Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe

CVGS Spring Seminar is Saturday, 31 March 2012

2012-01-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

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

Season 3 of "Who Do You Think You Are" debuts on Friday, 3 February

2012-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

There’s a new preview video over at the Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA) website – this one covering the family secrets and skeletons in the closet that stars like Martin Sheen and Marisa Tomei discover!

Who Do You Think You Are? Season 3 (U.S. Version) premieres on Friday, February 3, 2012 on the NBC network (8 p.m. PST on Channel 7/39 in San Diego).

There will be twelve shows in this series, featuring:

* Martin Sheen
* Marisa Tomei
* Blair Underwood
* Reba McEntire
* Rob Lowe
* Helen Hunt
* Rita Wilson
* Edie Falco
* Rashida Jones
* Jerome Bettis
* Jason Sudeikis
* Paula Deen.

RootsTech 2012 Conference - LiveStreamed Sessions

2012-01-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

The RootsTech 2012 Conference is this coming weekend, February 2nd to 4th in Salt Lake City.

The Conference website is www.rootstech.org. There are links there for the:

* Schedule (http://rootstech.org/schedule)
* Keynote speakers (http://rootstech.org/schedule/keynotes)
* Official RootsTech bloggers (http://rootstech.org/bloggers)
* Expo Hall (http://rootstech.org/expo)
* Exhibitors and sponsors (http://rootstech.org/exhibitors)
* Downloads (http://rootstech.org/downloads)

At the downloads site (http://rootstech.org/downloads), anybody can download a Zip file of all of the available presentation summaries. A user can go to the Schedule (http://rootstech.org/schedule) site and download individual presentation summaries as PDF or DOC files. Please note: These are FREE!

There will be at least three sets of Live-streamed presentations (all FREE to access live), including:

* RootsTech Livestreaming (from Room 155): see list at http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/rootstech-2012-livestreaming-schedule.html

* Ancestry.com live-streaming: see list at http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/ancestrycom-to-livestream-sessions-at.html

* Legacy Family Tree will host the Genealogy Idol Competition on Thursday, 1:45 p.m. MST (12:45 p.m. PST). Register to view the live webinar at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Webinars.asp. You should be able to view it for ten days after the event on http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Webinars.asp.

This is a wonderful opportunity for all genealogists to obtain up-to-date genealogy technology information (the syllabus materials) and see state-of-the-art presentations live for FREE from the comfort of your home.

January 25th CVGS Program Review - "Genealogy Is Fun! Seriously!"

2012-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

RandySeaver was the speaker at the January 25^thprogram meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. His topicwas “Genealogy Is Fun! Seriously!” The audience of over 40members and guests came prepared to laugh and enjoy themselves.

Fromthe opening slides with really funny (and strange) names in vitalrecords, to gravestone epitaphs, then several funny obituaries andwills, census records (names and occupations), and finally Americanand English place names, the audience could hardly believe what theywere seeing and hearing. Randy showed some cartoon genealogyfunnies, then T-shirt designs (and taking his shirt off to catcalls,revealing his “Genealogy is Like Sex” shirt), and introduced Chris Dunham's genealogy satire site, The Genealogue(www.genealogue.com). Afterseveral Top 10 lists, genealogisms and tag lines, he covered possiblegenealogy TV show themes, rejected conference topics, and a Genea-Mancomic book.

Finally,Randy played the song “I Am My Own Grandpa” and demonstrated therelationships on a pedigree chart, ending in a sing-along for theending chorus. He finished with reasons why he thinks genealogyis fun – citing on-site research, conferences, geneabloggermeetups, genealogy cruises, teaching and working in local societies as funexperiences.

Beforethe presentation, Randy passed out Genealogy Bingo cards to theparticipants, and during the talk the attendees crossed off words inthe categories of Names, Places, Relationships, Terms and Randomwords as they were said, or read on the screen. Attendees wereencouraged to shout “Bingo” when they completed their first line,but nobody completely filled their card (it was close, Shirley Beckerfell one square short – the place was “Salt Lake City.”) Whoknew that genealogy could be so much fun?

Randyalso had a handout with genealogy humor sites (including poems, taglines, stories, videos) and a list of recommended free and commercialonline genealogy sites to help attendees with their research.

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

2012-01-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

...
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

2012-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

...
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

2012-01-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

...
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

2011-12-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

...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 -- December14^th Holiday Luncheon

page 2 -- President’sMessage

page 3 -- AskGene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

page 4 -- ResearchGroup News

page 4 -- ThePerfect Christmas Gift

page 5 -- November26^th Program Review

page 5 -- Writingthe History of CVGS

page 6 -- SpringSeminar Announcement

page 6 -- ComputerGroup News

page 6 -- LemonGrove Research Group News

page 6 -- CVGSBook Collection is Moving

page 6 -- AnotherReason to Attend Genealogy Conferences

page 7 -- Computer-RelatedGenealogy News

page 8 -- UpcomingWebinars

page 8 -- OnlineArticles that Might Help Your Research

page 9 -- CVGSSociety Information

page 9 -- SanDiego Genealogy Events

page 10 -- GenealogyDays in Chula Vista

CVGS Holiday Luncheon on Wednesday, 14 December

2011-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

...
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

2011-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

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"

2011-11-27T18:18:00.001-08:00

...
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

2011-11-10T12:44:00.001-08:00

...
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

2011-11-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

...
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 -- November30^th Program
* page 2 -- President’sMessage
* page 2 -- November12^th Saturday Workshop
* page 3 -- December14^th Holiday Luncheon
* page 3 -- AskGene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

* page 4 -- ResearchGroup News
* page 5 -- October26^th Program Review
* page 5 -- Restin Peace – Grace Lee (1927-2011)
* page 6 -- SpringSeminar Announcement
* page 6 -- ComputerGroup News

* page 6 -- LemonGrove Research Group News
* page 7 -- Computer-RelatedGenealogy News
* page 8 -- UpcomingWebinars
* page 8 -- OnlineArticles that Might Help Your Research
* page 9 -- CVGSSociety Information

* page 9 -- SanDiego Genealogy Events
* page 10 -- GenealogyDays in Chula Vista

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - November 2011

2011-10-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

...
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"

2011-10-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

...
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

2011-10-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

...

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

Marie, working on Windows 7, said shewas having some problems with Source Citations. Randy went throughsome of the common problems between different versions of Family TreeMaker (FTM) and other similar programs.

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

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

Jackie, on Windows 7, was still tryingto 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 moreabout how to create, rename and move folders.

Joanna talked about how she was unableto get the results from her submission to Family Tree DNA. She entersthe code provided to her from FTDNA and gets everything except theDNA 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"

2011-10-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

...

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:

“Refightingthe Civil War, Part 2” bySusan Zimmer and Robyn Adair

The purpose ofthe program is to remind people that we are commemorating 150 yearsfrom the Civil War.

They will share information about the Civil War connections in SanDiego, discuss the two women's organizations which connect to thewar, talk about the membership requirements for Daughters of UnionVeterans of the Civil War and United Daughters of the Confederacy,and share tips for researching Civil War veterans. Thepresenters are:

Susan Zimmer: Susan joined the Chula Vista GenealogicalSociety in 2002, after she retired from 31 years teaching atSweetwater High School. Her interest in genealogy began whenher grandfather shared a hand-drawn map of Germany, showing hisbirthplace. Genealogy success has led her to membership inDaughters of the American Revolution, United States Daughters of1812, and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865, ofwhich she is currently president of Nancy Hanks Lincoln Tent 5.

Robyn Adair: Robyn was born in Coronado and grew up there. She joined OliverWetherbee Chapter DAR in 1966, the year she and Roy were married. His Naval assignments allowed her to visit much of the east coast andprowl through family cemeteries and courthouses over the years. Sheis president of the Stonewall Jackson Chapter 476, UnitedDaughters of the Confederacy, a member of United States Daughters of1812, Daughters of the American Revolution and others.

CVGS Research Group Summary

2011-10-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

...
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

2011-10-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

...
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

CVGS Workshop - "Expanding Your Usage of the Internet"

2011-10-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

...
The October CVGS Workshop will be at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 8 October. CVGS Member Shirley Becker will lead "Expanding Your Usage of the Internet."

Please bring your laptop as we will be doing things on the Internet, but we will not be able to print. The first part will be on exploring your computers and the second on expanding Internet usage. If you don't have a laptop and know someone willing to share, you are welcome to bring them. If you think you might be getting a laptop and want to sit in, again, you are welcome.

This Library has wireless access and is a little more up-to-date than the lab in Chula Vista, so we will be able to to go to a few sites not available on our third Wednesday Computer Group meeting.

If you have questions, both Gary with a Windows laptop and Shirley with a Mac will try to answer them. We will demonstrate a little bit of copy and paste technique for those not sure how to use it with an internet site.

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

CVGS Program Review - "Finding the Living, and Maybe the Dead"

2011-10-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

...
The 28 September 2011 program speaker for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society was Arnie Botts, on the subject of "Finding the Living, and Maybe the Dead." Arnie is a retired Chula Vista Police Officer, and currently works as a Private Investigator for a local security firm.

His firm does two types of searches - a Basic Locate Search of a specific person (which includes identity checks for companies and agencies) and Court Record Searches (for civil and criminal cases).

The Basic Locate Search is done on a computer using an unidentified LexisNexis program. The search program needs information such as a full name, date of birth, Social Security number, last known address, past addresses, names of family members, known subscriptions to magazines or newspapers, etc. His company can access public records, and some company records (e.g., Sears, Amazon - they sell their information to the service) anywhere in the USA for a basic cost of $50, and can be obtained within 24 hours. The information stays in the system for at least seven years, and may be available for up to 20 years. The success rate is good to excellent, as long as the subject has some identifying information. The report may look like the Sample Person report at https://w3.lexis.com/consumeraccess2.0/sample/person_report.htm.

For a Court Record Search, the search program needs the full name, date of birth, race, and a location of the records. Most locations are computerized, although small and rural areas sometimes are not. Specific searches usually yield results, but general searches are often difficult and time consuming. The Basic search cost is $25, but difficult searches are more.

Privacy issues are considered, and the search has to be justified. For example, a request by a current family member or a crime victim. Companies or agencies using these programs are audited by the federal government to assure that the searches are legitimate. Customers need to provide a reason for their search - no "fishing expeditions."

The audience asked many questions, including:

* Can you find ex-husbands and/or missing fathers? Yes.

* Can credit reports be obtained? Yes, property, bankruptcy and lawsuit data can be obtained, but not credit ratings.

* How do you become a private investigator? You can pass a test, pay $300, and get a license.

* How can I find an ex-girlfriend's current name and location? Using school records, alumni or reunion information is best.

Unfortunately, Arnie had to leave early for a business conference in Los Angeles. This was an interesting look at a research area that could help find living persons, but it costs money and there are restrictions on its use.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - October 2011

2011-10-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

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

** Saturday, 8 October, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Shirley Becker will present "Expanding Your Usage of the Internet."

** Wednesday 12 October, 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, 19 October, 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, 26 October, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. Susan Zimmer and Robyn Adair will present "Refighting the Civil War, Part 2." 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.

CVGS Fall Seminar Summary: Donna Bradley – “American Indian Research"

2011-10-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

The afternoon presentation at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Fall Seminar on 24 September was by Donna Bradley, titled – “American Indian Research."

This was a 90 minute lecture without notes, and without a syllabus. Donna's ancestry and experience includes Scots-Irish and Native American in the southeast and Native American in California, and her presentation reflected that experience.

She noted that Scots Irish migrated to the colonies,then moved down through the Appalachians, Smoky Mountains, BlueRidge. Indians lived in these places, and lonely white males found Indian wives. It was rare to find Indian malesmarrying a white woman.

Where did the Indians come from? She said that they werehere when the continents split apart, and those on the NorthAmerican continent were always there. They stayed in approximately thesame place for thousands of years. Indians didn’t keep written records. They lived mainly in hunter-gatherer societies as tribes, and their historywas oral – told in stories, chants, etc.

Donna defined these Indian groups:

* Mestizo - in Mexico, CentralAmerica

* Athabascan - in Alaska and North America
* Navajo/Apache – in Southwest North America
* Aztec/Mayan - in Mexico and Central America
* Cherokees from Florida and Georgia –Trail of Tears to Oklahoma

She noted that tribes are specific groups with a distinct culture, but thereare bands within tribes. Different tribes may have different dialects or linguisticcharacteristics.

To understand the history of Indians in North America, youhave to understand the white man’s government. White men wanted land,but Indians had no concept of property. White men brought destruction to Indian tribes through war, annihilation, disease, broken treaties and servitude. For example, there were two million Indians in Califronia before the whitemen came in the late 1700s, but only 16,000 were enumerated in the 1900 census.

Donna said that American Indian research is not like any othergenealogy research. There are no cemetery plots - Indians usuallycremated bodies rather than bury them. Indians were considered lower thanblack slaves by whites, and the 1863 emancipation did not apply to Indians. In 1924, Indians were given U.S. citizenship,given the right to own land and to vote in federal elections, and were given the right to vote in stateelections in 1932. State censuses show many Indians, but they often have only a first name (for example, the 1852 California census). There were no California birth, marriage or deaths of Indians until 1924.There were many name changes as Indians movedbetween Indian culture and the American/Mexican government records.

Tribes work on a lineal descent. Eachtribe has a blood quantum level to qualify for membership. No tribe will help you do genealogy research – there is no cooperation because the tribesdon’t want you to be Indian – they will have to share theircasino profits with you. A person needs to prove to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that they have Indian ancestry, and obtain aCertificate of Degree of Indian Blood. Once proven, the tribes mayaccept you, but tribal law is paramount..

