The October 2014 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published this week. You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.
The Table of Contents lists:
page 1 -- October 29th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Nametags
page 2 -- Membership Dues for 2014page 3 -- 2014 Season of Finding Your Roots Coming
page 3 - Obtaining a Social Security Application
page 4 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group Review
page 4 -- Research Trip to San Diego Central Library
page 4 -- Barbara Zaragoza Book Signing on 10/18
page 5 -- October 4th Workshop Highlights
page 6 -- Research Group Review
page 7 -- September 24th Program Review
page 7 -- RootsTech and FGS 2015 Registrations
page 8 -- Preserving My Family History for Posteritypage 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
October 4th Saturday Workshop Review (by Susi Pentico)
The “Engaging Your Family in Your Family History” workshop at Bonita-Sunnyside Library had 20 attendees, including 4 visitors.
We were happy for those who came and shared and shared and cared. We all went home happy and tired but felt that the attendees were really getting what we were attempting to share with them. Research is always easier when you can share and cross-check and discuss the potentials of information. It can be regionally, locally or distantly - it makes a difference to share.
Much credit goes to the Chart Chick, Janet Hovorka of Family ChartMasters, for her ideas and thoughts and the charts she provided.
The first session (of five) was “Create a Keepsake” led by Susi Pentico. A society tablecloth was signed by the attendees. If you signed it, just think - your name is going to kick around for quite some time. A suggestion was for small families to use a pillow for the signatures. Wedding gifts, family reunions, baby shower gifts, birthday party gifts could use the same theme idea.
The second session was “Storytelling.” Each attendee told a family story about their own life or that of an ancestor. As one person said, “if we did this question every four years, the stories would change.” It would almost be like a running diary of their growing up and living life from a small child to an adult.
After lunch, the third session, “Design a Family Crest,” was led by Karen Yarger. She talked about heraldry, and then demonstrated how to inspire family members to make a family crest, based on their interests and creativity.
In the fourth session, Karen demonstrated “Pictures With Captions.” Everyone had great fun adding funny captions to sample family photographs using “speech bubbles” and “thought balloons.”
The fifth and last session was “Family Genealogy Charts,” led by Susi. The handout packet contained five helpful genealogy charts – a pedigree chart, a family group sheet, a census chart, a research log, and a record type list. In addition a large multi-generational family tree chart, provided by Janet Hovorka, was given to each attendee.
I am hoping the 20 attendees will share in January how these ideas helped to get the family to think a little more about family history and how we lived in the past. Even if the past was only 20 years ago, it makes a difference.
We were happy for those who came and shared and shared and cared. We all went home happy and tired but felt that the attendees were really getting what we were attempting to share with them. Research is always easier when you can share and cross-check and discuss the potentials of information. It can be regionally, locally or distantly - it makes a difference to share.
Much credit goes to the Chart Chick, Janet Hovorka of Family ChartMasters, for her ideas and thoughts and the charts she provided.
The first session (of five) was “Create a Keepsake” led by Susi Pentico. A society tablecloth was signed by the attendees. If you signed it, just think - your name is going to kick around for quite some time. A suggestion was for small families to use a pillow for the signatures. Wedding gifts, family reunions, baby shower gifts, birthday party gifts could use the same theme idea.
The second session was “Storytelling.” Each attendee told a family story about their own life or that of an ancestor. As one person said, “if we did this question every four years, the stories would change.” It would almost be like a running diary of their growing up and living life from a small child to an adult.
After lunch, the third session, “Design a Family Crest,” was led by Karen Yarger. She talked about heraldry, and then demonstrated how to inspire family members to make a family crest, based on their interests and creativity.
In the fourth session, Karen demonstrated “Pictures With Captions.” Everyone had great fun adding funny captions to sample family photographs using “speech bubbles” and “thought balloons.”
The fifth and last session was “Family Genealogy Charts,” led by Susi. The handout packet contained five helpful genealogy charts – a pedigree chart, a family group sheet, a census chart, a research log, and a record type list. In addition a large multi-generational family tree chart, provided by Janet Hovorka, was given to each attendee.
I am hoping the 20 attendees will share in January how these ideas helped to get the family to think a little more about family history and how we lived in the past. Even if the past was only 20 years ago, it makes a difference.
Friday, October 3, 2014
CVGS October 4th Workshop: "Engaging Your Family in Your Family History"
FREE October 4th Workshop
“Engaging Your Family in Your Family’s History”
10 a.m. to 4 p.m, in the Community Room
at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library, 4375 Bonita Road
The first of five sessions, “Create a Keepsake” will show you how to have your family help create an heirloom that’s fun and practical. You will laugh when you see what it is.
The second session is titled “Storytelling.” Bring a short episode to share with the group - just a minute or two. It can be funny or dramatic, from your life or a distant relative’s. You’ll learn how the sharing of stories around the dinner table will get your family to open up. And how the children love to hear of their parents’ misadventures! Family history can be fun!
Bring a sack lunch, and we’ll eat picnic-style on the patio (weather permitting). Coffee, tea and water will be provided.
After lunch you can try your hand at an artistic project in “Design a Family Crest.” We will offer a brief overview of heraldry and show how you can get your family to design their own coat of arms. If your ancestors had a family crest, please bring it; perhaps you will learn something about its symbolism. And, here’s more fun for the kids – you’ll get some good tips on getting them to design their own personal coat of arms. What little boy wouldn’t want a crest with a T-Rex on it?
The fourth session, “Pictures with Captions,” will show how old family photos can provide a fun family activity. Bring copies of old photos (the ones from the 1950’s can be a hoot!). We will show you how comic-style ‘speech bubbles’ will get the family giggling and trying to top each other with funny captions.
We will cover “Family Genealogy Charts” in the final hour. You will receive a packet of useful charts with instructions on how to use them. If you’re a genealogy beginner, bring information on your parents and grandparents and our member experts will assist you. For the more advanced, we will offer useful information; and everyone will take home a large family tree chart to impress your family.
We will provide materials. This will be a great interactive event, so don’t forget to bring a short family story, copies of old photos, a sack lunch, a family coat of arms if you have one, and information to fill out a family tree.
All this, and a great Door Prize, too, supplied by Janet Hovorka (the “Chart Chick” and owner of www.FamilyChartMasters.com), who is providing the large family tree charts! And it's FREE!!
This is a FREE workshop for all persons to attend, intended to help beginners and seasoned
researchers engage with their family members in learning about their family history.
For more information, contact Susi Pentico at susicp@cox.net or (619) 623-5250. Thank you to Karen Yarger for writing this article!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - October 2014
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for October 2014 include:
** Saturday, 4 October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Susi Pentico will lead a workshop on "Engaging Your Family in Family History." Bring a bag lunch.
** Wednesday, 8 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, 15 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 22 October, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., San Diego Central Library -- CVGS Field Trip. Contact John Finch to sign up for car pool.
** Wednesday, 22 October, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Community Room. The speaker will be Annette Hubbell on "Witness to Gettysburg." Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Saturday, 1 November, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) --
CVGS Workshop. Susi Pentico will moderate a discussion on "Maryland Research."
** Wednesdays, 1, 8, 15, and 29 October, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
** Saturday, 4 October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Susi Pentico will lead a workshop on "Engaging Your Family in Family History." Bring a bag lunch.
** Wednesday, 8 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, 15 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 22 October, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., San Diego Central Library -- CVGS Field Trip. Contact John Finch to sign up for car pool.
** Wednesday, 22 October, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Community Room. The speaker will be Annette Hubbell on "Witness to Gettysburg." Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Saturday, 1 November, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) --
CVGS Workshop. Susi Pentico will moderate a discussion on "Maryland Research."
** Wednesdays, 1, 8, 15, and 29 October, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
September Program Review - Ceasar Castro on Mexican-American War - Part 2
Part 2 of Ceasar Castro's presentation on "California and the Mexican-American War From a Genealogical Point of View" was attended by 30 CVGS members and guests on Wednesday, 24 September at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.
Ceasar noted that historians want to highlight leaders and events, but genealogists want to find information about individuals - not only the leaders, but the soldiers and residents also.
In this talk, Ceasar provided a detailed history timeline of the events that covered the second capture of Alta California in late 1846, the battles in Baja California, and the end of the war in California in mid-1848.
In San Diego County, Colonel Stephen Kearny and his dragoons fought the Californios at the Battle of San Pasqual in December 1846, arrived in San Diego, and soon went to Los Angeles. In the meantime, Major John Fremont moved south from Monterey to meet Kearny in Los Angeles. Commodore Robert Stockton also moved from San Diego to Los Angeles to quell the Californios. The last battle for Alta California was in early California, and the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed with the Californios on 13 January 1847.
Kearny claimed command of California at the end of hostilities, and had a rivalry with Stockton. Fremont was named Governor of California, but was succeeded by Kearny as Governor in Monterey on 1 March 1847.
In the mean time, other military units arrived overland and by sea to help in California, and were soon directed to the southern tip of Baja California, traveling by sea. There were battles at San Jose del Cabo, La Paz and Mulege, with the Americans eventually subduing the Mexicans. The Battle of Todos Santos ended the fighting on 30 March 1847.
The fighting in Mexico ended in early 1848, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed in Queretaro on 2 April 1848. The treaty made Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California part of the United States, and Mexico received $15 million. Mexican residents of the captured territories were free to remain or go to Mexico, their property rights and land grants were respected. Some Baja California residents were granted transportation to Monterey and to make property claims in late 1848.
During this presentation, Ceasar highlighted the names of many of the members of the American forces who served in the different military units, and the Californios who fought with them.
Ceasart's handout was a general description of his two presentations, with a bibliography of published books and local places of historical interest.
Ceasar noted that historians want to highlight leaders and events, but genealogists want to find information about individuals - not only the leaders, but the soldiers and residents also.
In this talk, Ceasar provided a detailed history timeline of the events that covered the second capture of Alta California in late 1846, the battles in Baja California, and the end of the war in California in mid-1848.
In San Diego County, Colonel Stephen Kearny and his dragoons fought the Californios at the Battle of San Pasqual in December 1846, arrived in San Diego, and soon went to Los Angeles. In the meantime, Major John Fremont moved south from Monterey to meet Kearny in Los Angeles. Commodore Robert Stockton also moved from San Diego to Los Angeles to quell the Californios. The last battle for Alta California was in early California, and the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed with the Californios on 13 January 1847.
Kearny claimed command of California at the end of hostilities, and had a rivalry with Stockton. Fremont was named Governor of California, but was succeeded by Kearny as Governor in Monterey on 1 March 1847.
In the mean time, other military units arrived overland and by sea to help in California, and were soon directed to the southern tip of Baja California, traveling by sea. There were battles at San Jose del Cabo, La Paz and Mulege, with the Americans eventually subduing the Mexicans. The Battle of Todos Santos ended the fighting on 30 March 1847.
The fighting in Mexico ended in early 1848, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed in Queretaro on 2 April 1848. The treaty made Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California part of the United States, and Mexico received $15 million. Mexican residents of the captured territories were free to remain or go to Mexico, their property rights and land grants were respected. Some Baja California residents were granted transportation to Monterey and to make property claims in late 1848.
During this presentation, Ceasar highlighted the names of many of the members of the American forces who served in the different military units, and the Californios who fought with them.
Ceasart's handout was a general description of his two presentations, with a bibliography of published books and local places of historical interest.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
New Books in the CVGS Collection
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society has over 1,800 titles in the book and periodical collection at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library at 365 F Street in Chula Vista, California.
Thanks to the generosity of some of our members, and thanks to the Friends of the Library for looking out for us as genealogy books are donated to them, and thanks to our own Society for purchasing books in order to continually improve our collection, we have added several new books to our shelves. In case you are interested, you might want to take a look:
359.7097 MCH San Diego & Honolulu: A PhotoJournal through a Sailor's Eye, 1920-1943, by
Petei McHenry
929.1072 KEN Genealogical Records in Texas, by Imogene Kinard Kennedy & J. Leon Kennedy
929.1072 KRU A Guide to Chicago & Midwestern Polish-American Genealogy by Jason Kruski
929.1072 PET Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research,
by Nancy S. Peterson
929.3 DOB The French in the Americas, 1620-1820 by David Dobson
929.373 ARO Wanted: US Criminal Records, by Ron Arons
976.4004 ZES The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier, by
Scott Zesch
978.1 RIL Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie, compiled by Riley County Genealogical Society
979.478 CHU Chula Vista-The Early Years, Vol. 1, compiled by the Chula Vista Historical
Society
Thanks to the generosity of some of our members, and thanks to the Friends of the Library for looking out for us as genealogy books are donated to them, and thanks to our own Society for purchasing books in order to continually improve our collection, we have added several new books to our shelves. In case you are interested, you might want to take a look:
359.7097 MCH San Diego & Honolulu: A PhotoJournal through a Sailor's Eye, 1920-1943, by
Petei McHenry
929.1072 KEN Genealogical Records in Texas, by Imogene Kinard Kennedy & J. Leon Kennedy
929.1072 KRU A Guide to Chicago & Midwestern Polish-American Genealogy by Jason Kruski
929.1072 PET Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research,
by Nancy S. Peterson
929.3 DOB The French in the Americas, 1620-1820 by David Dobson
929.373 ARO Wanted: US Criminal Records, by Ron Arons
976.4004 ZES The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier, by
Scott Zesch
978.1 RIL Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie, compiled by Riley County Genealogical Society
979.478 CHU Chula Vista-The Early Years, Vol. 1, compiled by the Chula Vista Historical
Society
Sunday, September 21, 2014
9/24 Program is Ceasar Castro on Mexican-American War - Part 2
WEDNESDAY, September 24 th PROGRAM MEETING
from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
At Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium
Ceasar Castro – “California and the Mexican-American War
from a Genealogical Point of View– Part 2”
Ceasar Castro is a local boy. He graduated from Hilltop High School and San Diego State with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He worked at the Navy R&D Laboratory on Point Loma for 36 years before retiring.
Ceasar started working on his genealogy in 2008 when his sister, who had started earlier, asked him for help. However, slowly he took over the research. He joined the San Diego Genealogy Society and the Chula Vista Genealogy Society to learn more about genealogy. All of his ancestors come from Baja California. In researching his Castro ancestors, he discovered that two of his great-grandaunts married Irishmen in Baja. This puzzled him - how did the Irishmen end up in Baja around 1850? This started him delving into the history of Baja and resulted in his research on the Mexican-American War.
When historians write about history, they are interested in who made decisions and the result of those decisions. If an army is involved, they may give the names of some of the officers but not of the common soldiers. They usually only give the number of soldiers. But we are genealogists; we seek the names of all the soldiers. That is because we are usually looking for a particular person(s). This presentation on the Mexican-American War is from that perspective; what were the names of all the people involved in the Mexican-American War in California.
This presentation is a continuation from the February 2014 presentation.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
CVGS Research Group Review - September 10th
The September 10th meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Research Group had 21 attendees.
In the first hour, Randy reviewed upcoming CVGS meetings, the SDGS seminar on 27 September, and noted that the FamilySearch Obituary Collection now includes GenealogyBank obituaries.
He described helping CVGS member Dorothy, who is going to Demanrk in late September, with her Danish genealogy research. After writing a post on his blog, there were several helpful comments from readers and Facebook members, including offers for help from researchers in Denmark. The blog post provided a list of websites to check for Denmark resources.
In the second hour, the research challenges, questions and successes were highlighted by some of the attendees, including:
* Jean asked for help finding probate records of Nehemiah Tompkins, who died in Ontario County, N.Y. in 1836. Randy showed to find this record in the New York Probate Records collection on FamilySearch, but there was no entry for him in the Probate record index.
* Sally wanted help finding information for the ancestors of her husband's second great-grandfather, Julius Schaefer (1866-1968). She had a 1966 Wichita, Kansas newspaper article celebrating his 100th birthday. The article said his birthplace was Schramberg in West Germany. The group suggested finding all possible records in the United States that might name his parents, such as a death certificate, the Social Security Application, a passenger list, and a naturalization record. Then look for church records in Germany on FHL microfilms.
* Diane found a family coat of arms and wondered what the difference was between a crest and a coat-of-arms. Karen explained that the crest was part of the coat-of-arms. A Wikipedia article was found to explain it.
* Helen is still researching her Burleson family in Arkansas. She found land records in Clark County, Arkansas in 1858. A recently found correspondent has more records to share with Helen.
* Sylvia's great-grandfather immigrated in 1857, resided in Fargo, N.D., and then moved to Tulare, Calif. She found a naturalization record in Tulare, but it was not the declaration of intent. She asked if there might be more records. The group suggested checking the National Archives branch near Fargo to determine if one is available.
* Ana asked if FamilySearch has removed record images from some of their collections. The group noted that every collection has contractual obligations, and some contracts expire. The removed images might be available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library.
* John was contacted by a lady in Spokane who had been adopted. Due to a change in records access law for adoptees, she found out her birth mother's name, and found it in John's Ancestry Member Tree. After she contacted him through Ancestry, John's response to her was "I'm her brother, and I've been waiting for your call for a long time." John's family knew about the baby that his sister had as a teenager. He has shared more family information and is looking forward to meeting his niece sometime soon.
The next Research Group meeting will be on Wednesday, 8 October at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.
In the first hour, Randy reviewed upcoming CVGS meetings, the SDGS seminar on 27 September, and noted that the FamilySearch Obituary Collection now includes GenealogyBank obituaries.
He described helping CVGS member Dorothy, who is going to Demanrk in late September, with her Danish genealogy research. After writing a post on his blog, there were several helpful comments from readers and Facebook members, including offers for help from researchers in Denmark. The blog post provided a list of websites to check for Denmark resources.
In the second hour, the research challenges, questions and successes were highlighted by some of the attendees, including:
* Jean asked for help finding probate records of Nehemiah Tompkins, who died in Ontario County, N.Y. in 1836. Randy showed to find this record in the New York Probate Records collection on FamilySearch, but there was no entry for him in the Probate record index.
* Sally wanted help finding information for the ancestors of her husband's second great-grandfather, Julius Schaefer (1866-1968). She had a 1966 Wichita, Kansas newspaper article celebrating his 100th birthday. The article said his birthplace was Schramberg in West Germany. The group suggested finding all possible records in the United States that might name his parents, such as a death certificate, the Social Security Application, a passenger list, and a naturalization record. Then look for church records in Germany on FHL microfilms.
* Diane found a family coat of arms and wondered what the difference was between a crest and a coat-of-arms. Karen explained that the crest was part of the coat-of-arms. A Wikipedia article was found to explain it.
* Helen is still researching her Burleson family in Arkansas. She found land records in Clark County, Arkansas in 1858. A recently found correspondent has more records to share with Helen.
* Sylvia's great-grandfather immigrated in 1857, resided in Fargo, N.D., and then moved to Tulare, Calif. She found a naturalization record in Tulare, but it was not the declaration of intent. She asked if there might be more records. The group suggested checking the National Archives branch near Fargo to determine if one is available.
* Ana asked if FamilySearch has removed record images from some of their collections. The group noted that every collection has contractual obligations, and some contracts expire. The removed images might be available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library.
* John was contacted by a lady in Spokane who had been adopted. Due to a change in records access law for adoptees, she found out her birth mother's name, and found it in John's Ancestry Member Tree. After she contacted him through Ancestry, John's response to her was "I'm her brother, and I've been waiting for your call for a long time." John's family knew about the baby that his sister had as a teenager. He has shared more family information and is looking forward to meeting his niece sometime soon.
The next Research Group meeting will be on Wednesday, 8 October at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
September 2014 Issue of the CVGS Newsletter is Available
The September 2014 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published this week. You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.
The Table of Contents lists:
page 1 -- September 24th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Nametags
page 3 -- 2014 Season of Finding Your Roots Coming
page 3 - Ancestry.com Mobile App New Features
page 4 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group Review
page 4 -- San Diego OASIS Classes
page 5 -- FREE October 4th Workshop
page 6 -- Research Group Review
page 7 -- August 27th Program Review
page 7 -- RootsTech and FGS 2015 Registrationspage 8 -- New Books in CVGS Collection
page 8 -- SDGS 9/27 Seminarpage 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
The Table of Contents lists:
page 1 -- September 24th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Nametags
page 3 -- 2014 Season of Finding Your Roots Coming
page 3 - Ancestry.com Mobile App New Features
page 4 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group Review
page 4 -- San Diego OASIS Classes
page 5 -- FREE October 4th Workshop
page 6 -- Research Group Review
page 7 -- August 27th Program Review
page 7 -- RootsTech and FGS 2015 Registrationspage 8 -- New Books in CVGS Collection
page 8 -- SDGS 9/27 Seminarpage 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
September 6th Workshop at Bonita-Sunnyside Library - "Basic Genealogical Research Information"
The September 6th CVGS Workshop will be from 12 noon to 3 p.m. in the Community Room at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road).
Susi Pentico will lead this workshop of "Basic Genealogical Research Information."
This workshop is intended for beginning genealogists who want to understand the basics of genealogical research. The topics covered will include:
* A 5-generation pedigree chart
* A Family Group Sheet
* A Census record form
* A Research log
* A Research checklist
The forms will be provided to the attendees.
Susi Pentico will lead this workshop of "Basic Genealogical Research Information."
This workshop is intended for beginning genealogists who want to understand the basics of genealogical research. The topics covered will include:
* A 5-generation pedigree chart
* A Family Group Sheet
* A Census record form
* A Research log
* A Research checklist
The forms will be provided to the attendees.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - September 2014
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for September 2014 include:
** Saturday, 6 September, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Susi Pentico will lead a workshop on "Basic Genealogical Research Information."
** Wednesday, 10 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, 17 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 24 September, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The speaker will be Ceasar Castro on "California and the Mexican-American War, Part 2." Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Saturday, 4 October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) --
CVGS Workshop on "Engaging Your Family in Family History." Bring a bag lunch.
** Wednesdays, 3, 10, 17 and 24 September, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
** Saturday, 6 September, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Susi Pentico will lead a workshop on "Basic Genealogical Research Information."
** Wednesday, 10 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, 17 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 24 September, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The speaker will be Ceasar Castro on "California and the Mexican-American War, Part 2." Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Saturday, 4 October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) --
CVGS Workshop on "Engaging Your Family in Family History." Bring a bag lunch.
** Wednesdays, 3, 10, 17 and 24 September, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
Friday, August 29, 2014
August Program Review - Hall Horrocks on "British Parish Registers and Census Records"
The August 27th program for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) featured Hal Horrocks speaking on "British Parish Registers and Census Records." There were 35 persons in attendance.
Hal provided a list of important dates for British genealogical research, ranging from 1215 (the "Calling of the Banns" for marriage) to 1853 (the Cemetery Act). The most important dates were 1538 when Parish Registers began, 1643 to 1660 when the British civil War caused disruption in registers, 1812 for better regulation of parish registers, 1754 when Lord Hardwick's Marriage Act enforced banns and licences, and 1837 when Civil Registration was started.
A "Parish Register" is a book kept by a parish church that recorded details of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. The originals are usually kept in vaults in a county office or at the British National Archives, may be microfilmed (the Family History Library has many of them), or online in the International Genealogical Index (on FamilySearch) or in a county Online Parish Clerk (OPC) website.
The baptism records usually record the baptism date, the name of the child, the parents' names, the father's occupation, and the family's abode. The marriage record usually provides the marriage date, name of both parties,their condition (e.g., bachelor, spinster, widow), the type of marriage (banns or licence), sometimes their parents names, and their abode. The burial records provide the burial date, the person's name, their age, and where the person lived when they died.
The British Census was taken every 10 years since 1801 (except for 1941), but census records with every name in a household started in 1841. The last census presently available is the 1911 census. All of the 1841 to 1911 census records are available in searchable databases with linked images on several record providers (e.g., Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, MyHeritage.com, etc.).
Many mistakes were made in census entries. For instance, in the 1841 census, ages were rounded up to the next five years for adults, but not for children. Many persons were not enumerated because the enumerator failed to call back or collect the form. Name spelling errors are common. Hal reviewed a list of why your ancestors may be missing from the census (e.g., they may not have been home, or working away from home, or travelling, very young infants were often not recorded, older children may be living outside the home, children of remarried widows may be listed under their stepfather's surname, enumerator handwriting may have been poor).
Hal showed a case study of Eliza (Horrocks) Mason, born in 1819 - starting with the 1841 census, backtracking to find her baptism and marriage records in a Parish Register, then finding her in the 1851 to 1891 census records, and finding a death record in the Civil Registry.
All in all, this was an excellent review of how to find and use the British Parish Register and Census record resources.
Hal provided a list of important dates for British genealogical research, ranging from 1215 (the "Calling of the Banns" for marriage) to 1853 (the Cemetery Act). The most important dates were 1538 when Parish Registers began, 1643 to 1660 when the British civil War caused disruption in registers, 1812 for better regulation of parish registers, 1754 when Lord Hardwick's Marriage Act enforced banns and licences, and 1837 when Civil Registration was started.
A "Parish Register" is a book kept by a parish church that recorded details of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. The originals are usually kept in vaults in a county office or at the British National Archives, may be microfilmed (the Family History Library has many of them), or online in the International Genealogical Index (on FamilySearch) or in a county Online Parish Clerk (OPC) website.
The baptism records usually record the baptism date, the name of the child, the parents' names, the father's occupation, and the family's abode. The marriage record usually provides the marriage date, name of both parties,their condition (e.g., bachelor, spinster, widow), the type of marriage (banns or licence), sometimes their parents names, and their abode. The burial records provide the burial date, the person's name, their age, and where the person lived when they died.
The British Census was taken every 10 years since 1801 (except for 1941), but census records with every name in a household started in 1841. The last census presently available is the 1911 census. All of the 1841 to 1911 census records are available in searchable databases with linked images on several record providers (e.g., Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, MyHeritage.com, etc.).
Many mistakes were made in census entries. For instance, in the 1841 census, ages were rounded up to the next five years for adults, but not for children. Many persons were not enumerated because the enumerator failed to call back or collect the form. Name spelling errors are common. Hal reviewed a list of why your ancestors may be missing from the census (e.g., they may not have been home, or working away from home, or travelling, very young infants were often not recorded, older children may be living outside the home, children of remarried widows may be listed under their stepfather's surname, enumerator handwriting may have been poor).
Hal showed a case study of Eliza (Horrocks) Mason, born in 1819 - starting with the 1841 census, backtracking to find her baptism and marriage records in a Parish Register, then finding her in the 1851 to 1891 census records, and finding a death record in the Civil Registry.
All in all, this was an excellent review of how to find and use the British Parish Register and Census record resources.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Hal Horrocks is Presenter at 27 August CVGS Program Meeting
WEDNESDAY, August 27th
PROGRAM MEETING
from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
At Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) Auditorium
Hal Horrocks: “British Research – Parish Registers and Census Records”
Parish registers and census records are the core to British research. How to find and use them is the key to finding your English ancestors. All the basics necessary to effectively use them are covered.
Learn the important dates necessary for proper British research and how they relate to church records and the census. Baptism, marriage and burial registers will be explored in detail with many examples given and also how to find them. The British census will be explored in detail from 1841 to 1911 with examples of each along with their anomalies. How to search the online census records will also be explained in detail. Finally, an example of tracing an individual through the census records from 1841 onward using only the information given in a will as the clue is shown using online resources.
A native Californian and longtime Orange County California resident, Hal Horrocks is a professional genealogist, teacher, author and lecturer. He has been doing family research for 15 years and is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS), Guild for One-Name Studies, Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society (UK), and Cheshire Family History Society (UK). Hal is also the current President of OCCGS. He has written articles for publication in both the U.S. and the U.K.
This meeting is free to attend. There will be a short society business meeting before the presentation. Snacks and drinks are provided by society members before and after the meeting.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
August 20th Computer Group Review
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Computer Group meeting on Wednesday, 20 August had 8 attendees. Randy led this session since Shirley was just back from Utah and Gary was away on vacation.
The group visited three of Randy's favorite FREE websites:
1) Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com) which has over 116 million entries. Searching using names, birth/ death dates, and States/Counties was covered as was requesting photographs of gravestones (you have to be registered Find A Grave member). Some memorial owners or photograph providers permit users to use their material with attribution or permission.
2) Google Books (http://books.google.com) which has millions of digitized books, many of which are out of copyright protection and can be downloaded as a PDF file or added to a user's "My Library" feature on Google. Books that still have copyright protection are listed, but don't provide a full preview of the book and they cannot be downloaded.
3) Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) is a free digital newspaper website for the Library of Congress. A user can determine which newspapers were published in a specific location (State/County/City) or can search, using keywords, the over 8 million newspaper pages available between 1836 and 1922. Users can narrow their search by state and by year range.
Google Translate (http://translate.google.com) was also visited - useful for translating messages to or from one language to another for 82 languages from Afrikaans to Zulu. This is very useful for translating genealogy information in books, periodicals, messages, and social media.
Lastly, there was a question about finding the population of a place in a historical time. The suggestion was to look on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org) for the place name and read the history of the city or county or state. Many U.S. cities and counties have a list of population statistics from U.S. census records provided.
The next Computer Group meeting will be Wednesday, 17 September 2014 in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista, Calif.).
The group visited three of Randy's favorite FREE websites:
1) Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com) which has over 116 million entries. Searching using names, birth/ death dates, and States/Counties was covered as was requesting photographs of gravestones (you have to be registered Find A Grave member). Some memorial owners or photograph providers permit users to use their material with attribution or permission.
2) Google Books (http://books.google.com) which has millions of digitized books, many of which are out of copyright protection and can be downloaded as a PDF file or added to a user's "My Library" feature on Google. Books that still have copyright protection are listed, but don't provide a full preview of the book and they cannot be downloaded.
3) Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) is a free digital newspaper website for the Library of Congress. A user can determine which newspapers were published in a specific location (State/County/City) or can search, using keywords, the over 8 million newspaper pages available between 1836 and 1922. Users can narrow their search by state and by year range.
Google Translate (http://translate.google.com) was also visited - useful for translating messages to or from one language to another for 82 languages from Afrikaans to Zulu. This is very useful for translating genealogy information in books, periodicals, messages, and social media.
Lastly, there was a question about finding the population of a place in a historical time. The suggestion was to look on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org) for the place name and read the history of the city or county or state. Many U.S. cities and counties have a list of population statistics from U.S. census records provided.
The next Computer Group meeting will be Wednesday, 17 September 2014 in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista, Calif.).
Friday, August 15, 2014
August Research Group Summary
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Research Group meeting on 13 August had 17 attendees.
In the first hour, Randy discussed the Who Do You Think You Are? episodes to date, and rmeinded attendees that it would be on the next three Wednesday nights on TLC. He also noted his Genealogy Links web page at http://www.geneamusings.com/p/randys-genealogy-links.html as a place to find online resources. After showing how to find the UEL land petitions for Loyalist ancestors on the Library and Archives Canada website, he demonstrated using the www.Earthpoint.us site to create a file to use in Google Earth to "fly to" a land plot in the Federal Land system.
In the second hour, the attendees discussed their own research problems, asked questions, and showed their recent discoveries:
* Susi asked about the value of Mocavo.com as a commercial research site. The site is free to search over 300,000 databases, but is difficult to use without a subscription.
* Carole's second great-grandfather immigrated before 1857, but she cannot find an immigration record. She asked how could she find out more about him, his immigration, and his life? The group suggested a naturalization record, an obituary, a vanity book entry, census records, genealogical and historical society files, land records and probate records.
* Helen's great-grandmother's family was in only a few records, and it's confusing. A Mary had a Margaret Redmond in 1825 in Alabama who had a Mary Burleson in 1863 in Arkansas. There is a Thomas Burleson (age 37) living next door to Margaret (age 55) and Mary Burleson (age 17) in the 1880 census in Dade county, Missouri. The group suggested looking for a Civil War Pension File, checking probate and land records in the Arkansas and Missouri counties, and checking Find A Grave.
* Ralph has an ancestor who was a Mason and wanted to know if there were records from a Masonic repository. The group suggested finding a local chapter, or the national organization, and asking if they have records for the person.
* Linda is trying to find a court record in Durango state in Mexico for a name change. The FamilySearch Research Wiki was suggested, as well as contacting Moises Garza in Texas for advice.
* Sylvia showed off her genealogy tote bag with family pictures, and passed around more family records, including an 1857 land certificate for 640 acres in Texas, plus a San Bernardino, Calif. homestead record.
* Virginia's cousin in Indiana provided copies of handwritten wills of her great-grandfather Joseph Artman and his wife. Joseph's will didn't name his children, but Elizabeth's will named them all. There is also a guardianship record of Virginia's mother choosing her own guardian.
* Carole had a published book about the 1834 Giessen group of immigrants from Germany to St. Charles, Missouri. The book was in both German and English, and was full of pictures of pictures and homes.
* Bethel found wills on FamilySearch from Madison county, North Carolina from the 1774-1781 period that gives ancestors as witnesses and provides a location of family land on Cape Fear River.
* Sam sent to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis for military records for his father, who had a Navy career during and after World War II. He ordered the records online at www.archives.gov/veterans/.
* Gary found an online veterans group that has the "Daily logs" for his step-father's World War II Army Air Corps service, which has the list of missions for each serviceman. A story on the site doesn't match his step-father's recollection of the mission date and crew members.
The September meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, 10 September at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street).
All meetings of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society at the Chula Vista and Bonita-Sunnyside Libaries are free for all interested persons. to attend.
In the first hour, Randy discussed the Who Do You Think You Are? episodes to date, and rmeinded attendees that it would be on the next three Wednesday nights on TLC. He also noted his Genealogy Links web page at http://www.geneamusings.com/p/randys-genealogy-links.html as a place to find online resources. After showing how to find the UEL land petitions for Loyalist ancestors on the Library and Archives Canada website, he demonstrated using the www.Earthpoint.us site to create a file to use in Google Earth to "fly to" a land plot in the Federal Land system.
In the second hour, the attendees discussed their own research problems, asked questions, and showed their recent discoveries:
* Susi asked about the value of Mocavo.com as a commercial research site. The site is free to search over 300,000 databases, but is difficult to use without a subscription.
* Carole's second great-grandfather immigrated before 1857, but she cannot find an immigration record. She asked how could she find out more about him, his immigration, and his life? The group suggested a naturalization record, an obituary, a vanity book entry, census records, genealogical and historical society files, land records and probate records.
* Helen's great-grandmother's family was in only a few records, and it's confusing. A Mary had a Margaret Redmond in 1825 in Alabama who had a Mary Burleson in 1863 in Arkansas. There is a Thomas Burleson (age 37) living next door to Margaret (age 55) and Mary Burleson (age 17) in the 1880 census in Dade county, Missouri. The group suggested looking for a Civil War Pension File, checking probate and land records in the Arkansas and Missouri counties, and checking Find A Grave.
* Ralph has an ancestor who was a Mason and wanted to know if there were records from a Masonic repository. The group suggested finding a local chapter, or the national organization, and asking if they have records for the person.
* Linda is trying to find a court record in Durango state in Mexico for a name change. The FamilySearch Research Wiki was suggested, as well as contacting Moises Garza in Texas for advice.
* Sylvia showed off her genealogy tote bag with family pictures, and passed around more family records, including an 1857 land certificate for 640 acres in Texas, plus a San Bernardino, Calif. homestead record.
* Virginia's cousin in Indiana provided copies of handwritten wills of her great-grandfather Joseph Artman and his wife. Joseph's will didn't name his children, but Elizabeth's will named them all. There is also a guardianship record of Virginia's mother choosing her own guardian.
* Carole had a published book about the 1834 Giessen group of immigrants from Germany to St. Charles, Missouri. The book was in both German and English, and was full of pictures of pictures and homes.
* Bethel found wills on FamilySearch from Madison county, North Carolina from the 1774-1781 period that gives ancestors as witnesses and provides a location of family land on Cape Fear River.
* Sam sent to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis for military records for his father, who had a Navy career during and after World War II. He ordered the records online at www.archives.gov/veterans/.
* Gary found an online veterans group that has the "Daily logs" for his step-father's World War II Army Air Corps service, which has the list of missions for each serviceman. A story on the site doesn't match his step-father's recollection of the mission date and crew members.
The September meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, 10 September at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street).
All meetings of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society at the Chula Vista and Bonita-Sunnyside Libaries are free for all interested persons. to attend.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
August 2014 CVGS Newsletter is Available
The August 2014 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published this week. You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.
The Table of Contents lists:
page 1 -- August 27th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Nametags
page 2 -- Do You Have Something Belonging to CVGS?
page 3 - CVGS Member Geni Powell Passes Away
page 3 - CVGS Research Trip to FamilySearch Library
page 3 -- 2014 Who Do You Think You Are TV Show
page 4 -- September 6th Saturday Workshop
page 4 -- What State or Resource topics?
page 4 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 -- Next Computer Group Meeting
page 4 -- Randy's Genealogy Links
page 5 -- FamilySearch News
page 5 - New Content at Ancestry.com
page 6 -- Research Group Review
page 7 -- July 30th Program Review
page 8 -- Library Book News
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
The Table of Contents lists:
page 1 -- August 27th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- Nametags
page 2 -- Do You Have Something Belonging to CVGS?
page 3 - CVGS Member Geni Powell Passes Away
page 3 - CVGS Research Trip to FamilySearch Library
page 3 -- 2014 Who Do You Think You Are TV Show
page 4 -- September 6th Saturday Workshop
page 4 -- What State or Resource topics?
page 4 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 -- Next Computer Group Meeting
page 4 -- Randy's Genealogy Links
page 5 -- FamilySearch News
page 5 - New Content at Ancestry.com
page 6 -- Research Group Review
page 7 -- July 30th Program Review
page 8 -- Library Book News
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
August 9th Workshop on Family Tree Maker
There will be a special August 9th CVGS Workshop at Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. In the Community Room.
Ken Robison will demonstrate and discuss “Family Tree Maker 2014” genealogy software, and answer questions from the July 12th workshop.
Ken Robison will demonstrate and discuss “Family Tree Maker 2014” genealogy software, and answer questions from the July 12th workshop.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Program Review - Donna Bradley's "How to Prove Your American Indian Genealogy"
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society program meeting on Wednesday, 30 July was well attended with 33 members and 6 guests.
Donna Bradley, from Anza in Riverside County, presented "How to Prove Your American Indian Genealogy." Donna had provided a chart and five maps of California to the society to use as learning aids, and Gary showed them on the screen while Donna lectured.
The chart showed the heirarchy of how Native Americans were categorized anthropologically, linguistically and socially - from core groups (many tribes with a similar language base) to tribes (in a core group) to bands (in a tribe) to villages (in a band) to families (in a village). Researchers need to understand the heirarchy in order to do Native-American research. She noted that some native Band names have been lost due to time, and English or Spanish names have been substituted.
The maps showed the different core groups in the Americas, the tribes in California (in several different core groups), and the tribes in Southern California, and the bands in San Diego County area. For instance, the coastal California core group is the Athabascan, who migrated over eons from Alaska into Western Canada, Washington, Oregon, California and Baja California.
Donna noted that the DNA website www.DNATribes.com, offers a 26-marker autosomal DNA test that can distinguish between core groups. However, she did not display her own results, nor results from any other autosomal DNA test.
She noted that if Native-American heritage is not proved, then the heritage will be forgotten, and the opportunity to receive U.S. government benefits will be lost. Tribal benefits might include government, medical, legal, financial, college and tribal income. To receive benefits, a person must have a family member on the tribal rolls after 1900 and before 1972.
Donna provided some of the history of how American Indians came to be on Indian reservations, and some of the problems that occurred over centuries of mistreatment by the European colonists and immigrants, including:
* Indians did not have surnames until the late 1800s
* If they were on U.S. census records, they often said they were White
* Some Indians married white people, especially on the frontier.
* They are usually buried on on tribal land.
* They could not own land or vote until they became American citizens in 1924
* They did not start scalping, the whites did. The U.S. government paid a $50 bounty for every Indian scalp in about 1850. The goal was to annihilate the Indians.
* By 1900, the Indian population was down to about 400,000.
* The non-tribal education system tried to "civilize" Indian children by stealing them and teaching them white social values and practices
* Tribal identification is through the mother's tribe, not the father's tribe.
Donna said that proving American Indiana heritage is difficult. She recommends not going to the tribe for genealogical information. There are records in the National Archives, especially Indian agent reports in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that might provide useful information.
Donna wrote the book Native Americans of San Diego County in 2009, published by Arcadia Publishing. You can order it at http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738559841/Native-Americans-of-San-Diego-County .
This was an informative talk for those interested in Southern California Native-American history and ancestry, but did not discuss Indian history, culture, migration, or records in other parts of North America.
Donna Bradley, from Anza in Riverside County, presented "How to Prove Your American Indian Genealogy." Donna had provided a chart and five maps of California to the society to use as learning aids, and Gary showed them on the screen while Donna lectured.
The chart showed the heirarchy of how Native Americans were categorized anthropologically, linguistically and socially - from core groups (many tribes with a similar language base) to tribes (in a core group) to bands (in a tribe) to villages (in a band) to families (in a village). Researchers need to understand the heirarchy in order to do Native-American research. She noted that some native Band names have been lost due to time, and English or Spanish names have been substituted.
The maps showed the different core groups in the Americas, the tribes in California (in several different core groups), and the tribes in Southern California, and the bands in San Diego County area. For instance, the coastal California core group is the Athabascan, who migrated over eons from Alaska into Western Canada, Washington, Oregon, California and Baja California.
Donna noted that the DNA website www.DNATribes.com, offers a 26-marker autosomal DNA test that can distinguish between core groups. However, she did not display her own results, nor results from any other autosomal DNA test.
She noted that if Native-American heritage is not proved, then the heritage will be forgotten, and the opportunity to receive U.S. government benefits will be lost. Tribal benefits might include government, medical, legal, financial, college and tribal income. To receive benefits, a person must have a family member on the tribal rolls after 1900 and before 1972.
Donna provided some of the history of how American Indians came to be on Indian reservations, and some of the problems that occurred over centuries of mistreatment by the European colonists and immigrants, including:
* Indians did not have surnames until the late 1800s
* If they were on U.S. census records, they often said they were White
* Some Indians married white people, especially on the frontier.
* They are usually buried on on tribal land.
* They could not own land or vote until they became American citizens in 1924
* They did not start scalping, the whites did. The U.S. government paid a $50 bounty for every Indian scalp in about 1850. The goal was to annihilate the Indians.
* By 1900, the Indian population was down to about 400,000.
* The non-tribal education system tried to "civilize" Indian children by stealing them and teaching them white social values and practices
* Tribal identification is through the mother's tribe, not the father's tribe.
Donna said that proving American Indiana heritage is difficult. She recommends not going to the tribe for genealogical information. There are records in the National Archives, especially Indian agent reports in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that might provide useful information.
Donna wrote the book Native Americans of San Diego County in 2009, published by Arcadia Publishing. You can order it at http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738559841/Native-Americans-of-San-Diego-County .
This was an informative talk for those interested in Southern California Native-American history and ancestry, but did not discuss Indian history, culture, migration, or records in other parts of North America.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - August 2014
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for August 2014 include:
** Saturday, 9 August, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Ken Robison will lead a workshop on "Family Tree Maker 2014"
** Wednesday, 13 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, 20 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 27 August, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The speaker will be Hal Horrocks on "British Isle Research."Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Wednesdays, 6, 13, 20 and 27 August, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
** Saturday, 9 August, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop: Ken Robison will lead a workshop on "Family Tree Maker 2014"
** Wednesday, 13 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, 20 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. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 27 August, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The speaker will be Hal Horrocks on "British Isle Research."Refreshments before and after the meeting.
** Wednesdays, 6, 13, 20 and 27 August, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area. John Finch will help you with your research problems. Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
CVGS Research Trip to FamilySearch Library was a Success!
15 CVGS members took a research trip to the San Diego FamilySearch Library in Mission Valley (4195 Camino del Rio South) on Wednesday, 23 July 2014. Most attendees left the Chula Vista parking garage around 9:45 a.m. and were there just after 10 a.m.
A small group took a guided tour of the Library escorted by library staff, which included a description of their latest hardware - a book scanner and a fast photo sheet-feeder scanner.
Other attendees found useful research materials in the book shelves. Several worked on the computer systems which have all of the commercial genealogy databases to find information about their ancestors.
Here is a photo of several CVGS members hard at work:
We left after 1 p.m. and headed to Marie Callender's for lunch and/or genealogy pie:
It was a good genealogy day!
A small group took a guided tour of the Library escorted by library staff, which included a description of their latest hardware - a book scanner and a fast photo sheet-feeder scanner.
Other attendees found useful research materials in the book shelves. Several worked on the computer systems which have all of the commercial genealogy databases to find information about their ancestors.
Here is a photo of several CVGS members hard at work:
We left after 1 p.m. and headed to Marie Callender's for lunch and/or genealogy pie:
It was a good genealogy day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)