Blog

To register or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.

Sue Severson

April 17: Weekly “Tips & Talk” at the Oakland FamilySearch Center. In person and via Zoom. Free; please preregister. To reserve your space, go to the Tips & Talk Event page and click at the top of the page on the date of the event you want to attend. This week:
Wednesday, April 17, 11:00 AM & 6:30 PM: “DNA Part 2 of 3: Intro to the Basics of DNA” with Sue Severson. Those who took Sue’s DNA class last November will remember how informative and engaging it is. Sue has had a lifelong passion for genealogy and science! Today, in the second of 3 classes, she provides information that is especially helpful for adoptees and lost fathers, as well as tips to connect with unknown cousins, learn more about your extended family, and more. Class repeats this evening at 6:30 p.m.

*The following Special Interest Groups for members meet this week:*

*Friday, April 19, 10:30 AM: Mayflower Descendants SIG. Led by Robert Trapp. Focus on Mayflower ancestry and how to join The Society of California Mayflower Descendants. Discussion of ongoing research.

*Saturday, April 20, 10 AM: San Francisco SIG. Sandra Huber leads this group for those interested in finding San Francisco ancestors, with discussion of where to look for records both pre and post the 1906 earthquake. Held via Zoom.

*Saturday, April 20, 1 PM: Family Tree Maker SIG. Presentation, discussion, and troubleshooting for users of the popular genealogy software. Led by Ron Madson and Karen Halfon. Hybrid (held in person and on Zoom).

Coming soon! Register now!

Sat., Apr. 27, 10 AM-2 PM: Workshop: Digitize Your Family Photos & Stories

Join Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix, to discover the many uses of our new overhead scanner. He will show how easy it is for you to record your description of each photo and couple your photos together to create a family story in this hands-on workshop. Please bring your family photos with you. Bring your family photos, memories and stories.
For members, in person at California Genealogical Society.

Sat., Apr. 27, 11 AM-12:30 PM: Excel for Genealogists

Stewart Blandón Traiman demonstrates how Excel spreadsheets can keep your genealogy research organized. You can use Excel’s tools to keep track of newspaper clippings, a vital records catalog, track your ancestors’ addresses over time, and track whole families over many censuses.
Live online via Zoom. Members can view recording for 30 days on the CGS website.

Tues., Apr 30, 6:30 PM-7:30 PM: Member Connections Workshop

Member Connections is a tool that helps CGS members connect and share information with people who share your genealogy interests. Stewart Traiman leads this workshop showing how to use this special feature.
Live online via Zoom.

Library hours: Thursday through Saturday 10 AM-2PM

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

To register or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.

April 9 & 10: Weekly “Tips & Talk” at the Oakland FamilySearch Center. In person and via Zoom. Free; please preregister. To reserve your space, go to the Tips & Talk Event page and click at the top of the page on the date of the event you want to attend.

Tuesday, April 9, 11:00 am: How-To Series: “Descendancy Research on FamilySearch” with Denise Plaskett. Typically when doing genealogy we start with ourselves and move back in time. Descendancy research is about choosing an ancestor and moving forward in time to the present. This type of research helps you find “cousins,” those with whom you can form new relationships and who might be able to help you with your research (think family Bibles, photos, and stories). Come and see how to do descendancy research using FamilySearch. Denise currently serves as an Associate Director at the Oakland FamilySearch Center and lives in Fairfield.

Wednesday, April 10, 11:00 am: “DNA Part 1 of 3: Intro to the Basics of DNA” with Sue Severson. Those who took Sue’s DNA class last November will remember how informative and engaging it is. Sue has had a lifelong passion for genealogy and science! Today, in the first of 3 classes, she will explain the types of DNA, the tests available, comparison of labs and how to use DNA for family history research. Class repeats this evening at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 13, 10 AM. Monthly Board Meeting. Hybrid; in person and via Zoom.

The following Special Interest Group for members meets this week:

Wednesday, April 10, 6:30 PM: Members’ Roundtable. Via Zoom. A forum for asking questions about one another’s genealogical research, to learn from others, share research successes, and enjoy a collegial group of individuals interested in learning together. Particularly for new and remote members, this is an opportunity to meet and feel part of the CGS community. Led by Lisa Gorrell and Jacqueline Henderson.

Library hours: Thursday through Saturday 10 AM – 2PM

Helpful Links
All Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: Google calendar

Beginning April 6 and continuing through June, the CGS library will close at 2 p.m. on Saturdays rather than at 4 p.m. Library hours will now be Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This decision was made after observing that few visitors come on Saturday afternoon. We will re-evaluate later this summer.

We are aware this may be disappointing for our Saturday patrons. You may arrange to stay later by sending an email a week in advance to: [email protected]

Thank you for your support.