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

...
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

...
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"

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, Blue Ridge. Indians lived in these places, and lonely white males found Indian wives. It was rare to find Indian males marrying a white woman. 

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

Donna defined these Indian groups:

*  Mestizo - in Mexico, Central America

*  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 there are bands within tribes. Different tribes may have different dialects or linguistic characteristics.

To understand the history of Indians in North America, you have 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 white men 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 other genealogy research.  There are no cemetery plots - Indians usually cremated bodies rather than bury them. Indians were considered lower than black 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 state elections 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 moved between Indian culture and the American/Mexican government records.

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

Certain DNA markers mean certain things and are associated with certain races, tribes and/or certain locations. 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”

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 or Scots-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 immigrants traveled 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 or who lived in Ireland before emigration.  They are also called Irish Presbyterians, Ulster Scots or Scotch-Irish.  Many people from Scotland settled in  Northern Ireland 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 in Ireland

*  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-Irish migrated 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”

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 hints and leads to more information.  Consulting with friends, relatives, colleagues works well – two brains are better than one.  There are people out there that know something about your family, you just need to find them!  Nobody will search for your people better 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"

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

by Gary Brock:

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on September 14^th had nine members in attendance. Our illustrious leader, Randy Seaver, was absent, however. Randy played hooky for this session to attend the FGS conference back in Springfield, Illinois then to Fort Wayne to do some research at the Allen County Public Library followed by a stop in Michigan to visit blogger friends and finally to Wisconsin to complete his genealogy tour with Linda. You can follow him on his tour at www.geneamusings.com

In the first hour and a half, the group watched a Legacy Family Tree webinar by Thomas MacEntee who presented "BACKING UP Your Genealogy Data," which Randy obtained at the SCGS Jamboree in June. The handout attachment was sent to all members the day before the meeting for them to print out and bring to the meeting. In the presentation, Thomas discussed Making a data backup plan, Identifying data for backup, Types of backups and several Online data backup services.

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

The highlights:

* Karen shared a discovery that may explain how an ancestor named Leland Stanford Steeves got his name. Leland Stanford, of course, was a prominent early California tycoon, governor and founder of the now prestigious Stanford University. She learned that her ancestor was born just seven days after the death of his famous namesake and his parents probably used the news of Stanford’s death to pick a name for their new son. Maybe for good luck or prestige in life. Karen has so far found no connection between her Steeves ancestors and the Stanfords.

* Shirley has been working in the 1790-1840s on her Pearsals, Millers and Graves lines. She found it interesting 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. It appears that he would not have been much over twelve years old on his first enlistment. John Graves, the father, enlisted in the War of 1812 also.

* Verena told us about her confusion while working on her Debra Magroo. It seems there are so many Magroos in the area where she is researching that it is hard to know who is who.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

...
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

...

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

...

The annual Chula Vista Genealogical Society picnic 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 the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road in Bonita), overlooking the golf course. Come into the Community Room (from inside or outside the Library) and go through the north door to reach the patio).

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

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

The Program will be a “Scottish Highland Game” devised by President Gary Brock.

A map of the library location:

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

...
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

...
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"

...

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"

...

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, 27 July is at 12 noon in the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) Auditorium.

The program will feature John Kracha presenting "Central European Genealogy, and How to Get There."

The program description and John's resume:

Political maneuvering and military actions have not been friends to genealogy buffs. Borders of European countries have changed and millions of original records have been destroyed in two world wars and civil disobedience. John will address these issues and define approaches to work around and recover valuable family information from the modern Czech and Slovak Republics and Poland.

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

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

13 July Research Group Summary

...
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.