CVGS Spring Seminar is Saturday, 31 March 2012

The theme of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Spring Seminar is: 

British Isles To America And Migrating West

Special Spring All-day Saturday paid Seminar
Saturday, March 31 2012, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Chula Vista Golf Course
4475 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA

There are four talks, two each by nationally known speakers Leland Meitzler and Bill Dollarhide. They are:

1)  Bill Dollarhide:  "The Main Migration groups from the British Isles to America prior to the Revolutionary War"

2)  Leland Meitzler: "Migration Routes of Our Ancestors"

3) Bill Dollarhide: "The Scots-Irish Invasion of America"

4)  Leland Meitzler: "Newspaper Research in the 21st Century"

This is an all-day paid event with many exciting features. The registration fee is $35 through March 20. After, and at the door, is $40. This fee will include morning refreshments, a keynote address, two main sessions, a fully catered lunch, afternoon light refreshments, opportunity drawings, door prizes and a silent auction.

Our speakers will have books and CDs on sale throughout the day.

The registration form can be downloaded at
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Flyers/2012_03_Seminar.pdf

CVGS Program on Wednesday, 25 January: "Genealogy Is Fun! Seriously!"

The January program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is this coming Wednesday, 25 January 2012, at 12 noon in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).  

The program speaker will be Randy Seaver on the topic "Genealogy Is Fun! Seriously!"

The presentation summary:

Believe it or not, there is a lot of humor in genealogy research – names, epitaphs, wills, cartoons, videos, sayings, poetry, apparel, wisdom, genealogisms, etc. This presentation takes a light-hearted look at the best of the genealogy humor sites and humorous entries in genealogical databases.  In addition, attendees will play a special game during the presentation - the winner gets to take Randy out for dessert!

Randy's genea-CV:

Our speaker, Randy Seaver, is a native Chula Vistan. His ancestry is mainly colonial New England and Upper Atlantic, with some colonial German, French and Dutch forebears, and several 19th-century English immigrants.  He has been pursuing his elusive ancestors since 1988, and has been online since 1992.

Randy is a former President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, and is currently the Newsletter Editor and Research Chair. He speaks to Southern California societies, libraries and groups; teaches "Beginning Computer Genealogy" adult classes at OASIS; and writes the Genealogy 2.0 column for the FGS FORUM magazine.  He is a member of NGS, NEHGS, SDGS, CGSSD, CVGS and SCGS. Randy blogs daily about genealogy subjects at Genea-Musings (www.geneamusings.com), The Geneaholic (www.Geneaholic.com) and the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe (http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com).

CVGS Research Group Review - 11 January

...
We had a record 18 attendees at the CVGS Research Group meeting on Wednesday, 11 January at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.  

Randy started the meeting by discussing coming programs, the Spring Seminar, and the Family History Fair.  He also asked for topic suggestions for an Intermediate Genealogy class (Genealogy 201).  Three topics stood out - Citing Sources, DNA Tests, and Online Research.  Randy passed out a handout with his "Best Of..." research tips by record types.  There was also discussion of education via radio shows, webinars, seminars, conferences, and learning institutes.

Next on the agenda was each attendee highlighting one or two of their 2012 Goals.  The goals described included (without names!):

*  Citing sources better
*  Research the next generation on my tree, and research the "dashes" (family history events)
*  Become better organized - my paper collection and computer files
*  Learn how to use my genealogy software program (Family Tree Maker, Reunion, RootsMagic, Family Tree Builder mentioned)
*  Publish my research to a DVD
*  Put my research on paper into genealogy software
*  Research a specific line (e.g., maternal grandfather's line)
*  Scan, label and organize my pictures.
*  Get my computer working again
*  Dedicate one day a week on genealogy efforts.
*  Use my Ancestry.com subscription to find records of ancestors
*  Prove the line so I can join "Daughters of the King"
*  Take the Genealogy 101 class
*  Increase my involvement in CVGS
*  Attack and knock down my brick wall challenge
*  Pick and use only one genealogy program
*  Do research at the FHL in Salt Lake City
*  Add content and sources to my genealogy database

Questions asked included:

*  What's the scoop on the 1940 U.S. Census?  Answer:  See January newsletter; images available on 2 April, FamilySearch/Archives and Ancestry will create separate every-name indexes, perhaps completed by the end of 2012.
*  For photo scanning, what resolution should I use?  Answer:  For printing, 300 dpi as a JPG is satisfactory.  For archival purposes, 600 dpi saved in a TIF format is recommended.
*  How do I import a GEDCOM file into FTM 2011?  Answer:  The Help button is your friend, and there's a book to help you.  Friends can help also.
*  Do programs have Research Logs?  Answer:  Yes, FTM 2012, RootsMagic and Legacy do - use the Help button.  Or use a word processor for each surname or ancestor.

In the sharing time, the attendees said:

*  Virginia found a shaky leaf on Ancestry.com for her grandmother's marriage
*  Kevin's cousin sent information for two more generations, and Kevin found a third.
*  Mary Lou noted that members of some genealogical societies are permitted to go into their county records to research questions.
*  Ann went to Wisconsin to research, and shared research with an elderly cousin.  She also found a 1906 divorce notice on a Clark county WI website.
*  Bobbie shared three books that have helped her research, one on DNA research, another on Acadia, and the third on Lake County IL resources.
*  Randy had success with the San Diego historical newspapers just added to GenealogyBank.  He also discussed autosomal DNA tests and results.

This was a very fast and information-packed meeting.

The next Research Group meeting will be the second Wednesday of February, 8 February, at 12 noon in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Computer Lab (note the location change, due to AARP income tax help).

January 2012 CVGS Newsletter Available Online

...
The January 2012 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/12_01jan.pdf, in a PDF format.


The Table of Contents includes:


*  page 1 - January 25th Program Meeting: "Genealogy is Fun! Seriously!" with Randy Seaver
*  page 2 - President's Message
*  page 3 - Spring Seminar Announcement: 31 March, "British Isles to America and Migrating West" with Bill Dollarhide and Leland Meitzler.
*  page 3 - Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tip and Techniques


*  page 4 - Research Group News
*  page 4 - Computer Group News
*  page 4 - Lemon Grove Research Group News
*  page 4 - Be A Part of CVGS History
*  page 5 - December Holiday Luncheon Review


*  page 6 - Sharing Files with Dropbox (Dick Eastman article)
*  page 6 - Library Committee Report
*  page 6 - CVGS Workshop Programs
*  page 7 - Here Come the 1940 US Census Records
*  page 8 - Online Articles That Might Help Your Research


*  page 9 - CVGS Society Information
*  page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events
*  page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - January 2012

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for January 2012 include:

** Wednesday 11 January, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.

** Wednesday, 18 January, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Saturday, 21 January, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Susi Pentico will present "More Counties of Pennsylvania."

** Wednesday, 25 January, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. CVGS Member Randy Seaver will present "Genealogy is Fun! Seriously!"  There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.

The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).

The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road. The Chula Vista South Library is at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner on Fourth Avenue) - parking lot is off of Orange east of Fourth.

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.

CVGS Past Presidents

A group of Chula Vista Genealogical Society members has been writing an official history of CVGS so that we know who did what when and how.  President Gary Brock put a spreadsheet together with the names of the officers and committee members in addition to the number of members and membership dues.  The 20 years of society newsletters was very helpful to determine the names and events.

While the society started in 1982 as part of the Chula Vista Historical Society, it became an independent entity in 1991 with the first set of By-Laws and elected officers.  The Presidents of CVGS to date have been:

1991-1992:  June Dawson
1993-1994:  Geni Powell
1995-1996:  Peggy Donovan
1997-1998:  Nina Schultheis
1999-2000:  Bernice Heiter
2001-2002:  Susi Pentico
2003-2004:  Shirley Becker
2005-2006:  John Finch
1007-2008:  Randy Seaver
2009-2010:  Gary Brock
2011-2012:  Gary Brock

CVGS Holiday Luncheon Review

About 30 Chula Vista Genealogical Society members and guests gathered at the Chula Vista South Branch Library on Wednesday, 14 December, for the Annual Holiday Luncheon featuring good food, good company, good humor, and gift exchanges. 

