Blog

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

Wednesday, October 18: “Tips & Talk” at the Oakland FamilySearch Center. This week we have a double-header: two talks by two highly knowledgeable people on specialty topics.

At 11 a.m., Jody Harle presents “Census Records 1790-1950,” giving an overview of U.S. census records, with lots of tips and tricks for using them in your research.

Also this week:

Friday, October 20, 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, October 21:

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.

1 PM: Family Tree Maker SIG. Presentation, discussion, and troubleshooting for users of the popular genealogy software.Today’s meeting includes a look at the newest FTM update. Led by Ron Madson and Karen Halfon. Hybrid (held in person and on Zoom).

Library hours: Thursday and Friday 10 AM-2 PM and Saturday 10 AM-4 PM

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

On October 8, members and friends of the California Genealogical Society gathered at the Lake Temescal Beach House to celebrate CGS’s 125th anniversary. It was also the occasion for awarding the first-ever CGS Extraordinary Service Award to Jane Knowles Lindsay, a past president and longtime member who has ceaselessly innovated, led, and advocated for CGS for more than 23 years. Jane has served on nearly every CGS committee. She was our 34th CGS President, serving for 6 years. (Along with the other past presidents at the party, she received a cap with her number on it.) She has led multiple genealogy field trips, organized numerous fundraisers, spearheaded the capital campaign, oversaw production of several books, and last year led CGS as the local host society for the National Genealogical Society conference in Sacramento. She continues to play many roles in the society today, including serving on several committees and coordinating educational events at the Oakland Family Search Center. As Linda Okazaki noted in her remarks, CGS is well known and highly regarded in the genealogy community in large part because of Jane’s vision.

She’s also a personable and generous friend to all–“everyone’s biggest cheerleader,” in Linda’s words. Jane, we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done and continue to do.

You can read the entire tribute to Jane HERE.

More pictures of the festivities can be seen HERE.

From the 10 Million Names website

An exciting project is under way in the world of African American genealogy. American Ancestors is partnering with many other organizations—including CGS—to recover the names of the roughly 10 million people enslaved in what is now the United States between the 1500s and 1865. The Ten Million Names project aims to produce a free, searchable database that will make it easier for descendants and researchers to trace enslaved ancestors.

We are delighted to take part in this effort and are calling on CGS members who may be interested in joining our team. The project is still in its very early stages, but now is a great time to get involved and help weigh in on where or how to direct our efforts as a partner society. Please reach out to Evan Wilson (ewilson@californiaancestors.org) if you are interested in being part of the project. For more information, visit the project website at https://10millionnames.org.