The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for August 2012 include:
** Saturday, 4 August, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Randy Seaver will lead a "RootsMagic 5 Workshop." Bring your laptop and learn how to use this genealogy management program.
** Wednesday 8 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, 15 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.
** Monday, 20 August, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Annual CVGS Picnic meets in the Community Room. Bring in your lunch, a five generation pedigree chart, and join in the sharing of ancestral names and places.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
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.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Program Review - Gena Ortega's "Remember the Ladies"
The 25 July program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured Gena Philibert Ortega's presentation on "Remember the Ladies: Finding Female Ancestors." There are links on Gena's blog to many of the online resources she mentioned - go to http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/p/links.html.
Gena said that finding female ancestors is made difficult because of the name change when she marries, she spent most of her life inside the home, and is not mentioned in many documents or records. There are, however, many types of records that might contain information about her life, but many of them are not online or are held by private persons or organizations.
There are five ways to find women in historical records, and success requires all five. They include researching the woman herself, researching the family, research the history of the time in which she lived, research the places that she lived, and research her FAN club - her family, associates and neighbors.
Gena offered four thoughts about doing research on your female ancestors - it does take a community to raise a family; go beyond government documents and online repositories; you have to visit libraries, archives and museums; and to consider the activities of the time and place where they lived.
Researchers need to be careful not to divorce genealogy from history. Researchers need to know the laws (e.g., voting, citizenship); the social institutions of the time and place; and investigate oral, biographical, and academic records, videos, microforms and journals. In other words, think outside the box.
She suggested using WorldCat (http://worldcat.org) and Google Books (http://books.google.com) as online sites she checks first. Gena searches for place, occupation, group names, quilts, samplers, artifacts, etc. Other resources include ArchiveGrid (http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/) and the National Union of Manuscript Collections (http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/) for archival holdings. Church records may have meeting notes, baptism records, membership lists, and women's group activities. Pioneer, fraternal organization auxiliary, WCTU, Women's Relief Corps, and other women's organizations may be found in state archives or at universities. Use city directories to determine which organizations were active in the time and place. School records, yearbooks, newspapers, and local histories may provide information, and may be found online or in libraries, archives, or historical societies.
Journals and diaries by other women may provide insight into the lives of females in the time and place. One of Gena's examples was a book about covered wagon women that helped readers understand the experiences and struggles of settling the West.
Gena recommended reading the book "hidden sources" by Laura Pfeiffer, "The Source" (which is on the Ancestry.com Research Wiki), the Family History Library Catalog, historical and genealogical magazines and books, genealogy and history blogs, etc.
This was an outstanding discussion of the many ways to remember the ladies in our ancesty, and how to pursue their records and family stories.
Gena said that finding female ancestors is made difficult because of the name change when she marries, she spent most of her life inside the home, and is not mentioned in many documents or records. There are, however, many types of records that might contain information about her life, but many of them are not online or are held by private persons or organizations.
There are five ways to find women in historical records, and success requires all five. They include researching the woman herself, researching the family, research the history of the time in which she lived, research the places that she lived, and research her FAN club - her family, associates and neighbors.
Gena offered four thoughts about doing research on your female ancestors - it does take a community to raise a family; go beyond government documents and online repositories; you have to visit libraries, archives and museums; and to consider the activities of the time and place where they lived.
Researchers need to be careful not to divorce genealogy from history. Researchers need to know the laws (e.g., voting, citizenship); the social institutions of the time and place; and investigate oral, biographical, and academic records, videos, microforms and journals. In other words, think outside the box.
She suggested using WorldCat (http://worldcat.org) and Google Books (http://books.google.com) as online sites she checks first. Gena searches for place, occupation, group names, quilts, samplers, artifacts, etc. Other resources include ArchiveGrid (http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/) and the National Union of Manuscript Collections (http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/) for archival holdings. Church records may have meeting notes, baptism records, membership lists, and women's group activities. Pioneer, fraternal organization auxiliary, WCTU, Women's Relief Corps, and other women's organizations may be found in state archives or at universities. Use city directories to determine which organizations were active in the time and place. School records, yearbooks, newspapers, and local histories may provide information, and may be found online or in libraries, archives, or historical societies.
Journals and diaries by other women may provide insight into the lives of females in the time and place. One of Gena's examples was a book about covered wagon women that helped readers understand the experiences and struggles of settling the West.
Gena recommended reading the book "hidden sources" by Laura Pfeiffer, "The Source" (which is on the Ancestry.com Research Wiki), the Family History Library Catalog, historical and genealogical magazines and books, genealogy and history blogs, etc.
This was an outstanding discussion of the many ways to remember the ladies in our ancesty, and how to pursue their records and family stories.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
July 25th Program: Gena Ortega on "Remember the Ladies"
The July program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is Wednesday, 25 July, from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) in the Auditorium.
The speaker presentation will be “Remember the Ladies” by Gena Philibert Ortega.
"Remember the Ladies:" Do you have a female ancestor that has become your brick wall? Researching women can be difficult when you factor in surname changes and lack of documentation. Women are different and so are the research techniques that need to be used to find them. Join us as we discuss resources and methodology to help you research your ancestress.
Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and virtually to audiences worldwide. She is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines. Her newest book is From the Family Kitchen (F+W Media, 2012).
The speaker presentation will be “Remember the Ladies” by Gena Philibert Ortega.
"Remember the Ladies:" Do you have a female ancestor that has become your brick wall? Researching women can be difficult when you factor in surname changes and lack of documentation. Women are different and so are the research techniques that need to be used to find them. Join us as we discuss resources and methodology to help you research your ancestress.
Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and virtually to audiences worldwide. She is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines. Her newest book is From the Family Kitchen (F+W Media, 2012).
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
CVGS Member Travel Stories - Myrna Goodwin
Germany
– April/May 2011 – by Myrna Beach Goodwin, © 2012
In the spring
of 2011, my husband and I, along with my first cousin, Donna, took a
wonderful trip to Hesse, Germany, where Donna’s and my grandfather,
John Born, emigrated from in 1892. Our grandfather’s
older brother inherited the family property and remained in
Todenhausen, Germany. We went to meet our 2nd
cousin, Helga Kahl. While there we toured the house where our
grandfather was born, visited his elementary school, and went to his
church. A friend of Helga’s helped us locate church birth and
marriage documents. We also met descendents of our
grandfather’s mother’s family in the small town of Hermershausen
and they helped with church records as well.
After several
days in Todenhausen, we drove to the village of Aua where our
grandmother’s father, John Bechstein, came from in 1855.
Although we did not have a contact person, everyone in Aua pointed
out the “Bechstein” home, so we knocked on the door. We met
the current Bechstein family. They took us to the Aua church and
cemetery and even though their English was limited, we got basic
information to help with future research.
Our
final stop was Bad Hersfeld where our grandmother’s mother,
Henrietta (Kolbe) Bechstein emigrated from in 1857. We
walked past the old Kolbe home in the city center and visited their
church built in the 14th century. The church
documents for the Kolbe family had been obtained by others in 2005,
so we just enjoyed visiting the area.
Meeting
family, finding records and walking the streets of these villages
made for an amazing trip.
[Editor's
note: This is a series of “genealogy travel and research”
articles submitted by our members.]
Sunday, July 15, 2012
CVGS Research Group Summary - 11 July 2012
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on 11 July had 14 enthusiastic attendees.
Randy did not have a presentation, but highlighted some of the local educational opportunities at CVGS and SDGS in the next two months. He also passed around samples of Michael John Neill's Casefile Clues newsletters if people wanted to subscribe.
A question was asked whether it would be better to enter your family tree data into a software program, like RootsMagic, or to enter it into an online family tree, like an Ancestry Member Tree. Randy pointed out that folks can create a free Ancestry Member Tree, and sync it to Family Tree Maker 2012, or download a GEDCOM file of it and import it to their desktop software. A GEDCOM file can be exported from software and imported to many online tree systems. The major difference, in Randy's opinion, is that software does a much better job of creating reports and charts and is easier to navigate.
Diane received a GEDCOM file from her aunt, and merged it into her own tree in RootsMagic, and now has some duplicate people that she is merging. She asked how to make relationships show up in the Family View, and the group said to use Tools > Set Relationships to set the key person. She also asked how she can create a report for the family. The group said to go to Reports > Narrative Reports to create ancestral or descendant reports.
Ralph visited Salt Lake City and the Family History Library on his vacation, and enjoyed two days of research there. He said that his research was "wide but not deep." Ralph recommended asking for help at the FHC immediately to optimize your research time there. He asked about finding the local FamilySearch Centers and using microfilms there. The group discussed the holdings at the Mission Valley FSC and the information available there.
Jaye made some progress on her Robert Murphy problem on a Murphy message board,a local history book, and online Missouri vital records. She asked how to find out about newspaper and probate records for a county, and the group suggested the USGenWeb site for the county and to contact a local genealogical or historical society.
Sue is a new member, overwhelmed by all of the information offered over the past few months. She asked about the 1752 calendar change from Julian to Gregorian in the USA and other places, and the group described the reason and effect of the addition of 11 days to the calendar. Doing online research, she found her great-grandfather on her father's side. She has asked her brother to take a DNA test.
Kitty is stuck on two grandfathers in the 20th century. The group suggested obtaining vital records, and writing to local genealogical or historical societies to see if there is information in local files. She had a hard time registering for the beta trial at MyGenShare.
Dan is a new member, born in Puerto Rico, and has lived in California for 33 years. He has written a book on California's First Puerto Ricans, 1850-1910, and published it as an e-book, but would like a hard copy publisher. The group suggested Tom Underhill's Creative Continuum company.
Pam has been watching the PBS series"History of England" online and enjoying it. She's had success finding her families in the 1940 U.S. Census by finding their address in City Directories on Ancestry.com. Pam donated a book on Indian Abductions and Captures to CVGS recently. She posed a challenge to identify the relationship of the great-grandchild of her first cousin's wife, who was also her great-grandfather's second wife. The group suggested that she listen to I Am My Own Grandpa for guidance. Seriously, we charted it out and she's not blood related to the wife of her cousin, but is a first-cousin once removed to her great-grandchild.
Karen Karen's photo mystery was solved. She found a mailing tube with a large photograph that had no information. She also found a 1992 letter from a relative that provides information about the picture and the family history from Norway to Quebec to Wisconsin to Iowa. Her warning: If you have family photographs, please date it, identify people and places.
Virginia won one hour of research from SCGS at the Jamboree, and during the time they found a living cousin in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania that had information on her Dunlop family.
Sam has found lots of shaky leaf hints on his Ancestry Member Tree and has been busy accepting them and adding the information to his database. He asked how he could create a migration map using Family Tree Maker 2012. The group suggested he read the blog post on the subject on Russ Worthington's Family Tree Maker User blog (http://ftmuser.blogspot.com). Sam is preparing for trips to Tennessee and Europe.
Mary Lou discussed her New York "black hole" and asked how to find probate, land and cemetery records. The group suggested the New York Probate Records that were added by FamilySearch, and are also on microfilm from the Family History Library. For cemetery records, the group suggested using Find-A-Grave online, to look on the USGenWeb county websites, and to contact local libraries or societies in the area.
This was a very full two hours of nonstop discussion and interaction. The next Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 8 August in the Conference Room in the Chula Vista Civic center Branch Library, hosted by Randy Seaver.
Randy did not have a presentation, but highlighted some of the local educational opportunities at CVGS and SDGS in the next two months. He also passed around samples of Michael John Neill's Casefile Clues newsletters if people wanted to subscribe.
A question was asked whether it would be better to enter your family tree data into a software program, like RootsMagic, or to enter it into an online family tree, like an Ancestry Member Tree. Randy pointed out that folks can create a free Ancestry Member Tree, and sync it to Family Tree Maker 2012, or download a GEDCOM file of it and import it to their desktop software. A GEDCOM file can be exported from software and imported to many online tree systems. The major difference, in Randy's opinion, is that software does a much better job of creating reports and charts and is easier to navigate.
Diane received a GEDCOM file from her aunt, and merged it into her own tree in RootsMagic, and now has some duplicate people that she is merging. She asked how to make relationships show up in the Family View, and the group said to use Tools > Set Relationships to set the key person. She also asked how she can create a report for the family. The group said to go to Reports > Narrative Reports to create ancestral or descendant reports.
Ralph visited Salt Lake City and the Family History Library on his vacation, and enjoyed two days of research there. He said that his research was "wide but not deep." Ralph recommended asking for help at the FHC immediately to optimize your research time there. He asked about finding the local FamilySearch Centers and using microfilms there. The group discussed the holdings at the Mission Valley FSC and the information available there.
Jaye made some progress on her Robert Murphy problem on a Murphy message board,a local history book, and online Missouri vital records. She asked how to find out about newspaper and probate records for a county, and the group suggested the USGenWeb site for the county and to contact a local genealogical or historical society.
Sue is a new member, overwhelmed by all of the information offered over the past few months. She asked about the 1752 calendar change from Julian to Gregorian in the USA and other places, and the group described the reason and effect of the addition of 11 days to the calendar. Doing online research, she found her great-grandfather on her father's side. She has asked her brother to take a DNA test.
Kitty is stuck on two grandfathers in the 20th century. The group suggested obtaining vital records, and writing to local genealogical or historical societies to see if there is information in local files. She had a hard time registering for the beta trial at MyGenShare.
Dan is a new member, born in Puerto Rico, and has lived in California for 33 years. He has written a book on California's First Puerto Ricans, 1850-1910, and published it as an e-book, but would like a hard copy publisher. The group suggested Tom Underhill's Creative Continuum company.
Pam has been watching the PBS series"History of England" online and enjoying it. She's had success finding her families in the 1940 U.S. Census by finding their address in City Directories on Ancestry.com. Pam donated a book on Indian Abductions and Captures to CVGS recently. She posed a challenge to identify the relationship of the great-grandchild of her first cousin's wife, who was also her great-grandfather's second wife. The group suggested that she listen to I Am My Own Grandpa for guidance. Seriously, we charted it out and she's not blood related to the wife of her cousin, but is a first-cousin once removed to her great-grandchild.
Karen Karen's photo mystery was solved. She found a mailing tube with a large photograph that had no information. She also found a 1992 letter from a relative that provides information about the picture and the family history from Norway to Quebec to Wisconsin to Iowa. Her warning: If you have family photographs, please date it, identify people and places.
Virginia won one hour of research from SCGS at the Jamboree, and during the time they found a living cousin in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania that had information on her Dunlop family.
Sam has found lots of shaky leaf hints on his Ancestry Member Tree and has been busy accepting them and adding the information to his database. He asked how he could create a migration map using Family Tree Maker 2012. The group suggested he read the blog post on the subject on Russ Worthington's Family Tree Maker User blog (http://ftmuser.blogspot.com). Sam is preparing for trips to Tennessee and Europe.
Mary Lou discussed her New York "black hole" and asked how to find probate, land and cemetery records. The group suggested the New York Probate Records that were added by FamilySearch, and are also on microfilm from the Family History Library. For cemetery records, the group suggested using Find-A-Grave online, to look on the USGenWeb county websites, and to contact local libraries or societies in the area.
This was a very full two hours of nonstop discussion and interaction. The next Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 8 August in the Conference Room in the Chula Vista Civic center Branch Library, hosted by Randy Seaver.
Friday, July 13, 2012
CVGS Newsletter for July is Published
The July 2012 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available on the CVGS website -see http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/12_07jul.pdf
The Table of Contents includes:
page 6 -- Travel: Germany, 2011 by Myrna Beach Goodwin
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
The Table of Contents includes:
page 1 -- July
25th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s
Message
page 2 -- Beginner's
Group Summary
page 3 -- July
Workshop on 14 July
page 3 -- August
Workshop on 4 August
page 3 -- Lemon
Grove Research Group News
page 3 -- NGS
2013 Conference in Las Vegas
page 4 -- Research
Group News
page 5 -- June
27th Program Review
page 5 -- Computer
Group News
page 6 -- Travel: Germany, 2011 by Myrna Beach Goodwin
page 6 -- June
2012 Genealogy News
page 7 -- Jamboree
2012 Highlights
page 8 -- 1940
U.S. Census Update
page 8 -- FamilySearch
Has Some State Probate Records
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San
Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy
Days in Chula Vista
Monday, July 2, 2012
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - July 2012
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for July 2012 include:
** Wednesday 11 July, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Saturday, 14 July, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Shirley Becker will present "Genealogical Programs/Citing Sources."