Certain DNA markers mean certain thingsand are associated with certain races, tribes and/or certainlocations. Look at the www.DNATribes.com website.

If you think that you have Indian ancestry, follow these suggestions:

* Do a DNA test to determine if there is Indian haplogroups
* Check Indian school records
* Check Indian Rolls like Dawes roll and Miller roll.- here is a lot more nformation than what is on Ancestry.com
* Ask National Archives for records of tribe.
* Check Indian census rolls.
* Do census searches on Ancestry using no name, but in a place and an age range.
* Find history books and manuscript collections in libraries, local or state historical/genealogical societies or archives.

This was a challenging presentation. It was California-centric, and some of Donna's historical facts and conclusions were curious to this reporter. Many of the statements made conflict with the summary on Wikipedia in Native Americans in the United States.

CVGS Fall Seminar Summary: Anne Bowman – “Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogy Research”

2011-09-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

The morning presentation at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Fall Seminar on 24 September was by Anne Bowman, titled “Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogy Research”

Anne's one hour PowerPoint presentation discussed basic concepts of Irish genealogy research in depth, and discussed Scots-Irish research in the U.S. briefly.

She started by noting that 30-35% of Americans claim Irish orScots-Irish ancestry, second only to German ancestry. The first Irish emigration was in the 1700s, and were mostly of Scots-Irish heritage. In the mid-1800s, the emigrants were mainly Irish Catholics fleeing the potato famine in Ireland.

To find your Irish emigrant to the U.S., always start with what you know; work backwards from yourself un til you find the immigrant; Collect as much info as possible in USA so that you can recognize him in Irish records; there may be multiple people with the same name from the same town, village, region. You need their full name, date of birth or age, place of birth or last residence before immigration, year of immigration, and the port of entry. Look at Family Groups, since many immigrantstraveled together with family and friends.

The types of records with clues include home photos, letters, passport; newspapers; Vital records; Census records; Military records (service records, pension); Social Security Applications; church and cemetery records; probate records; naturalization records; and passenger lists.

Anne described the different jurisdictions in Ireland, including:

* Jurisdiction and Land divisions: organized large to small: country, province, county, poor law union, barony, civil parish, town or townland
* Only one Ireland until 1922, then split into Republic and Northern Ireland
* Four provinces before 1922 – Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Ulster
* 32 counties – 26 in present Irish Republic, 6 in present Northern Ireland
* Poor Law Union: 162 work houses in several civil parishes in the 1850s. Civil Registration Districts follow PLU boundaries
* Civil Registrations – non-Catholic marriages recorded in 1845. Roman Catholic births, deaths and marriages started in 1864
* Barony – 273 barony divisions, used up to the 1901 census, but not used today
* Parishes – Civil parishes and Ecclesiastical/church parishes. Civil parishes have the same boundaries/names as those of Anglican or Church of Ireland. Catholic parishes have different boundaries than civil parishes
* Town/Townland: size varies from very small parcel up to thousands of acres. Need maps and gazetteers to find. See websites. (www.seanruad.com)

The reasons for Irish to emigrate to North America included:

* Religious oppression
* Famine with High mortality rates (1845-1855: potato blight/famine caused 1 million deaths)

By 1855, one fourth of population of Ireland had gone to the US. In the 1850 US census: almost 1 million people claimed Irish birth

The U.S. Records that may help identify an Irish immigrant include:

* Federal and State Census records

* Passenger lists – limited value because of many similar names. Tracking family groups is more productive. Use www.immigrantships.net, and www.ellisisland.org

* Church records – baptism, marriage , burial. Godparents. Headstones. Central archives for diocese or original church. Some re on Microfilm from the LDS Family History Library.

* .Newspapers: Boston Pilot had “Missing Friends” 1831-1920 used by immigrants to find family/friends in USA. Column sometimes listed exact origin of immigrant and parish of seeker and one being sought. Available at www.americanancestors.org (NEHGS).

* Institutions – hospitals, asylums, banks (NY Emigrant Savings Bank records are on www.Ancestry.com),

Irish Records that are available include:

* Census records before 1901 were destroyed in 1922 fire.

* Vital Records in United Kingdom start in 1864, marriage records give only father’s name, death record has no parents

* Church records – each parish has their own records, some start mid-1700s to mid-1800s. Many are Indexed and searchable, and some are at LDS Family History Centers

* UK Tax Records – Tithe Applotment books for civil parishes in 1824-1840; Griffiths Valuation 1848-1864, lists all households, names, landlords, acreage, and is online

* Estate Records – Catholics did not own land until the late 1800s. Landlords kept lease, rent, account records

* Records from the 1700s are in the National Archives of Ireland.

* Find a list of English vs Gaelic names – www.irishtimes.com/ancestors/surname

In her presentation material about Scots-Irish Research, Anne noted that this refers to immigrants of Scottish heritage who were either born in Ireland orwho lived in Ireland before emigration. They are also called Irish Presbyterians, UlsterScots or Scotch-Irish. Many people from Scotland settled in NorthernIreland in the late 1600s. They were of the Presbyterian religion or association. They can be identified from family traditions,names, etc.

Some history:

* 1609: first Scottish plantation inIreland

* 1717: first wave of migrants to America (Large group in 1718 from Londonderry to Boston, then many to New Hampshire)

* 1725: second wave

* 1740: third wave

* 1775-76: American Revolution

* 1717-1776: 2.5 million Scots-Irishmigrated to colonies

The greatest number of Scots-Irish settled in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, but they were in all 13 colonies. After the American Revolution, many went to Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The reasons for emigration included:

* British policy required 10% tax on Scots-Irish who were Presbyterian

* Neighborly friction with Catholics

* Better opportunities

* Migrated freely

* Some came with British regiments, as indent servants or prisoners

The American records of the 1700s are limited - there are no vital records, census records, or naturalization records. Researchers can use property, probate, court, military, cemetery, and church records to find their Scots-Irish immigrants. They came with family groups and lived near extended family, so look for ministers and their homelands.

Anne provided a one-page syllabus with a list of the Irish and Scots-Irish online resource websites.

This was a fast-paced, well organized basic research review on Irish and Scots-Irish research in both the U.S. and in Ireland.

CVGS Fall Seminar Summary: Donna Bradley – “Ways of Getting Over, Around, or Under Your Brick Walls”

2011-09-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Keynote Address at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Fall Seminar on 24 September was by Donna Bradley, titled – “Ways of Getting Over, Around, or Under Your Brick Walls.”

In her 30 minute lecture, Donna noted that "Everybody has brick walls;" "Genealogy is the world’s greatest treasure hunt. No one is going to hand you a map;" "You can’t hide who you are, neither could your ancestors;" "The key for what you’re looking for is in history;" and "Nothing takes more time than genealogy."

She noted that the "usual resources" found by researchers are – home papers/photos, family papers,census records, Internet searches, county vital records (in California since 1905), etc. There are other records available, but they are harder to find.

Information from one record triggers clues and hintsand leads to more information. Consulting with friends, relatives,colleagues works well – two brains are better than one. There are people out there that knowsomething about your family, you just need to find them! Nobody will search for your peoplebetter than you will.

Donna suggested looking for records of:

* Plaintiffs and defendants in court cases
* Books, magazines and publications
* Church records – every religion has records
* Voters lists
* Tax lists
* BLM land patents
* School records sometime have family information; Alumni books often have information
* State and National Archives
* Historical and genealogical societies and museums

This was a good basic summary of how to try to break down your brick wall research problems.

Wednesday, September 28 Program - "Finding the Living - and Maybe the Dead"

2011-09-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) program on Wednesday, 28 September at 12 noon in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street, Chula Vista CA 91910) features:

Arnold Botts on "Finding the Living - and Maybe the Dead."

Arnold Botts is a retired Sergeant with the Chula Vista Police Department. He joined the department in 1968, and retired 25 years later, having worked most aspects of police work including patrol, detectives, and under cover. Since retirement, he has been a private investigator, working several aspects of that field. His work has included covert surveillance, personal protection, criminal and civil investigations, and background investigations.

His presentation will discuss methods and resources that private investigators use to find living people. This has a direct application to genealogists trying to locate living relatives, old friends and classmates.

This program is free for all persons to attend. Please enter the auditorium through the conference room door in order to register your attendance, pick up the program sheet and have a snack and drink, compliments of CVGS.

CVGS Research Group Summary - September 14th

2011-09-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

by Gary Brock:

TheChulaVista Genealogical Society ResearchGroup meeting on September 14^thhad nine members in attendance. Our illustrious leader, Randy Seaver,was absent, however. Randy played hooky for this session to attendthe FGS conference back in Springfield,Illinois then to Fort Wayne to do some research at the Allen CountyPublic Library followed by a stop in Michigan to visit bloggerfriends and finally to Wisconsin to complete his genealogy tour withLinda. You can follow him on his tour at www.geneamusings.com

Inthe first hour and a half, the group watched a Legacy Family Treewebinar by Thomas MacEntee who presented "BACKING UP YourGenealogy Data," which Randy obtained at the SCGS Jamboree inJune.Thehandout attachment was sent to all members the day before the meetingfor them to print out and bring to the meeting. In the presentation,Thomas discussed Makinga data backup plan, Identifying data for backup, Types of backupsand several Onlinedata backup services.

Afterthe presentation we had an open sharing, with research highlights,questions and answers, etc.

Thehighlights:

*Karen shared a discovery thatmay explain how an ancestor named Leland Stanford Steeves got hisname.Leland Stanford,of course, was a prominent early California tycoon, governor andfounder of the now prestigious StanfordUniversity.Shelearned that her ancestor was born just seven days after the death ofhis famous namesake and his parents probably used the news ofStanford’s death to pick a name for their new son. Maybe for goodluck or prestige in life. Karen has so far found no connectionbetween her Steeves ancestors and the Stanfords.

*Shirley hasbeen working in the 1790-1840s on her Pearsals,Millersand Graveslines. She found it interesting that herancestor Thomas Graves enlisted twice in the War of 1812, and has apension file. The file enabled her to find his family in the 1810 USCensus in Minden, New York. It appears that he would not have beenmuch over twelve years old on his first enlistment. John Graves, thefather, enlisted in the War of 1812 also.

*Verena toldus about her confusion while working on her Debra Magroo. It seemsthere are so many Magroos in the area where she is researching thatit is hard to know who is who.

*Dearlsaid he had the same problem with his Glenn line in South Carolina.In looking for one of his Glenn ancestors in the early censuses hefound fifteen men, (heads of household), all with same name.

Thenext CVGS Research Group meeting will be Wednesday,October 12th at 12 noon inthe Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.No topic has been selected but Randy will probably have much to tellus about his Midwest Genealogy Tour and the FGS conference.

CVGS Fall Seminar on 24 September 2011 at Chula Vista Golf Course

2011-09-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Fall Seminar of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be on Saturday, 24 September 2011 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chula Vista Golf Course (4475 Bonita Road, Bonita, California).

The featured speakers and their subjects will be:

Keynote Address: Donna Bradley -- "Ways of Getting Over, Around or Under Your Brick Walls"

Morning Presentation: Anne Bowman -- "Scots-Irish Research Clues"

Afternoon Presentation: Donna Bradley -- "American Indian Research"

This is an all-day paid event. Registrations end on 15 September 2011. The registration fee is $35 which includes morning refreshments, a keynote address, two main sessions, a fully catered lunch, afternoon light refreshments, opportunity drawings and door prizes. There will be vendors on hand with books, CDs, Photo kits, Handwriting Analysis and a Society book sale.

The schedule for the day is:

8:30 a.m. Check-in, registration, Venders setup
9:00 a.m. Opening and introductions by President Gary Brock
9:15 a.m. KeyNote Address: Donna Bradley, "Ways of Getting Over, Around or Under Your Brick Walls", Q and A
10:00 a.m. Drawings, Break, Refreshments, (vendor tables open)
10:30 a.m. Anne Bowman, "Scots-Irish Research Clues", Q and A
11:30 a.m. Drawings, Lunch (vendor tables open)
1:00 p.m. Announcements, Drawings
1:15 p.m. Donna Bradley, "American Indian Research", Q and A
2:30 p.m. Drawings, Refreshments, (vendor tables open)
3:00 p.m. Seminar end

(Click here) if you would like to register on-line for this event.

(Click here) if you would like to register by mail for this event.

For a flyer on this seminar (click here).

"Research Methods in Pennsylvania" on Saturday, 3 September at Bonita Library

2011-08-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

The September 2011 Workshop for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is Saturday, 3 September, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita).

The workshop will be "Research Methods in Pennsylvania," presented by Susi Pentico, the CVGS Education Chair.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - September 2011

2011-08-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for September 2011 include:

** Saturday, 3 September, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Susi Pentico will present "Research Methods in Pennsylvania."

** Wednesday 14 September, 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, 21 September, 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, 24 September, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Chula Vista Golf Course (4475 Bonita Road in Bonita) -- CVGS Fall Seminar ($35 includes catered lunch):

Keynote speaker: Donna Bradley -- "Ways of Getting Over, Around or Under Your Brick Wall"
Morning Presentation: Anne Bowman -- "Scots-Irish Research Clues"
Afternoon Presentation: Donna Bradley -- "American Indian research"

Reservations are required by 15 September! Registration for available at http://www.rootsweb.com/~cacvgs2/ -- Click EVENTS, or call Virginia Taylor (619-425-7922 or 619-690-1188).

** Wednesday, 28 September, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. Arnie Botts (Private Investigator) will present "How to Find Relatives - Living or Dead." 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

CVGS Computer Group Highlights - 17 August 2011

2011-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

The CVGS Computer Group on 17 August 2011 had ten attendees.

