March 2015 Research Group Review

We had 18 attendees at the March 11th CVGS Research Group.

In the first hour, Randy reviewed the genealogy news and his own experiences, including:

* Research at the Family History Center in Salt Lake City

*  RootsTech 2015 videos are available at http://rootstech.org/video/4050134760001

*  RootsTech/FGS Conference photos from the exhibit hall and social events - all from Randy's blog www.geneamusings.com 

*  Randy's Who Do You Think You Are? Story with family photos (see   http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarestory.com/timelines/1ljVI1l2FALXkqV7Wn0Cmw)

*  Genealogy Gophers is a new FREE genealogy book website - www.gengophers.com

*   MooseRoots is a new FREE genealogy data website (all US census records indexed, plus more) - www.mooseroots.com

*  Family Tree Now is a new FREE genealogy data website (including Public Record Index data by family) - www.familytreenow.com

*  Ancestry.com will modifty the look and feel of its website in May 2015.  The biggest change will be in Ancestry Member Trees with the addition of a LifeStory feature.

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

*  Virginia and Bethel went to FGS/RootsTech in Salt Lake City, and enjoyed the conference and the Family History Library.  

*  Virginia found an ancestral record at 4:30 p.m. on the last day she was there.  At dinner one night, she had a "Hank Jones moment" while talking about genealogy to others at the table.

*  Bethel found her 2nd great-grandfather's naturalization record on microfilm.  She found the books on the shelf for her ancestral county and found a book that listed teachers at the schoolhouse with her relative's name.

*  Shirley found a relative in the MyHeritage databases residing in Australia.  

*  Susan wondered if her great-grandfather David Richards (1867-1917), born in Wales, died in Ohio was the same person as the David Daniel Richards found in some records.  

*  Carole is still looking for information about her great-aunt, and found a California State Library mural depicting the Rose Parade in a book.

*  Susan attended the Escondido Family History Fair and found out she could join the DAR.

*  Ralph noted that there was great staff help and advice when he visited the Family History Library.

*  Sam found his family in a Hardin surname book.  The migration trail was from Wales to Canada to Virginia to Pennsylvania to Kentucky.

*  Mary Lou joined the Niagara County New York Genealogical Society for $15 per year.  Users can search their resources for free.  As a member, they will answer email requests for lookups in books, records and cemeteries.

*  Gary demonstrated how to find the CVGS Library Book titles in the Members section of the new CVGS website.  

The next Research Group meeting will be on Wednesday, 8 April in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista).