CVGS Program Meeting on 28 May - Genealogy Research Panel: "Stump the Chumps"

WEDNESDAY, May 28th

 PROGRAM MEETING

from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

At Chula Vista Civic Center Library Auditorium (365 F Street)

Genealogy Research Panel: “Stump the Chumps”

This will be a panel of four of CVGS's best researchers (from the left, Shirley Becker, John Finch, Patricia Diane Godinez, and Randy Seaver) who will take research problems and questions submitted from the audience. The panel will be moderated by President Virginia Taylor. Six to eight entries will be selected (time permitting). 

Each selected entry will be presented by a primary panelist who will have performed some preliminary research on the entry. A full panel discussion will follow, including audience participation.

 If you have a problem or are stumped in an area of your research, please obtain an entry form from any panel member or President Taylor, fill it in and submit it to Virginia on or before Wednesday May 21. This is important to give the assigned panelist time to prepare a response.

 So get your entry in early and see if you can "Stump The Chumps." 

May 21st Computer Group Review

The Computer Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society on Wednesday, 21 May 2014, had ten in attendance in the Computer Lab using the new library Windows 7 computers.  Shirley Becker demonstrated several websites with free records and web pages, including;

*  Rootsweb/Ancestry Freepages (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~websites/ - she picked one of the Surname Websites to see examples) and the Freepages directory (http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/directory/) to search for material about your ancestors.

*  Rootsweb/Ancestry WorldConnect family trees (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/) to search for persons in trees submitted by researchers.

*  Rootsweb/Ancestry Message Boards (http://boards.rootsweb.com/) to search for messages or queries submitted by researchers on thousands of surname, locality and topic boards.

*  GenForum Message Boards (http://genforum.genealogy.com/) to search for messages or queries submitted by researchers on thousands of surname, locality and topic boards.

Several attendees found interesting entries on these web pages, family trees and message boards.

May 14th Research Group Review

The May 14th Research Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society had 16 attendees. 

In the first 30 minutes (without using the Internet since the projector didn't make it to the meeting), Randy discussed the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Family Tree magazine, Internet Genealogy magazine, and the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks biography challenge that he is participating in.  He passed several issues of the magazines, and several 52 Ancestors articles, around the table.  

The attendees shared their research questions, research problems and research successes for the blance of the meeting.  For example:

*  Sylvia found a set of third great-grandparents and their spouses checking out Ancestry Member Trees.

*  Diane shared a letter from a relative with some family secrets and noted that "sometimes births occur before marriage and people won't share information."  She also showed how she uses a 12-generation chart, noting that it's helpful to put your research down on paper.

*  Marie is trying to find and contact her granddaughter, who recently married and has had several name changes.  The group suggested using social media, checking adoptee message boards and a surname message board to find go-betweens.

*  John has found more wills in the Essex Antiquarian periodicals on the shelves at the Chula Vista library for his colonial ancestors in Essex County, Massachusetts.  He found one for Reverend William Worcester, and he and Randy learned they were distant cousins.

*  Gary is looking for more military records for his Revolutionary War ancestor, Philip Roff.  He knows he was in the 12 regiment of Albany N.Y. militia.  The group suggested the DAR, Fold3.com records, FamilySearch Books, regimental histories, a local genealogical or historical society, and researching others in the regiment.

*  Karen Y is a volunteer for the Midway Museum, and is working on the Memorial Board for servicemen who died while serving on the Midway between 1945 and 1992.  Previously, the Board had only the name and date of death, and she wants to find the squadron, cause of death and other information.  She has been checking Ancestry.com and Find A Grave for information.  The group suggested newspaper obituaries and Fold3.com for more information.

*  Jane committed a mortal sin by buying a new Windows 8 computer, and needs help with it.  She did find a connection to an Amish or Mennonite family in Pennsylvania recently, and needs to do more research on the family.

*  Virginia found an 1830 declaration of intent for Robert Dunlap in the Pennsylvania Naturalizations database on Ancestry.com.  He immigrated in 1799 from County Donegal in Ireland and was naturalized in 1813 in Nisipining.

*  Gerry's husband's father was in the U.S. Navy from 1900-1905, but didn't serve in a war.  She wants more information about his service.  She wrote to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis but received little information.  The group suggested an obituary, an enlistment record, a draft registration, cemetery records, and a town history or family genealogy.  

*  Hazel has been working on her ancestry with Diane's help.  She wondered about copyright and privacy issues with photographs on Facebook and other sites.  The group noted that material published before 1923 is in the public domain is used, but after 1923 the photographs are under copyright protection, and that the creator of the material, or their heirs, owns the material.  Permission to use copyrighted material should be requested, and attribution of public domain material is recommended.

*  Arlene has a new Mac computer, since her PC died recently.  She is working on her tree on Ancestry, and wanted to get a software program.  One recommendation was Family Tree Maker for Mac to synchronize with her online tree.  

*  Helen's 4th great-grandparent moved from Virginia to North Caroline to Tennessee, and three sisters moved to Missouri.  One married an uncle, and the uncle was arrested for murder.  She has found census, land and an article in a county history book about the uncle.  Helen also says that we shouldn't believe everything you find in a book or online.

The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be Thursday, 12 June 2014 (note the day/date change!) from 1 p.m. to 3 pm. in the Auditorium at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista.

CVGS Newsletter - May 2014

The May 2014 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

The Table of Contents lists:

page 1 - May 28th Program Meeting 
page 2 - President’s Message
page 2 - Library Committee Report
page 3 - April 5th Saturday Workshop Review
page 3 - Ancestry.com Subscription AARP Discount

page 4 -- Next Computer Group Meeting
page 4 - Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 4 - June 14th Saturday Workshop
page 4 - Seminar Committee Report
page 5 - SD Central Library Research Trip Review

page 5 - Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
page 6 - Research Group Review
page 7 - April 30th Program Review
page 8 - “Shaking The Family Tree” Fair Review
page 8 - May 3rd Saturday Workshop Review 

page 8 - SCGS Jamboree App and Syllabus Available

page 9 - CVGS Society Information 

page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events 
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

April 30th Program Review - “The Orphan Train”

Paul Erickson, a local Chula Vista resident, provided his “The Orphan Trains” lecture to a crowd of about 35 CVGS members and 20 guests, many of whom came from Fredericka Manor. Paul's mother was one of the estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned or homeless children who were placed in homes all over the United States between 1854 and 1929. There were two large organizations that did this – the Children's Aid Society (started in 1853) and the New York City Foundling Home (started in 1859, about 100,000 babies over the years). The groups wrote to small towns looking for families to take the children. The families could request children by gender, eye and hair color, etc. Special train cars carried 40 to 50 children at a time, with several chaperones.

Each child had their name on their collar, and the destination family name on their jacket or coat. Boys usually wanted to go to farms, and girls usually wanted to be mother's helpers. When they arrived at their destination, the prospective parents met the child and the sponsoring group. The child could be rejected and would then be taken to the next stop for another possible placement. Not all placements worked out. The Orphan Train book has stories about 40 to 50 Orphan Train riders.

Paul's handout had an advertisement that included this information:

Paul's mother was living in an orphanage in 1901 in New York and was sent to Missouri to find a home. She had no idea why she was abandoned. She loved the farm and school, graduated from high school and business college, married and raised a family in Independence, Missouri. Later in life, she hired a tracer of lost relatives, who found a record of a child with her first name and birth date in New York City, the parents marriage date, and the birth of another child in a Presbyterian Church record. After she died, Paul wrote to the brother, Walter, who wrote back saying he had been told his little sister had died. Walter visited Paul, and said “You look just like my dad.”

There is a National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, Kansas in a historical landmark building of a Union-Pacific train station (see www.orphantraindepot.org) for more information.

San Diego Central Library Research Trip Review (by Karen Yarger)

On Wednesday, April 23^rd, a small band of CVGS adventurers, led by John Finch and Karen Yarger, began their trip to the downtown San Diego Central Library. All were armed with info sheets on the library and tips for riding the trolley and doing research in the ninth floor’s genealogy collection.

We met at our usual spot on the second floor of the parking structure on Third Avenue. It’s a good thing we carpooled because the first challenge was finding parking spaces at one of the trolley stations. All of the Chula Vista station lots were under construction, a problem which hopefully will be remedied by the time you read this. Buying a senior trolley ticket ($1.25 one way) was a new experience for some, but with laughter and eagerness we boarded the Blue Line trolley, got off at the Park & Market stop, and walked about two blocks to the library. Did you notice that the windows are shaped like open books?

Karen gave a brief tour of the lobby and first floor and the wonderful Sanford Children’s Library, with its 16’ Dr. Seuss murals. It offers everything from displays of vintage favorites like The Wizard of Oz to the newest kid-friendly iPads and computers, and over 56,000 volumes in several languages.

A quick note of the copy stations on the 2^nd, 4^th and 8^th floors, and off we headed to the ninth floor with its domed-shaded terrace and sweeping views. SDGS’s Chris Christensen met us and gave a personalized tour of the Hervey Rare Book Room with its centuries-old books, manuscripts and art. Steps away, he gave us a tour of the genealogy collection (that’s why we came!) and showed us the computers with access to Ancestry.com. Then he turned to helping some of our members with their research.

There’s never enough time to do research, is there? 

 Before we left at 3pm, we learned of a $3 parking lot across the street (not on Padre game days; it’s the Tailgate lot) and vowed to return soon. Now that we know our way around this fabulous resource, we can spend all our time in the stacks. It’s a great way to spend the day!

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - May 2014

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for May 2014 include:

**  Saturday, 3 May, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop:  Randy Seaver will lead a workshop on "RootsMagic 6 Software."

** Wednesday 14 May, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver.  We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.  

** Wednesday, 21 May, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Wednesday, 28 May, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium:  "Genealogy Research Problem Solving Q&A" with Diane Godinez, John Finch, Shirley Becker and Randy Seaver. Refreshments before and after the meeting.

**  Wednesdays, 7, 14, 21 and 28 May, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) --Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

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

The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.

RootsMagic Saturday Workshop on 3 May 2014

The next Chula Vista Genealogical Society RootsMagic 6 workshop is Saturday, 3 May 2014 at 12 noon until 3 p.m. at Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) in the Community Room.

Randy Seaver will lead the discussion of RootsMagic 6, including:

*  Summary of program capabilities and navigation
*  Demonstration of how to start a new family tree file, including entering basic data, events, notes, sources and media.
*  Answer attendee questions about specific functions and capabilities
*  Where to find help and answers to your questions.

Attendees should bring their laptops with RootsMagic 6 installed.  The latest version of RootsMagic is 6.3.1.0 which was recently provided, and users should have the latest version if possible.  Many features in RootsMagic are the same for earlier versions, but some new features are unique to the latest version.  

If you are going to attend this workshop, and have a specific question, please email it to Randy at rjseaver@cox.net.

April 30th Program Meeting Features Paul Erickson on "The Orphan Trains"

 WEDNESDAY, April 30th

 PROGRAM MEETING

from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

At Chula Vista Civic Center Library Auditorium (365 F Street)

Speaker:  Paul Erickson: Subject:  “The Orphan Trains”

 From 1859 to 1929, the emigration of an estimated 200,000 children took place in the USA----one of the largest movements of people in our history. Yet, many people in this country know nothing of the Orphan Train Era. In 1852, police estimated 10,000 homeless children lived on the streets in New York City. One thousand or more emigrants from Europe arrived daily in the city. Poverty, disease and alcoholism were common. 

What to do with the homeless children? The Orphan Trains heading for the developing Mid-West were one answer.....for the next 75 years.  Two organizations were closely identified with the Orphan Trains. The Children's Aid Society, founded in 1853 in New York City by the Rev. Charles Loring Brace, and the New York Foundling Hospital established by the Catholic Order of Sisters of Charity in 1869. Each sent thousands of orphans West. 

Paul will tell the story of these two organizations and their placements of orphans, the story of one of the riders, my Mother, and the story of the Orphan Train Heritage Society which has preserved the stories of thousands of Orphan Train Riders.

 Dr. Paul Erickson is a retired professor, San Diego State University. He grew up in Independence, MO and served as an Army Sergeant in the final months of World War II. He has a B.A. ( History) Arizona State University, an M.A. ( History) Stanford University, and an Ed.D. ( in Counseling Psychology ) University of Southern California. He is married, and has two sons. He and his wife, Marilyn, currently live at Fredericka Manor in Chula Vista. Dr. Erickson and his sister, Norma Poling, have been active members of the Orphan Train Heritage Society since it's founding in 1986.