** Wednesday, 18 July, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 25 July, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The program will be "Remembering the Ladies" presented by Gena Philibert Ortega. There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
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.
** Wednesday 11 July, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Saturday, 14 July, 12:30 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Shirley Becker will present "Genealogical Programs/Citing Sources."
** Wednesday, 18 July, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 25 July, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Auditorium. The program will be "Remembering the Ladies" presented by Gena Philibert Ortega. There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
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.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
"Flags of the United States" Program Summary - 27 June 2012
Karl Zingheim presented an excellent program on the history of the United States flag - including the origin of flags, the development of the flags of England and Scotland, colonial America, the United States and the Confederacy.
The study of flags is called "vexillology" - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology for background.
The origin of flags for use by England had its origin in the Crusades of the 12th century - England used a red cross on a white background (St. George's Cross). Scotland used the St. Andrew's Cross - white on a blue background. When James VI of Scotland became King of England in 1606, the flag incorporated the red cross of England, the white cross of Scotland and a blue background, called the First Union Flag. The present flag of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) is the Second Union Flag which incorporates the English, Scottish and Irish crosses. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_flag for more detail.
In colonial English America, a succession of flags featured pine trees, the St. George's Cross, or the First Union Flag in the upper left-hand corner on a red background. The background enabled writing to be put on the flag. For example, the Taunton flag of 1774 had the words "Liberty and Union" on the background. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the flag at Bunker Hill had a pine tree and St. George's Cross in the upper left-hand quarter. A Grand Union flag was also created with the First Union Flag in the upper left, and six white strips on the red background representing the thirteen colonies (six white, seven red stripes).
George Washington's personal emblem had six white stars on a blue background. The Betsy Ross flag had 13 white stars on a blue background in the upper left quadrant, and the 13 red and white stripes on the other three quadrants.
As states were added, more stars and stripes were added, so that the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 had 15 stars and 15 stripes. Subsequently, as more states were added, the U.S. flag had 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 original colonies, and a star for each state in the Union. You can read about the different designs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States.
When the Confederate states seceded, they initially had a flag with three bars (two red, one white) and seven stars on a blue background in the upper left quadrant. The official Confederate flag ended up with a red background, a blue X pattern with 13 white stars. Read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_flag.
This was an interesting program for the 35 persons in attendance.
The study of flags is called "vexillology" - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology for background.
The origin of flags for use by England had its origin in the Crusades of the 12th century - England used a red cross on a white background (St. George's Cross). Scotland used the St. Andrew's Cross - white on a blue background. When James VI of Scotland became King of England in 1606, the flag incorporated the red cross of England, the white cross of Scotland and a blue background, called the First Union Flag. The present flag of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) is the Second Union Flag which incorporates the English, Scottish and Irish crosses. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_flag for more detail.
In colonial English America, a succession of flags featured pine trees, the St. George's Cross, or the First Union Flag in the upper left-hand corner on a red background. The background enabled writing to be put on the flag. For example, the Taunton flag of 1774 had the words "Liberty and Union" on the background. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the flag at Bunker Hill had a pine tree and St. George's Cross in the upper left-hand quarter. A Grand Union flag was also created with the First Union Flag in the upper left, and six white strips on the red background representing the thirteen colonies (six white, seven red stripes).
George Washington's personal emblem had six white stars on a blue background. The Betsy Ross flag had 13 white stars on a blue background in the upper left quadrant, and the 13 red and white stripes on the other three quadrants.
As states were added, more stars and stripes were added, so that the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 had 15 stars and 15 stripes. Subsequently, as more states were added, the U.S. flag had 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 original colonies, and a star for each state in the Union. You can read about the different designs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States.
When the Confederate states seceded, they initially had a flag with three bars (two red, one white) and seven stars on a blue background in the upper left quadrant. The official Confederate flag ended up with a red background, a blue X pattern with 13 white stars. Read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_flag.
This was an interesting program for the 35 persons in attendance.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Computer Group Summary - 20 June 2012
The June meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Computer Group had 10 attendees in the library Computer Lab.
After finally getting online with Gary's laptop computer, Randy demonstrated how to access and search for FamilySearch historical collections (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list), how to access and use the FamilySearch Research Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Main_Page), and how to watch FamilySearch Research Courses (https://www.familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html).
After finally getting online with Gary's laptop computer, Randy demonstrated how to access and search for FamilySearch historical collections (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list), how to access and use the FamilySearch Research Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Main_Page), and how to watch FamilySearch Research Courses (https://www.familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html).
In the second hour, Gary shared a link to www.legacyfamilytree.com/Videos.asp
where people can find free training videos on Legacy Family Tree 7.5
and can purchase CD sets as well. He also played an 11 minute video on Barry Ewell's blog site called Barry's Lunch'n Learn series . The video describes the process of
setting color coded genealogy paper files, which was fascinating to
many in attendance.
The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, 18 July in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).
Monday, June 25, 2012
Jamestown, Kansas - June 2011, by Mary Lou Montez
My sister, Barb Harnett Woodbeck, and I have been hot on the trail of the HARNETT Family History Mystery for the last two years. Family lore says our great-grandfather, David Harnett, came from County Cork, Ireland in the late 1840s and died in Jamestown, Kansas in 1913. We had never seen Jamestown or the cemetery there where the Harnett family was buried, so we headed out from Lincoln, Nebraska last June to “see it in person.”
It was SOOO hot – over 100 – when we arrived in Jamestown. The town was tiny, and there were NO people anywhere. We drove up and down the main street, finally stopped at the City office and went in. A PERSON was actually there – one woman, who not only was in charge of the office but, amazingly, had the cemetery plat maps in the back room. She showed us how to find the cemetery and let us use her bathroom. Our lives were saved.
When we left, she promised to send us anything she could find out after talking about our family to a group of
“old folks” who meet for coffee frequently in Jamestown. She followed through and e-mailed her results – along with suggestions to help us at the Cloud County Historical Society in Concordia, Kansas, not very far from Jamestown.
Although the trip did not lead to a breakdown of the brick wall in our search, the kindness of one person in a
town too tiny to attract the attention of nearly anyone in 2011, helped us wedge a crack in it.
[Editor's note: This is one of a series of “genealogy travel and research” articles submitted by our members.]
Saturday, June 23, 2012
CVGS Program on 27 June: "The History of the United States Flag"
The June program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is Wednesday, 27 June at 12:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista) [NOTE: This is a location change from previous announcements.]
The speaker will be Karl Zingheim on "The History of the United States Flag."
Our June 27th program will provide an examination of our flag's design origins. Ideally, a national flag should clearly symbolize a country, and in case of the American flag, this actually dates back to the Middle Ages as the different regions of Great Britain took on official emblems and had them combined into the familiar Union Jack. During the Revolution, the Americans modified Britain's flag to suit their need and the distinctive stars and stripes emerged.
Karl J. Zingheim is a 1986 graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy. He is the Staff Historian for the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. He is also a member of the editorial review board for the World War II Quarterly, the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to that conflict and has written and presented on numerous topics on naval history including Mains'l Haul and on the History Channel program "Dogfights!"
Please enter the auditorium from the double doors near the south entry of the library. We are not using the Conference Room any longer. There will be refreshments before and after the meeting. There will be a short CVGS business meeting before the program speaker.,
Monday, June 18, 2012
June CVGS Newsletter Published
The June 2012 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available on the CVGS website - see http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/12_06jun.pdf
The Table of Contents includes:
page 1 -- June 27th Program Meeting
The Table of Contents includes:
page 1 -- June 27th Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- May 2012 Genealogy News
page 3 -- July Workshop on 14 July
page 3 -- June Workshop Review
page 3 -- Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 3 -- DNA Study News
page 3 -- CVGS Cemetery Project News
page 4 -- Research Group News
page 5 -- May 30th Program Review
page 5 -- Computer Group News
page 6 -- Jamestown, KS: June 2011, by Mary Lou Montez
page 6 -- "The Tombstone"
page 6 -- Ancestry.com Adds New York Census Resources
page 7 -- CVGS Library News
page 8 -- FamilySearchOnline Collections and Indexing
page 9 -- CVGS Society Information
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista
Saturday, June 16, 2012
CVGS Research Group Summary - 13 June 2012
The June 13th meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group had 14 in attendance in the Computer Lab. In the first hour, Randy described the format and syllabus from the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree held the previous weekend in Burbank, and passed many syllabus articles around for review.
Susi's favorite session at Jamboree was Joshua Taylor's class on "A Broader Context, Using JSTOR, for Family History." JSTOR is an online database of scholarly journals covering many disciplines, including areas relevant to genealogical research. It is, however, available only in libraries and universities in the USA. She also found seven new cousins at Jamboree, and a lead on her Trowbridge line in a presentation.
Virginia's favorite activity was networking and finding speakers for the 2013 year - she signed up three speakers for early 2013 already. She won three door prizes at Jamboree.
Randy's favorite sessions was Warren Bittner's class on "Complex Evidence: What Is It? How Does It work? Why Does It Matter?" and Janet Hovorka's class on "Hatching Eggs Case Study: Engaging My Teenage Children With Their Family History." He also enjoyed the Hollywood Gala on Friday night, and participating in a Genealogy Blogger panel discussion.
Diane asked a question about the different types of DNA tests. Randy drew a family tree on the whiteboard and discussed what Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal DNA tests can determine, including rough costs and providers of the different tests.
Karen passed around National Geographic maps for the taking, and discussed a Birdsong obituary she found with a paragraph on the family genealogy. She's working on her mother's ephemera, and a letter from the 1980s notes that her William Geohagan ancestor taught English grammar and fencing.
Marie asked about how to access online Message Boards and contact contributors. Randy showed the Rootsweb message board lists and where to find email addresses for contributors.
Kitty discussed her Ancestry autosomal DNA test results and matches. On her father's side, she is searching for his grandfather, and has only a death record. Her hope is that the DNA tests will provide some contacts.
A question was asked about the end of the Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are? television shows. The group noted that this year's episodes are still on the PBS and NBC websites for watching if you missed one.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting is on July 11th at 12 noon in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street).
Susi's favorite session at Jamboree was Joshua Taylor's class on "A Broader Context, Using JSTOR, for Family History." JSTOR is an online database of scholarly journals covering many disciplines, including areas relevant to genealogical research. It is, however, available only in libraries and universities in the USA. She also found seven new cousins at Jamboree, and a lead on her Trowbridge line in a presentation.
Virginia's favorite activity was networking and finding speakers for the 2013 year - she signed up three speakers for early 2013 already. She won three door prizes at Jamboree.
Randy's favorite sessions was Warren Bittner's class on "Complex Evidence: What Is It? How Does It work? Why Does It Matter?" and Janet Hovorka's class on "Hatching Eggs Case Study: Engaging My Teenage Children With Their Family History." He also enjoyed the Hollywood Gala on Friday night, and participating in a Genealogy Blogger panel discussion.
Diane asked a question about the different types of DNA tests. Randy drew a family tree on the whiteboard and discussed what Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal DNA tests can determine, including rough costs and providers of the different tests.
Karen passed around National Geographic maps for the taking, and discussed a Birdsong obituary she found with a paragraph on the family genealogy. She's working on her mother's ephemera, and a letter from the 1980s notes that her William Geohagan ancestor taught English grammar and fencing.
Marie asked about how to access online Message Boards and contact contributors. Randy showed the Rootsweb message board lists and where to find email addresses for contributors.
Kitty discussed her Ancestry autosomal DNA test results and matches. On her father's side, she is searching for his grandfather, and has only a death record. Her hope is that the DNA tests will provide some contacts.
A question was asked about the end of the Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are? television shows. The group noted that this year's episodes are still on the PBS and NBC websites for watching if you missed one.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting is on July 11th at 12 noon in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street).
Sunday, June 3, 2012
"Genealogy in the Cloud" Program Review
We had 40 attendees *including 13 guests) at the May 30th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. The meeting featured a panel discussing "Genealogy in the Cloud" with short presentations and questions from the moderator and the audience.
The presentations included:
1) Gary Brock on "Internet History and Cloud Computing"
Gary noted that "folks know what the Internet is, but not how it works." He provided a year-by-year history of the development of the computer and the Internet, reaching the present state where many computing functions are performed by servers and computers not under the control of the users (in the "cloud"). The cloud consists of platforms, infrastructure, applications and can be used by desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and smart phones through cable, satellite, cell or wireless means.
2) Shirley Becker on "Using Dropbox for Data Backup and Storage"
Shirley showed how she uses www.Dropbox.com, a file backup and transfer site that can be used with any computer. She backs up and saves her most important computer files using Dropbox. She also uses it to transfer files from her desktop between her laptop computers. Dropbox is free for up to 2.5 gigabytes, with fees for more storage. A user can have one big folder, or a set of sub-folders. Users can share files with other persons using a Public folder. There are other backup and file sharing services, but they work differently from Dropbox.
3) Randy Seaver on "Using Mobile Devices for Genealogy"
Randy briefly discussed the different types of mobile devices and their operating systems, and the applications that can be used on them for genealogy. He used screen captures from his iPhone to demonstrate how he accesses his Gmail account, his Google Calendar, Internet browser, Google Reader, Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Google Reader, SCGS Jamboree, Billion Graves, MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com Member Trees.
John Finch, the Moderator, asked several questions of each presenter, as did the audience members.
The presentations included:
1) Gary Brock on "Internet History and Cloud Computing"
Gary noted that "folks know what the Internet is, but not how it works." He provided a year-by-year history of the development of the computer and the Internet, reaching the present state where many computing functions are performed by servers and computers not under the control of the users (in the "cloud"). The cloud consists of platforms, infrastructure, applications and can be used by desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and smart phones through cable, satellite, cell or wireless means.
2) Shirley Becker on "Using Dropbox for Data Backup and Storage"
Shirley showed how she uses www.Dropbox.com, a file backup and transfer site that can be used with any computer. She backs up and saves her most important computer files using Dropbox. She also uses it to transfer files from her desktop between her laptop computers. Dropbox is free for up to 2.5 gigabytes, with fees for more storage. A user can have one big folder, or a set of sub-folders. Users can share files with other persons using a Public folder. There are other backup and file sharing services, but they work differently from Dropbox.
3) Randy Seaver on "Using Mobile Devices for Genealogy"
Randy briefly discussed the different types of mobile devices and their operating systems, and the applications that can be used on them for genealogy. He used screen captures from his iPhone to demonstrate how he accesses his Gmail account, his Google Calendar, Internet browser, Google Reader, Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Google Reader, SCGS Jamboree, Billion Graves, MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com Member Trees.
John Finch, the Moderator, asked several questions of each presenter, as did the audience members.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - June 2012
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for June 2012 include:
** Saturday, 2 June, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Shirley Becker will present "Organizing for Research."
** Wednesday 13 June, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, 20 June, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 27 June, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. The program will be "The History of the U.S. Flag" presented by George Zingheim. There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
The Chula Vista South Library is at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner on Fourth Avenue) - parking lot is off of Orange east of Fourth.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.
** Saturday, 2 June, 1 p.m.to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Outreach Workshop meets in Community Room. Shirley Becker will present "Organizing for Research."
** Wednesday 13 June, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, 20 June, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.
** Wednesday, 27 June, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Avenue) -- General Society Meeting meets in the Conference Room. The program will be "The History of the U.S. Flag" presented by George Zingheim. There will be a society business meeting before the presentation.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.
The Chula Vista South Library is at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner on Fourth Avenue) - parking lot is off of Orange east of Fourth.
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
"Genealogy in the Cloud" Program on Wednesday, 30 May 2012
MAY 30th PROGRAM MEETING
from 12 Noon to 2 p.m.
at Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) in the Auditorium
“Genealogy in the Cloud”
Panel: John Finch, Gary Brock, Shirley Becker, Randy Seaver
Our May program will be a panel discussion of doing genealogy research, organization, data storage and communication in the “Cloud.”
“Cloud computing” includes using Internet-based programs and services instead of programs based on your desktop or laptop computer. Typical genealogy applications include email, document sharing, online family trees, information resources, data backup and storage, social media, productivity aids, and mobile devices.
The topics to be discussed in some detail with John Finch acting as the Moderator are:
- Gary Brock: What is the Cloud, why do I need it, and how do I use it?
- Shirley Becker: Using Dropbox for Data Backup and Storage.
- Randy Seaver: Using Mobile Devices for Genealogy
After the three presentations, the panel will answer questions from the Moderator and the audience.
The panelists and moderator are long-time CVGS members and former Presidents of the society.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
"Ohio Gem" by Olive Lenane
Had
I packed everything I needed? Had I contacted everyone I should
contact? What had I forgotten? My mind was whirling as I went
through security and was getting ready to board the plane for my
first genealogical research trip.
Yes,
I had written to the Darke Conty Genealogical Society and given them
the surnames I was researching Yes, I had responded to their note
informing me they would let Karen Besecker know I was coming. I told
them no need since she was my niece and I was staying with her.
On
the first day, with directions to the Garst Museum where the Darke
County Genealogical Society was located, I started out not knowing
what to expect. When I arrived I checked in at the reception desk.
They were expecting me
and a lady from the society met me and gave me the tour of the
society rooms. Yes, rooms!
My mouth must have been wide open as I followed her to her office,
signed in the log book, toured the first book room, and then the
second book room and research center.
Two walls of a
the second 12 x 20 room were lined with four drawer file cabinets.
The cabinets were filled with individual files of families who had
Darke County connections. Books, folders of cemeteries complete with
burial plots, dates, etc., books from the early 1800s of Ohio births,
marriages and deaths , census records,etc. lined the other two walls.
Above the cabinets on shelves were family books.
As
I started my research the most exciting finds were original wills and
all types of legal documents. I was then told the story. The court
house had put everything on microfilm and was going to throw out the
originals. The lady dynamo who is head of the DCGS heard about the
destruction of the original papers and told them “No, you aren’t
going to throw them away.” She rented a truck, and had six stacks
of boxes from floor to ceiling brought to the museum which graciously
let her store them until she and the society volunteers could place
them in the individual family files. The volunteers are amazing.
They cut obituaries, and other articles of interest from local
newspapers and put them in the individual family files. There are
usually two to four members “on duty” six days a week. I was
there 3 days and wish I could have stayed at least a week.
Luckily,
I discovered I had two cousins I had never met that are members of
the society and they were eager to share family information
and
pictures.
One of the cousins had the same name as my niece which had caused
confusion for everyone when I notified the society I was staying with
her. My other cousin was a complete surprise from my mother’s
side of the
family for which I had very little information. She gave me
information which took the family line back to my third great
grandfather born in 1755 in Germany. He was a Hessian soldier
brought by the English to the colonies to fight the “Indians.”
When he discovered he was fighting the colonists, he deserted and
fought with the colonists.
What
a find. I can’t wait to go back. Just to be able to touch the
papers my great, great grandparents had touched was a thrill. To be
able to read the newspaper articles from years ago about family
members, and to visit graves of relatives I never dreamed I would
find was so rewarding. If you are lucky enough to have family in
Darke County Ohio, you will find a gem when you visit the Darke
County Genealogical Society.
I
have been told a few of the other county societies are just as good.
Since my ancestors have lived in various Ohio counties since the
early 18th century, I can’t wait to visit the other counties and
find out.
Note: CVGS solicited articles from the membership about Research Trips to put in a booklet displayed at the Escondido Family History Fair in March. The authors of these articles are permitting them to be printed in the monthly Newsletters and on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
CVGS Research Group Summary - 9 May 2012
We had a great turnout for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on Wednesday, 9 May 2012, with 20 enthusiastic attendees ready to ask questions, share and learn.
In the first hour, Randy discussed source citations - types of sources, the need to cite sources, the different style guides including Elizabeth Shown Mills's Evidence! Explained, and how to use source templates in genealogy software to create EE-quality source citation templates. He passed around several articles about source citations, showed the two QuickSheets for EE style citations, and his own "source sheet" with sample citations that can be cut and pasted and edited.
Using Family Tree Maker 2012 (which about 10 attendees had), and RootsMagic 5 (which only 2 attendees had, Randy demonstrated creation of a new master source and using an existing source with his own data in the examples.
In the second hour, we opened it up to sharing for research problems, how-to questions, and success reports. The attendees offered:
* Armando was a visitor, and has Texas heritage from the 1840 time period in the Amarillo area. His family thinks they have Native American ancestry, but he can find very little about his family in this region. The group suggested working his way back in time using vital records and census records, trying to find records that note native ancestry. There may be distant cousins who have family papers, there may be online message boards and forums that can help for with surname or locality queries, and there may be genealogical or historical societies that can provide records or guidance.
* Ralph, a new member, has Mexican ancestry, and has been using the church records on FamilySearch.org to extend his known ancestry back in time. He noted that it is difficult to use these records because they are not indexed, and the user has to know the state and village to find families of interest. The group noted that they are from the FHL microfilms and were even more difficult to access and use in years past. He is also using the Ports of Entry records to find records of his family.
* The group suggested that the FamilySearch Research Wiki (https://wiki.familysearch.org) and Research Forums (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/forums/en/index.php) may be helpful to learn what records are available in specific places and to request help or advice on researching different groups, countries and states.
* Kitty, a new member, obtained the Social Security Application for her grandfather, and has found census records back to 1910, but cannot find anything earlier. The group suggested obtaining vital records for the family members, local newspapers for articles of interest, and using alternative names, including wild cards, on the 1900 and earlier census records on Ancestry and FamilySearch.
* Marie asked about where to find which newspapers were published in a city/town in a specific time frame. Randy noted that the Chronicling America site (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) has lists of every newspaper published since 1690. Some of them may be available at the Chronicling America site, on GenealogyBank, or Ancestry.com.
* Sam wondered if he was using the FamilySearch results page correctly. He has been clicking the down arrow on the right for each match, then clicking on the link for the match to gain access to the image if there is one. The group indicated that he was doing what needs to be done.
* Bobbie knew the death date and location of a second great-grandparent, but not a burial site. She found an online site that provided the burial site plus a physical description of her ancestor. She is working to prove a second Daughters of the King ancestry, and determined that this is her mitochondrial DNA line. She hopes to attend the 350th Daughters of the King celebration in August 2013 in Quebec.
* Mary Lou found information on Find-a-Grave for her third great-grandparents and two of their sons in Ohio.
* Karyn was reading obituaries, noted a family connection, wrote a letter to the family and planned a get-together.
* Randy noted that two distant cousins with San Diego roots had contacted him in the last two weeks, and he found many articles in the San Diego Union on GenealogyBank from the 1920-1950 time frame about the family.
The next Research Group meeting will be at 12 noon on Wednesday, 13 June in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Branch Library.
In the first hour, Randy discussed source citations - types of sources, the need to cite sources, the different style guides including Elizabeth Shown Mills's Evidence! Explained, and how to use source templates in genealogy software to create EE-quality source citation templates. He passed around several articles about source citations, showed the two QuickSheets for EE style citations, and his own "source sheet" with sample citations that can be cut and pasted and edited.
Using Family Tree Maker 2012 (which about 10 attendees had), and RootsMagic 5 (which only 2 attendees had, Randy demonstrated creation of a new master source and using an existing source with his own data in the examples.
In the second hour, we opened it up to sharing for research problems, how-to questions, and success reports. The attendees offered:
* Armando was a visitor, and has Texas heritage from the 1840 time period in the Amarillo area. His family thinks they have Native American ancestry, but he can find very little about his family in this region. The group suggested working his way back in time using vital records and census records, trying to find records that note native ancestry. There may be distant cousins who have family papers, there may be online message boards and forums that can help for with surname or locality queries, and there may be genealogical or historical societies that can provide records or guidance.
* Ralph, a new member, has Mexican ancestry, and has been using the church records on FamilySearch.org to extend his known ancestry back in time. He noted that it is difficult to use these records because they are not indexed, and the user has to know the state and village to find families of interest. The group noted that they are from the FHL microfilms and were even more difficult to access and use in years past. He is also using the Ports of Entry records to find records of his family.
* The group suggested that the FamilySearch Research Wiki (https://wiki.familysearch.org) and Research Forums (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/forums/en/index.php) may be helpful to learn what records are available in specific places and to request help or advice on researching different groups, countries and states.
* Kitty, a new member, obtained the Social Security Application for her grandfather, and has found census records back to 1910, but cannot find anything earlier. The group suggested obtaining vital records for the family members, local newspapers for articles of interest, and using alternative names, including wild cards, on the 1900 and earlier census records on Ancestry and FamilySearch.
* Marie asked about where to find which newspapers were published in a city/town in a specific time frame. Randy noted that the Chronicling America site (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) has lists of every newspaper published since 1690. Some of them may be available at the Chronicling America site, on GenealogyBank, or Ancestry.com.
* Sam wondered if he was using the FamilySearch results page correctly. He has been clicking the down arrow on the right for each match, then clicking on the link for the match to gain access to the image if there is one. The group indicated that he was doing what needs to be done.
* Bobbie knew the death date and location of a second great-grandparent, but not a burial site. She found an online site that provided the burial site plus a physical description of her ancestor. She is working to prove a second Daughters of the King ancestry, and determined that this is her mitochondrial DNA line. She hopes to attend the 350th Daughters of the King celebration in August 2013 in Quebec.
* Mary Lou found information on Find-a-Grave for her third great-grandparents and two of their sons in Ohio.
* Karyn was reading obituaries, noted a family connection, wrote a letter to the family and planned a get-together.
* Randy noted that two distant cousins with San Diego roots had contacted him in the last two weeks, and he found many articles in the San Diego Union on GenealogyBank from the 1920-1950 time frame about the family.
The next Research Group meeting will be at 12 noon on Wednesday, 13 June in the Computer Lab at the Chula Vista Branch Library.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Saturday Workshop on 12 May - "Who Is/Was Your Neighbor?"
The
Chula Vista Genealogical Society Workshop in May will be on Saturday, 12 May from 1:00 p.m. To
3:00 p.m. at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) in the
Community Room. Susi Pentico will present “Who Is/Was Your
Neighbor?”
To
learn more about each other in the society, we are going to be
doing some 5 generation charts and learning who is researching where,
what surnames and times one is looking at. It has been brought to
our attention that there is probably a connecting kin within our own
society we have not discovered. Genealogy is always more fun when
shared with others.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The program,
“Who is in Your Family Tree?” was presented by four Chula Vista Genealogical Society members
at Norman Park Center on April 26, 2012. The program was intended to
introduce attendees to genealogy, and to the Beginners Class taught
by Susi Pentico. It was well received by 22 attendees.
Susi Pentico
spoke about the upcoming Beginning Genealogy classes she will be
teaching at the Norman Park Center on May 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2012.
Randy Seaver’s presentation topic was “Genealogy - Be An Ancestor
Detective,” John Finch’s topic was “Your Family Tree, Heroes
and Horse Thieves,” and Janice Nevills rounded out the program by
sharing the story of her infamous great aunt and giving details about
Chula Vista Genealogical Society and the many programs and workshops
available.
This program for beginning researchers and CVGS inquirers was organized by CVGS Public Relations co-chairs Olive Lenane and Janice Nevills as part of the CVGS Outreach program to the Chula Vista community.
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