Blog

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

If you have never visited the Oakland FamilySearch Center, you are missing out. While located at the Oakland Church of Latter-day Saints, the center is free and open to everyone, regardless of religious background. The FamilySearch Centers are sponsored and funded by the Church and all offer free access to their family history resources. The volunteers and staff are amazing and you can learn so much while there.

On September 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the FamilySearch Center is having an open house and you are invited!

CGS would love if our table had two more volunteers—please contact Susan J. Logas at
[email protected] if you can help.

If you would like to just visit, that is fine, too! You can take a tour of the center, get started with a free FamilySearch account (SOOOOO useful!!!) and learn more about your family. And, just because you know you want some, there will be FREE shaved ice!

For more information about the event, please visit: https://templehill.org/event/familysearch-center-open-house/

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/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

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 – September 25, 2025 10:30 a.m.
• Danville: October 2nd (morning).
• Lamorinda – October 14, 2025 10:30 a.m.

If interested in one of these or another Regional Gathering in your area, please contact Kim Farnham-Flom ([email protected]).

Introduction to Genealogy for 2025
In these 4-week sessions the CGS experts will help you get started with your research or reboot your research. The classes may be taken in any order, and participation in one class is not required to attend others in the series. See below for dates and topics:
• Jan 4, May 3, Sep 6 Genealogy Basics Overview
• Feb 1, Jun 7, Oct 4 Using the Census
• Mar 1, Jul 5, Nov 1 Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, and Death)
• Apr 5, Aug 2, Dec 6 Organizing Your Family History Work

When: Saturday, September 6, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom or in person at the CGS Library
Cost: Free!
How to Register (Note: Separate registration required for each session: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-intro-to-genealogy-1st-saturday-free-overview-and-focused-topics-registration-1114289041519)

Special Events:

Using Artificial Intelligence on FamilySearh: Some Amazing Discoveries and Broken Brick Walls
Kelvin Brewer of the Oakland FamilySearch Center will give a talk about using AI with FamilySearch.
When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artificial-intelligence-with-familysearch-for-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-registration-1485534446519

CGS Members Report: DNA Surprises
DNA has become an exciting, if sometimes baffling, tool for genealogists. The results of matching may give us just the clue we need to break through a brick wall or introduce us to cousins we otherwise would never have known. Other times, we find something that leads to a whole new understanding and evaluation of our family history and ancestors. Hear three stories from CGS members illustrating these occasions.
When: Saturday, September 12, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cgs-members-report-dna-surprises-registration-1485591035779

2026 CGS Research Trip to Boston, Massachusetts
CGS returns to Boston for a week of research led by Matthew Blaine Berry, CG. The Charlesmark Hotel is 1 minute from the Boston Public Library, 6 minutes from American Ancestors, and 15 minutes from the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The trip, led by Matt Berry, includes:
• A seven-night stay at the Charlesmark Hotel
• Orientation and tour of the Massachusetts Historical Society
• Orientation and tour of American Ancestors
• Six days of uninterrupted research at your choice of top Boston research facilities
• Pre-trip meeting and consultation
• Research assistance by Matt Berry
• Daily continental breakfast (pastry and coffee)
• Two group dinners at local restaurants
When: Sunday, February 1, 2026-Sunday, February 8, 2026
Where: Boston, MA
Cost: $1,399 single occupancy (airfare not included).
How to Register: Deadline October 31, 2025. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-cgs-boston-research-trip-registration-1415983146709

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

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

For most of us, Labor Day means one last summer barbecue, maybe a trip to the lake, and definitely a three-day weekend. But the holiday wasn’t created to give us a break before fall. It actually has a pretty interesting—and sometimes intense—history tied to the fight for workers’ rights in America.

Back in the late 1800s, life for workers was not like now. They didn’t work from their backyard joining Zoom meetings. There were no 5-day/40-hour workweeks. There was no OSHA to keep us working in safe environments. And there were children doing the dangerous jobs of adults. People started forming labor unions to fight back and their marches and parades honored the regular, everyday workers.

On September 5, 1882, thousands of workers marched together in New York, carrying signs, playing music and showing the world how important they were. Other States chimed in and, in 1894, Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law as a federal holiday to ease tension with workers over a railroad strike (the Pullman Strike).

Today, Labor Day is a mix of fun and meaning. Sure, it’s the unofficial end of summer, but it’s also a chance to remember that things like weekends, fair pay, and safer jobs didn’t just happen—they were fought for. So while you’re enjoying that burger or soaking up the last bit of sunshine, it’s worth taking a moment to think about the workers of the past who made sure we all have it a little better today.

Thanks, Grampas.

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/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes