To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Local Meet-ups
Members gather together in homes, public libraries, cafes and even community rooms in condominium units. A facilitator leads the discussion as members share research topics, common interests, new resources discovered in an informal setting. Friendships have developed along with partnerships in resources and a better understanding of the many benefits available to CGS members.
• Walnut Creek – May 22 10:30-12
• Danville – June 5 10:30-12
• Oakland – June 5 1-2:30
• Lamorinda – June 10 10:00-11:30
• Martinez – June 30 10:30-12
If interested in one of these or another Regional Gathering in your area, please contact Kim Farnham-Flom ([email protected]).
Special Events:
Unlock the Past in Lamorinda: Strategies for History and Genealogy Research
Join us for an in person engaging talk on how to uncover the rich history of our Lamorinda community and trace the roots of early settlers. This session will introduce key resources such as archives, libraries, historical societies, and online databases, while also exploring effective research strategies for both genealogy and local history.
Learn how to navigate records, interpret historical documents, and piece together stories from the past. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced researcher, this talk will provide valuable insights and practical tips to enhance your historical research journey. Join us to learn new tips and resources and to share your insights and questions.
In addition to Susan’s talk, Mary McCosker from the Lafayette Historical Society and Vivian Ricci, representing the Orinda Historical Society will make brief presentations about their society’s and have informational materials available.
When: Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Morago Library, Community Room, 1500 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga, CA
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unlock-the-past-in-lamorinda-strategies-for-history-and-genealogy-research-registration-1273316617279
How to Locate Lost Ancestors in 1890 Census Substitutes
Are you stymied by the 20-year gap in census records with the loss of the 1890 census? Madeline Yanov discuss many substitutes like state and territorial censuses and the surviving Veterans’ Schedule of the Civil War, as well as lesser-known local sources
When: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Online
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-locate-lost-ancestors-in-1890-census-substitutes-registration-1292023469979?aff=oddtdtcreator
Finding Missing Ancestors in Institutional Records
Do you have any family members who mysteriously disappeared ? Were their rumors that they were institutionalized or committed to a “lunatic asylum”?”poorhouse”? What about orphanages? Or other places not to be mentioned like jails? Madeline Yanov will provide tips on where to find records and other sources for clues such as court records, probate or surrogate records, newspapers, and death records so your ancestor dones’t have to be lost anymore.
When: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Online
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finding-missing-ancestors-in-institutional-records-registration-1319533091999
LGBT Genealogy
Stewart Traiman will present his extensive coverage of census, newspapers, obituaries, military records, photographs, phone books and archives for clues on the oft hidden LGBTQ members of our family trees.
When: Saturday, June 14, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-genealogy-registration-1319526692859
Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group
Save the date for Saturday, June 21, as the FTM SIG is going to host a Photoshop Elements workshop from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This event will be at the Oakland FamilySearch Center. Sign up link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ftm-sig-june-21-2025-photoshop-elements-labelling-photos-and-ftm-registration-1332383718569?aff=oddtdtcreator
Opportunities and Resources at the United Irish Cultural Center
Pati Traktman and Jennifer Dowling will provide a brief history of the Patrick J Dowling LIbrary and the genealogy club at the United Irish Cultural Center. They will also give three live demonstrations of the riches there: the online library catalog, the available digital content including the Leader newspaper, and the 1898 Irish Fair names list. Other items of note in the collection and recent Genealogy Club topics will whet your appetite for a visit or membership
When: Saturday, June 27, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Online or in person at the CGS Library 2201 Broadway, Oakland
Cost: Free for CGS Members, $10 for non-members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/irish-ancestry-special-interest-group-registration-1243718227699?aff=oddtdtcreator
Chinese American Genealogy: Silver Linings
Sponsored by the Genealogy Institute/National Genealogical Society. Coordinated by Grant Din. He brings together a team of 13 other faculty members in various aspects of Chinese American Genealogy including access to Immigration and Naturalization case files, DNA, zupu, ancestral village visits, etc. This course will focus on Chinese American genealogy from the early gold miners and railroad builders through years of government exclusion and the records left behind. Post World War II, it will talk about ways families began to be created and reunited through war brides legislation and then finally the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. It will also provide information on learning about families in China. (Grant Din, Ron Can, Patrick Chew, Baldwin Chiu, Tammy Hepps, Michael Ho, Larissa Lam, Leona Lau, Marisa Louie Lee, Jeanie Low, Carly Lane Morgan, Trish Hackett Nicola, Linda Harms Okazaki)
When: Sunday, June 22 through Friday, June 27
Where:
Cost: Regular Price: $585.00, NGS Member Price: $550.00
Registration and more information: https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/chinese-american-genealogy-silver-linings/
Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
Recordings for Members: https://www.californiaancestors.org/videos_for_cgs_members/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes
MAY
2025