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The next California Genealogical Society Membership Coffee will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, at the Mechanics’ Institute Library cafe in San Francisco’s Financial District. Members who live in San Francisco will be receiving personal invitations by phone or email and will be encouraged to bring a friend who is interested in genealogy. Immediately following the coffee, at noon, the regularly scheduled public tour of the Mechanics’ Institute Library takes place. The Institute is private and only members are allowed inside the library, so this will be a unique opportunity to tour this historic facility. Reservations will be required since space is limited. The society acknowledges the generosity of Mary Beth Frederick who is a member of the California Genealogical Society and the Mechanics’ Institute and who graciously made the arrangements.

Plans are also underway for a membership coffee at the Belle Cooledge Branch Library in Sacramento on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Members in greater Sacramento area will be receiving their invitations in the coming weeks.

CGS President Jane Lindsey is looking for a member who lives in the Los Angeles area to help organize a membership coffee to coincide with the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree 2008, which will be held June 27-28-29 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

#10 – The Family History Library is vast and going alone for the first time can be intimidating. Come with two experienced leaders who will save you hours of time learning what is where and how best to use the overwhelming number of resources.

#9. – Arrangements for hotel, breakfast, shuttles and three dinners have already been made for you. Accommodations are at the Shilo Inn – three blocks from the Family History Library and the rooms have free wireless internet.

#8. – Spend time with like-minded individuals. No one will roll their eyes when you start rattling on about your great-great whoever. Where else can you spend a week with other people who are just as nutty about genealogy as you are?

#7. – You will finally have time to organize your papers. Catch an early flight and throw everything into an extra suitcase. Spend Sunday afternoon in your hotel room without distractions and get ready for a week of research. (Believe me, we have all done this!)

#6. – Take advantage of advanced assistance. Jane and Nancy will review your research goals and objectives and make suggestions before you even go to Salt Lake.

#5. – The tour is a perfect blend of togetherness and alone time. Three dinners are planned with the group (don’t miss Saturday night at Lamb’s) and the other evenings are free to do with as you please. Groups meet informally in the library lobby for lunch and you can join them, explore on your own or stay and work through lunch.

#4. – Nancy Peterson, C.G., has donated her time and expertise to assist you. Nancy is the CGS Research Director and has taught numerous genealogy classes. Private appointments with her during the week are included in the price.

#3 – Jane Lindsey is a mother hen who logs miles and miles running up and down the library stairs making sure that we are all finding what we need. She has been researching in Salt Lake City for over twenty years and has led all of the CGS tours.

#2 – The company is fantastic. I’ve made friends that I only see once a year but we pick up just where we left off. And there is always someone in the group who has the experience in an area that you don’t.

And the number ONE reason to go to Salt Lake City with the California Genealogical Society is…

It is the perfect way to get away from life’s distractions and concentrate on researching your family. Imagine a week without any responsibilities except to your ancestors.

Lois Elling, creator of the CGS 110th anniversary bookmark, contributed two of her own family photographs to the project.

The first is Lois’ grandmother, Caroline (or Karoline) PERRSON, who came to America from Sweden with her cousin Ida in 1902, at the age of 20. She worked as a domestic in the Boston area, where she met and married William A. ROBINSON, Jr., who was working as a chauffeur. After the death of their first child at just 11 months, the couple moved to Southern California to live near one of Caroline’s sisters. They settled in Los Angeles and in 1912 had a son, Herman, and a daughter, Alice, in 1915. William made a living as a machinist and auto mechanic.

Lois’ second photograph is her father, Herman ROBINSON and sister, Alice, taken at a studio in Los Angeles in 1918. One of William Robinson’s hobbies was photography, which is how Lois came to have a good-sized collection of photographs of the young family.

Lavinia Grace Schwarz contributed this photograph of her Granddad, Andrew Bruce Cresap, who ran away from home, lied about his age and joined up as a medic.

Finally, the front bookmark photograph is from the California Genealogical Society and Library manuscript collection. The photograph, part of the HUTCHISSON family collection, is an image of the three children of Harry Hutchisson and Anna Bertha Merrick, taken about 1903. They are (from left to right) Wallace, Hester and Elmer (first name Lawrence, but he never used it) Hutchisson.

Many thanks to all of the contributors and special kudos to Lois Elling.