The society provided the turkey and ham and drinks, and the attendees brought yummy snacks, salads, potatoes, vegetables, casseroles and desserts to share. 

CVGS President Gary Brock opened the festivities by welcoming everyone, recognizing new members and guests, introducing the current Board members, and having a moment of silence for our departed members, emergency first responders, and Armed Services members.  After a very short business meeting, we had our luncheon.

The program was a slide show titled "Honoring Those Who Got Us Here."  Gary honored eleven persons - former Presidents, life members, and long-time members (more than 20 years.  The slide show became a guessing game, using photos of the honorees from childhood to present day.  In addition, Gary presented each honoree with a new nametag adorned with small jewels that represent 20 year member, past President, committee members, Board officers, education class attendance, and speakers.  As each honoree was presented, their achievements in CVGS were highlighted on the screen.

The eleven honorees were:

*  Dearl Glenn - a Life member
*  Dorothy Alvord - a 20 year member
*  John Finch - a Past President
*  Phyllis Learned - a 20 year member
*  Randy Seaver - a Past President, and 20 year member
*  Bernice Heiter - a Life member, a past President, and a 20-year member.
*  Shirley Becker - a past President, and 20 year member
*  Susi Pentico - a past President, and 20 year member
*  Nancy Smith - a 20 year member
*  Averill (Boots) Williams - a 20 year member
*  Helen Thompson - a 20 year member.

After the slide show, the gift exchange was held, then the drawings for the prizes (Phyllis and Fran won a Marie Callender's pie; John and Barbara won a Jimmy's at the Park gift certificate.

The Door prizes (donated by Dorothy Alvord, Susi Pentico and Bernice Heiter) were won by Phyllis Learned (the Santa), Fran Cornell (the Angel) and Joan Largey (the Nutcracker). 

This was a fun and happy time for our little genealogy community.

December 2011 Newsletter is Available

...The December 2011 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_12dec.pdf.

The Table of Contents for this issue includes:

page 1 -- December 14^th Holiday Luncheon

page 2 -- President’s Message

page 3 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

page 4 -- Research Group News 

page 4 -- The Perfect Christmas Gift

page 5 -- November 26^th Program Review

page 5 -- Writing the History of CVGS

page 6 -- Spring Seminar Announcement

page 6 -- Computer Group News

page 6 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News

page 6 -- CVGS Book Collection is Moving

page 6 -- Another Reason to Attend Genealogy Conferences

page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News

page 8 -- Upcoming Webinars

page 8 -- Online Articles that Might Help Your Research

page 9 -- CVGS Society Information

page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events

page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

CVGS Holiday Luncheon on Wednesday, 14 December

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Annual Holiday Luncheon is this coming Wednesday, 14 December, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) in the Conference Rooms (west end of the library, enter through the south-facing door that opens to the parking lot).

The luncheon will have turkey, ham, and drinks provided by CVGS. The pot luck breakdown for the rest of the meal will be (for last names starting with):

A-F  Desserts

G-K Salad, rolls, butter

L-P Snack tray, condiments, olives, pickles, cranberry sauce, etc.

Q-Z Potatoes (regular or sweet), veggies, casseroles.

Please contact Susi Pentico (619-690-1188, or SusiCP@cox.net) to coordinate the potluck dishes.

The program will be a retrospective - “Honoring Those Who Got Us Here” by CVGS President Gary Brock.

Members are requested to bring canned food and/or unwrapped toys for donation to the Salvation Army.

A gift exchange will be held (maximum value $10) – bring a wrapped gift in order to draw one.

For the Door prize, everyone will get a free ticket to win a Santa or an Angel.

Buy opportunity drawing tickets to win centerpiece decorations.

Meat leftovers will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

We hope to see all of our members and friends at this event!

CVGS November Program: "Heirloom Discovery Day" with Georgie Stillman

One of the highlights of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society year is the November program meeting with Georgie Stillman, ASA, who presents an "Heirloom Discovery Day" with members' heirlooms as the subjects. You can read about Georgie's credentials in November 30th CVGS Program is  "Heirloom Discovery Day."   This is CVGS' own "Antiques Road Show" program.

Georgie provided basic appraisal advice, noting that "values are a reflection of what rich people and collectors will pay for an item." In many cases, collectors items are status symbols and trappings of wealth, although items handed down by family may be well used. Each person provided a brief summary of what they brought for appraisal and its' known provenance. Georgie then described what the item was, the approximate time it was created, and its approximate value. There were 11 items explained, evaluated and appraised:

*  Karen had two framed pictures of 19th century ships, bought in the 1950s at an antique store in Oklahoma.  Georgie said that they were probably pictures from a Western European country, perhaps originally purchased from a seaside village artist. 

*  Jaye showed a pony horse collar for a horse-cart handed down from her father's effects in Missouri in 1966.  Georgie said that this collar had high quality leather, was rare now, and might bring $5000 in the right market.

*  JoAnn had a Fenton glassware bowl with an iridescent finish, found in a trash can.  Georgie noted that it was a 1940s butterfly patter, with unique coloring, and priced it at about $400.

*  JoAnn also had two beautiful red Japanese enamel glassware bowls.  Georgie said they were made of high quality silver from the 19th century, and might bring $300.

*  Susi had a book in German with the history of Napoleon, Frederick the Great and Peter the Great.  Georgie suggested asking a book appraiser, because it may be valuable;  she suggested Adams Avenue Book in San Diego.

*  Susi also showed one of a set of her grandmother's dishware.  Georgie said that it was by Homer Loughlin, was homegrown pottery style from the 1930s.

*  Pam showed a candle holder, with a snuffer, used to light the way in the house.  Georgie noted that it was English silver, Elkington-Cole, from the 19th century.

*  Joan brought one small and one large box that were her mother's.  The boxes were machine made in the late 19th century but handcrafted with hammered sides.  They would appeal to arts and crafts collectors.

*  Barbara had a mirror and wooden dresser stand (with a Chargers sticker on it), which she loves.  Georgie said this was from the late 18th or early 19th century art deco period, made for middle class people who wanted nice things, and was of modest value.

*  Joanna brought a large candle holder, probably from Buffalo NY.  Georgie said that it was pewter, handmade, had no marks, with some machine made parts, from the 1920s.

*  Jacqui had a large framed painting done in "crayon" in New York dated 1857 on the back.  Georgie noted that the painting was a dovecote, done in charcoal, and was a typical American folk art picture.

I hope I got these right! 

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - December 2011

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for December 2011 include:

** Wednesday, 14 December, 11 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- Annual Holiday Luncheon meets in the Conference Rooms (west end of building).  Turkey, ham and drinks will be provided, potluck items to be coordinated with Susi Pentico (619-623-5250).  There will be a brief society business meeting, a presentation about CVGS history, a gift exchange, opportunity drawings, a door prize.  Attendees are requested to bring canned goods and children's toys for donation to the Salvation Army.

** Wednesday, 21 December, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).

 The Chula Vista South Library is at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner on Fourth Avenue) - parking lot is off of Orange east of Fourth.

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.

November 30th CVGS Program is "Heirloom Discovery Day"

...
The next program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be on Wednesday, 30 November at 12 noon in the Auditorium at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library in downtown Chula Vista (365 F Street). Please enter through the Conference Room (in the east hallway) in order to register your presence, pick up any handouts, and have a snack.

The program will feature Georgie Stillman, ASA, presenting an “Heirloom Discovery Day.” Georgie will evaluate, provide some historical background and estimate a value of family heirlooms brought in by CVGS members. Her expertise is in evaluating and appraising silver, china, glass ware, furniture, artworks, quilts and samplers.

Georgie Stillman (http://georgiestillman.com/bio.htm) has worked as a professional appraiser in London, England, Phoenix, and San Diego since 1971. She has served as president of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), vice president of the San Diego chapter, and was founding director of the International Society of Appraisers. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding service, including Appraiser of the Year. Besides being a professional instructor at various colleges, she has made many radio/TV guest appearances and written articles for many publications, teaching audiences about antiques and art.

This is the fifth time that Georgie has done this program for us, and it gets better every year!

Save the date, Wednesday, 14 December, for the annual Holiday Luncheon at the Chula Vista South Branch Library. More details later!

For more information, please contact Virginia Taylor (email irishdoll@cox.net, or phone 619-425-7922).

CVGS Research Group Review - 9 November 2011

...
At the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on 9 November, we had 12 enthusiastic genealogists.

Randy presented a review of the Civil War Pension File that he received from the National Archives back in January.  The 81 page images sent on a CDROM from NARA were not in date order, so he put them in date order in order to create a timeline of events, starting with when Isaac Seaver declared his intent to obtain an invalid pension (1892) to when his widow died 31 years later (1923).  He then showed many of the different documents included in the Pension File and discussed what and why they were written.

In the sharing portion of the meeting, the attendees highlighted:

*  Gary passed around four books by Angus Baxter in the "In Search Of ..." series for Canada, British Isles, Germany and Europe that the society received as a donation.

*  Sam obtained a World War I Draft Registration card and described it in detail, and has been finding information about ancestral families on the Find-A-Grave cemetery website.

*  John took a picture of an uncle's gravestone in Lee County, Illinois that was toppling due to a tree root.  He contacted the cemetery, and the local monument company, and, for a fee, had the stone righted and cleaned.  He showed us "before" and "after" pictures.

*  Dearl has the feature articles from Family Tree Magazine for all of the states and cities published to date, and will share them with society colleagues.  He noted that he has his great-grandfather's Confederate Civil War Pension File from Texas.

*  Gary is working on a way to view the old World Family Tree CDROMs for Windows 7 and 64-bit computer users.

*  Virginia has two Civil War Pension Files for her Union ancestors, one has 300 pages.

*  Bobbie applied for and received an Early Settlers Certificate for Lake county, Illinois.  She received some pictures of the immigrant farm houses, and found the location on a Lake County plat map.

*  Sylvia has a picture of her 1850's ancestral homes, who also built a schoolhouse on their land in Missouri. 

*  Connie will try to join the Daughters of Union Veterans following Susan's Civil War presentation.  She asked how she could find out more about her adopted brother's birth parents (they know the names) in the 1940s in San Diego.  The group suggested searching for the marriage record, death records, obituaries and census records for them based on the known information.

*  Genie is just starting her research.  Her mother's side is well documented, but her father's is not.  That side of the family wouldn't talk about the family.  She is concerned about health issues. 

There will be no Research Group meeting in December, since 14 December is the date of the CVGS Holiday Luncheon party at the Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue).  The next Research Group meeting will be on Wednesday, 10 January 2012, in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street).

November CVGS Newsletter is Available

...
The November 2011 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_11nov.pdf.

The Table of Contents for this issue includes:

*  page 1 -- November 30^th Program
*  page 2 -- President’s Message
*  page 2 -- November 12^th Saturday Workshop
*  page 3 -- December 14^th Holiday Luncheon
*  page 3 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

*  page 4 -- Research Group News 
*  page 5 -- October 26^th Program Review
*  page 5 -- Rest in Peace – Grace Lee (1927-2011)
*  page 6 -- Spring Seminar Announcement
*  page 6 -- Computer Group News 

*  page 6 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
*  page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
*  page 8 -- Upcoming Webinars
*  page 8 -- Online Articles that Might Help Your Research
*  page 9 -- CVGS Society Information

*  page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
*  page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - November 2011

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for November 2011 include:

** Saturday, 12 November, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Susi Pentico will present "The Development of the First Counties of Pennsylvania."

** Wednesday 9 November, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.

** Wednesday, 16 November, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Wednesday, 30 November, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. Local appraiser Georgie Stillman will present "Heirloom Discovery Day" by evaluating CVGS member ephemera and antiques.  There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.

The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).

The Bonita Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road. The Chula Vista South Library is at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner on Fourth Avenue) - parking lot is off of Orange east of Fourth.

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.

Program Summary - "Refighting the Civil War - Part 2"

...
The October 26th Program meeting for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured CVGS member Susan Zimmer (on the Union side) and Robyn Adair (on the Confederate side) discussing their Civil War soldiers, the San Diego area heritage organizations, and resources that should be consulted to find information about Civil War era ancestors.  They were in "period dress" for this presentation.  Thirty three persons were in attendance.

