“Tips and Talk” May 31: Paleography

by California Genealogical Society (5/30/2023)

"Tips & Talk" letters

 

The Wednesday “Tips & Talk” series continues tomorrow, May 31, at 11 a.m. at the Oakland FamilySearch Center. Our speaker is Lynda McDowell on the topic: “Paleography: How to Read Old English Handwriting.”

Lynda is a graduate of BYU Idaho with certificates in Advanced Family History Research.  She has been doing family History Research for 20 years and has assisted her family with transcribing documents.  She is a volunteer at the Oakland Family History Center and will be offering tips on how to decipher old English handwriting.  She will also offer websites to go to for help.

We hope to see you there! Feel free to bring a lunch and stay after to learn about the OFSC’s many genealogical tools and offerings.

June events at CGS!

by California Genealogical Society (5/29/2023)

CGS logo over fireworks

For more information or to register, click the hyperlinks for any event.
All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

June is busting out! – with special events, our regular group meetings, and our annual potluck honoring volunteers. See what’s coming up:

June 10, 10 a.m.-noon: Annual Genie Awards. Back in person! Join us for the monthly CGS Board Meeting, followed by a potluck and recognition of our outstanding volunteers. Please register so we know you’re coming!

June 24, 10-11:30 a.m.: “Tax Records: More Exciting Than You Might Think.” Annette Burke Lyttle explains that tax records can be a rich record of our ancestors’ lives and their sometimes-changing fortunes. Via Zoom; recording available through July 24.

Wednesdays, 11 a.m.: “Tips & Talk at the Oakland FamilySearch Library. Join library volunteers for a discussion about different genealogy topics. This month:

June 7: “Got Questions?” Bring your genealogical questions to this discussion group for expert help. Also learn how to use the Center’s photo and video digitizing equipment.

June 14: “FamilySearch Wiki”

June 21: “Using FindMyPast”

June 28: “Breaking Down Your Brick Walls”

The following recording is available online through June 13:
Stewart Traiman’s “Excel for Genealogy” workshop demonstrates how to use spreadsheets to organize your research.

Special Interest Groups and Monthly Events

1st Saturday, June 3: Intro to Genealogy – 1st Saturday Free! Overview and Focused Topics. This month: “Using the Census.”
2nd Saturday, June 10:  CGS Board Meeting and Annual Genie Awards
2nd Wednesday, June 14: CGS Member Roundtable. Contact Lisa Gorrell [email protected] or Jacqueline Henderson [email protected].
3rd Saturday, June 17: Family Tree Maker SIG
4th Monday, June 26: DNA Skills SIG. Contact Mark McLaren, [email protected]
4th Wednesday, June 28: Roots Magic SIG

And don’t forget:
Registration is open for our Salt Lake City Research Trip, October 9-14!
If you missed the virtual meetup and discussion, you can see the recording on our YouTube channel.

Library hours: We are open by appointment Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please email [email protected] no later than 7 p.m. the night before to let us know you’re coming!

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
SIGs: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar: Google calendar

 

The magic is back! Genie Awards live at the library, June 10

by California Genealogical Society (5/23/2023)

 

Potluck * Presentation * Awards

It’s “Back to the Library” for the 2023 CGS Genie Awards! After three years of celebrating the Genie Awards “virtually” (due to the Covid pandemic), the time has come to honor our outstanding volunteers in person. CGS members are invited to help us honor this year’s recipients: the CGS Volunteers for the 2022 National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference.

Recipients will be honored on Saturday, June 10, for their outstanding work during the 2022 NGS Conference, held last May in Sacramento. As the “Local Host” society for the NGS Conference, CGS recruited more than 80 members to help with the week-long event. Our volunteers will be recognized following the monthly CGS Board Meeting, (10 a.m.–11 a.m.) A potluck lunch (bring a favorite dish!) begins at 11:15 a.m., followed by a short presentation about 1898 Spanish American war records by Maureen Hanlon.

The festivities will take place at the CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL1, Oakland. Parking is available behind the Bruener Building, and the 19th Street BART station is close by. Please join us to “meet and greet” old and new genealogy friends, as well as honoring our exceptional volunteers. Be sure to register (attendance is in person or online) on the CGS website. Questions? Contact Kathleen Beitiks.

2023 Genie Award Recipients:

Anne AdamsKim Farnham FlomDian Price
Dave AdamsSandy FryerTracy Pullar
Jean AldersonSusan GlasselJohn Ralls
Nancy AsmundsonLisa S. GorrellDiana Reed
Kathleen BeitiksMaureen HanlonMarilyn Reineman
Matthew BerryTherese Hart-PignottiTerry Richareds
Kate BlackJacqueline Threet HendersonLinda Sanders
Pat BonderudLisa HendersonBev Scott
Annie BrenneisSharon HennJoanna Shear
Pamela E. BrettKathy HodgePat Smith
Ingeborg Carpenter

Tom Castro

Eileen K. Johnson

Laura Jones

James Sorenson

Leslie Sorenson

Bev ColginAudrey KeeblerHilary Steinmetz
Paula ConnorsGary KnechtSharon Styles
Rebecca J. CorsonVicky KolakowskiTammy Sumner
Mary Anne CourtneyHelene LeoLeona Sunseri
Colleen CraneJanette (Jan) LevensonCindy Thomson
Renee CullenJane LindseyStewart Blandon Traiman
Linda Gay DarbyLaurie MarkhamAdelle Treakle
Beth DaughertyKathy MerithewJeff Vaillant
Cyndi DavisMary MettlerBarbara Valdiz
Dianne DennyDiane MitchellMary Vidlak
Grant DinNancy MoffettLeslie Watts
Ruth Edmondson-JohnsonJillynn MolinaPam Welty
Linda EdwardsCarole MooreEvan Wilson
Lois EllingCarly MorganRick Womack
Priscilla “Sam” FarrelJanet Netz
David FarrelRene Obear
Janet FeilNatasha O’Connor
Sheri FenleyChris Pattillo
Diane Fishburn