CVGS Holiday Luncheon on Wednesday, 16 December

....
The annual Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Holiday Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the South Chula Vista Library, located at 389 Orange Avenue (southeast corner of Orange and Fourth Avenues). Please enter the parking lot off of Orange Avenue, and enter through the west door on the south side of the building. The room at the Library where the Christmas party will be held has handicap access.

Turkey and ham entrees and beverages will be provided by CVGS. The following food items should be brought by the people with names beginning with these letters. Contact Susi P at (619) 690 -1188 to coordinate all items:

A – F: Snack trays, condiments, olives, pickles, cranberry or applesauce.
G - K: Potatoes (regular or sweet), vegetables, casseroles
L - P: Desserts
Q - Z: Salads, rolls, butter.

Please bring wrapped items for the gift drawing. This will be a “bring one, get one” drawing. A maximum value of $10 is suggested. There will be an opportunity drawing for the table decorations. The program will be Member’s Genealogy Resolutions for 2010.

Also, please bring groceries for donation to the Salvation Army and, if you wish, unwrapped toys from infancy to teenage children.

New and Updated Genealogy Databases - November/December 2009

The newly added or recently updated (from early November to early December) genealogy databases on a number of commercial and free websites include (note - this is not a comprehensive list):

1) New or Updated Databases at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/ ($$)

o The Virginia Genealogist, Volumes 16-20
o New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 2009
o Early Maine Deeds and Wills, Volumes 11-18
o Dedham (MA) Births and Deaths, 1844-1890
o Preston (CT) First Cong. Church Records, 1698-1898
o Vital Records of Woodstock CT, 1686-1854
o American Ancestors Journal, 2009

2) New or Updated Databases at http://www.footnote.com/ ($$)

o Native American Collection (Ratified Indian Treaties - dating back to 1722; Indian Census Rolls - featuring personal information including age, place of residence and degree of Indian blood; The Guion Miller Roll - perhaps the most important source of Cherokee genealogical research; Dawes Packets - containing original applications for tribal enrollments; And other documents relating to the Five Civilized Tribes)

3) New or Updated Databases at http://www.footnote.com/ ($$)

o Lineage Books of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, Volumes 1-58
o Revolutionary War Service Records Index
o Revolutionary War Pension Records Index
o New Castle (DE) Court Records, 1676-1699
o Many Australian databases

4) New or Updated Databases at http://www.footnote.com/ ($$)

o Augusta (GA) Chronicle, 1793-1997
o New Orleans (LA) Times-Picayune (1837-1942)
o Trenton (NJ) Evening Times, 1883-1972)
o Cleveland (OH) Plain-Dealer (1845-1955)
o Dallas (TX) Morning News (1885-1978)
o Seattle (WA) Daily Times (1923-1939)

5) New or Updated Databases at http://www.ancestry.com/ ($$)

o U.S. Navy Cruise Books (1950-1988)
o Paris, France, Births, Marriages and Deaths
o Tasmania, Australia Index to BMD in The Mercury
o Victoria, Australia Passenger Lists, 1839-1923
o Gretna Green, Scotland Marriage Registers, 1794-1895.
o Many German language surname and locality books

6) New/Updated LDS http://www.familysearch.org/ Indexing Projects (Free). These databases are available for FREE at http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS site for volunteer-indexed and browsable databases -- recently added or completed projects:

o Massachusetts Marriage Records (1906 to 1915)
o Minnesota State Census, 1885 (index, no images)
o Minnesota Will Records, 1849-1918) (no images)
o 1920 US Census (71% complete) (index, no images)
o Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933) (index and images, 40% complete)
o Spain Municipal Records (no index, images only)
o Switzerland, Schaffhausen Church Records (no index, images only)
o Brazil, Catholic Church Records (no index, images only)
o Brazil, Sao Paulo Burial Records (no index, images only)

7) New or Updated Databases at http://www.findmypast.com/ ($$)

o 1851 England, Wales Scotland Census
o Note: 1841 to 1911 Census now Complete

CVGS Research Group Summary - 9 December 2009

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group met Wednesday, 9 December at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. There were nine in attendance. We went around the table discussing our current research, our research problems, and success stories.

* Joan tried to obtain a Hixson book, "Ten Generations of Hixsons in America," through Inter-Library Loan, but Santa Maria library would not send it down. She knows her grandfather, Daniel Webster Hixson, is in it. She found someone online that has a copy of it and may try to obtain pages from him. The group suggested checking the Family History Library Catalog to see if it is available on microfilm or microfiche, and the BYU Family History Archive and Google Books to see if it might be online. WorldCat may provide more inter-library loan possibilities too.

* Gary has been working in Family Tree Maker 2010 on his Roff families. He's found lots of useful information on Ancestry.com and added it to his database.

* Helen is trying to find the middle name of Samuel K. Winkle, whose son Harrison died in the Civil War. The middle initial may be H or K in longhand script, based on one record, and she cannot determine which it is. The group suggested looking for other names starting with H or K in the online database done by the same enumerator.

* Shirley enjoyed the SDGS Bus Trip to Los Angeles Public Library last Saturday - read many books, but none helped her with her New York deadend lines - William Wright, Jacob Plue, Thomas Graves and Daniel Miller. All are in central New York in the 1800 to 1850 time frame.

* Bobbie brought family history items from their nine day trip to Nova Scotia in September, including books, a framed poster and a map, and her annotated photo album. She told us some history of Acadia, and about her French and Native-American families there. Fascinating!

* Ruth talked about her planned spring trip to eastern Tennessee (her mother's line) and eastern Missouri (her father's line), and taking her father to Branson MO. She has Choctaw heritage in addition to colonial American families. She also summarized her Grandma Genie Camp (described on her Genealogy is Ruthless Without Me blog) experiences.

* Susi is stuck on her Jones line in Petersburg NY - the parents of her ancestor Noyes Jones (born 1809) are "missing." She thinks that they may be Noel and Susannah (--?--) Jones; Noel was the son of Abel Jones. Abel may have raised Noyes Jones in the early 1800's, since they appear next to each other in the 1840 census. She also went to the Los Angeles Public Library and found some Massachusetts town records that detail several generations of her Jones family, but not the "missing" one.

* Randy shared the Martin and Rolfe research work done by his cousin, Mark Putman. It opens up several generations of new ancestors in colonial New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be Wednesday, 13 January 2010, at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library.

CVGS December Newsletter is online

The December 2009 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available online in PDF format at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Newsletters/09_12dec.pdf.

Earlier editions are available in PDF format at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/page04.html

I would appreciate comments on content and format if you have something constructive to give.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - December 2009

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for December 2009 include:

** Wednesday December 9, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. 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, December 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Chula Vista South Branch Library (389 Orange Ave) -- CVGS Holiday Luncheon in the Conference Room. CVGS will provide the ham, turkey and drinks, and the attendees should bring potluck dishes to share - for last names beginning with:
A – F: Snack trays, condiments, olives, pickles, Cranberry or Apple sauce.
G - K: Potatoes (regular or sweet), vegetables, casseroles
L - P: Desserts
Q - Z: Salads, rolls, butter.

Also, bring a gift for our raffle and gift exchange, and please bring an unwrapped gift for a child, and a non perishable food item for donations to charity. The Program will be members sharing about their research highlights for 2009.

Note: There will be Computer Group meeting this month.

** Monday mornings (11 a.m. to 1 PM) - December 7, 14, 31 and 28 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.

The Chula Vista Civic Center Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).

The Chula Vista South Branch Library is located at 389 Orange Avenue in Chula Vista, between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. The parking lot entrance is on the south side of Orange Avenue. The Conference Room is at the west end of the parking lot (near Fourth Avenue) - you can enter through the side door near the west end of the library.

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.

If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.

Some Heirloom Photos from Georgie Stillman program

The CVGS "Heirloom Discovery Day" program on 25 November was successful and interesting - see the summary at "Heirloom Discovery Day" Program Highlights - 11/25.

Here are some photographs from the program, with CVGS members showing off their heirlooms.

First up is Gary B. with his Grandma's cookie jar:


John F. and his robin's egg blue hand-blown glass vase:



Virginia T. with her precious mother's doll:

Susan Z. proudly displays her aunt's plastic purse:

Susan W. and her Dutch or German doll from the early 1800s:

"Heirloom Discovery Day" Program Highlights - 11/25

The most enjoyed and anticipated Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting of the year is the November meeting when we have member sharing. For four of the past five years, we have had Georgie Stillman, ASA, a professional appraiser of artifacts and ephemera, review and evaluate items brought in by the members to share. Georgie is an expert in appraising silver, china, glassware, furniture, artworks, quilts and samplers, many dolls and other collectibles. We call this program an "Heirloom Discovery Day."

On Wednesday, 25 November, we had about 30 people at our meeting, and Georgie worked her "magic" on us once again. For each item, the member shared what they thought the article was, and the provenance of the article. Then Georgie told the member and the audience about the article's origin, materials, manufacture, marks, probable customer status, and an approximate value. We had eleven CVGS members bring their articles for discussion and appraisal, including:

* Nancy S. presented four silver plate pieces from the Stein Farm collection (in National City). Georgie dated them from the 1850 to 1890 period and said there would be museum interest in the pieces.

* Gary B. showed his large family ceramic cookie jar from grandma's house, which looked like an Aunt Jemima article but wasn't. Georgie said it was probably from the 1940s but wasn't a consumer item - it was fairly rare.

* Joan L. brought her grandmother's home-made little brown glazed pottery salt holder. Georgie loved the feel of it, and thought that it was made by a local potter.

* Barbara I. submitted a beautiful medium sized dressed doll with a porcelain head. Georgie said that it was machine-made, probably from the 1940s.

* John F. presented a beautiful robin's egg blue Victorian glass vase with a serrated opening, which was a gift to his great-grandmother from her brother. Georgie said that it was hand-blown, probably English and made in the 1880s.

* Virginia T. showed off her mother's doll in a farmer's wife dress. Georgie said that the molded head was probably made in Germany in the 1890s and sold separately, and then the dolls were created locally using the head.

* Wilma P. brought a 1933 Chicago "Century of Progress" World's Fair program and Oneida silver plate spoons. Georgie said it was a collectible and not rare.

* Helen S. had metal meat tenderizer and cabbage cutter. Georgie said they were post-Civil War items, probably commercially made in Grand Rapids MI.

* Susan Z. presented her Aunt's plastic purse from the 1950.s. Georgie loved it, said it was made of Bakelite, and was fairly valuable.

* Susi P. had a third generation apron. Georgie said that it was handmade in the late 1800s from commercially available material.

* Susan W. showed a small doll - from her grandmother's grandmother's grandmother, with a wooden body and a porcelain face, from Holland or Germany. Georgie said it reminded her of Jane Austen period books, was probably from the 1810 to 1820 period, and was fairly valuable.

Obviously, I didn't take notes on everything Georgie said about each item - she often talked for 5 to 8 minutes about each item. I tried to take photographs of each presenter and their article with Georgie - and I'll post the ones that come out well in a later post.

Georgie's style is informal, enthusiastic and interesting - she really enjoys seeing these types of artifacts and "stuff" because they are, in the main, from middle-class homes from the Victorian era and later. She is used to appraising high-end items for collectors and estates.

It is fascinating to see an expert appraiser at work - the words seem to flow effortlessly and I am awestruck by the knowledge level. It was a great society program.

"Heirloom Discovery Day" - CVGS Program on Wednesday, 25 November

The next Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting is Wednesday, 25 November 2009, at 12 noon in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Auditorium (365 F Street in Chula Vista).

The program will be Georgie Stillman, a certified ASA appraiser, who will present an "Heirloom Discovery Day."

Georgie will evaluate, provide some historical background and estimate a value of family heirlooms brought in by CVGS members. Her expertise is in evaluating and appraising silver, China, glass ware, furniture, artworks,quilts and samplers.

Georgie Stillman (http://georgiestillman.com/bio.htm) has worked as a professional appraiser in London, England, Phoenix, AZ and San Diego since 1971. She served as president of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), vice president of the San Diego chapter, and was founding director of the International Society of Appraisers. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding service, including Appraiser of the Year. Besides being a professional instructor at various colleges, she has made many radio/TV guest appearances and written articles for many publications, teaching audiences about antiques and art.


Please enter the auditorium through the Conference Room door on the east library hallway - and pick up the program, buy a drawing ticket for Family Tree Maker 2010, and have a snack before the program begins at around 12:20 p.m.

For more information, please contact Barbara Ibaibarriaga at 619-427-4110 or email baribai@cox.net.

New or Updated Genealogy Databases - October 2009

The list of new and/or updated genealogy databases for October includes:

1) New or Updated Databases at www.NewEnglandAncestors.org ($$)

o The Virginia Genealogist, Volumes 11-15
o Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915: 1914 – Marriages
o Probate Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts, 1685-1789
o The American Genealogist, Volumes 34-38

2) New or Updated Databases at www.Footnote.com ($$)

o Announced that the 1790-1850, 1870-1880, and 1900 - 1920 US Federal Census records would be digitized and indexed and available on Footnote within one year. Site already has 1860 and 1930 census online.
o 1900 US Census – 1% complete
o 1910 US Census – 1% complete
o 1920 US Census – 1% complete
o Texas Death Certificates – 56% complete

3) New or Updated Databases at www.WorldVitalRecords.com ($$)

o Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries, Numbers 1 – 27
o Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants
o Resolutions, Laws, and Ordinances Relating to the Officers and Soldiers of the Revolution
o Scottish-American Court Records, 1733-1783
o Scots in Georgia and the Deep South, 1735 – 1845
o Several Alaska newspapers
o Many English parish records books
o Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia

4) New or Updated Databases at www.Ancestry.com ($$)

o Ancestry.com (ACOM) is now a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.
o Historical Postcards Collections – several countries.
o Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1960-1974
o Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1954
o Atlanta, Georgia, Federal Penitentiary Index, 1880-1922
o British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
o Many German Surname and Locality books

5) New/Updated LDS www.FamilySearch.org Indexing Projects (Free)

These databases are available for FREE at http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS site for volunteer-indexed and browsable databases -- recently added or completed projects:

o Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959 (no images)
o Massachusetts 1865 State Census
o Minnesota Will Records, 1849-1918 (no images)
o Wisconsin State Census, 1855
o Italy, Napoli Province Municipal Records, 1809-1936 (browse images only)
o Netherlands, Limburg Parish Register Transcripts, 1600-1822 (browse images only)
o Brazil, Catholic Church Records (browse images only)
o Spain Municipal Records (browse images only)
o 1920 US Census (51% complete, 32 states, no images)

Genealogy Blogs You Should Read...

Here is the list of genealogy blogs that were listed in the November 2009 CVGS Newsletter:

o Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter – http://blog.eogn.com/

o Leland Meitzler’s GenealogyBlog – http://genealogyblog.com/

o Thomas MacEntee’s Geneabloggers – http://www.geneabloggers.com/

o James Tanner’s Genealogy’s Star – http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com/

o The Ancestry Insider – http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/

o The Genealogy Insider (Diane Haddad) -- http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/

o Craig Manson’s Geneablogie – http://blog.geneablogie.net/

o footnoteMaven’s Shades of the Departed – http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/

o The Graveyard Rabbit cemetery blog – http://www.the%20graveyardrabbit.com/

o Gena Ortega’s Gena’s Genealogy blog -- http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/

o Tami Glatz’s Relative Curious About Genealogy blog – http://relativelycurious.blogspot.com/

o Michael John Neill’s Genealogy Tip of the Day blog – http://genealogytipoftheday.blogspot.com/

o Lorine Schulze’s Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question blog – http://askolivetree.blogspot.com/

o Arlene Eakle’s Genealogy blog -- http://www.arleneeakle.com/wordpress/

o Ancestry.com Blog – http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/

o Footnote.com Blog -- http://blog.footnote.com/

o WorldVitalRecords.com Blog – http://blog.worldvitalrecords.com/

o GenealogyBank – The Official Blog – http://blog.genealogybank.com/

o Genealogical Inc. blog – http://www.genealogyandfamilyhistory.com/

o California Genealogical Society and Library blog – http://calgensoc.blogspot.com/

o San Diego Genealogical Society blog – http://sandiegogenealogy.blogspot.com/

o Susi Pentico’s Chatty Performances blog – http://susischattyperformances.blogspot.com/

o Ruth Himan’s Genealogy is Ruthless Without Me blog – http://genealogyisruthlesswithoutme.blogspot.com/

o Randy Seaver’s Genea-Musings blog – http://www.geneamusings.com/

CVGS Research Group Summary - 12 November 2009

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group met on Thursday, 12 November at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library at 12 noon. There were eight avid story tellers and researchers in attendance.

Randy opened the session by noting that Family Tree Magazine has changed their cover design, and that the latest issue has a free CDROM of Family Tree Builder 4.0 software. He also noted that Ancestry.com is a publicly traded company and wondered if anybody owns stock in it yet.

* We were happy to have Martha back with us after her surgery. She has been accepted as a member of the Flannery Clan in Ireland and has the colorful certificates to prove it. More importantly, she has corresponded with a researcher in Ireland that has taken the Flannery line back to 1800 - it added several more generations to her line. Martha wanted to know how to access only Ireland databases on Ancestry.com - we told her to select "Irish Collections" in the New Search box.

* David has done no new research, but has noticed lots more Member Connect activity on Ancestry.com. Some of his research is being attached by other researchers.

* Dick sent a pedigree chart and family group sheets to two sibling cousins requesting help with family information. One sent it back filled out, the other is working on it. Dick has all of his genealogy data in Ancestry Member Trees, but downloads it occasionally to make reports and charts.

* Virginia went to Indiana last month to visit her sister and do research. She looked for her cousin's papers in a local museum - they aren't there yet. She did find a family reunion photograph from 1928 with about 50 people in it - all named on a separate sheet of paper.

* Ruth brought her six generation ancestors chart and talked about the one who was put in a well by his father. She met a new cousin and they are sharing lots of information, including about Elizabeth Jane, a child that was adopted out and was lost to her cousin's family. Ruth knows all about her! She wants to write books for Christmas and is thinking about doing a website.

* Gary has had some success with Ancestry.com "leaves" while doing Web Searches in FTM 2010 on his Roff family. He's now expanding his search to New England for his Roff surname line. He's working on a new project, which he'll unveil at the November meeting.

* John had a nasty computer virus that cost him two weeks of effort, but he recovered his files and email. He noted that some Ancestry.com family trees have bad information - so be careful what you bring into your online tree.

* Randy shared a San Francisco Funeral Home record, and his search through San Francisco Chronicle newspapers and city directories for ancestral death dates, occupations and residences. He also talked about his Y-DNA results through SMGF and GeneTree, and finding two other Seaver researchers with close matches.

The next CVGS Research Group will be at 12 noon on Wednesday, 9 December, in the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Conference Room.

November Issue of CVGS Newsletter available online

The November 2009 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Newsletter is available on the CVGS website - this issue is here.

You can read past issues on the Newsletter page.

The Table of Contents includes:

page 1 -- November Program Meeting
page 2 -- President’s Message
page 2 -- October 28 Program Meeting Review
page 3 -- Holiday Luncheon - December 16
page 3 -- October 24 Seminar Review
page 4 -- Research Group News
page 4 -- Computer Group News
page 4 -- SDGS Library Moves
page 5 -- CVGS General Society Meeting Minutes – Oct. 28.
page 5 -- CVGS Board Meeting Minutes – November 4
page 6 -- It’s Membership Renewal Time
page 6 -- Update Your Pedigree Charts
page 6 -- Lemon Grove Genealogy Group Notes
page 6 -- Make Your Own Ancestral Map
pages 7-8 -- Computer-Related Genealogy News
page 9 -- San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 -- Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

The Genealogy Cafe is open again...

Avid readers (thank you!) and followers (all five of you?) probably noted that there haven't been any posts of the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe since 2 November. Believe me, I tried!

Our favorite blog host, Blogger, somehow thought that the Cafe was a spam blog, meaning that we re-publish blog posts from other sites without attribution. As a consequence, they put the blog in "blogger limbo" until they could check it out. It disappeared sometime between 3 November and 9 November when I tried to post something. I complained through the official Blogger Help system (it does work, but sometimes slowly) and was notified on 14 November that it was being returned to "Blogger heaven" and it was on 16 November.

Thinking about the possible reasons that it could be considered a spam blog, I realized that I have been publishing some posts on this blog and also on my personal genealogy blog, http://www.geneamusings.com/, for quite awhile. I may stop posting the complete CVGS meeting material on my personal blog and see what happens. Or, I'll just change the text enough that it won't be a complete copy of what I post here.

Anyway, we're back, and I will post material shortly!

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - November 2009

...
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for November 2009 include:

** Thursday, November 12, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. 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.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE for the Research Group meeting - the library will be closed on 11 November for Veterans Day.

** Wednesday, November 18, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We will visit some helpful genealogy web sites. This is an opportunity for those members who haven't used computers for genealogy research to practice with a mentor to guide them.

** Wednesday, November 25, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium. After a brief business meeting, the speaker will be Georgie Stillman, a professional appraiser, with an "Heirloom Discovery Day."

** Monday mornings (11 a.m. to 1 PM) - November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.

The Chula Vista Civic Center 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).

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.

If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.

CVGS Program Summary - "Genealogy Vacations"

Randy Seaver presented "Genealogy Vacations" to 30 attendees at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, 28 October. The talk started with a review of what a National Lampoon's Genealogy Vacation movie might look like - the Griswolds take off for Salt Lake City with the kids and grandma, but not her dog. Mr. G. finds generations of ancestors at the Family History Library, and the rest of the family is really bored at the motel ... but Mr. G. insists on a side trip to Phoenix AZ where grandma keels over and dies when Mr. G. discovers, and then tells her, that her mother was adopted...so they bury grandma right there in Phoenix. Mrs. G. runs off with the solemnly dapper funeral home director, the kids take off for a bus tour to Disneyland, and Mr. G. spends extra days at the state archives.

And can't you just hear the complaint from the bored teenager - "We spent two days in Phoenix and all I got was this lousy gravestone rubbing - not even a T-shirt."

Randy's program was really in two parts - first, how to succeed in taking genealogy vacations - where and when to go, what to do when you get there, be sure to check repository hours and access rules, figure out what unique resources they may have, etc. Family reunions and special family history trips were addressed, as were technology tools and using the Internet to plan the ideal genealogy vacation.

The second part was pretty much a travelogue from Randy and Linda vacations taken in 1990 to New England, 1993 to England, 1999 to Scandinavia, 2004 to the northeast, 2008 to New York and The Master Genealogist cruise, and 2009 to the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference in Little Rock while visiting friends. He used lots of pictures, itinerary maps, and told many genealogy research stories - most of them with a lesson learned.

The takeaways from the talk include:

* Blend family visits and tourism with genealogy research to keep everybody happy.

* Try to meet as many family members as possible - share information with them, see their pictures and hear their stories.

* Enjoy the historical places, and learn the local history and customs.

* Search for unique records at every repository you can find, because that may be the only place they are located.

* Leave time in the schedule for opportunity to knock and be taken advantage of - find the distant cousins, go to the cemeteries, research that elusive ancestor, browse the stacks.

* Technology can fail - have backups, chargers and cables.

* Good luck in genealogy research is often the residue of plans made and opportunities taken.

CVGS Program on 10/28 - "Genealogy Vacations"

What is the best way to plan and enjoy Genealogy Vacations? Is it to visit five libraries and ten cemeteries in three days and then attend a genealogy conference, dragging your spouse along the way? Or is it to combine genealogy research with family visits and sightseeing? When you visit a repository or a cemetery, how do you prepare for the visit?

The October 28th program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society features Randy Seaver discussing Genealogy Vacations. The meeting will start at 12 noon in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (at 365 F Street in downtown Chula Vista).

Randy’s presentation will provide some guidelines, and some examples from his experiences in England, Norway, on cruise ships, in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Salt Lake City, and more!

Randy Seaver is a native San Diegan, a graduate of San Diego State University in Aeronautical Engineering, and a retired aerospace engineer with a 38-year career at Rohr/Goodrich in Chula Vista. His ancestry is mainly colonial New England and Upper Atlantic states, with a few German and Dutch forbears.

His genealogy activities include serving on the CVGS Board (currently Newsletter Editor and Research Chairman), speaking occasionally to Southern California societies and groups, teaching the Beginning Computer Genealogy classes at OASIS, and writing the Genealogy 2.0 column for the FGS’s FORUM Magazine. He is also a member of NGS, NEHGS, SDGS, and CGSSD. Randy blogs daily about genealogy subjects at Genea-Musings, The Geneaholic, the South San Diego County Graveyard Rabbit, and is the editor of the Chula Vista Genealogy Café blog.

We look forward to seeing you at this meeting - please enter the auditorium through the conference room off the east hallway at the library, in order to register your attendance, pick up handouts, buy an opportunity drawing ticket (the prize is a copy of Family Tree Maker 2010 donated by Randy Seaver). The program will start at about 12:20 p.m. with a short business meeting.

"Every Life Has a Story" Seminar Summary

"Who would want to know about my life? I haven't done anything."

We often hear this lament when we encourage people to talk or write about their life stories, yet every person has a unique story - one that belongs only to them, and that, in most cases, has not been told to anyone. The stories can include the life events, the hardships, the joys, the experiences, the loves, the people they've met, the places they've been.

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) seminar on Saturday, 24 October at Fredericka Manor (a Chula Vista retirement community), was designed to encourage CVGS members, Fredericka residents and community members to share their personal stories with their friends and family. Our host, Betsy Keller of Fredericka Manor, welcomed the 70 attendees, and then drew tickets for about twenty door prizes. Betsy introduced the CVGS President, Gary Brock, who provided a short description of CVGS activities, and introduced Barbara Ibaibarriaga, the CVGS Programs chairperson. Barbara introduced the program speaker, Susan Walter of Chula Vista.

Susan Walter spoke about "Every Life Has a Story." She talked about her grandmother's life, and played an audio tape that revealed that her grandmother was the May Day Queen for her high school class. Her grandmother had many interesting experiences as a girl, wife and mother and grandmother, and Susan shared stories, pictures, artifacts and a scrapbook. She noted that every person has wonderful, and occasionally horrid, stories that can be used to reach out to younger generations. Susan told her own story of "The Trip from Hell" - a 30-hour train and bus trip from Guadalajara to San Diego after her plane ticket was stolen.

Susan noted that for your own story, you know all of the characters, you've done all of the "research," use all of your senses, you don't need to start at the beginning - just start telling or writing stories about your life experiences. Some people find it easier to talk about their life stories, others think it is easier to write them down. Whichever way works best - the point is to share your life stories with your family and friends that care about you.

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society wants to help members and community people tell their stories - they are willing to make tape recordings of family stories, transcribe them and provide them in a digital format for posterity.

After the talk, the attendees were assigned to tables for a delicious lunch in the Fredericka Dining Room. Each table had a Fredericka host and a CVGS host - and all were encouraged to tell some of their life stories while feasting on soup, salad, quiche lorraine, turkey sandwiches, and dessert.

It was a fun and interesting day, with a wonderful talk and a great lunch.

CVGS Fall Seminar on Saturday, 24 October

The CVGS Fall Seminar will be Saturday, 24 October, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fredericka Manor (183 Third Avenue, Chula Vista). The program will feature Every Life Is a Story by Susan Walter. Reservations are required by 10/19 – Contact Betsy Keller at (619) 205-4116.

The morning will begin with introductions and door prizes in the Auditorium, followed by Susan Walter’s presentation. After Susan’s talk, we will adjourn to the Dining Room for a sumptuous lunch. CVGS members are encouraged to talk about their own memories and to encourage Fredericka residents to share their memories.

There will be a registration list for CVGS members, guests and Fredericka residents to sign up to record their memories and family stories in coming weeks using state-of-the-art digital voice recording equipment.

Susan Walter will present the idea of writing or recording memoirs and family stories for future generations. Because the idea of "writing an autobiography" can be so daunting, the more simplified collection of brief memoirs will be explained in the hopes that it may help to get those with stories to tell to actually tell them. Susan will share some examples of memoirs from her own life, and her very treasured tape recording, featuring the voice of her grandmother, will be heard.

Susan Walter is a historical archaeologist. She and her husband, Stephen Van Wormer, also a historian and archaeologist, have lived in Chula Vista for about 15 years. They live in the 115 year old orchard home of John M. Davidson, who was one of Chula Vista's founders. Stephen was raised in National City; Susan was born in Texas, raised in the San Fernando Valley, and moved to the San Diego area about 30 years ago. They have 2 adult children. Susan and Stephen have cooperated on hundreds of projects throughout the county, as well as working separately. One of Susan's specialties is conducting oral interviews and the collection of local history stories. She loves it when those stories are preserved for future generations. She knows each of you have fascinating tales to tell, because "Every Life Is a Story."

We hope to see you all there!

Free Genealogy Webinars

Webinars (WEB semINARS) are online seminars, usually in the form of a PowerPoint presentation where you can hear the presenter’s voice and see the charts.

Some of the most recent webinars (these are FREE) include:

* "Getting the Most Out of Footnote" at http://blog.footnote.com/the-worlds-first-footnote-webinar/.

* New England Historic Genealogical Society has quite a few online seminars at http://www.newenglandancestors.org/events/online_seminars.asp

* Ancestry.com has many webinars listed at http://learn.ancestry.com/LearnMore/Webinars.aspx including:

*** Best Strategies for Searching Ancestry.com
*** Getting Started on Ancestry.com
*** Family Tree Maker 2010 New Features Demo
*** Genealogy in Gotham: New York City Research
*** Ancestry World Archives Project: New Features Demo
*** Introducing Ancestry.com ExpertConnect
*** European Research: Tips and Tools for Success
*** Genetic Genealogy Made Easy

New or Updated Genealogy Databases - October 2009

New and updated databases from some of the subscription web sites are listed below for early September and early October:

1) New or Updated Databases at www.NewEnglandAncestors.org ($$)

* The Connecticut Nutmegger, Volumes 37-41
* The American Genealogist, Volumes 29-33
* ACGS Index of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials
* Massachusetts Vital Records: Marriages 1913
* The Virginia Genealogist, Volumes 6-10

2) New or Updated Databases at www.Footnote.com ($$)

* Holocaust Collection, including
** Concentration camp registers and documents from Dachau, Mauthausen, Auschwitz, and Flossenburg.
** The "Ardelia Hall Collection" of records relating to the Nazi looting of Jewish possessions, including looted art.
** Captured German records including deportation and death lists from concentration camps.
** Nuremberg War Crimes Trial proceedings.

* Baltimore City Directories, 1863-1923
* Boston City Directories, 1786-1926
* Brooklyn City Directories, 1862-1900, 1902-1912
* Buffalo City Directories, 1861-1923
* Chicago City Directories, 1843-1916, 1923
* Dallas City Directories, 1878-1923
* Detroit City Directories, 1861-1923
* Fort Wayne City Directories, 1861-1923
* Los Angeles City Directories, 1873-1924
* Louisville City Directories, 1861-1923
* New Orleans City Directories, 1861-1923
* New York City Directories, 1786-1922
* Newark City Directories, 1861-1923
* St. Louis City Directories, 1863-1923
* San Francisco City Directories, 1861-1923

3) New or Updated Databases at www.WorldVitalRecords.com ($$)

* 1860 Census Index (view images on Footnote.com)
* 1930 Census Index (view images on Footnote.com)
* Australia and New Zealand records
* Selected Mexico Newspapers
* Selected Canadian Newspapers

4) New or Updated Databases at www.Ancestry.com ($$)

* Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1963-1974
* Honolulu, Hawaii Passenger Lists, 1900-1953
* Atlanta GA Federal Pententiary Index, 1880-1922
* US Patent and Trademark Office Patents, 1790-1909
* US Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895
* London, England Marriage Banns, 1754-1921
* London England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1637-1812
* Many Italian and German Books

5) New/Updated LDS www.FamilySearch.org Indexing Projects (Free) -- These databases are available for FREE at http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS site for volunteer-indexed and browsable databases -- recently added or completed projects:

* Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915
* United States Census, 1920 (51% complete) (no images)
* Wisconsin State Census, 1855
* Mexico Census, 1930 (17 states) (29% complete)
* Mexico, Coahuila, Catholic Church Records, 1627-1978 (browse images only)
* Mexico, Tlaxcala, Civil Registration, 1867-1937 (browse images only)
* England, Cheshire School Records, 1796-1950
* France, Protestant church records, 1612-1906
* Italy, Palermo Province, Monreale diocese, Catholic Church Records, 1530-1919 (browse images only)
* Slovakia, Presov Record Books (Hungarian and Slovakian Place Names), 1592-1952 (browse images)
* Argentina National Census, 1869
* Argentina National Census, 1875
* Argentina, Tucuman, San Miguel de Tucuman, Catholic Church Records, 1727-1949 (browse images only)