This meeting is FREE to attend.  There will be a short CVGS business meeting before the presentation.  Refreshments are served by CVGS members before and after the program.

CVGS Research Trip to San Diego Public Library on 23 April 2014

While we can’t exactly call it our “New” Downtown San Diego Library any longer, it is still new to some of us. If you haven’t been, now’s your chance! We are planning a field trip on Wednesday, April 23rd and will go as a group on the Trolley, meeting at the Chula Vista E Street station at about 11:20 a.m.  

We’ll take the Blue Line (to America Plaza), disembarking at the Park and Market stop, then walk less than two blocks south to the Library. We plan to meet for our tour at the Library’s main entrance shortly after it opens at noon.   If you choose to drive, please remember that parking is free for only two hours (with a library card), and after that it is $1.25 for every 20 minutes (!). 

John Finch is arranging a tour for us of the ninth floor genealogy collection, and we may also have a tour of the rest of the Library as well – there is so much to see!  

 To sign up, please contact Karen Yarger (khy13@hotmail.com ) or John Finch (jan27@cox.net). We will send you further instructions and some tips on what to bring, etc., a few days before departure. Here’s your first tip: The Trolley’s senior fare is only $1.25 – do not buy your return ticket at the same time, since the tickets are only valid for two hours. 

We will probably leave the library about 5 p.m., so there will be plenty of time for some genealogy research. On Wednesdays, the Library closes at 8 p.m., so you may stay as late as you like. For more information on the Library, see http://www.sandiegolibrary.org, or call them at 619-236-5800. 

Karen Yarger wrote this article.

CVGS Newsletter - April 2014

The April 2014 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

The Table of Contents lists:

page 1 - April 30th Program Meeting 
page 2 - President’s Message
page 2 - Library Committee Report
page 3 - Spring Seminar Program Review
page 4 - Spring Seminar Wrap-Up

page 5 - "The Orphan Trains" Article
page 5 - Southern California Genealogy Jamboreepage 6 - Next Computer Group Meeting
page 6 - Next Research Group Meetingpage 6 - April 23rd Genealogy Research Trip

page 6 - Lemon Grove Research Group News
page 7 - May 3rd Workshop
page 7 - March Program Review
page 8 - "Shaking the Family Tree" Family History Fair
page 9 - CVGS Society Information 

page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events 
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

CVGS Computer Group Meeting is 16 April 2014

The next Chula Vista Genealogical Society Computer Group Meeting is on Wednesday, 16 April 2014, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista) in the Library Conference Room, led by Shirley Becker.

Bring your laptops for hands-on use of the library's wifi system.  For more information, please contact Shirley Becker (clanroots@cox.net).

April 9th Research Group Meeting Review

The April Research Group Meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society had 21 in attendance at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.

In the first hour, Karen Yarger and Diane Godinez made several announcements, and then Randy Seaver discussed how to access and use the FamilySearch record collections, since only some of them are indexed, and some are not indexed.  The latter must be browsed, and there are many "genealogy gems" hiding in those unindexed collections, including probate and land records for several states.  He used New York Probate Records as an example, and demonstrated finding the "waypoints" and locating a specific record in a digitized book of Estate papers for one of his ancestors.  He also highlighted the www.CreateFan.com website to create a number of colorful and useful family tree charts based on information from the FamilySearch Family Tree.

In the second hour, research questions and problems were posed and addressed by group members.  For instance:

*  Laura asked how she should try to find her ancestor, James Craft (1810-1880), who moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania to Illinois to Iowa during his lifetime.  She has only census records for 1850 to 1870, and cannot find his parents.  The group suggested identifying the places that he lived and looking for military, land, church, cemetery, tax and probate records on microfilm or on FamilySearch.

*  Sally is just starting her research, and a family story is that James Russell was a Revolutionary War soldier, and she wanted to know how to prove that.  The group recommended that she confirm her ancestral line back to him by working backwards, using vital, census, military and other records, family by family.  For Revolutionary War soldiers, the DAR has a useful database, there should be a Compiled Military Service Record for the soldier, and there may be a pension file for him.  

*  Jane is also starting her research, and has been working on FamilySearch.  She wondered if she should invest in subscriptions for Ancestry.com and Archives.com.  The group suggested that she should use the free sites, including Rootsweb.com, USGenWeb.org, FindaGrave.com and the Rootsweb WorldConnect family tree database, to find more leads before investing in a subscription site.  She also asked about immigration sites, and the group suggested EllisIsland.org, CastleGarden.org and FamilySearch, and that Ancestry.com had passenger lists for all ports in their collection.

*  Shirley bought some of the Rhode Island Roots periodicals at the book sale at the CVGS seminar and has found some helpful items for her ancestor, Samuel Tillinghast.  

*  Helen asked if some one with the first names of "Ayres Marie" could be an "Iris Marie" in other records.  The group thought so.  She said that autosomal DNA tests show a possible cousin has an "Iris" in their tree.

*  Hazel wondered how accurate FamilySearch Family Tree data is.  The group thought that form any families in the 19th and 20th century, the information was accurate since it was based on family papers and genealogical research.  When you get back into the 18th century and before, the information may not be as accurate because of the lack of records and duplicate entries for persons and events.

*  Bobbie displayed the 150th Anniversary book for her local church in Lake County, Illinois, which has articles submitted by descendants and members, including her own.  This is an example of what you might find at local libraries and historical societies when you visit an ancestral location.  
The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, 14 May 2014 at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library.  

April 5th Saturday Workshop Review =- New York Research

The April 5th Saturday Workshop meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library featured two discussions about "New York Research."

In the first hour, CVGS Member Shirley Becker provided a historical overview of New York, along with a discussion of county formation and record jurisdictions during the colonial and early statehood periods.  She was born in New York and has worked on her family history for over twenty years, and has done extensive research at the local, county and state level.  

Perhaps the most important concept is record jurisdiction - the state, county and towns or cities have unique records, and it is important to understand where to find specific records.  Then there are villages and hamlets.  In their early history, counties often divided into several smaller counties, and original towns often divided into several more smaller towns, so knowing when  counties and towns were formed is critical.  Each town has a town historian who should know what town records are available, and where they can be accessed.  
In the second hour, CVGS Member Randy Seaver provided a quick look at online resources for New York genealogical research.  He visited and demonstrated use of these websites (and his handout had many more links to online resources):

*   New York Wikipedia article  for basic history and demographic information

*  Cyndi's List page for New York for links to New York resources

*  FamilySearch Research Wiki for New York State for information about New York genealogy

*   FamilySearch List of Online New York Resources with links for New York online databases 

*  Family History Library Catalog to search for place names

*  Ancestry.com Family History Wiki for New York 

*  Ancestry.com Card Catalog - put "new york" in the Title or Keyword fields

*  Steve Morse's One-Step Web Pages has N.Y. immigration and vital records

*  New York Land Records, 1630-1975 collection on FamilySearch - need to browse this collection.

*  New York Probate Records, 1629-1971 collection on FamilySearch - need to browse this collection.

*  U.S. Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1660-1926 collection on Ancestry.com has some church records.

Randy spent quite a bit of time explaining how to get to the actual records for the land and probate collections, since the collections are not indexed and must be browsed, using "waypoints" to find records for a specific person.  In general, the waypoints are the County and then a number of "books" in each county.  Index books can be used to find book volumes and page numbers for deeds or probate records, and then the specific volume needs to be searched to find the digital image with the specific page.  

CVGS Spring Seminar Door Prize Winners

The CVGS Seminar Committee solicited door and opportunity drawing prizes from CVGS members, local businesses, and commercial genealogy companies.

The door prize winners were:

1)  National Institute for Genealogical Studies - one free course:  Marcia Mautner and Joann Bonner:

Marcia Mautner, CVGS President Virginia Taylor, Joann Bonner. 

(Photo courtesy of Karen Yarger)

2)  Mocavo Gold one-year subscription:  Jacquie Goodman

Note:  Two other Mocavo subscriptions were awarded to opportunity drawing winners.

3)  MyHeritage One-year Data and Tree Premium subscription:  Tim Williams

Note:  Two other MyHeritage subscriptions were awarded to opportunity drawing winners.

4)  Ancestry.com One-year World Explorer subscription:  Karen Smith

Karen Smith, CVGS President Virginia Taylor 

(Photo courtesy of Karen Yarger)

In addition, genealogical prizes were provided by:

*  FindMyPast one-year subscription and gift bag

*  GenealogyBank one year subscription

*  Geni.com one-year subscription

*  Legacy Family Tree Version 8 software from Millennium Corporation

*  RootsMagic family tree software and user guide from RootsMagic.

*  Family Tree Maker 2014 software provided by Ancestry.com

*   Family Tree Maker 2014 software provided by Randy Seaver

*  Tracing Your Colonial Ancestors magazine and InstaGuide

CVGS appreciates and thanks all of the prizes offered by all of the providers.  

CVGS Spring Seminar Review - Jean and Butch Hibben

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Spring Seminar was Saturday, 29 March 2014 at the Chula Vista Golf Course in Bonita, California.  The featured speakers, Jean Wilcox Hibben and her husband, Butch Hibben, provided the genealogy education and entertainment to 49 attendees.

Jean and Butch Hibben (photo courtesy of Karen Yarger)

Jean made four presentations during the day, including:

1)  "This is not Your Grandma's Genealogy: Making the Transition from Paper to Electronic Record-Keeping."  Jean noted that most researchers are putting their genealogical information on a computer in family trees, word-processing documents or spreadsheets.  Library card catalogs are online, and there is so much to learn.  She discussed why researchers should put their information on the computer, with pros and cons of using a computer to add and revise data, different storage devices, providing information to other researchers, using digital images, computer costs, different equipment (desktop computer, laptop, netbook, tablet, printers, scanners, cameras, smart phones, storage media, etc.).  Computer backup, cloud storage and retrieval sites were briefly covered.  

Jean recommended that genealogists should learn how to use their computers and devices to make their research efforts more efficient, using the programs and websites that you feel comfortable using and to advance at your own speed.  

Butch Hibben provided information about smart phone apps for genealogy available on iOS and Android devices, highlighting family tree apps (RootsMagic, GEDCOMGTG, Ancestry), Evernote (for notes, photos, audio), CamScanner (photos of documents), and Cloud Storage/Retrieval (Dropbox, SurDoc and Google Drive).

2)  "Elisabeth: The Story of a German Immigrant."  In this talk, Jean was in the character of her ancestor, Elisabetha Huberta Thenee Mueller Wolbert (1828-1895), and showed images of records and places from Germany and America.  Elisabetha was born in Rath, Germany, married to Thomas Mueller and had five children by him.  She was abused by her husband, and decided to migrate to America, without her children who were raised by her sister, before the Civil War, with a family friend named Philip Wolbert, and resided in New York, New Jersey and Illinois.  He served in the Civil War, and married Elisabetha after he returned.  Elisabetha was reunited with one of her children and died in the home of a daughter in Illinois.  This is an example of how a skillful genealogist and story-teller can weave facts and family stories, along with social and world history, into a narrative that describes one person's life.  The entire story of Elisabeth is available as an e-reader book at www.lulu.com/spotlight/circlemending.  

Jean's handout included an extensive list of helpful reference books and websites that were used to learn about German research, and to find the records she displayed from Germany and America.

3)  "Reality Television: A New Perspective."  Jean was the lead researcher for the PBS television series Genealogy Roadshow, which aired 23 September, 30 September, 7 October and 14 October 2013.  Each hour-long episode had about ten segments where the subject was brought into the set, and was showed documents to connect them to an event or famous person.  There were three on-air hosts - D. Joshua Taylor, Kenyatta Berry, and Emmett Miller.  

She hired four other researchers to help her during the 12 weeks  of research before shooting the four shows in Austin, Nashville, Detroit and San Francisco.   Three of the researchers worked 10 to 12 hours a day for three months on this project.  They researched the ancestry of about 150 different persons chosen in or near the four cities, and had to find the persons that had the "best" stories from a genealogy perspective.  As lead researcher, Jean had to deal with the show producers and staff, who knew virtually nothing about the genealogy research process.  The organization chart for the production changed frequently and they all needed some education about genealogy in order to make the show work for genealogy.  

Jean shared many conclusions drawn from this experience.  The most interesting, to me, was that they didn't plan on having to consider document image copyright protection, and used many Library of Congress photographs which are in the public domain.  The research staff had no control over editing the segments and several inconsistencies appeared on the show.  They used the Association of Professional Genealogists mailing list to solicit help retrieving documents and research help in distant places.  For some reason, the production staff did not find "farming" to be an interesting occupation.

4)  "Up Close and Personal Doing On-Site Research."  In this presentation, Jean highlighted effective ways to use the time available to conduct research in a distant location.  She broke the talk up into three segments:

*  Before the trip, the planning (dates, places, transportation), people and places to contact (genealogists, librarians, archivists, cemetery sextons, church offices, vital record offices, courthouses, Family History Centers, possible relatives or neighbors), and the things to pack (research papers and records, technology equipment, graveyard equipment, etc.).  She noted that some courthouses and archives don't allow cameras on site, that researchers should contact repositories and determine open days/hours, make appointments, and that they should visit cemeteries at the end of a day.

*  During the On-Site visits to historical and genealogical societies, vital records offices, courthouses, and churches, be sure to mind the establishment rules and be considerate of staff and patrons.  If visiting  ancestral homes or cemeteries, be sure to have permission to be on private property.  Visit tourist attractions to learn local history, take photographs of the area, meet residents, buy some postcards.

*  After the trip, organize and transcribe your notes, file your findings, name and catalog photographs and transfer them to your computer, send notes or reports to contacts, and make a list of what to do next time you visit each location.  

The entertainment portion of the program was after the served lunch, when Jean played her guitar and sang folk songs, and Butch accompanied her on the saw.  The audience was intrigued by the sounds created with the saw, and how Butch changed notes by bending the saw and running the bow in just the right place.  

This was a very successful seminar for CVGS and the attendees learned a lot.  

CVGS Saturday Workshop on "New York Research" on 5 April at Bonita

The Saturday, April 5th Workshop of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road, turn north at Billy Casper Way) in the Community Room.  

The discussion topic this month is "New York Research."  CVGS member Shirley Becker will briefly describe the colonial and state history of New York, and explain the different jurisdictions where genealogical records may be found.  CVGS member Randy Seaver will demonstrate finding New York genealogical resources online in the Family History Library Catalog, the FamilySearch Research Wiki, the FamilySearch Record collections, CyndisList, Ancestry Databases, and more.  

This workshop is free to attend.  The Bonita-Sunnyside Library has free wi-fi computer access, so bring your laptop or tablet to search for New York ancestors.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - April 2014

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for April 2014 include:

**  Saturday, 5 April, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- Saturday Workshop:  Shirley Becker and Randy Seaver will lead a discussion on "New York Research."

** Wednesday 9 April, 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, 16 April, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Shirley Becker. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

**  Wednesday, 23 April, 11 a.m. to afternoon, Research Trip to the San Diego Central Library.  Take the San Diego Trolley from E Street station to downtown San Diego ($1.25 each way for seniors).  The library opens at 12 noon.  The genealogy collection is on the 9th floor.  

** Wednesday, 30 April, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium.  Paul Erickson will present "The Orphan Train."  Refreshments before and after the meeting.

**  Wednesdays, 2, 9, 16 and 30 April, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

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

The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road.

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.

Spring Seminar on Saturday, 29 March, Features Jean Wilcox Hibben - Register Now!

It’s not as far away as you think! Our Spring Seminar is open for reservations and we have an interesting ‘menu’ planned for you. 

Please mark Saturday, March 29 on your calendar and plan to attend and learn all sorts of ways to improve your genealogy research, have some fun AND enjoy a catered lunch. We’ll have drawings for great prizes, vendors and expert speakers. Popular and knowledgeable Jean Hibben will offer four presentations, with additional talks by her husband Butch Hibben.

 Jean’s first talk will be “This is NOT Your Grandma's Genealogy: Making the Transition from Paper to Electronic Record-Keeping.” Are you a bit intimidated by the thought of organizing and storing all your research on the computer or ‘in the cloud’? Are you still stuck with boxes and boxes of paper? Jean will give you tips to convince you that modern technology is, indeed, your friend. She’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of computer over paper and will cover what to you need to know to transition away from total paper record keeping. Butch Hibben will discuss how to use Smart Phone technology for those interested in portable genealogy. He will also present his popular Living Legacy Project and be will be available throughout the day to share more information.

 The second morning session will be Jean’s presentation of Elisabeth: The Story of a German Immigrant. Jean’s novelization of her great great grandmother’s life is full of drama, love and history. Her narrative is a compelling picture of American history and will deal with topics such as the Civil War, law, and immigration.  The book will also be for sale at the seminar.

After lunch, Jean will present Lessons Learned from Genealogy Roadshow. Remember how the TV show made genealogical research look so easy? Jean shares with us how developing stories for a television show means having a minimum of time to gather together a wealth of family history, and how we can use those methods to make an interesting narrative of our family. How does one record lead to the next, and what alternate resources are available when one is unable to travel to other locations? 

Jean’s final presentation will be Up Close and Personal, a discussion of suggestions for doing research where our ancestors lived and died. This will include travel tips, hints for cemetery visits, contacting libraries and societies in advance, planning interviews of living relatives, and post-visit “debriefing” and organization. If there is time, attendees will be encouraged to share their personal experiences.

It will be an informative and entertaining day, so register now on our website (http://cvgenealogy.org/). You may pay by check or credit card - $45 for CVGS members, $50 for non-members – but there is a $5 discount if you register by March 8. 

So sign up now, before you forget! And remember, this is our big fundraiser for high school scholarships. We will have a drawing for a deluxe kitchen accessories basket too (have you bought your tickets yet?).   There will be door prizes and opportunity drawings also.

Come join us for our “Recipe for Genealogy” seminar!

"Postcard Collections and Genealogy" Program Review

Carol Davidson Baird provided an enthusiastic and informative presentation on "Postcard Collections and Genealogy" at the March 26th monthly program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society to about 35 attendees.  See Carol's biography and talk summary in March 26th Program Meeting - Carol Baird on "Postcard Collections and Genealogy."

Carol started collecting postcards as an adult, and used postcards from her collection and experiences from her travels to illustrate hr presentation.

Topics covered included the purposes of postcards (communication, souvenirs, advertising, official notices); postcard subjects (e.g., buildings, famous art, ships, locations, advertisements, personal photos, etc.); history of postcards (from 1870s to the present); how to date postcards from postmarks, stamps, different paper types, card style, handwriting, images shown, printed legends, etc.

She also noted that you can learn about geography, history, customs, holidays, personal lives, and more from collecting postcards.  They are useful in genealogical research also (e.g., pictures of ancestral towns, ships on which your family emigrated, ancestral schools and places of worship) and perhaps have correspondence from family members and friends.

Carol used several postcards received by her family in Germany before and after World War II to illustrate some of the genealogical usefulness.  A researcher can add personal information to a biography from personal letters and information on postcards.  She provided a short genealogy case study derived from 13 postcards to a teenager in the 1908-1910 time frame that she found in a box of postcards at a collectors show.  Miss Mary B. Hyde was the recipient of romantic postcards from a number of young men.  Carol researched Mary Hyde, found her as a 17-year old in the 1910 U.S. Census in Los Angeles County with parents and siblings, and found an Ancestry Member Tree for her that showed she married a John Francis Delaney in about 1911, and had two daughters.  

She noted that sometimes serendipity happens - Carol found a card with a famous art painting of a nude woman sent from Spain in 1969 by her and her siblings to her uncle in Burbank.  She found it in a box of postcards for sale at an antiques store in the Los Angeles area. 

One of the audience questions was where a researcher might find postcards for their family or ancestral localities.  Carol said to look in home paper and photo collections, antique stores, stamp and coin shops, ephemera shows and county fairs, nursing homes, military bases and post exchanges, old friends, historical societies, and local libraries.

This was an interesting presentation for many of the attendees.  Some expressed dismay that they did not have any postcards from their parents or grandparents, and some lamented that they knew many postcards had been lost when their elders died and the heirs cleaned out the ancestral homes.