December 2013 Newsletter is Available Online

The December 2013 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

The Table of Contents lists: 

page 1 - December 11th Holiday Luncheon 
page 2 - President’s Message  
page 2 - 2014 Membership Renewal 
page 3 - November 26th Program Review
page 4 - Research Group News  
page 5 - Library Assistance Every Wednesday
page 5 - Genealogy Field Trips
page 5 - Next Computer Group Meeting
page 5 - Scholarship Fund Basket 
page 6 - Education Chair Notes 

page 6 - Nametags 
page 7 - Spring Seminar News
page 7 - December 7th Computer Help Workshop
page 7 - Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 7 - SDGS Family History Seminar 
page 7 - Genealogy Class at Southwestern 
page 8 - Genealogy News for November 
page 9 - CVGS Society Information 
page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events 
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista 

CVGS 2013 Holiday Luncheon Review

The 2013 Holiday Luncheon was great - excellent food, good gift exchange, some announcements, and Gary's video extravaganza.

President Virginia Taylor welcomed the 30 or so attendees and opened the festivities by inviting them to go to the food room where drinks, salads, potluck dishes, ham and turkey, and desserts were laid out for our feasting pleasure.  We feasted...and some went back for a second helping.  JoAnn and Dorothy did a wonderful job of organizing the food service.

After we had lunch, Gary had an intriguing and funny presentation.  He's getting good at this!  After asking the question "What is an ancestor?" he showed video clips from FamilySearch (children answering the question), another FamilySearch clip showing a Chinese family tree; and a Ray Stevens video of "I'm My Own Grandpa."

The next question was "What do we do as genealogists?"  Gary showed video clips from Genealogy In Time; from Jimmy Kimmel's show; a Lisa Kudrow interview on Ellen DeGeneres show; a Jay Leno clip; and "The Family Tree" clip from the Beverly Hillbillies.

Coming back to CVGS activities, he did an "Honoring those who got us here" series, showing baby pictures and having the audience guess who they are;  the first two were Dearl Glenn and Phyllis Learned, longtime members who died in 2013.  Then it was baby pictures of a number of longtime members (I recall Dorothy, John, Randy, Bernice, Nancy, Boots, and Helen).

Gary ended the video presentation showing the baby picture of this year's "Honorary Life Member" nominee and having us guess who it is.  It was Susi Pentico, a past President, and currently Education and Seminar Chair on the Board.  Susi was awarded lifetime membership and a certificate by CVGS President Virginia Taylor.

The two drawings were held, first for the door prizes of the Nutcracker, Angel and Santa Claus dolls, and then for the table decorations.  Finally, the bring-one get-one gift exchange was held with about tickets picked one-by-one, until all of the gifts were selected and unwrapped.

CVGS has had a very successful 2013, and this Holiday Luncheon sure was an excellent way to finish it off.  A great time was had by all, and the food was excellent too!

CVGS Holiday Luncheon is Wednesday, 11 December 2013 at Chula Vista South Branch Library

The annual Holiday Luncheon of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is on Wednesday, 11 December 2013 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) in the Community Room (at the west end of the library).

The luncheon will have turkey, ham, and drinks provided by CVGS.  The pot luck breakdown for the rest of the meal will be coordinated by JoAnn Bonner (phone 619-421-3628, email jabonner13@gmail.com) and Dorothy Alvord (phone 619-469-3483, email dja1224@cox.net) – please contact them before 1 December to coordinate potluck dishes.   

The potluck schedule is:

A to F Surnames:  Snack trays, Condiments, Olives, Pickles, Cranberry Sauce, etc.
G to K Surnames: Potatoes (Irish or Sweet), Veggies, Casseroles
L to P Surnames:  Desserts
Q to Z Surnames: Salads, Rolls, Butter 

There will be a free door prize drawing, and a gift exchange ($10 limit).  Attendees are requested to bring canned food and/or unwrapped toys for donation to the Salvation Army.

This is a free event, and all are welcome to attend.  Please contact JoAnn Bonner or Dorothy Alford to reserve your place at the table, and to coordinate your potluck food item.

No CVGS Research Group or Computer Group Meetings in December

There will be no CVGS Research Group meeting on 11 December (superseded by the Holiday Luncheon) nor a Computer Group Meeting on 18 December (superseded by the Computer Help workshop on 7 December).

The next regularly scheduled meetings of these groups will be:

*  Research Group meeting - January 15, 2014 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

*  Computer Group meeting - January 22, 2014 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

Computer Help Workshop on Saturday, 7 December 2013

The December 7th Workshop at Bonita-Sunnyside Library (375 Bonita Road) will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Room.  

This will be a “Computer Help Workshop” moderated by Shirley Becker (on Macs and tablets) and Gary Brock (on PCs and Windows).  

We will talk about applications and their use; downloading; some internet; transferring files to Dropbox or iCloud; use of types of browsers -- Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome; searching the internet for information; copy and paste information; using the camera, and saving pictures. 

Please bring questions and problems to the workshop and we will attempt to resolve them. 

Bring your own laptop or tablet and receive one-on-one help from CVGS members.

Bring your own lunch, or go out during a noon-time break to one of the local eateries.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - December 2013

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for December 2013 include:

**  Saturday, 7 December, 10 a.m. to 3p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Workshop:"Computer Help Workshop" moderated by Shirley Becker (for Macs and tablets) and Gary Brock (for PCs and Windows).  Bring your laptop for help with operating systems, genealogy software, website searching, etc.

** Wednesday 11 December, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- CVGS Holiday Luncheon.  


**  Wednesdays, 4, and 18 December, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

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 - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.

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.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.

November 27th Program Summary - "Heirloom Discovery Day" with Georgie Stillman

The 8th annual "Heirloom Discovery Day" of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society was Wednesday, 27 November 2013.  Once again, Georgie Stillman, ASA, provided historical background, discussed the manufacturing process, and the approximate value of family heirlooms brought in for appraisal by 12 CVGS members and guests.

Georgie noted that she continues to do appraisal work for victims of the 2007 San Diego wildfires, and has worked quite a bit on the 2012 Sandy hurricane claims in the New York City area.  

She reminded us that the value of artifacts and heirlooms depends on what the market, in terms of collectors at auctions, will pay for them, and that perceived "status" items sought by wealthy persons have the highest value.  Background knowledge for the heirlooms - the family story - is important in establishing a value.  

The heirlooms brought and evaluated included:

*  Carole S. had a beautiful long, thin, cloth sash, made in about 1870 and worn by her grandfather in parades and lodge events.  

*  Diane V. brought a "business speller" book from England from about 1930.  Georgie explained that it was intended to help standardize spelling in business circles.

*  Ralph and Debbie M. displayed a two-foot tall statue that Debbie's uncle, who was a well-known artist, handed down to Debbie's father.  Georgie said that it was cast with a metal alloy, and was of a Victorian, romantic and sentimental genre. 

*  Virginia T. showed an orange art glass bowl, which was her mother's catch-all.  Georgie indicated that it was 1930s carnival glass designed for the middle class.

*  Gerry M. brought a small scale with weights that had been her grandmother's and was used in their store from 1875 to the 1920s.  

*  Fran C. brought a large yellow bowl that the wedding cakes of her grandmother and mother had been mixed in.  Georgie said this hand-turned and glazed terra cotta "yellow ware" was a luxury item, probably made in the 1860s in Pennsylvania or Ohio.

*  Mary A. had a World War II dagger handed down in her husband's family.  Georgie noted that it is now illegal to own and sell items with ivory made before 1971, but the handle was plastic not ivory. She doesn't evaluate edge weapons - some other appraisers do.

*  Joanna W. had several items - a pencil holder from 1930s Germany, a small Depression era glass piece, and a small porcelain sailing ship salt and pepper set from Japan.

*  Barbara I. brought a low-fired porcelain painted vase that her grandmother gave to her mother.  Georgie said it was made in England, but looks Japanese, and was made to appeal to Americans.

*  Susan Z. brought a 2' x 5' carpet runner from the late 19th century from her friend's parents.  Georgie said it was machine made, but not valuable, and that museums and historic houses would love to have every day items like this.

*  Susi P. received her mother's box of items after her death - including grandfather's ephemera (notes, cards, letters); a 19th century photo album; a single English late 19th century decorated plate.

*  Jim H. showed a sterling silver shell-shaped serving dish from the Benbough House in San Diego.  Georgie said it was a Gorham plate from the 1920s, weighed about 20 ounces, and was not a collectors item, but was worth the price of silver.  Jim also displayed a heavy glass bowl obtained from a relative married to a countess.  Georgie said it was a beautiful hand-made American cut clear glass from the 19th century, but was not sought now by collectors.

As always, Georgie dazzled the audience of 35 with her knowledge, stories, appraisals and her sense of humor.  

CVGS Program on Wednesday, 27 November 2013: Georgie Stillman's "Heirloom Discovery Day"

The annual "show and tell" meeting for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is Wednesday, 27 November 2013, at 12 noon in the Auditorium at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street). 

The program will be presented by Georgie Stillman, ASA and is called 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. Georgie  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.

If you would like your item evaluated by Georgie, please contact Ralph Munoz (619-421-7251, or email Munoz1951@cox.net) to get on the evaluation list -- there are a limited number of spaces on the list.  Ralph has a form for you to complete and return by November 20th.

Visiting the New San Diego Central Library, by CVGS Member Karen Yarger

Adventure awaits!  You’ve seen it, you’ve heard about it. You know you want to see it for yourself. 

Our new downtown library is truly a wonder, from its stunning three story lobby to its iconic dome. Taking a full city block, it is an architectural marvel that contains over 1,250,500 volumes, 400 computing devices, a 350 seat auditorium and a two-story charter school. All the latest green and energy saving technologies have been employed.  About one third of its $196.7 million budget came from private donations, the rest from government funds, grants and leases. It is one of 36 branches in the San Diego Public Library system.   But most of all, it’s beautiful.   If you haven’t already visited the spectacular new downtown library (at 330 Park Blvd, between  J and K Streets), here are some things to assist you on your first visit. Be sure to pick up a library map as you enter.   
      
First, The basics:

You’ll notice the Garden Courtyard, with one of the library’s two entrances. By the end of the year, a café will open there. The eye-popping lobby has a used book store (closed on Wednesdays and second Tuesdays) and a great gift shop with an array of library-themed goodies. Walk through the first floor area  to the best sellers  -  and be sure to see the unintentionally humorous  “Suffragist” display in the CD/DVD area.  The 9,000 square foot  Childrens’ Library is a gem, with its Dr. Seuss murals, a bank of munchkin-size computer desks, and charming displays of vintage books, like Where the Wild Things Are and The Wizard of Oz.

The second floor contains business and social science collections, a health and wellness center, and a beach-themed teen center and homework area.  The third floor holds periodicals, newspapers and is a regional repository for 1.6 million government documents.

Floor four is the Qualcomm Technology Floor, with a TV and media studio, a state-of-the-art computer lab, and a 3D printer;  but it also houses the literature collection. The fifth floor is home to History, Geography, Biographies,  and Travel, with special areas devoted to WWII and the Holocaust.

Floors six and seven contain the  e3 Civic High charter school. There is no public access to the school which now has 250 students and will double by next year.

The eighth floor is home to the spectacular 4,096 square foot Helen Price Reading Room, with its 64 foot tall glass walls that look out on the city and bay. Sun-dappled light streams through the massive dome overhead onto comfy loveseats, desks and wicker armchairs.  In fact, there are little nooks and niches throughout the library where you can settle in and lose yourself in a good book and enjoy the vast array of public art. The eighth floor also holds the Art, Music, Sports, and Entertainment collections. Here you’ll also find the Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center – with the largest baseball archive outside of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Rising above the ninth (and top) floor is the magnificent latticework dome, already an iconic landmark on San Diego’s skyline.  It is made of eight steel mesh ‘sails’ that hold solar panels, and is 143 feet in diameter – larger than that of the U.S. Capitol Building!  And, if the wind is just right, the openwork dome ‘hums’.

But the ninth floor is where you’ll want to be.  Here you’ll find three rooftop terraces, various meeting venues, an art gallery, an ivied sculpture garden (with whimsical furniture), and the Hervey Rare Book Room (which isn’t open yet, but will house treasures like a cuneiform tablet dating from 2300 B.C.).    AND (drum roll, please), this is where you’ll find the California Room with its San Diego Heritage Center and genealogical resources. Thanks to the San Diego Genealogical Society’s addition of their large collection, this is now the largest genealogical collection in the region.  Since this is probably your ultimate destination, maybe this will help:

Some tips:

a) Plan your first visit for a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday when the library opens at 9:30am. Hours are:  Mon & Wed – Noon to 8pm;  Tues, Thurs, Fri – 9:30am to 5:30pm;  Sat – 9:30 to 2:30;  Sun – 1 to 5pm.

b) Take the Trolley.  Even though the 250 spaces in the two story underground parking are free now, soon they’ll be “two hours free with validation”.   You genealogists know two hours is never enough.  Take the Blue Line trolley from the Chula Vista H Street station to the Park & Market stop. Then just walk a block south to the library and spend all day. A Senior One Way fare is only $1.25.

c) Pack a lunch.  The café in the garden court will open in about a month. You can walk a block toward Petco Park to Lolita’s or other eateries, but why waste time and energy that you could be spending in the stacks?  Enjoy your picnic on the ninth floor patio with its sweeping views of the city and the bay.

d) Take some one dollar bills.  Use them for the trolley, to get a library card ($2), and especially to get a copy card, which you’ll load like a cash card. The card machines are in the Copy Centers on the 2nd,, 4th and 8th floors. You don’t need a library card to get a copy card.

e) Have a plan. My first visit consisted of just wandering around, agog at all there was to see.  Before you go, enjoy a video tour at http://www.utsandiego.com/video/play/61094/.   And see the library’s website for general info and their catalog http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/. 

f) Restrooms are behind the elevator banks on each floor.  None on the ground floor, however.  Notice the book-shaped sinks!

For the Genealogist -  The ninth floor:

The Genealogy collection is, of course, all cataloged under the Dewey Decimal System -  by state (i.e.,  Pennsylvania is under 974.8), country (Ireland is 941.5), and general category (Civil War is 973.7). The front desk has the complete list. 

A bank of eight computers offers free access to Ancestry.com, and there are tables with plenty of plugins for your laptop. I suggest you wander around the room a bit, to see where everything is.  Reference books (RGY) are toward the front, periodicals (PER) beyond that, and there is a bank of file cabinets in the back right with pamphlets, miscellaneous papers and self-published brochures (treasures there!)  –   all under the Dewey Decimal System. 

There are also two microfilm readers (with printers that take nickels at 15 cents per copy – come prepared) and two microfiche readers. The copy machine is in the very back (ask someone to show you how it works, it’s not as simple as it looks). Copies there are 20 cents each. Don’t forget to load money on your copy card. Digital photography is allowed, but please use no flash.

Know what you’ll focus on first by looking in the library’s catalog (see above).  I just typed in “genealogy Civil War” and got a good idea of where I wanted to look.  Everything here is for Reference, but the fifth floor has some history categories that can be checked out.  If you have other questions for the Special Collections/Genealogy Room, you can call the library at (619) 236-5800 and ask for the California Room.

Enjoy our amazing new Central Library.  Just don’t do what I did… I was so mesmerized and distracted that I tried to walk through a glass wall.

Computer Group Meeting is Wednesday, 20 November

 The Computer Group has expanded in order to accommodate two more hours of instruction and usage. At 10:30 a.m., there is a one-hour class in the Library Computer Lab on “Basic Windows Computer Usage” with Gary Brock.   Bring your laptops in order to practice.

 After a break for lunch (bring your own, or go out), the group will reconvene at about 12:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab for Internet work, led by Shirley Becker. This meeting features hands-on use of the library's Windows computers, or your own laptop (but the library wi-fi doesn't work well in that room).

 For more information, please contact Shirley (clanroots@cox.net) or Gary (gary@brocksystems.net). 

CVGS Research Group Meeting Summary - 13 November 2013

There were 15 attendees at the CVGS Research Group meeting on Wednesday, 13 November 2013.

In the first hour, Randy described a recent research problem and used it as a challenge for attendees to suggest research tips and techniques.  His friend, John, asked Randy to find a death date for his grandfather, John Louis Burr Powell of Oklahoma, who may have died after 1941, perhaps having been attacked.  Randy found a 1930 US census record for Louis Powell with his wife and three children (including John's mother), and a 1920 U.S. census record with Louis Powell and his mother and siblings, and a potential death date in a Find A Grave record.  The group suggested requesting a death record, looking for an obituary or a cemetery record, etc.  Randy described the help he got from his blog readers, including newspaper articles of the attack and an obituary that mentioned the wife and children of Louis Powell.

His second challenge was to figure out how to find the maiden name and ancestry of Louis Powell's wife, named Ethel (born in about 1899 in Indiana).  John mentioned that his grandmother had married again and lived in Illinois.  The group suggested requesting a marriage record or a death record.  Randy used the 1920 U.S. census in Creek County, Oklahoma to identify Ethels born in about 1899 in Indiana.  He found three candidates.  A blog reader helped Randy find Oklahoma marriages online in a state database, which gave her name as Ethel Hall, who was the most likely candidate from the census record.

The third challenge was to identify John's other grandmother, identified only as R.A. Collins (born 1899 in Illinois) in the 1920 U.S. census in Jasper county, Illinois, with one child born in 1918. Apparently she died before 1930 because John's grandfather was married to a Mamie then.  They were too young to be married in 1910.  The group suggested searching the 1910 census records for the county with an R female name, using given names like Ruth, Rachel, Rose, Rebecca, Ruby, Rita, Rhonda.   Randy solved this problem by looking in Find A Grave for persons named Collins who died in the county between 1920 and 1930.  There was a Ruby A. Collins who died in 1922, and there was an Illinois death index entry for her that provided her parents names, birth date and death date.

In the second hour, attendees discussed their research challenges and successes, including:

*  Diane G. manages a 23andMe DNA account for a young friend and found that the friend's husband's uncle was related to her, and that another friend was also a 4th cousin to her husband.  This was suspected before, but the family had not told them.

*  Diane D.'s cousin went to Sicily on vacation and found church records and took gravestone photographs for the great-grandparents on both sides of the family.

*  Bobbie's niece went to Bavaria on vacation and met a cousin, found records and a house address, then went to the neighborhood and interviewed neighbors.  Three of the neighbors had Boehner ancestry in photo albums.  The niece took pictures of the area, but the house in the records was no longer there.

*  Bethel found a naturalization record for an ancestor that said he was renouncing his allegiance to the Emperor of Germany.  She also wrote to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis to obtain her grandfather's World War I military records.

*  Karen Y. went on the CVGS research trip to Carlsbad last weekend, and found entries in Baltimore City Directories for 1857 to 1923 on Fold3.com (free at the library).  She made a table for names, occupations and addresses to sort out different families.

*  Karen S. also went to Carlsbad, noted that they had two paid staff just for the genealogy floor, and used the library guides for how to research using their resources.  She asked the group how she could find other resources.  The attendees suggested the FamilySearch Wiki for country, state and county resources, Cyndi's List for research topics, and the USGenWeb for user-contributed information for states and counties.

*  Virginia searched for her grandfather's name and found a family Bible page in an Ancestry.com submitted by cousins.  The Bible had more family information about her grandfather's siblings.

*  Joanna also went to Carlsbad and found a record for her ancestor John Ward in a census record as a child residing in an orphanage.  She asked how she should research that person to find his parents.  The group suggested birth, marriage and death records, a newspaper obituary, or perhaps a probate record that names a guardian.

There will be no Research Group meeting in December - the annual Holiday Luncheon will be held at the Chula Vista South Branch Library on Wednesday, 11 December starting at 11 a.m.

The next Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 15 January 2014 in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

CVGS Newsletter for November 2013 is Available

The November 2013 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

The Table of Contents lists: 

page 1 - November 27th Program Meeting 
page 2 - President’s Message  
page 2 - Library Assistance Every Wednesday 
page 3 - October 23rd Program Review
page 4 - Research Group News 
page 5 - Visiting the New Downtown San Diego Library 
page 6 - Holiday Luncheon Plans
page 7 - 2014 Membership Renewal 
page 7 - Computer Group Meeting 

page 7 - Lemon Grove Research Group News  
page 7 - December 7th Computer Help Workshop 
page 7 - Spring Seminar News 
page 8 - Genealogy Field Trips 
page 8 - FamilySearch Center Research Trip Summary 
page 8 - Genealogy News for October 
page 9 - CVGS Society Information 
page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events 
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista 

CVGS Research Trip to FamilySearch Center - Learned About FamilySearch Family Tree

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society research trip on Wednesday, 30 October, to the FamilySearch Center in Mission Valley (4195 Camino del Rio South in San Diego) was educational for 12 attendees.  This event was planned and led by CVGS Member John Finch.

The focus was on learning about FamilySearch Family Tree, the relatively new "universal" family tree - everyone can be in it, and the goal is to have each historical person have a profile with vital records, life events, a biography, photos, stories, sources, etc.

The morning started with a greeting from Donna Jones, one of the center directors in the Media Room.  The Media Room has a presentation setup and about 20 Windows 8 computers for learners to use.  Here is Donna making her presentation:

And some of the learners trying to follow along with Donna:

FamilySearch Family tree was new for most of the attendees, and they had to register on FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, and click on Sign In and then Register).  That requires a Validation sent to your email to be clicked on, and then the user can start working in FamilySearch Family Tree.

Donna encouraged everyone to add their own name, noting that all information about living persons is seen only by that registered person.  Then their parents and earlier generations if known.  Users should see if there are matching persons already in the Family Tree - and link to those persons rather than create a new person.

After the two hours learning about the Family Tree, the attendees took a guided tour of the FamilySearch Center seeing the classroom, the oral history video room, the microfilm collection and machines, book collection, and the computers available for free searching of many commercial databases.

Most of the attendees headed back to Chula Vista and met at the Marie Callender's for lunch and pie.

There will be another Research Trip to the FamilySearch Center in January.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - November 2013

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for November 2013 include:

**  Saturday, 2 November, 12 noon to 3p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Workshop:"Polish Research" by Susi Pentico.  

** Saturday, 9 November, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CVGS Research Trip to Carlsbad Library in Carlsbad (1250 Carlsbad Village Drive, San Diego).  Contact John Finch (jan27@cox.net) to reserve your space in the carpool.

** Wednesday 13 November, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the 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, 20 November, 10:30 a.m. 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 Gary Brock and Shirley Becker. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Wednesday, 27 November, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium.  Georgie Stillman will present "Heirloom Discovery Day."  Refreshments before and after the meeting.
**  Wednesdays, 6, 13, 20 and 27 November, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

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 - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.

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.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.

CVGS Workshop on Saturday, 2 November is "Polish Genealogy"

The November Chula Vista Genealogical Society workshop is on Saturday, 2 November from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita, California, turn north on Billy Casper Way and then the library is on the left).

Susi Pentico will lead a discussion on "Polish Genealogy."

October Program Review - Queen Victoria's Family Tree

Jim Wells presented "Queen Victoria and the Royal Houses of Europe" at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on 23 October 2013 at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.  Jim is a numismatist and a historian, and it is a fascinating combination.

In his presentation, Jim outlined the ancestry and descendants of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who reigned over Great Britain from 1838 to 1901 - 63 years.  Victoria was in the Hanover line of British monarchs that started with George I in the early 1700s.  In 1840, she married Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha (1819-1861), one of her first cousins, and they had nine children and 40 grandchildren.  One of her sons, Edward VII, became King of Great Britain after her death.  The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is one of Victoria's second great-granddaughters.

The other eight of Victoria's children married and had children, and many of them were part of Europe's royal families.  During the presentation, Jim showed the marriages, the children, and the royal lines that resulted by intermarriage with other European families in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Russia, Romania, Spain and Yugoslavia.  Several of the families resulted from intermarriage between cousins descended from Queen Victoria.  From the beautifully done charts, the attendees received a great lesson in how all of the royal families of Europe are related.  For each family, he also showed the coinage that depicted the royal families, right down to the commemorative coin released on 23 October for George, the new son of William and Kate (one of Victoria's 5th great-grandson).

In all, 33 of Queen Victoria's descendants have ruled as monarchs, and five are currently ruling European countries now.  

In addition, there are several cousins of Queen Victoria who are monarchs of current European countries.  Jim had an interesting photograph showing eight descendants or cousins of Queen Victoria meeting in 2013:  Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain; King Juan Carlos of Spain; King Albert II of Belgium; King Harald V of Norway; King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; King Henri of Luxembourg; Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands.  

The descendants of Queen Victoria can be found in the "Descendants of Queen Victoria" family tree at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=queenvictoria&id=I3.  This site has narrative about each descendant, often with pictures of the persons.

This was a fascinating presentation and everyone attending learned about the royal houses of Europe.

CVGS Program on 23 October is about Queen Victoria and the Royal Houses of Europe

 WEDNESDAY, October 23rd PROGRAM MEETING

from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

At Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium (365 F Street)

Jim Wells on “Queen Victoria and the Royal Houses of Europe”

     Queen Victoria occupied the throne of the United Kingdom for over 63 years, longer than any other sovereign. Through her children and their offspring, she also managed to spread her family among a dozen European royal houses. Her great-great-grandchildren now sit on the thrones of five European kingdoms. Her descendants also were the last sovereigns of five other kingdoms and two German duchies. These monarchies, empires, and duchies often engrave the heads of their rulers and sometimes other family members on the coins of their countries. So Victoria's family tree is filled with European coins, not only shillings, but also marks, kroner, drachma, pesetas, rubles, and now euros. Studying the coins in her "tree" leads to some fascinating personalities and European history stories.

     Jim Wells is a retired software engineering manager who has been a coin collector for most of his life. He enjoys researching and collecting coins of America, and of European royal houses, and has exhibited and written about the descendants and coins of Queen Victoria, King Christian IX of Denmark, and William the Conqueror. His coin exhibits in local, state, and national conventions have won several Best of Show and People's Choice awards. He published a five-part series on Queen Victoria coins in the World Coin News monthly newspaper, and has written many articles for other numismatic publications. He was recently named "Speaker of the Year for 2012" by the Numismatic Association of Southern California.

CVGS Research Group Review - 9 October 2013

The October meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Research Group was on Wednesday, 9 October at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.  There were 14 in attendance.

In the first hour, there were announcements about the SDGS bus trip to the Los Angeles Public Library on Saturday, 2 November; the SDGS Seminar in January featuring Lisa Louise Cooke; and the CVGS Field Trips scheduled to the FamilySearch Center on 30 October and in January, and to Carlsbad Library in November.  Randy showed some photos from his Legacy Family Tree 2013 Cruise through the Panama Canal, and discussed the Ancestry acquisition of Find A Grave, the release of and update to Family Tree Maker 2014, and the improved Ethnicity Estimate in AncestryDNA's autosomal test results.  Karen visited the new San Diego Central Library and provided some pointers for what to expect getting there and accessing records there.  She will write a newsletter article about her experiences.

In the second hour, we went around the table to share research problems and successes, including:

*  Karen found a 1985 book on Sketches of the Maryland Eastern Shore at the San Diego library, and found information about her LeCompte ancestors.

*  Berdella and John reviewed their trip to Ohio and Maryland researching her father's genealogy.  They found lots of information at the Frederick, Maryland library and courthouse, and found an 1840 map showing land owners.

*  Dawn found her ancestors' marriage record in 1827 in Washington County, Tennessee marriages, which had her grandfather's surname and her own middle name as the wife's maiden name.

*  Arline found her 3rd great-grandmother, Rozella Salmon on Find A Grave in the Salmon-Tway Cemetery in Fayette County, Ohio.  There were lots of family members and relatives in that cemetery!  Several of the contributor comments were her cousins and should be contacted.

*  Virginia had another new contact through a MyHeritage tree - a woman in Los Angeles shares Virginia's grandfather but is two generations younger.  She also found a more distant cousin in a FamilyTreeDNA match.

*  Helen's brother did a Y-DNA test on FamilyTreeDNA and is related to the Dill family in Maryland.