There were no "pistols at ten yards" for this showdown commemorating the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.  Susan quizzed the audience on the event that started the Civil War, the bloodiest battle, asked if more American lives were lost in the Civil War than in World War II, the years the war began and ended, who were the generals at Appomattox Courthouse, and if General Grant allowed the Confederate soldiers to keep their weapons.

Susan described the role of California and San Diego in the War.  There was only one incident in San Diego County - near Lake Henshaw, called the "Affair at Minter's Ranch."  The Yankees captured a group of Rebels and they were put in Yuma Prison.  The only California battalion was raised by Massachusetts.  Their role was to protect the western frontier, prevent the Confederates from gaining a foothold, allowed soldiers to return east, and to prevent Indian uprisings.  She also defined some of the cemeteries in San Diego where Civil War soldiers are buried, showed several local war memorials, and described some of the memorial services held.

Robyn's Confederate soldier was Everard Blackshear, of the Georgia Blackshear Guards.  She described three generations of female ancestors who were members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), showed the four-page UDC application, and noted the activities of her UDC chapter in San Diego.  and noted that Footnote.com (now Fold3.com) has the Compiled Military Service Records of Confederate soldiers online.  The National Archives does not have Confederate records, but the different State Archives do have service and pension records.

Susan's Union soldier  was First Lieutenant Amos W. Downes, of Company F of the 49th Illinois Infantry.  She described finding his records, filling out the three-page Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War application, and the activities of her DUVCW Nancy Hanks Lincoln Tent #5 in San Diego.  The Compiled Military Service Record for Union soldiers costs $25 at the National Archives, and the Union Pension Files start at $75 (for up to 100 pages). 

In order to determine if an ancestor was a Civil War soldier, they suggested looking for males born after 1816, check the 1890 U.S. Census Civil War Soldiers Census (but A through K is lost), check the 1930 U.S. Census, which lists veterans.  They provided a one page list of links to websites with Civil War information, and information on the different Civil War heritage organizations in San Diego.

CVGS Computer Group Review - by Gary Brock

...

At the 19 October meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Computer Group, attendees were asked to relate any specific problems they were having in operating their computer or an application on their computer.

Marie, working on Windows 7, said she was having some problems with Source Citations. Randy went through some of the common problems between different versions of Family Tree Maker (FTM) and other similar programs.

Tvette, working on Windows XP, said she was still trying to come up with a good system for organizing her Photos and Images. Randy talked about some of the methods he has developed for media organization and warned that it is important to know whether your FTM software embeds media files in your data-base or only saves a link to the file in your data-base.

Jane, on XP, said she had old CDs of FTM research databases which came with an older version of FTM. Could she somehow access these old files? Gary mentioned he had tried several approaches to unlock these files with no success. Randy said she may need to re-install the old version of FTM to gain access to the research data-base. There was also conversation about how to un-install old versions of FTM software.

Jackie, on Windows 7, was still trying to find her way around in Rootsweb and FamilySearch.  Randy briefly demonstrated working in the Rootsweb WorldConnect database and finding FamilySearch collections using keywords, like states or countries, to narrow the search.

Virginia, on XP, wanted to learn more about how to create, rename and move folders.

Joanna talked about how she was unable to get the results from her submission to Family Tree DNA. She enters the code provided to her from FTDNA and gets everything except the DNA Results. Her brother, who is very knowledgeable on computer usage, was not able to get the results either.

The next meeting of the CVGS Computer Group will be on Wednesday, 16 November at 12 noon in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

October 26th Program Meeting - "Refighting the Civil War, Part 2"

...

The Wednesday, October 26th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street, in Chula Vista) Auditorium, will feature:

“Refighting the Civil War, Part 2” by Susan Zimmer and Robyn Adair

The purpose of the program is to remind people that we are commemorating 150 years from the Civil War.

