Archive for October, 2009

In celebration of the tenth annual CGS Research Tour to Salt Lake City, the dates of the 2010 trip have been set to conveniently precede the start of the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference. The 2010 theme is Follow Your Ancestral Trail.

The spring tour will begin mid-week on April 21, 2009, and run Wednesday to Wednesday. Those interested in staying for the NGS conference (April 28 – May 1, 2010) can extend their stay at the Shilo Inn, located across the street from the Salt Palace, site of the NGS Conference. The block of rooms reserved by CGS for the NGS conference are for the exclusive use of those attending the CGS research week.


The CGS Salt Lake City Tour is always a highlight of the society’s year – offering an intensive week of research at the Family History Library – with two experienced guides, Nancy Peterson and Jane Lindsey.

The trip is a popular one with members; several return year after year. The opportunity to attend a national meeting is expected to increase interest and space is limited. A $200 deposit will hold your place.

A limited number of rooms are available at the discounted CGS rate on a first come, first served basis for those wishing to continue their stay to attend the NGS conference. NGS conference registration is NOT included with the CGS SLC Research Tour registration and must be arranged separately. Online registration for the 2010 NGS Family History Conference will begin 1 November 2009 at the NGS Online Store.

Nancy Peterson, C.G., is Research Chairman for the library and is author of the CGS publication Raking the Ashes, which provides strategies for circumventing record loss from the 1906 earthquake and fire. Nancy has taught numerous genealogy classes and has published many articles including two in the NGS Quarterly. She has made many research trips to Salt Lake City.

Jane Lindsey, President of CGS, has led the SLC group for the past nine years. She does client research, lectures to local organizations and is a past NEHGS Trustee.

Questions: Call CGS at 510-663-1358 or email Jane Lindsey.

Download the registration flier for complete information.

This week the co-founder of SFgenealogy.com (and CGS member) Ron Filion turned a media double-play just in time for Halloween. Last night KPIX anchor Ken Bastida asked another Good Question of Ron, this time: Are There Any Unmarked Graves in San Francisco? Be sure to watch the footage and learn the fascinating history of the burials at the Lincoln Park Golf Course.

http://cbs5.com/video/[email protected]

You can hear more from Ron, in person, this weekend at the San Francisco Main Library. Today’s 96 Hours section of the San Francisco Chronicle features ‘S.F. Pioneer Cemeteries’: Where the dead lived stating the “presentation offers the chance to find out what neighborhood the City’s dead used to reside in before they all up and moved to Colma.” Ron’s lecture about the earliest cemeteries in San Francisco is part of the One City One Book October Events.

Ron tells me that his talk will be a “fast romp through all the cemeteries in San Francisco.” He will cover the cemetery locations, discuss how the City’s growth affected them, and share stories about their relocations. The library’s promotional material carries this warning: This presentation will not be for the faint of heart.

San Francisco Pioneer Cemeteries
Saturday, October 31, 2009
10:30 a.m.
San Francisco Main Library
Latino/Hispanic Room B
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, California 94102

All photographs used with permission: Copyright 2009 by Stephen J. Danko. (Thanks, Steve!)

Dick Eastman recently ran a press release from the Board for Certification of Genealogists announcing the retirement of two trustees, one of whom is CGS member Jim W. Faulkinbury:

Jim W. Faulkinbury, CG, of Sacramento, California, finished a three-year term on the Board of Trustees. His BA in Mathematics and his MBA are from California State University in Sacramento and he holds a certificate in project management from the University of California, Davis. He was first certified by the Board in 1980. A specialist in California records and a lineage genealogist, Jim is a member of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Genealogy Committee, State Secretary of the California Society SAR, Secretary, past Registrar, and past President of his local chapter of the SAR, Past State Genealogist and State Registrar of the California Society of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, and Registrar of the Sacramento Society Children of the American Revolution. His publications include The Foreign-Born Voters of California in 1872 (including names, ages, national origin, and naturalization data on over 61,000 voters on the voter rolls in 1872), and the California chapter in Ann S. Lainhart’s State Census Records. He has also produced an online index to his database of over 363,000 vital statistics he extracted from the San Francisco Morning Call newspaper for the years 1869 through 1900. This valuable resource helps researchers cope with the loss of those public records destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906.

Jim has been a member of CGS since 1998. A professional genealogist with over twenty-eight years of experience with California records, he also has extensive experience in original German and Swedish church records and the preparation of lineage society applications. Faulkinbury’s research services website includes his online indexes.

A CGS Workshop with Steve Harris
Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

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

If you are like the majority of Americans, at least one of your ancestors spent time in New York City. Dr. Stephen Harris has an insider’s knowledge of the many helpful data sources and indexes that are available for your NYC research. This workshop will focus on techniques for researching New York City ancestors in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries using the Internet, local resources and on-site research in the Big Apple. We will explore the wealth of online material accessible on NYC websites as well as that hidden deep within Ancestry.com and other subscription services.

Steve is also making his personal library of city directories for New York available for use by workshop participants.

Attendees are encouraged to bring laptop computers – the library has free Wi-Fi and the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Bring a brown bag for lunch or, if you prefer, there is a nearby deli where you can buy a sandwich and bring it back to the library.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to fifteen people. There is a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (This fee is non-refundable and can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) Reservations are required – download the registration flier.

Steve Harris is a consulting genealogist with extensive experience assisting clients with their family histories. Born in Brooklyn, he has deep roots in New York City, but the siren call of California was too strong to resist. Steve is vice-president of the California Genealogical Society and Library. His office and 6,000-volume research library are in Oakland, just down the hall from CGS.

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 10/21/2009, Oakland, California.

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 1:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Lower Level
Oakland, California

The November membership meeting will be an informal one – a chance to say “thank you” and to honor our volunteers. Please join the CGS Board of Directors for a special wine and nibbles reception and social hour.

Our volunteers have created a successful formula that has kept CGS viable for more than 110 years. That is something to celebrate!

Last year’s Volunteer Reception was such a success that we’ve decided to make it an annual event. All members are invited to attend. If you can, please bring a small appetizer plate to share. If you can help with set-up, please email Carolyn Steinberg.

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.

The California Genealogical Society Library was a recent stop for some busy genealogy enthusiasts from Santa Clara County. CGS member Pat Burrow is the designated “chief” of the Santa Clara Gen-Study Group and she arranged a visit to the library on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. The fifteen dedicated researchers have been “on their own” for about a year now after five years of meeting regularly with Marcia Murray Holstrom’s genealogy class.

Members visit archives and libraries together but they also meet weekly at each others’ homes. They meet to discuss case studies and book reviews and they take turns boning up on a subject and sharing their knowledge with the whole group. Recent talks have been about genealogical brick walls, recommended websites and “how-to”software sessions on Excel and Reunion for Macintosh.

The seven who made the trip to Oakland were John Turner, Dave McCready, Pat Solomon, Anne Hendricks, Suzanne Hastings, Mary Ann Casella and Pat Burrows. I’m pleased to note that in addition to Pat – Dave and Anne are CGS members. Mary Ann joined today so now a majority hold membership!

CGS welcomes interested groups to tour the library and spend time exploring our genealogy resources. Email the society or call 510-663-1358 to schedule a group visit.

Photographs by Kathryn Doyle, 10/7/2009, Oakland, California.

Welcome to the 82nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy – Breaking Into Society.