*  Gary found new information on his Philip Roff while using the Ancestry suggested records feature - in an online Albany N.Y. militia book.  He also showed how to use Google Earth to find Wanda's family land in Wisconsin.

*  Susi was contacted by two more Jones cousins, and she and Mary are looking for John Pentico's father in central Pennsylvania.

*  Mary noted that Shirley had found her grandfather's passenger list record online.

*  Shirley had a Wright (in New York) contact through her online tree who is related by marriage.  She also found her ancestor Daniel Miller in an 1869 directory for Oneida County, N.Y., but her is not in the 1870 U.S. Census.

*  Bethel found evidence of an ancestor marriage on a USGenWeb County page, but the date conflicts with other available evidence and family trees.

The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be on Wednesday, 13 November at 12 noon in the Chulas Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) in the Conference Room.

Next Computer Group Meeting is Wednesday, 16 October

 The Computer Group has expanded in order to accommodate two more hours of instruction and usage. At 10:30 a.m., there is a one-hour class in the Library Computer Lab on “Basic Windows Computer Usage” with Gary Brock.   Bring your laptops in order to practice.

     After a break for lunch (bring your own, or go out), the group will reconvene at about 12:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab for Internet work, led by Shirley Becker. This meeting features hands-on use of the library's Windows computers, or your own laptop (but the library wi-fi doesn't work well in that room).

      For more information, please contact Shirley (clanroots@cox.net) or Gary (gary@brocksystems.net). 

CVGS Newsletter for October 2013 is Available

The October 2013 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

 The Table of Contents lists: 

page 1 - October 23rd Program Meeting 
page 2 - President’s Message 
page 2 - Library Assistance Every Wednesday 
page 3- September 25th Program Review 
page 4 - Research Group News 
page 5 - Fall Seminar Review
page 6 - “A Century of Service” Timeline 
page 7 - Computer Group Meeting 

page 7 - Lemon Grove Research Group News 
page 7 - Saturday Workshops 
page 8 - Genealogy Field Trips
page 8 - Take a Veteran to School Day
page 8 - Genealogy News for September 
page 9 - CVGS Society Information 
page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events 
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista 

October 12th Workshop on "Mennonite and Quaker Research"

The October 12^th Workshop at Bonita-Sunnyside Library (375 Bonita Road)) will be from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Room. Susi Pentico will lead a discussion about “Mennonite and Quaker Research.”

Upcoming CVGS Field Trips

John Finch has arranged for three field trips in the coming months.  Here are the details:

1.      Wednesday, 30 October 2013, Family Search Library

2.      Saturday, 9 November 2013, Carlsbad City Library (Cole Library)

3.      Wednesday, 22 January 2014, Family Search Library

In all instances, we shall meet, 9:30 a.m. at the downtown Chula Vista parking structure, 2nd level,  off F Street/3rd Ave. near Marie Callender’s.  for car pooling.  Please  contact John Finch at jan27@cox.net for further information and to confirm your attendance.

September 25th Program Review - Claire Santos-Daigle and "Photograph Dating by Fashions" by Karen Yarger

Do you have some old family photos and can only guess at their dates? This month’s topic was designed for you. Our speaker for the September 25^th CVGS General Meeting was Claire Santos-Daigle, who has been professionally digitally restoring old photos for 12 years (see her website at http://www.photosmadeperfect.com/). In addition to bringing new life to damaged photo heirlooms, she can help you identify the approximate date of your picture – or teach you to do it yourself. For her presentation, Claire came attired in an 1888 taffeta gown complete with bustle and charming feathered hat. In fact, all of her accoutrements were authentic, down to her jewelry, chemise and pantaloons.

(Photo courtesy of Karen Yarger)

Claire began with tips on identifying our photos ourselves: create a fashion dating file and worksheet, record what you know about the item, analyze and note the details and compare them to other photographs, research objects in the photo (hairstyles, jewelry and props), and find and record a minimum of 3 sources agreeing on the same fashion era. Maintain this file for future research. On the right side of her website, Claire has a “Genealogy Corner” with additional information.

Drawing on her extensive private collection of vintage photographs, Claire presented a fascinating talk on how to identify the dates of your family photos by knowing what styles were popular in which decades. Beginning with the different types of photographs – daguerreotype, ambrotype and tintype – she explained the differences and time periods for each. Then, she showed examples of period dress: the shape of the bodice and sleeves, the width of the pleats, lace mitts, hoop skirts, and the evolution from bonnets to hats. She also showed various hairstyles and foreign influences on fashion. She didn’t omit men’s fashions, either: the width and notching of the lapels, the narrowing gap of collars, and the evolution of hats from melon to bowler to top hats.

Claire was so engaging and her presentation so informative and interesting, everyone convinced her to continue well past the usual allotted time. Fashion, after all, is an important indicator of how we want to be perceived, as our ancestors knew.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - October 2013

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for October 2013 include:

** Wednesday 9 October, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the 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.  

**  Saturday, 12 October, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Workshop: "Mennonite and Quaker Research" by Susi Pentico.  

** Wednesday, 16 October, 10:30 a.m. 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 Gary Brock and Shirley Becker. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Wednesday, 23 October, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium.  Jim Wells will present "Queen Victoria and Europe's Royal Houses."  Refreshments before and after the meeting.

** Wednesday, 30 October, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, CVGS Field Trip to FamilySearch Center in Mission Valley (4195 Camino del Rio, San Diego).  Contact John Finch (jan27@cox.net) to reserve your space.

**  Wednesdays, 2, 9, 16, and 23 October, 10 a.m. to 12 noon., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

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 - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.

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.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.

CVGS Program on 25 September: "Photo Dating by Fashions" with Claire Santos-Daigle

 WEDNESDAY, September 25th 

 PROGRAM MEETING from 12 noon to 2 p.m. 

At Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium (365 F Street) 

Claire Santos-Daigle on “Photo Dating By Fashions”

 In the field of genealogy some people inherit beautifully preserved collection of photographs while others have only Xerox copies or low quality photos found on the internet. Those genealogists with photos in good condition can arrive at an approximate date taken by the physical properties. Some photographs don't provide the physical property clues and what remains are the clothes and objects in the image. Claire Santos-Daigle has presented the topic of “Photo Dating” by photographic processes in the past. This month, she will be speaking on the topic of “Photo Dating by Fashions.” 

This talk will briefly cover the physical properties, then on to how to research fashions by covering fashion eras, fashion terms and available resources. She has been digitally restoring photographs for 12 years and realized through those years she developed a talent for determining the date of a photograph by repeated exposure and began to seriously research how to date a photo and uses her collection of photos to illustrate and provide this information, free of charge and accessible to genealogist on her website. 

Claire Santos-Daigle is the sole proprietor of "Photos Made Perfect, " licensed in the state of California, in Chula Vista. She and her husband Michael became involved with digital photo restoration when Michael started his genealogy in 1992, and in 1996 they began restoring family photos with photo imagery software. Family and friends kept saying "you should start a business" and in 1999 they did, with Michael's technical skills and support, and Claire's art skills, life experiences and marketing background. 

The primary customer groups are genealogists and historical societies, who remain loyal clients to this day. Claire is a guest speaker on the topics of "Digital Image Editing" and a natural byproduct of her years of experience with photos, she began speaking on the topic of "Photo Dating". As she participates in genealogy conventions, she encourage genealogists to bring their photos to be scanned on site at these events and she will contact them in a few days with a free quote. Many genealogists would rather not leave their photos with any photo lab or trust mailing them anywhere. No other restoration service brings their services to you.

All CVGS Events, except for the Spring Seminar, are free for any person to attend.  More information about CVGS at www.CVGenealogy.org. 

CVGS Newsletter for September 2013 is Published

The September 2013 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

 The Table of Contents lists: 

page 1 - September 25th Program Meeting
page 2 - President’s Message  
page 2 - Library Assistance Every Wednesday 
page 3 - August 28th Program Review 
page 4 - Research Group News 

page 5 - Genealogy Roadshow TV Show Starts on 9/23
page 5 - Who Do You Think You Are? TV Show
page 6 - 2013 CVGS Scholarship Winner Essay
page 6 - New San Diego Library Opens September 28th
page 6 - Lemon Grove Research Group News 

page 7 - Computer Group Meeting
page 7 - SDGS Fall Seminar – September 21st
page 8 - Genealogy News for August
page 8 - It's Really Not That Easy!
page 9 - CVGS Society Information
page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

September 11th CVGS Research Group Summary

The September 11th Research Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) had 13 attendees.

In the first hour, Randy discussed:

*  Family Tree Maker 2014 genealogy software was released this week.  He demonstrated some of the new features.  There is a 20% discount now for new buyers.

*  Ancestry.com raised their 6 month US subscription rate to $99 from $79.  Many of the attendees grumbled about it.  Randy noted that it is 54 cents a day now.  The World subscription rate is currently $149 for six months.  Monthly subscriptions are about 20% higher.

*  The Who Do You Think You Are? TV series for 2013 has ended, but some of the shows are still available for free on the http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are website.  Genealogy roadshow will start on PBS on Mondays from 23 September through 14 October at 9 p.m.

*  The NARA Genealogy Fair was well received - and the video from all of the sessions on September 3-4 are available for free at http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair/  The syllabus material for most of the presentations is available in PDF format.

In the second hour, the attendees discussed:

*  Arline made a cousin contact, but they found the wrong Thomas Tway in the same place as their 2nd great-grandfather.  They're looking for more records.

*  Karen subscribed to Reminisce magazine and recommends subscribing if family history and historical articles appeal to you.

*  Mary Lou spent time in Lincoln, Nebraska doing research in the new county building there.  She was able to find over 20 land records for her families there and used the microfilm to paper copy machine to print them.  She wanted more information about autosomal DNA.  She also wanted to know just how much information was on the U.S. National Archives site.  The group said that there was a lot, but there was much more not digitized.  The NARA genealogy page is  http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/index.html.  There is a Guide for Genealogists and Family Historians at http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/online-catalog-guide.html.  Researchers should look at the NARA Genealogy Fair presentations for more examples and guidance.

*  Gary found a gravestone photo for Philip Roff (1753-1833) in an Ancestry Member Tree and wondered where it came from.  We found it on Find A Grave.  The gravestone says Philip served in the Albany NY militia in the Revolutionary War.  He can't find any more information online about this.

*  Virginia was contacted by two distant cousins on MyHeritage on her Bland line.  One cousin was in Australia, the other in Florida.

*  Sam is working on his surname line.  Robert Seat is in Tennessee in the 1850 Census, age 24.  He is not in the Census records by 1880.  He thinks that Robert's wife is a Sarah Creech, and there is a Creech family nearby in the 1850 Census.  Sam's question was how to find more records that would help him identify Robert's parents.  The group suggested finding land records and probate records in the Tennessee counties that he lived in.   Probate records for Tennessee Court Books and Files are in brows-only collections on FamilySearch.

*  Kathleen found information on her grandmother Manning in a book for Andrew Messenger in the Family History Library Catalog.  It said that it was downloadable, but she couldn't make it download.  someone else was using it every time she tried to read it.  Patience and late at night probably works here.

*  John is still exploring the Connecticut Military Census on Ancestry.com.

*  Mary Lou asked if there are records for persons who paid the government to avoid serving in the Civil War, or of those who recruited someone else to take their place when drafted?  The group did not know.  After the meeting, Randy found http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.html and passed it to Mary Lou.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, October 9th at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).  All interested parties are welcome.

