastern European Special Interest Group 

Conferences & Workshops 

May 15 Four-Part Workshop with Judy Russell (Cobb County Genealogical Society)

May 15: "A Day of English Research" with Paul Milner (Seattle Genealogical Society)

American Ancestors

May 12: "Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II" by Daniel James Brown

May 13: "The Story of Jewish Families and Their English Country Houses" by Curt DiCamillo

 

FamilySearch Family History Library

May 12: "What's New at FamilySearch"

Legacy Family Tree

May 11: "Latest updates to MyHeritage Genetic Groups" by Daniel Horowitz

May 12 & 13: "DNA Downer: Strategies for Dealing with DNA Fatigue" by Blaine Bettinger

 

Other Listings

Sutro Library's Bay Area Genealogy Calendar
lists a wealth of Bay Area events and exhibits, including regular genealogical group meetings. This week's highlights:

May 10: “Getting Ready for the 1950 US Census” by Thomas MacEntee (Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society) 

May 12: “Our Portuguese-American Ancestors: From the Azores and Madeira to the U.S.” by Ralph Severson (Oakland Family History Library)

May 12: San Francisco Genealogy Group (San Francisco Public Library)

May 13: “What’s in a Name? Renaming at Stanford” (Stanford Historical Society)

May 15: “Advanced Research in Passenger Arrival Records” by Julie Miller (Sonoma County Genealogical Society)

May 15: Celebrating Our HeART-filled Heritage (Leela Dance Collective)

 

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of classes (too many to list) hosted by genealogical organizations around the country and abroad. Lots to explore, and new events are added often, so be sure to browse the entire calendar. Here's just a sampling of the coming week's offerings:


May 10: “Stitches in Time: Quilts 1800-1976” (Genealogical Society of Bergen County)

May 11: “Starting Your Family History Journey in Four Steps” by D. Joshua Taylor

 (New York Genealogical & Biographical Society)

May 12: “Api’s Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather’s Nazi Past” by Gabrielle Robinson (Indiana German Heritage Society)

May 13: “Reverse Genealogy: Finding Cousins and Chasing the Living” by Nicka Smith (Allen County Public Library)

May 14: “A Firsthand Look at Crypto Jewish Research and Sources” (Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research) by Genie Milgrom

May 15: “Reconciling Unsettling Truths About Our Ancestors” by Connie Davis & Wendy (Virtual Genealogical Society)


See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

 

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society