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

We have a trio of special in-person events this week:

(1) A presentation by two women who worked together through complicated histories to discover a common ancestor

(2) A library scavenger hunt

(3) A guided tour of Mountain View Cemetery.
Read on for details!

Wednesday, August 9, 11 AM. “Tips & Talk” at the Oakland FamilySearch Center.
This week:  “Improbable Connections.” Patricia Smith Jenkins and Martha A. Jessup discuss their collaborative research mission to identify a common ancestor in central Virginia. Coursing through three generations of slavery, they discovered eight paths of connection. They will discuss the historical context, their findings, and the meaning and value of their story for genealogical research and education. Free. Preregistration appreciated: Click here to register.

Presenters:
– Patricia Smith Jenkins retired from UC Berkeley as a Manager of the Early Childhood Education Program. Pat spends her free time researching family history and encouraging others to do the same. Pat facilitates monthly research and discussion groups for the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California and the Oakland California FamilySearch Center.

– Martha A. Jessup is a family historian, retired research scientist, and Professor Emeritus of nursing, from the University of California San Francisco. A 2017 trip to Virginia led her to an unknown great-aunt who was buried in the cemetery of a Black church and where she found family from the community of Shores, Virginia. Marty conducts research on the people enslaved by her ancestors and her connections to those family lines.

Saturday, August 12, 1 PM. Library Scavenger Hunt. All welcome, members and nonmembers, to join this fun challenge held at the CGS Library in Oakland. Teams of 2-3 persons compete to decipher clues hidden in the library’s extensive collection of books and other items. Light refreshments served.

Sunday, August 13, 10 AM. Cemetery Tour and Photography Workshop. Ron Madson and Chris Pattillo lead a tour of the historic Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland and give pointers on photographing gravestones. CGS members free; nonmembers, $10. Please preregister.

Other Events

Monday, August 7, 1-5 PM. Digital Archiving Committee. Volunteers needed to help digitize CGS’s unique collections so they can be made available online. Snacks and fun included! To join us, email Ron Madson: [email protected]

Wednesday, August 9, 6:30 PM. CGS Members’ Roundtable. This monthly chat allows members to share their questions and ideas and get to know one another. Particularly for new and remote members, this will be an opportunity to meet and feel part of the CGS community. Meets via Zoom. Contact Lisa Gorrell or Jacqueline Henderson for more information. Free.

Saturday, August 12, 10 AM. Monthly Board Meeting. Held in person and via Zoom.

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Library hours: Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See website for details.

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

Mark your calendars! Next weekend CGS offers two in-person events guaranteed to appeal to lots of people. On Saturday, August 12, there’s a scavenger hunt in the CGS library. On Sunday, August 13, we lead a tour of Mountain View Cemetery that includes a photography workshop, with tips on photographing gravestones. Please register soon! A description of each event follows.

Library Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 12 at 1 p.m.

CGS board officer Evan Wilson directs this fun challenge. Players will have to use their wits, their fingers, and the library card catalog to hunt down clues in CGS’s collection of more than 36,000 books and other materials. Each team of 2–3 players will receive different but similar clues to decipher. Each clue will build on the last, until you find the object of the search! First team to complete their search wins! Light refreshments served. Suggested donation $5 to cover refreshments. Feel free to bring a friend; this event is not just open to CGS members. Attendees are encouraged to come to the library early or stay late to do research.

Photographing Gravestones and Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
Sunday, August 13, 10 a.m.-noon.

Ron Madson and Chris Pattillo lead a tour of the beautiful and historic Mountain View Cemetery, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Besides visiting the memorials of some of the famous people buried here, organizers offer tips on photographing gravestones to preserve family memories.

Space is limited! Please register in advance at the links below.

Library Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, August 12 at 1 p.m.

Photographing Gravestones and Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
Sunday, August 13, 10 a.m.-noon.