CVGS Fall Seminar Review - "A Century of Service: A Genealogist's Perspective"

The Fall seminar of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) was on Saturday, 7 September at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library in Bonita, California.  There were over 40 attendees for this FREE day-long event.

Four presentations were made on the history and events of the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I, and a fifth on the records that are available to family history researchers.

CVGS President Virginia Taylor welcomed the attendees soon after 9:30 a.m., and introduced each of the speakers:

1)  Karl Zingheim, the historian of the USS Midway Museum, presented "The War of 1812: When the Navy Saved the Republic."  He called this war "a needless conflict" in four areas - a land war centered on Maryland and DC, another centered on New York and Ontario, a "fresh-water" engagements on the Great Lakes, and "salt water" engagements in the Atlantic Ocean.  Karl concentrated on the naval conflicts, which saw several isolated victories by the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic over the British royal Navy that had not lost a ship in 10 years. The U.S. Navy won the engagement on Lake Erie under Oliver Hazard Perry, and on Lake Champlain, but there was a two-year standoff on Lake Ontario.  Karl's presentation was entertaining and had many photographs, maps and other images depicting events, but did not note any genealogical record information.  The handout for this war provided a detailed timeline, some bibliograp

hic references, and some online web page resources.

2)  Margaret Lewis, past-President of the San Diego African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAAGRG) presented "The Civil War Story: Transforming the Face of the Nation."  Margaret described the Civil War from secession to Appomattox without details of military movements and battles.  She described her ancestor's experiences.  Jacob Wilks was emancipated in 1863, and enlisted in the U.S. Colored Troops regiment in 1863 as a Private.  He was present at Appomattox and described his recollections in a memoir.  Margaret showed several of his records, and her handout listed different types of military records available at the National Archives and in online databases.

3)  Susi Pentico, past-President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, presented "The Spanish-American War: Remember the Maine."  Susi described the timeline for this relatively short war, noting that there were 10 weeks of fighting in Cuba and the Philippines, but a guerrilla war in the latter lasted until 1902.  She provided links to several historical websites in her handout, but did not highlight any online or archival record collections.  Gary Brock passed around his great-grandfather's Spanish-American War enlistment record.

4)  John Finch, past-President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, presented "World War I:  A Nation of Immigrants emerges as the World Power."  John provided a detailed history of the rival blocs in Europe existing in 1914 and during the war, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo that sparked the war, the world events that occurred during the war, the battles in northern France and Belgium, and the peace treaty.  The highlight was a film clip from the movie, The War Horse, depicting the infantry and cavalry battles in northern France.  He  discussed the relative force sizes and casualties, and mentioned the 1918 influenza epidemic.  John recommended the book The War to End All Wars by Adam Hochschild.  John provided examples of several collections for World War I records, and his handout included lists of collections on Ancestry.com, Fold3, and FamilySearch.

5)  Susi Pentico closed out the seminar by providing an overview of genealogical resources and methodology for military records.  The handout included links to FamilySearch, USGenWeb, Fold3, Archives.gov (National Archives), Ancestry, GenealogyBank.  She noted that researchers should consult State Archives sites, county, university and state libraries, genealogical and historical societies, and local DAR and SAR chapters.

The Fall Seminar committee provided drinks and snacks for the attendees, there were several door prizes, and a historical timeline from 1809 to 1921 was provided to orient the attendees.  Attendees either brought their lunch, went out for lunch to a local eatery, or munched on the snacks.

CVGS Fall Seminar: Saturday, September 7th on "A Century of Service - A Genealogist's Perspective"

CVGS Fall Seminar - Saturday, September 7 2013 – FREE!!

“A Century of Service – A Genealogist’s Perspective” 

     This year's Fall Seminar will focus on our military through four wars in our early history: the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I. The FREE, all-day seminar will be held on Saturday, September 7 at the Bonita-Sunnyside Branch of the County Library (4375  Bonita Road) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

     Expert speakers will cover the history and events of each war and how we can learn more about our ancestors' enlistments, service records and pensions and more.  

*  Karl Zingheim, the historian of the USS Midway Museum will address the War of 1812; 

*  Marti Lewis, former president of San Diego's African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAARG), will cover the Civil War; 

*  Susi Pentico, CVGS Education and Seminar Chair and CVGS lecturer, will present the Spanish American War;

*  John Finch, U.S. Navy retired and past President of CVGS, will address World War One.  
    
     The schedule:

Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m.  Welcoming remarks
9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. - Karl Zingheim presents "The War of 1812"
10:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.  - a 15 minute break. Door Prize drawing
11 a.m. to 12 noon - Marti Lewis presents "The Civil War"

12 noon to 1 p.m. - Lunch break. Please bring your lunch - or go to eateries nearby

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - Susi Pentico presents "The Spanish American War"
2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. - a 15 minute break. Door Prize drawing
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. -John Finch presents "World War I"
3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Susi Pentico will provide an overview of genealogical and military resources and methodologies

     Coffee, water, and morning and afternoon snacks will be offered. But since this will be an all-day affair, we suggest you bring a lunch (or, take advantage of the numerous restaurants and fast food places close by).  

     This seminar is FREE for everyone to attend.  

     Please pre-register by August 25, as space is limited.  To register, or for more information, go to our CVGS website http://cvgenealogy.org/,  click on the “Click here” link for the Fall Seminar, and fill in the online registration form; or contact Susi Pentico at SusiCP@cox.net or (619) 623 5250,  or Karen Yarger at 
khy13@hotmail.com or (619) 426-0834.

     Look for updates and more information on our CVGS blog (http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com), or see our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ChulaVistaGenealogicalSociety).  The telephone callers will be phoning you to find out if you plan to attend.