Randy demonstrated how to register for Legacy Family Tree webinars and how to access the archived webinars.

Shirley demonstrated how to access the Rootsweb "Books We Own" site (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bwo/) and how to use it. Then she visited the U.S. Town/County Database (http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/townco.cgi) and ended up in the WorldConnect Project family tree database (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/). Many sttendees worked in the WorldConnect database for awhile.

Next up was a demonstration of how to use the FamilySearch website (https://www.FamilysEarch.org), including doing a global search and a specific collection search in the new site, and how to access the databases on the old site (http://www.FamilySearch.org/eng).

Lastly, the group explored the US Genealogy Web site (www.USGenWeb.org) and looked at the California GenWeb page (www.cagenweb.org).

CVGS Annual Summer Picnic Highlights

2011-08-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

...

We tried something different this year for the CVGS Annual Summer Picnic - we held it at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library and had the program indoors in the Community Room on Monday, 15 August.

The event started at 11 a.m., and the 13 attendees had their bring-your-own lunch in the shade on the patio adjoining the Community Room. We shared research and vacation stories.

We moved into the Community Room at around noon, and President Gary Brock showed some videos of Scottish Highland Games.

Rather than physical Scottish games, Gary used the "Let's Make a Deal" type of game board (which he made last year for the picnic) and we spun the dial to get as high a number as possible for four different Scottish "games." The highest number was 16, and the spinner could choose to "hold" at any time. The spinner had to take the result on the third spin of each turn. Linda Seaver won the game in a spin-off with Mary Lou Montez. It was great fun to see the strategy of the players.

A fun time was had by all!

CVGS Fall Seminar on 24 September 2011 at Chula Vista Golf Course

2011-08-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

...
The Fall Seminar of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be on Saturday, 24 September 2011 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chula Vista Golf Course (4475 Bonita Road, Bonita, California).

The featured speakers and their subjects will be:

Keynote Address: Donna Bradley -- "Ways of Getting Over, Around or Under Your Brick Walls"

Morning Presentation: Anne Bowman -- "Scots-Irish Research Clues"

Afternoon Presentation: Donna Bradley -- "American Indian Research"

This is an all-day paid event. The registration fee is $35 which includes morning refreshments, a keynote address, two main sessions, a fully catered lunch, afternoon light refreshments, opportunity drawings and door prizes. There will be vendors on hand with books, CDs, Photo kits, Handwriting Analysis and a Society book sale.

The schedule for the day is:

8:30 a.m. Check-in, registration, Venders setup
9:00 a.m. Opening and introductions by President Gary Brock
9:15 a.m. KeyNote Address: Donna Bradley, "Ways of Getting Over, Around or Under Your Brick Walls", Q & A
10:00 a.m. Drawings, Break, Refreshments, (vendor tables open)
10:30 a.m. Anne Bowman, "Scots-Irish Research Clues", Q & A
11:30 a.m. Drawings, Lunch (vendor tables open)
1:00 p.m. Announcements, Drawings
1:15 p.m. Donna Bradley, "American Indian Research", Q & A
2:30 p.m. Drawings, Refreshments, (vendor tables open)
3:00 p.m. Seminar end

(Click here) if you would like to register on-line for this event.

(Click here) if you would like to register by mail for this event.

For a flyer on this seminar (click here).

CVGS Research Group Summary - 10 August 2011

2011-08-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

...

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting had a lively group of 15 participants. In the first hour, the group watched a Legacy Family Tree webinar by Leland Meitzler who presented "Chasing Women: Finding Your Female Ancestors," which Randy obtained at the SCGS Jamboree in June. We passed the handout around and attendees signed up for a copy of it. In the presentation, Leland used examples from his own research to show which documents are useful to find the maiden name of female ancestors.

We had an open sharing in the second hour, with research highlights, questions and answers, etc. The highlights:

* Karen shared her good luck at Carlsbad Library finding books on the Geoghagen and LeCompte families of colonial Dorchester County, Maryland. She learned a family story too - that a native put a curse on Anthony Lecompte, the immigrant, because Anthony killed some natives. One of Anthony's sons, Moses LeCompte, went blind in early adulthood, and nine of his 11 children did also. A recent study identified the blindness as retinitis pigmentosa. Karen also shared finding a cousin who had wills, letters and patents for Grass Reeden, a Geoghagen ancestral home. The cousin also has found gravestones in a swamp, saw several ancestral houses and found Grass Reeden. There is a line of gravestones on the edge of the Geoghagen homestead property.

* Kris received her grandfather's military records from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. John looked them over and gave Kris advice on what they documented. Kris is up to five binders of family history material, and has found many contacts on Ancestry.com.

* Shirley found her ancestor Daniel Miller on two different 1850 census pages in New York and Pennsylvania and wonders how that happened. She also found that her ancestor Thomas Graves enlisted twice in the War of 1812, and has a pension file. The file enabled her to find his family in the 1810 US Census in Minden, New York. John Graves, the father, enlisted in the War of 1812 also.

* Gary found a writeup in the book Memoirs of Lenawee County, Michigan for an uncle of his great-grandfather, which had information on the family. He has also found Philip Roff in the 1790, 1820 and 1840 censuses in different places.

* Cynthia asked about cousin relationships and the "removed" terminology. The group explained it by diagramming a typical family tree.

* Connie has her grandfather's life insurance papers, and wondered if the application was available from the insurance company. The group thought that the company considers those private and probably destroyed them some time after the insured's death.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be Wednesday, 14 September at 12 noon in the Conference Room in the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. Gary will lead this meeting, since Randy will be on vacation. The group will watch the "Backing Up Your Genealogy Data" webinar featuring Thomas MacEntee, followed by group sharing.

CVGS Annual Summer Picnic - Monday, 15 August at Bonita Library

2011-08-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

...

The annual Chula Vista Genealogical Societypicnic will be on Monday, 15 August from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will meet on the Patio outside the Community Room at theBonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita), overlooking the golf course. Come into theCommunity Room (from inside or outside the Library) and go throughthe north door to reach the patio).

Pleasebring your own food and beverage, plate, cup, napkins, utensils, etc.

Bring awrapped gift for the gift drawings (maximum $10), managed by ShirleyBecker. There will also be a free Door Prize drawing.

TheProgram will be a “Scottish Highland Game” devised by PresidentGary Brock.

A map of the library location:

"San Diego Genealogical Societies" Panel on Sunday, 7 August at Bonita Library

2011-08-03T09:15:00.001-07:00

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society is hosting a panel discussion of "San Diego Genealogical Societies" at Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road, in the Community Room) on Sunday, August 7th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The societies represented include:

* Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS)
* Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego (CGSSD)
* North San Diego County Genealogical Society (NSDCGS)
* San Diego African-American Genealogical Research Group (SDAAGRG)
* San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS), including British Interest Group
* San Diego Jewish Genealogical Society (SDJGS)

If you are a San Diego area genealogist, please come on Sunday, August 7th and learn about the educational opportunities offered by these genealogical societies.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - August 2011

2011-08-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

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

** Wednesday 10 August, 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, 17 August, 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.

** Sunday, 7 August, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita - Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Panel on "San Diego Genealogical Societies."

** Monday, 15 August, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Annual CVGS Picnic meets in the outside patio. Bring your own lunch and drink. The theme will be "Highland Games."
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 - John Kracha on "Central European Genealogy"

2011-07-29T16:38:00.001-07:00

...

The CVGS program speaker on Wednesday, 27 July 2011 was John Kracha, who spoke on "Central Europe Genealogy and How to Get There."

John's presentation was about genealogy research and resources in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. He recommended doing all possible research in North American before going to Europe to research, and to try to identify the town and province where your ancestor migrated from to America.

For each country, historical maps showed how the boundaries of these countries changed over historical time. Due to the different religions in these countries, and the different languages used in the records, finding records and translating them is a challenge for researchers.

In each country, surnames can take many forms, and records can be found in local, regional and national archives and repositories. Records in Poland are restricted, and you really need someone to help you research in the country. In the Czech Republic, land records are important when the church records are exhausted. Slovakia is 69% Roman Catholic, and church records are important.

John's one-page handout listed many online resources - especially maps, archives and organizations - that will help the researcher get started and find help to pursue their ancestral family history in these countries. He also did some show-and-tell with documents and artwork from each country, and a published book about his great-grandfather, Johann Carl Schultz of Gdansk.

John's advice for persons starting their research in these countries is to:

* Use genealogical and historical societies (in the USA and in Europe) to learn and get help

* Use maps and websites to find towns and provinces

* Use mailing lists and message boards to get advice and help

* Use email and social network sites to make contacts with knowledgeable people in the USA and Europe

* Hire professional genealogists and translators in Europe to expedite research ($100 a day for a researcher is cheaper and better than doing research on-site yourself)

* Visit your ancestral towns and homelands, learn their history and enjoy their traditions.

* Use Paypal for payments to professionals, translators, archives, etc.

CVGS Program on Wednesday 27 July - John Kracha on "Central European Genealogy"

2011-07-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

...

The ChulaVista Genealogical Society meeting onWednesday, 27 July is at 12 noon in theChula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) Auditorium.

The program will feature JohnKracha presenting "CentralEuropean Genealogy, and How to Get There."

Theprogram description and John's resume:

Politicalmaneuvering and military actions have not been friends to genealogybuffs. Borders of European countries have changed and millions oforiginal records have been destroyed in two world wars and civildisobedience. John will address these issues and define approaches towork around and recover valuable family information from the modernCzech and Slovak Republics and Poland.

JohnKracha has been a member of the Chula Vista community for nearly 40years. He is an active member of the Computer Genealogy Society ofSan Diego (CGSSD), and served as President for two terms. John hasbeen active in the House of Czech & Slovak Republics in BalboaPark and provides assistance to visitors in finding ancestors.

There will be a short business meeting before thepresentation. Please enter through the library conference room doorto register your presence, pick up handouts, and enjoy a snack beforethe meeting.

13 July Research Group Summary

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

...
We had 15 eager learners at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group on Wednesday, July 13th, including one guest and many recently joined members.

Randy discussed the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree briefly, and passed around the printed syllabus. He then demonstrated the new Google Plus feature on Google (www.google.com), and described Circles, the Stream, Notifications, and Hangouts.

Then it was time for the main event - the Legacy Family Tree Webinar on CDROM, featuring Thomas MacEntee on "Google for Genealogists."

In this 75 minute video, Thomas takes the viewer on a whirlwind tour of many of the Google website's major features, including: Advanced Search; Books; Scholar; Images; Picasa; Documents; Calendar, Mail; Sites; Groups; Translate; Transcription; News; Reader; Alerts; Maps; Earth; and Patents.

Thomas used some of his own research to demonstrate the use of some of the features. We stopped the video every so often when one of the attendees had used one of the features effectively. For instance, several attendees had used Google Maps to find the location and street view of ancestral homes, and had used the Translate feature to write letters and read foreign language web pages in English.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be Wednesday, August 10th at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street, Chula Vista CA 91910). The group will watch another Legacy Family Tree Webinar on CDROM.

CVGS Research Trip on July 30th to Carlsbad Library

2011-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

The next Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Trip is Saturday, July 30th, to the Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library (1250 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad CA 92008). The library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We willcarpool from the Chula Vista Parking Garage (leaving at 9 a.m.) andbe at the Georgina Cole Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Randy Seaver (email: rjseaver@cox.net, phone 619-422-3397) to go on the carpool. If you prefer to drive yourself, please let Randy know so that there is an accurate head count.

Check theCarlsbad Library Catalog: http://cbcl.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/49/for surname and locality books before you go.

Upcoming Chula Vista Centennial Events

2011-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Centennial Committee (www.ChulaVista100.com) has these events planned in July and August:

July 20^th – Author Steven Schoenherr, author of Chula Vista Centennial book, will speak at 6 p.m. In the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Auditorium.

August 7^th – TAVA Centennial Lemon Festival

August 14^th – Centennial Military Appreciation Picnic – 12:30 p.m. At Veterans Home (700 E. Naples)

August 14^th to 20^th – Spirit of '45 / Centennial Military Week of Recognition on the USS Midway

CVGS Members are encouraged to attend these events and enojy the centennial festivities!

July 2011 CVGS Newsletter is Available

2011-07-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

...
The July 2011 issue of the monthly Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is on the CVGS website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_07jul.pdf.

The Table of Contents includes:

* July27^th Program Meeting - page 1
* President’sMessage - page 2
* LemonGrove Research Group News - page 2
* AskGene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques - page 3
* ResearchGroup News - page 4
* ComputerGroup News - page 4
* UpcomingChula Vista Centennial Events - page 4
* July16^th Saturday Workshop - page 5
* July30^th Saturday Research Trip - page 5

* CVGSGoes to SCGS Jamboree - page 5

* June30^th Program Review - page 6
* August7^th Sunday Workshop - page 6
* Computer-RelatedGenealogy News - page 7
* UpcomingWebinars in July and August - page 8
* NewChula Vista Library Hours - page 8
* CVGSFall Seminar Announcement - page 8
* CVGSSociety Information - page 9
* SanDiego Genealogy Events - page 9
* GenealogyDays in Chula Vista - page 10

CVGS Saturday Workshop on 16 July - "Genealogy Researching at the Carlsbad Library"

2011-07-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

...

The July 16th Saturday workshop is at 1 pm. at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) in the Community Room.

The featured speaker is Mary Van Orsdol, who will present information about the genealogy collection at the Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library (1250 Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad CA). This talk will help researchers going on the CVGS Research Trip to the Cole Library on Saturday, July 30th.

Mary Van Orsdol is the Genealogy Librarian at Carlsbad City Library. She received her B.A. in History from the University of California, San Diego, and her M.A. in American History from the University of Minnesota. She received her M.L.S. from UCLA and has worked as a librarian for nearly 30 years. Mary has been the head of the Genealogy division at Carlsbad City Library since 1997. She researches her own family and has a strong research background in New Netherland.

The holdings at the Carlsbad City Library can be seen at http://cbcl.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/49.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - July 2011

2011-07-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for July 2011 include:

** Wednesday 13 July, 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, 20 July, 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, 16 July, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Mary Van Orsdol will present "Carlsbad Library."

** Wednesday, 27 July, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. John Kracha will present "Eastern European Research." There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.

** Saturday, 30 July, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Research Trip to the Carlsbad Library (1250 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad), led by Randy Seaver. Cointact Randy (rjseaver@vcox.net) for car pool information.

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.

CVGS Program Summary - "Migration Patterns" by Susi Pentico

2011-06-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

The 29 June 2011 program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured CVGS member Susi Pentico's presentation on "Migration Patterns."

Susi started by saying "What we think we are we don't know who we are" and surprised the 26 attendees by describing the prehistoric migration paths out of Africa to all continents, as defined by the extensive DNA testing (see the map at http://cac-ib-geography.wikispaces.com/Migration+maps). Some of the unique cultures of prehistoric times, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Empire, the Great Migration into Western Europe, the Middle Ages, and European Medieval times were described with maps and text from online encyclopediae. The invasion of Iberia by the Berbers and Moors, the Vikings invasion of the British Isles and Brittany, the Black Death in the 1300s, and the religious turmoil of the Reformation were covered. Susi noted that "every time you have an invasion, you have a mix of ethnicities."

She went back to the DNA chart and discussing the migration of Asian people into the Americas during the last Ice Age over the Beringia Land Bridge. Finally, the migration of Africans to the Americas was described as 13 different migration episodes, but only two of them resulted from the slave trade (see http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/index.cfm), but she did not identify the different episodes. The concentration of African ancestored people in the USA was discussed based on the 1950 map on the African-American Mosaic website.

In the second part of the presentation, Susi discussed the migration of Europeans to North America, noting that more Italians immigrated to the USA than any other European group. The migration routes used between the early colonial settlements, over the mountains after the Revolutionary War, and then the westward expansion into the Louisiana Purchase and the far West were shown. The different colonial and westward roads were discussed, noting that many of them were along the same path as present-day highways. Travel on rivers and canals, and then railways, were discussed (from http://www.rootsandroutes.net/index.html and other websites).

Susi's two-page syllabus was emailed to attendees - if you want one, please contact Susi (susicp@cox.net).

CVGS Program Meeting on 29 June - Susi Pentico on "Migration Patterns"

2011-06-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

...
The June program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) will be Wednesday, 29 June, at 12 noon at the Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) in the Conference Room.

After a society business meeting, CVGS member Susi Pentico will present "Migration Patterns."

Migration patterns from Europe to the American colonies, and then migration within the United States as the country developed, are important to know for genealogical research. Wars and conflicts that created mass movements across the oceans and across North America, and Native-American displacement by the colonists and settlers, moving from their traditional homelands to faraway lands, will be discussed.

Migration trails make a big difference when one is attempting to find elusive ancestors. The “lay of the land” is important to determine migration paths. This presentation will also discuss the types of travel used at various times and in different regions.

Susi Pentico has been a family historian, researcher and genealogist for more than 40 years. She started at the age of 12 with her Grandfather telling her stories while sitting on the old hay baler in Platte County, Wyoming. His daughter, her mom, was already doing research, and the stories he told just made Susi want to learn more and more about her family. When her first child was gravely ill, Susi's interest in her in-law's family was spurred. Susi is especially interested in Medical Genealogy, and in the North Carolina Lost Colony studies and related DNA studies.

Currently the Education Chairperson of CVGS, Susi believes that our youth are our future, and education for everyone is key. After teaching online genealogy on the "Golden Gate Forum" on AOL, she taught on the Genealogy Forum, including a full month Family History event online. Susi is currently working with www.GenealogyWise.com as a chat host once a week. She is a member of several other local, regional and national societies (NGS,NEHGS, OGS (Ohio), Southwest Pennsylvania, etc.).

Please note that this program is at the Chula Vista South Branch Library at 389 Orange Avenue (corner of Fourth Avenue) in the Conference Room, near the west door off the library parking lot.

CVGS Computer Group Highlights - 15 June 2011

2011-06-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Computer Group meeting on Wednesday, 15 June had 10 attendees.

Shirley Becker led the discussion, first visiting the Linkpendium website (www.linkpendium.com) and demonstrating how to use the state, county and surname search features (http://searches.linkpendium.com/websearch.html). Shirley used her own research challenges to try to find useful information. In the process, she found information on several USGenWeb pages (www.usgenweb.org) for her counties of interest, and some surname information on the Rootsweb Freepages (http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/directory/genealogy.html website.

Most attendees then went merrily off on their own specific searches to find useful information about their family surnames, and the localities where their ancestors resided.

The next meeting of the CVGS Computer Group will be on Wednesday, 20 July, in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street). There are 12 computer stations in the Lab, and the leader shows her screen on the wall using the LCD projector.

CVGS Research Group Summary - 8 June 2011

2011-06-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group on Wednesday, 8 June, had 15 attendees.

Randy gave a short presentation on Cemetery Records, discussing the different kinds of cemeteries; types of cemetery records; how to find a burial location; published, unpublished and online cemetery records; going to the cemetery; making your visits count; plus examples from his own research.

Many attendees added comments, including "take a map of how to find the cemetery," "obtain a map of the cemetery grounds if possible," "take a cell phone," "take a voice recorder to describe the stones," and "check monument company records as well as funeral home records."

Bobbie noted that not all graves are in family plots, and to look at all sides of the gravestone. She displayed a gravestone rubbing of one of her ancestors.

Ann noted that the website www.GraveMarkers.ca was recently updated.

Karen noted that when her father was buried at sea off San Diego, she received a map with the exact location, and information about the U.S. Navy ship that performed the ceremony.

Helen contacted an Eastern Town Cemetery Association, which provided a helpful list of names from an index and cemetery record cards for burials with her surname.

Cynthia noted that people are buried vertically in Washington, DC in order to save space. Others noted that cemetery space in some European countries is reused after a period of time.

A general question asked was "What are the DAR and the FHL?" This reminded us that we often talk in shorthand. The DAR is the Daughters of the American Revolution heritage organization, which has an excellent website which includes the membership applications and ancestor information. The FHL is the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which has over 300,000 books, over 2.4 million microfilms, and over 700,000 microfiche sets. Information about the microfilm and microfiche resources can be obtained from the LDS FamilySearch.org website, and they can be ordered at a local Family History Center.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be Wednesday, 13 July at 12 noon at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista). The group will watch a webinar video on CDROM.

June 2011 issue of CVGS Newsletter is online

2011-06-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

...
The June 2011 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online for your information and entertainment. Go to: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_06june.pdf

The Table of Contents of this issue includes:

page 1 -- June 29th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 3 -- July 16th Workshop
page 3 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

page 4 -- Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group News
page 4 -- Upcoming Chula Vista Centennial Events
page 5 -- Bobbie Lane Accepted into French-Canadian Society
page 6 -- May 25th Program Review

page 6 -- June 4th Saturday Workshop Review
page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
page 8 --Upcoming Webinars in June and July
page 8 -- Family Tree Maker 2012 News
page 8 -- Historical county Boundary Map Tool

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

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - June 2011

2011-06-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

** Saturday, 4 June, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Randy Seaver will present "New England Genealogical Research."

** Wednesday 8 June, 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, 15 June, 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, 29 June, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. Susi Pentico will present "Migration Patterns." There will be a society business meeting after the presentation.

** Wednesday mornings (10 a.m. to 12 noon) - June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. He is ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a research problem or success, or just tell stories.

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.

Randy Seaver presents "New England Research" on 4 June in Bonita

2011-06-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

...
The June 4th CVGS Workshop will feature Randy Seaver speaking on "New England Genealogical Research." The workshop will be at 12:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road).

New England has a rich trove of genealogical and family history records, starting with the founding of each town, county or colony in the six present states.

In this presentation, Randy will describe the sources for vital records, land records, probate records, town records, family history books and periodical articles for Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont, including significant brick-and-mortar repositories and online research opportunities.

Anne Bowman on "Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogical Research" on Wednesday, 1 June

2011-06-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

Anne Bowman will present "Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogical Research: Tips and hints to help with the search" on Wednesday, June 1, at 6 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Library.

This presentation gives an overview of the subject matter and looks at the big picture of researching immigrant ancestors. We will review the historical context of these immigrant groups, which records hold the most promise (both in U.S. sources and those in the U.K.) and a list of useful websites and resources will be provided.

The Lemon Grove Library is at: 8073 Broadway, Lemon Grove CA 91945-2599. The library is in the corner of the shopping center on corner of Washington and Broadway across from St. John's the Cross Church and Anna's Rest. is on corner.

This is a free function.

CVGS Program Summary - "My Ancestors Came From England..."

2011-05-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

...
The 25 May program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured Fred Spong, a retired physician and genealogist, presenting "My Ancestors Came From England, and That's All I Know."

Fred started off reciting his ancestry, and all he knew about his father's origins was that he was born in England in 1909. He didn't know where. The first lesson that he learned about English research was that you have to find the town that they came from. He also heard a family story from his father's brother that the family was booked on the Titanic in 1912 but the children were sick with the mumps and measles, so they delayed migrating to Canada until 1914. Fred noted that he wouldn't be here except for the mumps his father had as a child.

His mother had his father's US citizenship petition from 1926, which provided a birth date, and birthplace of Wandsworth near London. With that information, Fred worked in the English Civil Registration indexes online and obtained his father's birth record in 1909, then his grandparents marriage record in 1906. He then continued back in time using the Civil Registration records and the English Census records to find the ancestral families. Before 1837, the church Parish Registers are the best resource for baptisms, marriages and burials, and Fred was able to take his Spong line back to 1720.

In his presentation, he showed these research processes, using the www.FindMyPast.com and www.ancestry.co.uk subscription databases, ordering the civil registration (birth, marriage and death) certificates for a fee through the websites, and making use of the Family History Library microfilms for the older parish records. It was an excellent example of using all the available resources - online databases, published books and microfilm records - to solve a research problem.

In the second part of the program, Fred described how to do surname research of a family with English ancestry, discussed the Guild of One-Name Studies (GOONS, www.one-name.org) and provided a short bibliography of American and English books that describe English social history, researching in England, origin of names, immigration records, etc.

CVGS Program Wednesday, 25 May: "My Ancestors Are From England"

2011-05-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

...
The May 25th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be at 11:30 a.m. in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street). The program will start promptly at 11:30 a.m. Please note the TIME CHANGE for this event only!

The Program Speaker will be Fred Spong on "My Ancestors Are From England, And That's All I Know."

The possibility of finding an ancestor in English records diminishes significantly if you do not know the town and county that he or she came from.

This presentation will discuss the avenues that can be utilized if the town and county of the ancestor are unknown. There are a number of resources available that may direct the researcher to the correct ancestor and they will be discussed.

Fred Spong is a retired physician who has been doing genealogical research for about 13 years. He is a past-President of the North San Diego County Genealogical Society, and is a delegate to the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

Please note the time change – 11:30 a.m. for the start of Fred's presentation. The Conference Room doors will open at about 11 a.m. for attendee registration, handout distribution, and a snack. The business meeting will occur after the presentation this month.

CVGS Research Group Summary - 11 May 2011

2011-05-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

...
We had 18 attendees (a record, I think) at the 11 May 2011 meeting of the CVGS Research Group. It was a lively group with lots of sharing and many questions (with answers!).

After introductions around the table, Randy Seaver made a 30 minute presentation on Maps and Atlases, and their use in genealogy and family history research. Using maps helps us find the residences of our ancestral families, help us determine jurisdictional location, help us understand the terrain where our families lived, and help us determine possible migration paths. Useful books, useful free and commercial map websites, and Google Maps and the Earthpoint site were covered.

Several attendees expounded on how maps have helped their research:

* Bobbie brought a plat map of Lake county, Illinois that helped her sort out neighbors of her Titus family.
* Myrna advised "grad and keep maps wherever you find them" and told us about some of her colonial town, cemetery and town cadastral maps. She noted that many historical societies have large cadastral maps on their walls or in their vertical files.
* Karen shared some Maryland Eastern Shore maps with family names that she found in a historical society and a maritime museum.

* Steve had a "Germania" map from the mid-1700s that he used to find ancestral towns.

Several question were asked about maps:

* Where can one find European, Canadian and United Kingdom maps? The group suggested www.WorldGenWeb.org sites for the countries, specific country archives and historical/genealogical societies, and the FamilySearch.org Research Wiki. For English parish maps, try the English Jurisdictions 1851 website. Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/) shows the road view, some street-level views, and the satellite view, for many settled places, especially in North America and Europe.

* How often does Google update their maps? The group noted that the road and satellite views are updated regularly, but Street Views only occasionally.

* How should we handle historical place names in our research and in our software? The group stated that place names for events should reflect the jurisdiction at the time of the event. However, the current software programs access Google Maps or Bing Maps, or similar, which reflect only current jurisdictions. This can be a problem for historical place names that have changed jurisdictions. The suggestion was made to use the current place name, but add the historical jurisdiction in your event or research notes and in the event description field.

If CVGS members want a copy of the handout from Randy's presentation, please contact him at rjseaver@cox.net.