They will share information about the Civil War connections in San Diego, discuss the two women's organizations which connect to the war, talk about the membership requirements for Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and United Daughters of the Confederacy, and share tips for researching Civil War veterans.   The presenters are:

Susan Zimmer: Susan joined the Chula Vista Genealogical Society in 2002, after she retired from 31 years teaching at Sweetwater High School.  Her interest in genealogy began when her grandfather shared a hand-drawn map of Germany, showing his birthplace. Genealogy success has led her to membership in Daughters of the American Revolution, United States Daughters of 1812, and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865, of which she is currently president of Nancy Hanks Lincoln Tent 5.

Robyn Adair: Robyn was born in Coronado and grew up there. She joined Oliver Wetherbee Chapter DAR in 1966, the year she and Roy were married.  His Naval assignments allowed her to visit much of the east coast and prowl through family cemeteries and courthouses over the years. She is president of the Stonewall Jackson Chapter 476,  United Daughters of the Confederacy, a member of United States Daughters of 1812,  Daughters of the American Revolution and others. 

CVGS Research Group Summary

...
The CVGS Research Group meeting on Wednesday, October 12th was attended by 16 avid genea-philes. 

During the first hour, Randy presented "Lessons Learned on my Midwestern Family History Mystery Tour."  He described his two week September vacation in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, which included:

*  Attending the FGS Conference in Springfield, Illinois
*  One day researching at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana
*  One day visiting friends in St. Joseph, Michigan, highlighted by a visit to replicas of the Pinta and Nina.
*  One day researching in Dodge County, Wisconsin
*  One day researching at the Wisconsin Historical Society and Norwegian-American genealogy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
*  One day finding ancestral homes and graveyards in Dane County, Wisconsin.
*  One day at Old World Wisconsin (a WHS building collection) in Eagle, Wisconsin
*  One day sightseeing in Chicago.

During the presentation, he showed many photographs, research examples and results.  The lessons learned included:

*  Allen County Public Library is marvelous!
*  Check open hours of libraries and societies.
*  Some local libraries have wonderful resources
*  State Archives have excellent resources, but are difficult to use. Some permit digital pictures of fragile documents.
*  Heritage, ethnic and religious societies have excellent resources.
*  Use 19th century plat maps to find ancestral land holdings, and 21st century plat maps and Google Maps to find ancestral homes.

During the second hour, several attendees described their research successes and challenges:

*  Ruth described some of her Cherokee research, finding a picture of an ancestor in Indian dress, and finding names in treaties in state archives.

* Bobbie used Google to search for Lake county, Illinois information, and found the newsletter article that she submitted about her visit several years ago.  She and Dennis went to North Dakota on vacation in search of his Russian German heritage, found some ancestral graves, and met a third cousin, sharing information and pictures.

*  Ann used tips she learned at Jamboree from Tom Underhill about using Picasa facial recognition software to identify unknown persons by finding similar faces on computer files.

*  John notede that FamilySearch has added mamny collections with Germany and Mexico records.  However, many are not indexed yet.

*  Viola displayed the four-generation family history book that she wrote, which includes many stories and pictures.  She wrote this after her daughter asked Viola's mother who the people were in the box under the bed.  It was beautifully done.

After the meeting closed, Randy briefly demonstrated using Family Tree Maker 2012 and describing his experiences synchronizing with an Ancestry Member Tree.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group is Wednesday, 9 November 2011 at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street, in Chula Vista).

October 2011 issue of CVGS Newsletter

...
The October 2011 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter was published this week.  It is freely available on the CVGS website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/page04.html.

The October 2011 issue features:

*  page 1 - October 26th Program 
*  Page 2 - President’s Message
*  Page 3 - Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques
*  Page 4 - November 12th Saturday Workshop
*  Page 4 - Research Group Notes

*  Page 4 - Computer Group News
*  Page 5 - CVGS Fall Seminar Review
*  Page 6 - September 28th Program Review

*  Page 6 - Lemon Grove Research Group News

*  Page 6 - Seminar Committee Report

*  Page 7 -  Computer-Related Genealogy News

*  Page 8 -  Upcoming Webinars in October and November
*  Page 8 - Upcoming Chula Vista Centennial Events
*  Page 9 - CVGS Society Information
*  Page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events
*  Page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista