Archive for November, 2020

Our Events

Dec. 5: First Saturday Free Intro to Genealogy. This month: “Organizing Your Family History.”

Conferences and Seminars:
Dec. 4: “Researching American Revolutionary War Patriots” (American Ancestors)
Dec. 5 & 6: New Jersey Family History Research

Classes:
Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

Dec. 1: “Jewish and African American Cemeteries as Borders Uncrossed”

Dec. 3: “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times” with David S. Reynolds

JewishGen
Dec. 2: “The Genetic Origins of the Jewish People – Hanukkah 2020 Edition” by Adam Brown

Dec. 1 & 2: “Once upon a time: It’s all about the story” by Carol Baxter

Dec. 2: “Four ways DNA Painter can help with your family history research” by Jonny Perl

Dec. 4: “Your DNA questions answered live” with Diahan Southard

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!

Many genealogical organizations (including CGS) are taking off Thanksgiving week, but there are still lots of online events and webinars coming up. For a look at the offerings, check out Conference Keeper, the largest online calendar of genealogical events. In the coming week there are multiple classes on DNA, on family quilts and how to date family photos, an introduction to tracing your lineage back to the Mayflower, and so much more.

I’m sure all of us are eager to see the CGS library reopen for use by the genealogical community. In May and June, the CGS Board discussed various issues and challenges related to reopening our library. Effective October 9, Alameda County said that libraries could reopen at 25% capacity with certain protocols. For CGS that meant: contacting our front desk volunteers about their willingness to come in; incorporating the County protocols with the ones we had already addressed; and developing a training program for our volunteers. We also contacted various area libraries about their reopening plans and learned that for various reasons, none of them had a definite date for reopening; and like us, most were looking at a reservation system for library use. 

We thought we might be able to open in November. However, we contacted the County health folks for some clarifications and were told that CGS would have to meet not only library protocols but also those for offices (which have not been allowed to reopen in Alameda County), as well as the ventilation requirements for movie theaters (since we are windowless). After reviewing the above input, the Board has decided that we should not plan to reopen the library until next year, possibly by March 2021 but nothing definite. Since that decision, the County has officially closed the window on our reopening due to a resurgence of COVID cases. I’m also disappointed to say that I do not expect us to schedule any classes at our library before June 2021. 

Another impact of the closure is that our annual meeting on 9 January 2021 will be held by video conference and although it is free, attendees will have to register ahead of time. We will all miss the opportunity to see each other in person and share our experiences of the past 8 months.

James Sorenson, CGS President

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Cover page for the 1944 Genealogies

One more set of family history records has been digitized and added to our website. To see these records go to the CGS Home Page, click on the Research Menu tab and select “Online Resources.” From there, scroll down to the Members-Only section where you will find a list of “Resources Developed by CGS Members.” Click on the link labeled 1944 Genealogies. 

An example of a short biographical sketch found among these records

Our Events

Nov. 21: “The Company They Kept: Enrich Your Family History Through Cluster Studies” by Annie Brenneis

Nov. 21: Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group

Conferences and Seminars:
Nov. 18: Discussing DNA: Finding Unexpected Results (American Ancestors)
Nov. 19: “Traveling the US Marine Highway” with Judy G. Russell and Patricia Walls Stamm (Florida State Genealogical Society)
Nov. 21: 20th-Century Immigration to America (American Ancestors)
Nov 21: Photo Detective Roadshow with Maureen Taylor (Clayton Library Friends Annual Meeting)
Nov. 21: Annual Genealogical Seminar with Elizabeth Shown Mills, David Dowell, Zachary Keith, Chuch and Sherrill (Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society)

Classes:
Numerous associations offer online genealogy events every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization.

Family History Library
Nov. 16: “Skimming the Surface: A Look Into Quebec Notarial Records”

Nov. 17: “Separating and Merging Identities of Same-named Men” by Shannon Green

Nov. 18:  “Surname Projects and DNA Projects” by Mags Gaulden

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!

The Sutro Library’s final event of the year is a talk by historian David Silverman, author of This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving.  This presentation coincides with the 400th anniversary of the ship Mayflower, which arrived at Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. Silverman discusses the troubled history behind the national Thanksgiving holiday, which some modern Native people observe as a Day of Mourning. The virtual event takes place November 17 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time. For more information and to register, visit the EventBrite listing.

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Our Events

November 7: “Intro to Genealogy” our FREE popular monthly basics class. This month: Vital Records (Birth, Marriage & Death)

Conferences and Seminars:

November 9: “Back to Your Past: For Students 8-12” (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society)
 

November 12-14: Fall Research Stay-at-Home Conference (American Ancestors) 

November 13-15: “Remembering Your Heritage” (Texas State Genealogical Society)

November 14: Virtual Seminar Featuring Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective (Genealogical Society of Bergen County) 

November 14: FHF Virtual Really Useful Family History Show (Family History Federation)

November 14: DNA Explorers: Presentations on Genetic Genealogy (Kokomo-Howard County Public Library)

November 14: “Identifying and Preserving Family Photographs from the 1800s” (Ohio History Connection Webinar)

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!

To our members:

Every year about this time, CGS kicks off an appeal for donations. Letters have already been sent to all CGS members. We appreciate your support. 

If you can’t find your letter, or if a non-member wishes to make a donation, it can be done using our website. Go to CaliforniaAncestors.org, click on “members” on the tool bar, and from the dropdown menu, click on “Support CGS/Donate.” At the bottom of that page is a form to be filled out for making a donation. You can print the form and mail it to us with a check, or you can use Paypal.

Thank you,

James Sorenson, President

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Our Events

November 7: “Intro to Genealogy” our FREE popular monthly basics class. This month: Vital Records (Birth, Marriage & Death)

Conferences and Seminars:
November 7: “The Bookends of Liberty: 300 Years of the Growth of Freedom in North America” featuring David Allen Lambert and Gena Philibert-Ortega (Bucks County Ancestry Fair)

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!