May 2011 CVGS Newsletter is Online

2011-05-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

...
The May 2011 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online for your information and entertainment. Go to: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_05may.pdf

The Table of Contents includes:

page 1 -- May 25th Program Meeting

page 2 -- President’s Message
page 3 -- June 4th Workshop
page 3 -- SCGS Genealogy Jamboree June 10-12
page 3 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Tips and Techniques

page 4 -- Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group News
page 5 -- Chula Vista Centennial Historic Home Tour
page 5 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 6 -- March 30th Program Review

page 6 -- Tune in to Genealogy Radio
page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
page 8 --Upcoming Webinars in May and June
page 8 -- April 2011 Genealogy 101 Class Graduates
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information

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

Saturday workshop on 7 May: "Mid-Atlantic States Research"

2011-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

...
CVGS Member Susi Pentico will present "Mid-Atlantic States Research" at the Bonita Library (4375 Bonita Road, in the Community Room) on Saturday, 7 May from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

If you have ancestry in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia or North Carolina then this discussion might be useful to you.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - May 2011

2011-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

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

** Saturday, 7 May, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita County Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Susi Pentico will present "Mid-Atlantic States Research."

** Wednesday 11 May, 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 May, 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, 25 March, 11:30 a.m.to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. Fred Spong will present "My Ancestors Came From England, and That is All I Know." There will be a society business meeting after the presentation.

** Wednesday mornings (10 a.m. to 12 noon) - May 4, 11, 18 and 25 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. He is ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a research problem or success, or just tell stories.

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.

CVGS Program Review - "When the Sources are Wrong"

2011-05-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

...
Hank Jones was the featured presenter at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society program meeting on Wednesday, 27 April; his topic was "When the Sources Are Wrong."

Hank is, of course, a well-known actor, author and genealogical speaker (see http://www.hankjones.com/bio.htm) who now lives in the San Diego area, and CVGS has been fortunate to have him make presentations in 2010 and 2011.

In this talk, he noted that erroneous sources are part of the territory in genealogy. Each and every family historian has, at one time or other, run into a source that is wrong. Sometimes, however, the actual source is just fine: it's our perception of that old document that may need a bit of work. The talk discussed our common problem of erroneous sources and offers solutions as to what to do when we encounter them.

Derivative sources were discussed. The genealogical accuracy of the late-19th early 20th century "mug book" sketches of living families may be fine, but colonial generations may be erroneous. Census indices may have errors (for example, a published census index of the 1830 Federal Census of Maryland showed 52% error when compared with the original documents!). The pre-1930 family histories (which often lacked the Jacobus emphasis on documentation and weighing all of the evidence) should be critically reviewed. Some of the "saints and sinners" of the genealogical past are discussed, and names set forth as to which ones to trust (not Gustave Anjou!).

From his long work with German language church books in the northeastern USA, Hank discussed the quirks of old church books, with special note of errors made therein that are contemporary with the actual event - enough to send modern-day genealogists blithering and blabbering off into the sunset. Case studies of actual errors found in church records were presented, with solutions offered as to what to do when errors are discovered therein when compared with other known documentation.

Perhaps the most interesting discussion was the classical way that Hank developed the family sketches in his Palatine books - he used the church books (in German) to make family group sheets to capture all of the details about families, and to link them together. He had 17,000 family group sheets! He found it best to look for patterns in the records, and to watch for inconsistencies in the records (for instance, one pastor mixed the columns for witnesses and parents, resulting in many grandparents being named as the parents in subsequent transcriptions and indexes).

Hank had many words of wisdom for today's genealogists:

"Nothing is ever where it should be." You may find marriages mixed into births in original records, living siblings may have the same names, and many events were not registered.

"Original sources are often wrong." The attending midwife or doctor may list the mother's names as "unknown," a church book may provide a wrong birthplace, the writer of the record may not understand the informant's speech or dialect.

"Keep your antenna up when evaluating sources." "Cousin" and "nephew" did not always mean what they do today, and a "brother" or "sister" might be part of a religious order.

"Put your 21st century minds in the 18th century lives. Try to be your ancestor" Don't assume that our ancestors knew what you know, or that their lives were like present-day, or even 20th century times.

"Historians don't have to be genealogists, but genealogists have to be historians." Amen!

"Write down what you know, and provide your own interpretation and opinion. Use the 3 P's - perhaps, possibly and probably - appropriately."

"The mark of a really great genealogist is to be willing to modify their own work." New records are found that provide additional evidence for conclusions. Amen!

"Bob Anderson's The Great Migration Begins volumes are the books I wanted to write." I think Hank did fine with the much more difficult to research Palatine books!

This was an engaging, humorous and serious talk about an important subject.

April 27th Program: Hank Jones - "When the Sources are Wrong!"

2011-04-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

...
The April Program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is this Wednesday, 27 April at 12 noon in the Auditorium at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library (365 F Street). Please enter through the conference room door (off the east hallway) to register your presence, pick up a program, buy an opportunity drawing ticket, and have a snack to tide you over.

After a short business meeting, the program will be Henry Z. (Hank) Jones speaking on "When the Sources are Wrong." The description of the talk and Hank's biography are below:

Erroneous sources are part of the territory in genealogy. Each and every family historian has, at one time or other, run into a source that is wrong. Sometimes, however, the actual source is just fine: it's our perception of that old document that may need a bit of work. This talk examines our common problem of erroneous sources and offers solutions as to what to do when we encounter them.

Secondary sources are discussed. The genealogical validity of the late-19th early 20th century "mug books" are examined as to their accuracy. Census indices are scrutinized, and reasons for their many errors examined (for example, a published census index of the 1830 Federal Census of Maryland showed 52% error when compared with the original documents!).

The older family histories (pre-Jacobus emphasis on documentation and weighing the preponderance of the evidence) are looked at, with suggestions made as to which hold water today. Some of the "saints and sinners" of our genealogical past are discussed, and names set forth as to which ones to trust.

The quirks of old church books are studied, with special note of errors made therein that are contemporary with the actual event - enough to send modern-day genealogists blithering and blabbering off into the sunset. Case studies of actual errors found in church records are presented, with solutions offered as to what to do when errors are discovered therein when compared with other known documentation.

This topic is a universal one for genealogists everywhere, and this talk offers suggestions as to how to overcome the problems presented ... "When the Sources are Wrong!"

Henry Z ("Hank") Jones, Jr. has been actively climbing family trees since the age of eight, and, since his graduation from Stanford, has specialized in tracing 18th century German emigrants. Hank has written several books and many articles over the years. He received the NGS Award of Merit for "Distinguished Work in Genealogy" and has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, of whom there are only fifty in the world.

Computer Group Highlights - 20 April 2011

2011-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

...
We had ten attendees at the 20 April CVGS Computer Group meeting, in the Computer Lab of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library, led by Shirley Becker. Some highlights:

* Allen County Public Library site - http://ACPL.lib.in.us. The Genealogy Center (www.GenealogyCenter.org) has 222 online databases with mainly northern Indiana indexed material (no images). The online catalog for the library holdings is useful if a researcher is planning a trip there.

* The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/) has not only online book texts, but also audio and video collections - all free. The Wayback Machine was discussed - it has historical images of defunct or revised websites.

* Several features on www.Rootsweb.com were explored for the beginners in the group - the WorldConnect family tree database (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com), the U.S. Town/County Name Database ( http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/townco.cgi) and the Surname and Locality Mailing Lists (http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/).

* The group explored the Find-a-Grave burial database (www.FindaGrave.com), and noted that not every burial is listed here, but it is the largest online database for burial information.

The next Computer Group meeting will be the third Wednesday in May, the 18th, at 12 noon in the Computer Lab of the Civic Center Library. Please come if you need help on the computer, or if you want to explore online databases and need some help.

Book donations to the Chula Vista Public Library

2011-04-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

...
CVGS Librarian Bernice Heiter reports these donations were made by CVGS Members, or by CVGS funds, to the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library in August 2010 and are now on the "Family Research" shelves:

Donated by Susan Pentico:

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 152, Apr, July, Oct, 1998. 929.374 NEW

Donated by Dorothy Alvord:

Ofield, Helen M. and Pete Smith. Images of America: Lemon Grove. 929.3794 OLD

Donated by Shirley Becker:

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Vol 135, #4; Vol 136 , #1,2,3,4; and Vol 137, #1. 929.3747 NEW

Tree Talks: Essex County:Abstract of the 1800 Federal Census and part 2: Clinton County Abstract of the 1790 Federal Census. 929.3747 TRE

Rode, Arlene and Jean M. Hanchett. Subject and Surname Index to Tree Talks Vol. 37, #1,2,3, 1997
Vol. 41, #1,2,3, 2001; Vol. 42,#1,2,3, 2002; Vol. 43, #1,2,3, 2003; Vol. 44 #1,2,3, 2004. 929.3747 SUB

Donated by Randy Seaver:

Arons, Ron. Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records Sources and Methodology. 929.373 ARO

Purchased In Memory of CVGS Member Larry Schultheis:

Walker, Charles M. History of Athens County, Ohio. 929.3771 WAL

Purchased with CVGS Funds:

Rhode Island Periodicals: Genealogies of Rhode Island Families. 929.3745 GEN

Bryab, Wm S. and Robert Rose. A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri. 929.3778 BRY

Rosengarten, J.G. French Colonists and Exiles in the United States. 929..344 ROS

Murray, Sonia Bennett, comp. The First Parish Register of Belize 1794-1810 and the First Four Censuses 1816-1826. 929.3728 MUR

Dupuis, Kateri (Teri), Don Cayen et al. St. Louis Catholic Parish, Fond du Lac, Wixconsin: Repertoires of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1850-1920. 929.3775 DUP

McLane, Dennis, comp. An Index of Irish Events in Dorchester County, Quebec (Frampton & Vicinity Vol.) 929.3714 McCA
...

CVGS Research Group Summary - 13 April 2011

2011-04-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

...
We had 17 enthusiastic attendees at the 13 April meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group.

Randy Seaver gave a short presentation on "Newspaper Records" - showing how to determine what newspapers have been published in specific localities, and a list of online finding aids and online newspaper collections (both free and subscription). He also showed several newspaper articles from his family history, including a 50th wedding anniversary article, an ancestor's biography, information about an ancestor moving to town and buying land, and his recent research into an 1821 murder mystery.

Myrna G. described some of her family history newspaper collection, and she noted that they serve two purposes - to fill in some of the family history details of people's lives, and to provide information about births, marriages and deaths. Her examples included finding probate notices, immigration information, and life events. She noted that she has only used Ancestry.com so far, and was happy to get information on additional online resources. As a result of her newspaper research, she is off on a trip to Germany to meet some Zuck relatives and do more family history research.

John F. went to Illinois in March to see his grandson graduate from NTC, and was able to have two days doing research in nearby Lee and Will counties. He called ahead to the libraries, and the librarian had materials ready for him to review. He copied many newspaper pages with information about his Holdren families, and was able to determine the parents of his ancestor Mathias Holdren, the list of Mathias Holdren's children from an obituary, and Holdren farm sale news.

Helen S. noted that, she was able to find her husband's ancestor's obituary from cemetery records, and the obituary helped with subsequent research.

Susi P. and Shirley B. have had good success finding records on the Old Fulton History website and obituary clipping collections in libraries and genealogical societies.

Ann S. is helping to transcribe articles from Clark County, Wisconsin historical newspapers.

Other success stories included:

Shirley B. found a death date for her Jacob Plue in the 1860 Census Mortality Schedule, and information about a War of 1812 Land Warrant for another ancestor.

Susi P. found a compiled military service record for one of her second-great-grandfather's Civil War service - she had not known he had served.

Helen S. passed around an image of two records for a marriage, both dated the same day - one was the license to marry, the other the certificate of marriage, with different record book references. She also learned from this record that the bride had been married previously.

Randy shared news of the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree in June and the DearMYRTLE Organization Checklist he is using to create surname notebooks as part of his file organization task.

All in all, this was an informative session with lots of records discussed and questions answered.

The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 4 May at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.
...

Chula Vista Historic Home Tour on Saturday, 30 April

2011-04-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Chula Vista's 100th Year Anniversary of incorporation of the city is in 2011. The Chula Vista Centennial website is at http://chulavista100.com/. One of the major activities is the Historic Home Tour and Street Fair on Satyurday, 30 April from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Five homes will be on tour, along with our popular “Tea in the Garden.” There will be an old-fashioned street fair, vintage autos, a horse and carriage, costumers in period dress, cultural entertainment, raffles, and unique items for sale. The tour will include houses from 1896 to 1995, encompassing almost a hundred years. For more information and to buy tickets: http://www.cvhistorichomes.net/.
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society will have a booth located in the yard of the home at 344 Hilltop Drive. We will display memorabilia and history of our society, pictures and bios of our honorees, CVGS member, Mrs. Mary Nelson, and Mr. Roy Peters, husband of CVGS member Margaret Peters. Mary and Roy were born in Chula Vista over 80 years ago. Mary will be at the booth from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. to share her experience about growing up in Chula Vista and to answer questions. Mary’s ancestors and Roy’s ancestors have played an important role in the development and history of Chula Vista. The biography and pictures of Ann Hedenkamp, mother of CVGS member Eleanor Hedenkamp will be displayed. Ann was very well known in Chula Vista over the past sixty years, and the Hedenkamp Elementary School is named in honor of Ann and her husband, William. Other interesting items will be displayed and genealogical items will be sold at the CVGS booth.

The Home Tour and Fair will have vintage autos, including Model A’s, on view at each of the five historical homes on Hilltop Drive and at the Chula Vista Heritage Museum. A vintage horse drawn carriage will be available for rides. A trolley will furnish transportation from the Chula Vista Heritage Museum, 360 Third Avenue to and from the Fair route on Hilltop.

Refreshments and a place to rest will be provided to all CVGS members attending the fair. The picnic venue will be located at the Starkey House (21 F Street). Period dress is encouraged. Ruth Himan can be contacted for hats, parasols, and dress. Top hats are available for under 20 dollars for the men to "walk" the ladies. A simple suit, overcoat, etc would work fine for men. If you wish to reserve "dress" with Ruth ---it will be first come - first served. So call soon 619-934-0971. There will be dressers at Ruth's address on the morning of April 30th to help with dress, hair, or make-up, if desired.

This is an opportunity for a family fun day where family members of all ages to learn more about our society, its members, and Chula Vista history.

Probate, Will, and Insurance and the Law Seminar Review

2011-04-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had 32 attendees at the April 2nd CVGS Seminar, including five non-members, at the Bonita Library for the presentations on Probates, Wills, Insurance Papers, and the Law” by Del Stevens (husband of CVGS member Ann Stevens) and Michael Murphy (President Gary Brock's neighbor).

Del Stevens explained the history of insurance – it started the merchants in China insuring their wares in 2500 BC. Life insurance started in England in the early 1800s, and it was prevalent in the USA by the 1830s – New York Life, Metropolitan, Prudential were mentioned. Basically, the insurance agent assesses risk and defines the premium required to insure the life, property, etc. for a term. Insurance in the 21st century is confidential between the insurance company and the parties – the companies hold the applications and other paperwork and have no responsibility to provide it. If you find it in a set of family papers of an ancestor, the papers can be highly informative and are judged to be highly reliable, and would provide a good biographical snapshot at the time of the application. Property title information is a different story – they are public records and can be accessed at County Recorder offices.

Michael Murphy defined many of the terms found in probate records, including will, codicil, administration, etc. He also described the different parts of a 21st century will and what it needs to cover – name of the testator, state and county of residence, alternate names, and declaration that it is their will. The will needs to declare marital or partnership status, declare the children of the testator, declare an executor, and be signed in the presence of two or more witnesses. A formal will can be changed by a codicil, which revises or adds to the terms of the will.

After the death of the testator, the executor files a petition for probate of the will in the Probate Court, and the substantiating witnesses may need to testify in order to prove the will as valid. There is no probate if there is no property. In California, an estate with property values below $100,000 goes through an abbreviated administrative process rather than the more complex probate process. The executor must take an inventory and make an appraisal of the real and personal property, and provide lists for “separate property” (owned solely by the testator) and “community property” (jointly held with another person such as a spouse). If real estate must be sold to disperse the property to the heirs, then a notice must be published. An Executor's Deed would be in the probate records that shows the parcel number and a description of the property. The Executor files a petition for court approval of the final property distribution according to the will of the testator, the actions of the executor and the laws of the state. After court approval, the property is distributed to the heirs.

Both presenters provided visuals of some of the papers that make up insurance and probate papers based on their own family histories.

Paula Sassi on "Handwriting and History"

2011-04-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

...
The CVGS Program on Wednesday, 30 March featured graphologist Paula Sassi speaking on "Handwriting and History." Her curriculum vitae is listed in CVGS Program on Wednesday, 30 March: "Handwriting and History." Her website is Handwriting Consultants (http://www.handwritingconsultants.com/).

She noted that the handwriting of every person is unique - each person's brain controls their hand movements and there are variations in letter form, letter, word and line spacing, and letter slant.

Several different "art forms" throughout history were shown - from hieroglyphics, Gothic, and Spencerian "hands" to Palmer and O'Nealian copybook methods were shown as examples of how handwriting standards varied throughout history.

Paula said that graphologists use certain clues from the letter and word variations to identify personality characteristics. for instance, a leftward slant denotes interest in the past, the self, the feminine; no slant may indicate someone in the present and independent; a slant to the right denoted interest in the future, other people, and the masculine. How a person dashes t's, dots i's, and does lower zone tails (e.g., g, y) may reveal other characteristics.

Her examples were handwritten samples from her collection - famous signatures in a hotel ledger, Civil War and World War II letters, autograph books, dance cards, family recipes, etc. Paula pointed out some of the traits suggested by graphology in her presentation. The stories from the ephemera were even more interesting than the handwriting analysis.

CVGS FREE Seminar - Saturday, 2 April 2011

2011-03-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society is sponsoring a FREE seminar on Saturday, 2 April from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bonita Library (4375 Bonitra Road in Bonita, California) in the Community Room.

The seminar topic is: "Probates, Wills, Insurance Papoers and the Law: How It All May Affect Your Genealogy Research" presented by Michael T. Murphy (local attorney) and Del Stevens (local insurance broker).

The doors will open at 9:45 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Bring a sack lunch or visit one of the many nearby eateries.

There will be Opportunity Drawings, Two Door Prizes and Information Tables.

To Reserve your Seat:

Complete the reservation form online - type in your browser: www.rootsweb.com/~cacvgs2/page26.htm, or contact Virginia Taylor (619-425-7922, or irishdoll@cox.net). Provide your name, street address, telephone number, email address and if you are a current CVGS member.

CVGS Program on Wednesday, 30 March: "Handwriting and History"

2011-03-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

...
The March Program Meeting for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is Wednesday, 30 March at 12 noon in the Auditorium at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street, Chula Vista). After a short business meeting, the Program speaker will be Paula A. Sassi on "Handwriting and History."

Handwriting Analysis gives a glimpse of the past through antique handwritten books, letters and documents.
By exploring a fantastic collection of antique handwriting samples, you will achieve an even deeper insight into what handwriting can reveal about bygone eras. From paupers to presidents, the personality of each writer becomes evident from not only the words they wrote, but the letter formations they used. Examples include old hotel directories containing famous signatures, an 1890’s Mayor’s Docket from the City of Waco, Texas, letters from the Civil War and WWII, autograph books and other unique memorabilia. Take a trip back in time to experience history in a whole new way and find out information the history books never told you.

Paula A. Sassi, Certified Master Graphologist, has worked professionally in the field of handwriting analysis since 1980. Owner and director of her own corporation, Paula serves a diverse group of clients in the area of personnel selection, behavioral profiling and compatibility analysis. Top businesses and corporations seek her services for help in hiring and promoting personnel as well as in conflict resolution. Author, lecturer and teacher, Paula offers you one sure guarantee, you will never look at handwriting quite the same again.

Please enter through the Conference Room door on the East hallway at the library in order to register your presence, receive handouts, buy a drawing ticket and have a light snack. There will be a social time after the meeting in the Conference Room.

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

CVGS Research Group Summary - 9 March 2011

2011-03-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

There were 14 attendees at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group on Wednesday, March 9th.

Randy Seaver led a free-wheeling discussion of Marriage Records. He defined some terms and types of marriage records in a presentation, listed some online resources for indexes and records, and showed different types of records from his own research. The attendees shared some of their records, told some interesting stories about searching for records, and had many questions about finding them online and in repositories. Randy's handout is available for an email (rjseaver@cox.net).

Some of the research stories:

* Sylvia went to an unnamed county office and they gave her the original marriage certificate in the file, and put her name as a contact.

* Bobbie and Steve have had problems getting marriage records from a county clerk, and wondered if there was another means to obtain it. The group suggested looking for them in Family History Library microfilms.

* Helen was persistent and received the record on her second try, but with a different clerk.

* Many have had experiences with friendly and helpful record offices, with unfriendly clerks, have received no response to a mailed or email query, and have found some records were lost or damaged.

In question time:

* "How do you find information about specific state or county marriage records?" The group suggested the FamilySearch Research Wiki, the USGenWeb pages, a local genealogical or historical society, and FHL microfilms to determine what's available and how to obtain records.

* "What is the value of online trees, and which are the best?" The group noted that Ancestry Member Trees and Rootsweb WorldConnect are the largest collections of separate trees, but the FamilySearch Family Tree promises to be an interconnected tree when it is available to the public. The value of online trees is to serve as "cousin bait" and to provide leads to extending your family tree, but you need to verify the data since there is a lot of duplication and many errors.

* "How can I write to a state and obtain official vital records?" The group noted that each state has different guidelines, and that the state vital records websites provide the forms. Some states require your identification and a statement of your relation to the person whose record you're requesting, and some do not.

* "I saw the DNA chart on the wall at the Family History Center - is DNA testing worth it?" The group noted that Y-chromosome DNA for patrilineal (male) line descendants can provide confirmation of a surname line if close matches can be found for others with the surname. Likewise for mitochondrial DNA if close matches can be found for the matrilineal (female) line descendants. The new autosomal testing can decipher relationships up to third cousins if specific DNA markers are identical.

It was a very lively group this month - full of ideas, experiences and questions.

The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, April 13th at 12 noon at the Chula Vista Civic center Branch Library in the Conference Room. The discussion topic will be Newspaper records.

March 2011 issue of CVGS Newsletter is Online

2011-03-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

The March 2011 issue of the Chula Viata Genealogical Society Newsletter is on the CVGS website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/page04.html.

The Table of Contents includes:

March 30rd Program Meeting -- page 1
President’s Message -- page 2
April 2nd Seminar -- page 3
Research Group News -- page 4
Who Do You Think You Are? TV Show -- page 4
Refreshments Needed for April 2nd Seminar -- page 4

Computer Group News -- page 5
Chula Vista Centennial Celebration -- page 5
“Genealogy 101” Classes in April -- page 5
February 23rd Program Review -- page 6
Computer-Related Genealogy News -- page 7
Lemon Grove Research Group News -- page 8

Ask Gene E. Allogee, Research Tips and Techniques -- page 8
Our Little Corner of the Library -- page 8
CVGS Society Information -- page 9
San Diego Genealogy Events -- page 9
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista -- page 10

Chula Vista Centennial Celebration News

2011-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Chula Vista's 100th Year Anniversary of incorporation of the city is in 2011. The Centennial website is at http://chulavista100.com/. Activities planned in the near future include:

Monday, March 7th and Tuesday March 8th: 6:30 p.m., Chula Vista High School Performing Arts Center: Chula Vista Centennial Concert. Chula Vista musicians and performers from the high schools and Southwestern, and local professionals come together to play music from each decade from 1911 through 2011.

Friday, March 19th, Noon to 4 p.m. At Otay Ranch Town Center: Centennial Rally with the Padres

Sunday, April 10th, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. At Petco Park: Chula Vista Centennial Day at the Padres. Families and friends will gather Sunday, April 10 for a 1:05 game. Tickets can be ordered through the Centennial website.

Saturday, April 30th, All day: Chula Vista Historic Homes Tour and Street Fair.

Centennial Book: A beautiful coffee table book has been prepared to cover the history of Chula Vista by historian and Chula Vista resident Steven Schoenherr. CVGS has organized a group order. Contact Janice Nevills.

There are two occasions in particular that CVGS members are encouraged to dress up. The first is the April 30 tour of the historical houses and street fair in Chula Vista. CVGS will have a booth at this street fair. Olive and Janice Nevills are working diligently with many members to present the history of CVGS and it’s members at this booth. This would be a great day to bring family or friends for a fun day in Chula Vista.

To prepare for the monthly events, CVGS members are reading the 1911 fashion magazines to understand how a woman may be correctly dressed for any occasion with a limited wardrobe. Everything depended on her judgment and taste.

Dress coats were short waisted for men and women. Dresses could be empire waist, light summer frocks or of the new semi-princess style with front closing, thus obviating the necessity of having assistance in dressing. The closings were hidden by front and back panels. These panels are made in one with the front and back gores of a six-gored skirt. In general men and women’s shirts were high necked, full sleeve, full of body. Two favorite blouses of the time were the pigeon-front blouses and the midriff shirt with sailor collar. For inspiration of the dress of the time, it is suggested to follow the fashions of the TITANIC era.

Genealogy 101 - A Beginning Genealogy Workshop

2011-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

A “Genealogy 101” workshop for beginning genealogists will be held at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista) in the Conference Room on Tuesday evenings in April – April 5, 12, 19 and 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Students should attend all sessions. Randy Seaver will be the presenter.

The class will cover getting started in genealogy research, basic principles, charts and reports, file organization, different record types, library and online resources, genealogy software, and more.

There will be a $10 fee for class materials (payable at the first class).

Seats in the Conference Room are limited. Reserve your place by contacting Randy Seaver (email rjseaver@cox.net, phone 619-422-3397) as soon as possible.

CVGS FREE Seminar - Saturday, 2 April 2011

2011-03-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society is sponsoring a FREE seminar on Saturday, 2 April from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bonita Library (4375 Bonitra Road in Bonita, California) in the Community Room.

The seminar topic is: "Probates, Wills, Insurance Papoers and the Law: How It All May Affect Your Genealogy Research" presented by Michael T. Murphy (local attorney) and Del Stevens (local insurance broker).

The doors will open at 9:45 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Bring a sack lunch or visit one of the many nearby eateries.

There will be Opportunity Drawings, Two Door Prizes and Information Tables.

To Reserve your Seat:

Complete the reservation form online - type in your browser: www.rootsweb.com/~cacvgs2/page26.htm, or contact Virginia Taylor (619-425-7922, or irishdoll@cox.net). Provide your name, street address, telephone number, email address and if you are a current CVGS member.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - March 2011

2011-02-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for March 2011 include:

** Saturday, 5 March, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Escondido Family History Fair. CVGS carpool leaves at 7:30 a.m. from downtown parking garage, returns at 5:30 p.m. Contact Randy Seaver (619-422-3397, rjseaver@vcox.net) to join the carpool. Registration required ahead of meeting.
** Wednesday 9 March, 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 March, 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.

** Wednesday, 30 March, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. After a short business meeting, Paula Sassi will present "Handwriting and History."

** Wednesday mornings (10 a.m. to 12 noon) - March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. He is ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a research problem or success, or just tell stories.

** Wednesday evenings (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) - March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Genealogy Help with CVGS members in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. They are ready and willing to help people just starting on their genealogy research, discuss a research problem or a success.

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.

CVGS Program Summary - Margaret Lewis on Military Records

2011-02-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

The February 23rd Program Meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society at the Chula Vista South Branch Library featured Margaret Lewis speaking on "Identifying and Researching Your Ancestors Who Served in the Military."

To identify ancestors that might have served in the military, suggested checking your pedigree chart for men born between these years:

Born 1726-1767: American Revolution (1775-1783)
Born 1782-1799: War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Born 1796-1831: Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
Born 1811-1848: Civil War (1861-1865)
Born 1848-1881: Spanish-American War (1898-1902)
Born 1849-1885: Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902)
Born 1872-1900: World War I (1917-1918)
Born 1877-1925: World War II (1941-1945)
Born 1900-1936: Korean War (1950-1953)
Born 1914-1955: Viet Nam War (1964-1972)

She then identified possible records that are available from each time period that might provide information about the lives of military men. Items covered include Draft Registrations, Census Records, Enlistment and Service Records, Pension Records, Confederate State Service and Pension Records, Land Bounty Warrants, Cemetery Records, Disabled Soldiers Homes Records, Veteran and Lineage Society Records, Regimental History records, Discharge and Separation records, and Dog Tags.

During the presentation, Margaret effectively used images of different record types to help explain her points. She also told the story about her Union Soldier, and later Buffalo soldier, great-great-grandfather, Jacob Wilks being buried in San Angelo, Texas, without a memorial stone (he had just a gravestone). She inquired about purchasing a proper Veteran's marker for the grave, and the cemetery agreed to work with her. Before she knew it, she was invited to San Angelo for the dedication, all expenses paid, was treated like a celebrity, with newspaper articles, and met a second cousin who had been tending the grave.

CVGS Program Meeting - Wednesday, 23 February Features Margaret Lewis on Military Records

2011-02-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

..
February 23th Program Meeting

at 12 noon at the Chula Vista South Branch Library

(389 Orange Avenue, Chula Vista) Conference Room

"Identifying and Researching Your Ancestors Who Served in the Military”

presented by Margaret Lewis

Margaret Lewis is the Vice President of the San Diego African American Genealogy Research Group in San Diego, California. Marti is a compelling and influential voice in the genealogy community and she advocates for the study of Family History.

Her genealogical specialty is in Military and Slave Research. She is known for her boundless enthusiasm, and has provided genealogical presentations and workshops statewide in California, including Arizona and Nevada.

Marti's love for genealogy is expressed through her many published articles: "A Soldier's Story;" "My Family Link;" "He Touched Me;" and a family poem "Ancestral Roll Call."

She volunteers as a contributor to the “Find A Grave” web-site transcribing 100’s of obituaries and photos. She is also a consultant on African American Genealogy at the Family History Center in San Diego CA. During the month of February, Marti will be teaching classes in “Researching Your Roots” with Particular Emphasis on the Challenges Unique to African Americans, every Thursday, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Family History Center, 4195 Camino Del Rio South, in San Diego.

One of Marti's greatest feats was fulfilling a genealogical research request from an inmate in Norco State Prison. In a 12 hour period with only 3 names, she was able to add 5 generations dating back to 1795 to his very prestigious family tree.

In July of 2010, Marti was contacted by the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio, Texas, to see if she would be willing to share her personal story and documents on her great great grandfather Jacob Wilks, to be featured in an exhibit, which highlights the 9th U.S. Cavalry. The exhibit opened in July, 2010 through January 3, 2011. Marti is also featured in the exhibit. Two local newspapers from San Antonio, Texas, contacted Marti for telephone interviews about her contribution to the exhibit. See stories on links below.

http://www.examiner.com/museum-in-san-antonio/riding-into-history
http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/A-story-of-frontier-valor-783291.php

Please note that this program is at the South Branch of the Chula Vista Library for this month only. It will be in the Conference Room at the west end (near Fourth Avenue) of the building.

Research Trip to the Escondido Family History Fair on Saturday, 5 March

2011-02-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

The registration form for the Escondido Family History Fair on Saturday, 5 March (from 9 AM to 5 PM) are due to the organizers by Sunday, 20 February. Therefore, they should be mailed no later than Thursday, 17 February. The form is online at http://www.familyhistoryfair.net/images/stories/REGISTRATION_-_2011_2.pdf in PDF format. Download it, print it out, fill it out and send in to the organizers.

Attendance at the Fair is FREE. There are five sessions with 6 or 7 talks in each session on many topics from beginner level to intermediate level. If you want a printed syllabus with all of the speakers handouts, it will cost $13. If you want a box lunch and drink ( probably from Subway) it will cost $9. You can order them on the registration form.

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society will have a carpool to attend the Family History Fair. We will leave from the Chula Vista parking garage promptly at 7:30 AM, so that we arrive in time to register and get a good seat for the Keynote talk given by Diane Loosle of FamilySearch. We will leave Escondido at about 5 PM and be back in Chula Vista around 5:30 PM. CVGS will have a booth staffed by members in the Exhibit Hall to share CVGS benefits of membership and to network with other genealogists. Nobody can sell anything at this Fair, so the exhibit is mainly informational in nature.

If you want to go to the Family History Fair with the CVGS Car pool, then please contact Randy Seaver (619-422-3397, rjseaver@cox.net) to get on the carpool list. We will take as many cars as we need to get everybody there and back.

9 February Research Group Summary

2011-02-11T19:19:00.000-08:00

There were 14 members at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on Wednesday, 9 February at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

Randy Seaver discussed the basics of Land Records - highlighting State Land state characteristics of metes and bounds; Federal Land state use of the meridian, baseline, range, township, section and aliquot parts; finding land records on the BLM GLO website (http://blm.glo.gov/); finding older land records using grantor and grantee indexes and then in the deed book volumes, either at a county office or on Family History Library microfilm.

Bobbie described an Illinois court case she is investigating from 1912 where a husband sued his wife, who was in a mental hospital, to sell land to his son.

Helen described an experience where she wrote to obtain a deed from a county office, and the clerk provided a contact with a cousin who requested the same deed.

Pam had good luck making phone calls to a Connecticut town. She received copies of deeds and family information from the clerk.

Dolores asked where people obtain research logs. Some attendees said they obtain them online or make their own a word processor. Randy showed some examples of his forms that are in Microsoft word.

Pam asked about obtaining vital records, land records and probate records in Columbia County in New York state. Shirley described the administrative jurisdictions in New York of hamlets, villages, towns, cities and counties. Randy mentioned that there are quite a few church record books for Columbia County in the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC), and that land and probate records for most counties are in the FHLC. Others recommended checking the USGenWeb links for New York counties - some are very well done and have lots of user-contributed information.

The next CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, 9 March at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista).

CVGS Newsletter for February 2011 is Available

2011-02-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter for February 2011 was published on 7 February, and distributed via a PDF email attachment and by postal mail to those who requested it. The Newsletter is online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/11_02feb.pdf

The Table of Contents includes:

* page 1 -- February 23rd Program Meeting

* page 2 -- President’s Message
* page 2 -- April 2nd Seminar Notice
* page 3 -- January 26th Program Review
* page 3 -- Escondido Family History Fair Announcement
* page 4 -- Research Group News
* page 4 -- Who Do You Think You Are? TV Show
* page 5 -- Computer Group News
* page 5 -- Chula Vista Centennial Celebration News
* page 5 -- Genealogy 101” Classes Coming Soon

* page 6 -- Book Review: Life in the Civil War
* page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
* page 8 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
* page 8 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Research Tips and Techniques
* page 8 -- Query: Lee and Lorna Lampkin
* page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
* page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
* page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - February 2011

2011-02-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for January 2011 include:

** Saturday, 5 February, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Bonita Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Genealogy Workshop meets in the Community Room, with Shirley Becker leading a discussion of "Beginning Computer Organization."

** Wednesday 9 February, 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 February, 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.

** Wednesday, 23 February, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. After a short business meeting, Margaret Lewis will present "Identifying & Researching Your Ancestors Who Served in the Military."

** Wednesday mornings (10 a.m. to 12 noon) - February 2, 9, 16, 23 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. They is ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a research problem or success, or just tell stories.

** Wednesday evenings (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) - February 2, 9, 16, 23 - Genealogy Help with CVGS members in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. They are ready and willing to help people just starting on their genealogy research, discuss a research problem or a success.

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.

Please contact Virginia (email irishdoll@cox.net) for more information.

Saturday Workshop - Beginning Computer Organization

2011-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

The next Genealogy Workshop is Saturday, 5 February at 12 noon at the Bonita Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita) in the Library Community Room.

Shirley Becker will lead a discussion of "Beginning Computer Organization." She has another beautiful presentation on how to organize and manage your computer genealogy files.

In her last workshop Shirley demonstrated how to organize your paper files so that you can find them when you want them. In this workshop she will show you how to accomplish the same with your computer files.

"Mining Genealogical History in Kansas" with Ruth Himan

2011-01-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Chula Vista Genealogical Society member Ruth Himan presented her program about finding her Hayley ancestors in Kansas records on Wednesday, 26 January at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library to 40 attendees. Ruth's CV is here.

Ruth's presentation started with the story of her great-grandfather, John Christopher Hayley, born in Tennessee in 1871 who died in 1931; the story is that he ran away from home when he was age 14, and family information indicated that he resided in Kansas. In the effort to document his life, Ruth used six tools - pedigree charts, family group sheets, migration maps, timelines, networking and library searches. On the migration map, she entered the known birth and death locations for family members (children and grandchildren).

In mining for genealogical history, she kept the CGSL Tip of the Iceberg chart in mind - it notes that only a small percentage of genealogical records are online. Ruth knew that much of the information on the Internet is inaccurate and unsourced, and she referred to the chart often to make her points. Her research steps included doing preliminary searching on the Internet, collecting evidence, verifying and validating her data with sources, using a research log, keeping a daily journal, and hiring researchers to do courthouse, library and cemetery work.

Ruth took her father and step-mother on a trip to Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee in search of their Hayley ancestors in 2010. She described her travel toolkit - a laptop, camera, phone, recorder, chargers, magnifying glass, comfy shoes, tourbook and door hanger.

Their first stop was in Reno County, Kansas where they met extended family. Then to Hutchinson, Kansas, her father's birthplace. She tracked down several addresses where the family lived, using a gazetteer and and newspaper articles at the library, and they took pictures in front of them. At the courthouse, she found that she needed a lot number rather than an address, so at the library she found the lot number on a Sanborn map. The courthouse archives were in the underground "salt mines" and she visited them.

Ruth also did some pro bono research for her CVGS colleague, Jaye, who wanted to know how her grandfather died in Hutchinson in the 1930s. Ruth found several newspaper articles, an obituary, and a death record - she found that he was run over by a young man driving a street cleaner.

Ruth's presentation was interesting, humorous and made the point that you have to get out to the libraries, courthouses and family homes to put the jigsaw puzzle of a life together.

CVGS Research Trip to LDS FamilySearch Center on Saturday, 29 January

2011-01-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

The first Research Trip of 2011 for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society will be on Saturday, 29 January.

We will go to the LDS FamilySearch Center in Mission Valley in San Diego (4195 Camino del Rio South, east of I-15, south of I-8, west of Fairmount Avenue, across from the Penske Rental building, on the south side of the street, in an LDS office building). The Center entrance is on the eastern side of the building on the ground floor.

The Center opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, and closes at 3 p.m. In addition to a significant genealogy book and periodical collection, the center has many microfilm and microfiche sets on site, with microfilm and microfiche readers and scanners. There is a nominal cost for photocopies. The microfilm/fiche scanners can be used to copy images to your flash drive.

There are many computers available with a number of commercial databases, including Ancestry.com, Footnote.com, WorldVitalRecords.com, and several others. Use of the computers is free, and printouts can be made for a nominal fee per page. Users can download computer images to their flash drives. The Center has volunteers to help you on the computers if necessary.

If you wish to car-pool with the group, we will meet at 9:30 a.m. on the second level of the parking garage in downtown Chula Vista (enter through either the F Street entrance near Marie Callender's, or the Third Avenue entrance near Fuddrucker's and go up one level to the middle). We will plan to leave by 9:40 a.m. and get to the Center at 10 a.m. We will leave the Center at about 2 p.m. and hope to return to Chula Vista by 2:30 p.m.

Before you go to the FamilySearch Center, check the FamilySearch Library Catalog at https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog for surname and locality books on microfilm or microfiche. You can order microfilms or microfiches for a nominal fee at the FamilySearch Center. You will be notified when they arrive and when they will be returned, and you will have to visit the FamilySearch Center again to review them.

Bring a sack lunch (there are no vending machines or restaurants nearby), your research notes and papers, a flash drive (if desired), and your enthusiasm for a day of research.

If you wish to carpool with the group, please contact Randy Seaver (619-422-3397 or rjseaver@cox.net) before Thursday, 27 January.

CVGS Program on Wednesday, 26 January - Ruth Himan presents "Mining Genealogical History in Kansas"

2011-01-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

The next program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) is Wednesday, 26 January at 12 noon at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista, between Third and Fourth Avenues) in the library Auditorium.

After a brief business meeting, CVGS Member Ruth Himan will present "Mining Genealogical History in Kansas." Ruth's CV and talk synopsis is:

Ruth Himan will be sharing a CASE STUDY of a child left fatherless by the Civil War. John Christopher Hayley (1872-1931) was born in Tennessee, and died in Arizona. Ruth's research of the "dash" led to research in the state of Kansas.

Demonstrating the principle that "The internet is only the tip of the genealogy iceberg," Ruth ventured out to Kansas with her family in search of the life of John Christopher Hayley.

This presentation will include preparing for the journey, gathering genealogy tools, establishing maps and contacts. Ruth will will explain how a little digging into the history of the dash, can lead to some very unexpected findings for the family and for genealogist as a whole. Everyone has a story well worth exploring.

Ruth's professional experience includes being a Quality Assurance and Documentation Manager, with full responsibility of a QA department from Receiving Inspection to Shipping, including engineering drawings, change orders, work instructions, and Quality Manual. Her experience and knowledge of military specifications enabled her to quickly and effectively develop result driven Quality Management Systems.

Ruth is the author of the genealogy blog http://genealogyisruthlesswithoutme.blogspot.com, Grandma's Genealogy Camp and and numerous other genealogical articles, presentations and blog posts.

Computer Group Summary - 19 January 2011

2011-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

We had 13 members at the Computer Group meeting at 12 noon on Wednesday, 19 January, in the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Computer Lab.

Randy led the meeting this month, and we visited the updated http://www.familysearch.org/ web site, where everything is FREE to any researcher. The pages visited and demonstrated included:

* The Home Page that has links for Learn, FamilySearch Centers, Give Back (volunteer indexing) and the Blog. And the Search Box tabs for Historical Records, Family Trees and Library Catalog.

* There are currently 530 Historical Record Collections with 20 to 30 being added each month by the imaging and indexing efforts. The user can find databases for a specific state or country, or choose by places, categories, or date ranges. Some collections have only an index, some have only images arranged in a logical fashion, and some have both indexing and images. Some collections have only indexes that link to images on a subscription web site.

* The Library Catalog page accesses the Family History Library Catalog in Salt Lake City, and is composed of books, periodicals and manuscripts on the shelf at the library, and microfilms and microfiche that can be rented at a FamilySearch Center for about $6 for a four-week period. The Catalog can be searched by place name, surname, subject, author, title, microfilm number, call numbers and keywords.

* The Learn page includes the Research Wiki and the educational Research Courses and Get Started. The Research Wiki has information about countries, states, counties, and general topics that can be added or edited by any registered user in a wiki format. The Research Courses page has more than 120 courses taught by subject matter experts at the Family History Library or professional researchers that can be watched and heard on the Internet. Some courses can be downloaded to a computer.

This was a whirlwind tour of the FamilySearch.org website, and many of the attendees found useful historical records online or microfilms to order at the FamilySearch Center next week. Everyone is now more aware of the offerings on the http://www.familysearch.org/ site and have some insight as to how to navigate the site to help their research.

CVGS Newsletter for January 2011 Available

2011-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

The January 2011 edition of the CVGS Newsletter is available online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/page04.html.

The Table of Contents includes:

page 1 -- January 26th Program Meeting

page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Saturday Workshop Meetings
page 2 -- Sunshine Report
page 3 -- December 15th Holiday Luncheon Review
page 3 -- Saturday, January 29th Research Trip
page 4 -- Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group News
page 5 -- Citing Sources by Dick Eastman
page 6 -- Book Review: If This Land Could Talk

page 7 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
page 8 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 8 -- Ask Gene E. Allogee, Research Tips and Techniques
page 8 -- Chula Vista Centennial Celebration
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

Chula Vista Centennial News - Schoenherr Talks on Tuesday, 18 January

2011-01-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

The Friends of the Chula Vista Library and four civic associations are sponsoring a Tuesday, January 18 presentation by Steven Schoenherr, author of Chula Vista’s centennial history book, Chula Vista Centennial: A Century of People and Progress.

Schoenherr, a retired professor of history from the University of San Diego, will describe what he learned about Chula Vista’s history while researching for the project. Chula Vista’s centennial will be celebrated throughout 2011. The event is free and open to the public.

It will be held at 6 p.m. in the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium at 365 F St.

To receive a special discount, pre-order your copies of the book (available May, 2011), go to http://www.chulavista100.com/book

Saturday Workshop, 15 January: "Organization of your Genealogy"

2011-01-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

The CVGS Saturday Workshop on 15 January will be at the Bonita Library (4375 Bonita Road) at 12 noon in the Community Room.

CVGS Member Shirley Becker will lead a discussion of "Organization of your Genealogy" based on her experience and knowledge. Attendees are requested to bring a pedigree chart and some of their family group sheets.

Research Group Summary - 12 January 2011

2011-01-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

The CVGS Research Group meeting on 12 January 2011 had 17 in attendance. The format of the meeting changed a bit - Randy chose a topic of "Military Pension Records" before opening the discussion to member's research problems and questions.

Randy discussed the information offered by the National Archives - a person can order military pension files, with a limited number of pages or the complete file. The file can now be ordered online at http://www.archives.gov/, and sent as paper files or as a PDF file on a CDROM, and paid for with a credit card. Online subscription services have some military pension files available:

1) http://www.ancestry.com/ has:

** Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 (indexed, images)
** American Revolutionary War Rejected Pensions (indexed, images)
** War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 (not indexed)
** Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (index only)

2) http://www.footnote.com/ has:

** Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files (NARA M804, indexed, images)
** Civil War and Later Veterans Pension Index (NARA T289, index only)
** Civil War "Widow's" Pensions (indexed, images, only 2% complete)

* Randy ordered a Civil War Pension File on CDROM from NARA on 15 December for $75, and received it in the mail on 31 December - 81 pages. He described some of the papers in the file, and passed them around. They included declarations, affidavits and vital records. Randy also passed around some pages from a Revolutionary War Pension File that included family Bible pages to prove the marriage and names of the children.

* Mary Lou ordered a Civil war Pension File online on 28 December and received it on 10 January. She shared some of the details, although it did not have the soldier's father's name which she had hoped for. She noted that the 1913 death certificate for the soldier in the file had somewhat different information than the death certificate she obtained in 2010.

* Helen told the story of Maude, mother of John Franklin Ables born 1902, one of her ancestors who married three times and was married in the 1920 U.S. census to Samuel Monroe Harris. A John Frank Glenn was enumerated, age 17, as a step-son to Monroe Harris. Helen wanted to know if this was an enumeration error, since "John Franklin" sounds like "John Frank Glenn." The group thought that that was the case, and encouraged Helen to create a convincing proof argument.

* Bobbie has asked the Lake County, Illinois Deed office to search for a specific deed, but they won't do it because she cannot provide some sort of finding aid - a deed number or a volume and page number of a deed record book. She knows the name, date and land description from a will, but needs to find the deed reference number. The group suggested go there to find it, hiring someone to find it there, or to use the Family History Library microfilms to obtain the reference number and even the deed image.

* Ruth noted that she found a useful family Bible being sold on eBay. She bid on it, but didn't get it. However, she captured the page images shown on the eBay page.

* Lana asked where is the best place to do genealogical research in San Diego. The group responded with at home on the Internet, at the FamilySearch Center in Mission Valley, at Carlsbad Library, at the SDGS Library, at the downtown San Diego Public Library and at the Chula Vista Public Library.

* Lana also asked where she can find colonial records for Virginia and North Caroline. The group suggested the Family History Library microfilms for church, land, probate and tax records, in addition to any published family history books.

The topic for the next Research Group meeting on 9 February will probably be "Land Records."

New Chula Vista Library Hours

2011-01-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Public Library has cut back their open hours due to budget cuts at the City level. The revised hours are, effective 7 January:

1) Civic Center Branch (365 F Street, Chula Vista):

* Tuesday through Thursday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
* Friday - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
* Saturday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
* Sunday and Monday - closed

2) South Branch (389 Orange Avenue, Chula Vista)

* Monday throughuh Thursday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
* Friday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
* Saturday and Sunday - closed.

Fortunately, the monthly CVGS Board meeting, Research Group, Computer Group and Program Meeting, and the weekly Table Talk meetings, are on Wednesdays at 12 noon at the Civic Center Branch and were not affected. However, the Table Talk sessions scheduled for Monday mornings and Sunday evenings are affected and will not be held.

Chula Vista Centennial - 1911 San Diego City Directory pages

2011-01-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

Chula Vista, California is celebrating its Centennial in 2011 - the city was founded in 1911. The Chula Vista Centennial website is at http://chulavista100.com/.

After reading about some early San Diego City Directories being available online at DonsList in Some City Directories Online at DonsList, I accessed and saved the three pages that were published for Chula Vista:

There are 59 entries on page 714, 97 on page 715, and 94 on page 716.

Unfortunately, the Directory lists only a name and an occupation, but has no addresses for the persons in the Chula Vista portion of the Directory, with the exception of those that reside in the Fredericka Home.

Perhaps the 1910 U.S. Census will help identify approximate locations of the residents of Chula Vista. More later!

18 boxes of history archives donated

2011-01-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

The San Diego Union-Tribune had an article titled "Historian's 18 boxes of archives donated" by Matthew T.Hall on 3 December 2010. CVGS member and Membership Chair Bobbie Lane provided the clipping. It reads:

"The papers, photographs and other documents that constitute the archives of am an who documented hundreds of years of San Diego history have been donated to Save Our Heritage Organisation, a local historic preservation association.

"The group announced this week it had received the gift of 18 large boxes -- the archives of San Diego historian Richard Pourade -- from David Copley, former publisher of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

"Pourade, editor emeritus of The San Diego Union, wrote more than a dozen books, including a series of seven that chronicled the region's history from 1492 to 1970.

"Pourade's archives had been part of the library collection of James Copley, David Copley's father, who commissioned the first of Pourade's books.

"Said SOHO in a statement, 'The copious illustrations, artwork and accompanying maps and diagrams make up them ost complete portrait of San Diego still to date, nothing has surpassed it.'"

This native San Diegan hopes that the Pourade collection will be displayed in an appropriate place so that all San Diegans can enjoy them.

More news articles from SOHO can be found at http://sohosandiego.org/main/inthenews.htm.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - January 2011

2011-01-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for January 2011 include:

** Wednesday 12 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.

** Saturday, 15 January, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Bonita Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Genealogy Workshop meets in the Community Room to hear Shirley Becker speak on "Organizing Your Genealogy." Participants should bring their pedigree chartss and family group sheets for one family.

** Wednesday, 19 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.

** Wednesday, 26 January, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. After a short business meeting, CVGS Member Ruth Himan will present "Mining Genealogy History in Kansas."

** Wednesday mornings (11 a.m. to 1 PM) - January 5, 12, 19, 26 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. They is ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a research problem or success, or just tell stories.

** Wednesday evenings (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) - January 5, 12, 19, 26 - Genealogy Help with CVGS members in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library. They are ready and willing to help people just starting on their genealogy research, discuss a research problem or a success.

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.

Please contact Virginia (email irishdoll@cox.net) for more information.

Holiday Luncheon Photos

2010-12-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

The 15 December Holiday Luncheon featured President Gary Brock thanking the outgoing 2009-2010 Board of Directors. He called each member of the Board to the front, including:

From left: Shirley Becker, Virginia Taylor, Barbara Ibaibarriaga, Gary Brock, Bernice Heiter, Ruth Himan, Susan Zimmer and Randy Seaver.

After the 2011-2012 Officers were sworn in, they posed for a picture:

The new Officers are, from left, Virginia Taylor (First VP - Programs), Mary Lou Montez (Secretary), Gary Brock (President), Bobbie Lane (Second VP - Membership), and Jaye Wright (Treasurer, not pictured).

CVGS Holiday Luncheon Summary

2010-12-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

We had about 30 attendees at the annual CVGS Holiday Luncheon on Wednesday, 15 December at the Chula Vista South Branch Library. We tried something new this year - we set up the food service in the smaller conference room, which gave us much more space in the larger room for seating and eating. Because Susi has been ill and was going out of town, Virginia managed the food presentation very well with the help of several other members. The ham and turkey were purchased, and attendees brought potluck dishes for salads, rolls, entree accompaniments and desserts.

President Gary Brock welcomed everybody, and made sure that everyone had a door prize ticket and a gift exchange ticket if they brought a gift to exchange. We had a moment of silence for the CVGS members, emergency first responders and members of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives in 2010. Then it was time to eat, and everybody filled their plates and enjoyed the meal, and the table conversation with their colleagues.

Gary started the formal program by showing a 15-minute slide show "Out of the Past" with photographs of CVGS meetings and luncheons since 2005. The 2009-2010 officers and committee chairs were then introduced and thanked, and pictures were taken for posterity.

Past President Randy Seaver then officiated at the 2011-2012 Officer Installation, reading the duties of each Officer and then swearing in the elected person to the Office. There were more pictures of the newly sworn-in Officers - Gary Brock (President), Virginia Taylor (First VP-Programs), Bobbie Lane (Second VP - Membership) and Mary Lou Montez (Secretary). The newly elected Treasurer, Jaye Wright, was not available, and will be sworn in at an early 2011 society meeting.

President Gary Brock presented an "Into the Future" message that encouraged the members to support their Officers and board, to be aware of the challenges that CVGS faces, and to be accepting of changes to society meeting schedules.

Finally, there was the wrapped gift exchange, the Door Prize (a large handmade Santa Angel donated by Bernice Heiter) drawing and the Opportunity drawing for the poinsettia table decorations.

A wonderful time was had by all in attendance, and was a fun and enjoyable start of the Holiday Season.