Member Spotlight: Jim W. Faulkinbury, CG

by Kathryn Doyle (10/27/2009)

Dick Eastman recently ran a press release from the Board for Certification of Genealogists announcing the retirement of two trustees, one of whom is CGS member Jim W. Faulkinbury:

Jim W. Faulkinbury, CG, of Sacramento, California, finished a three-year term on the Board of Trustees. His BA in Mathematics and his MBA are from California State University in Sacramento and he holds a certificate in project management from the University of California, Davis. He was first certified by the Board in 1980. A specialist in California records and a lineage genealogist, Jim is a member of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Genealogy Committee, State Secretary of the California Society SAR, Secretary, past Registrar, and past President of his local chapter of the SAR, Past State Genealogist and State Registrar of the California Society of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, and Registrar of the Sacramento Society Children of the American Revolution. His publications include The Foreign-Born Voters of California in 1872 (including names, ages, national origin, and naturalization data on over 61,000 voters on the voter rolls in 1872), and the California chapter in Ann S. Lainhart’s State Census Records. He has also produced an online index to his database of over 363,000 vital statistics he extracted from the San Francisco Morning Call newspaper for the years 1869 through 1900. This valuable resource helps researchers cope with the loss of those public records destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906.

Jim has been a member of CGS since 1998. A professional genealogist with over twenty-eight years of experience with California records, he also has extensive experience in original German and Swedish church records and the preparation of lineage society applications. Faulkinbury’s research services website includes his online indexes.

New York City: Insider’s Guide to Research

by Kathryn Doyle (10/26/2009)

A CGS Workshop with Steve Harris
Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California

If you are like the majority of Americans, at least one of your ancestors spent time in New York City. Dr. Stephen Harris has an insider’s knowledge of the many helpful data sources and indexes that are available for your NYC research. This workshop will focus on techniques for researching New York City ancestors in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries using the Internet, local resources and on-site research in the Big Apple. We will explore the wealth of online material accessible on NYC websites as well as that hidden deep within Ancestry.com and other subscription services.

Steve is also making his personal library of city directories for New York available for use by workshop participants.

Attendees are encouraged to bring laptop computers – the library has free Wi-Fi and the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Bring a brown bag for lunch or, if you prefer, there is a nearby deli where you can buy a sandwich and bring it back to the library.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to fifteen people. There is a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (This fee is non-refundable and can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) Reservations are required – download the registration flier.

Steve Harris is a consulting genealogist with extensive experience assisting clients with their family histories. Born in Brooklyn, he has deep roots in New York City, but the siren call of California was too strong to resist. Steve is vice-president of the California Genealogical Society and Library. His office and 6,000-volume research library are in Oakland, just down the hall from CGS.

Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 10/21/2009, Oakland, California.

November Volunteer Appreciation – Save the date!

by Kathryn Doyle (10/23/2009)

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 1:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Lower Level
Oakland, California

The November membership meeting will be an informal one – a chance to say “thank you” and to honor our volunteers. Please join the CGS Board of Directors for a special wine and nibbles reception and social hour.

Our volunteers have created a successful formula that has kept CGS viable for more than 110 years. That is something to celebrate!

Last year’s Volunteer Reception was such a success that we’ve decided to make it an annual event. All members are invited to attend. If you can, please bring a small appetizer plate to share. If you can help with set-up, please email Carolyn Steinberg.