Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia / GSVB

Genealogy truths. (Brought to us by on Etsy)

From the desk of Ruth Anne Goos Halligan:
Here's a great opportunity to improve your genealogy skills. Take a Free Genealogy Class thru Santa Rosa Junior College. These classes are presented on ZOOM. In addition you can use their discount to students at Ancestry.com (about $5.00 a month) and Legacy Family Tree Software, not sure of that price.
Here's a link to the college: https://filedepot.santarosa.edu/index.php/s/AyA4Wit52QTZ2FW

Thursday, August 1
Visit the FamilySearch Center in Oakland (Field Trip)
10:45 am
FamilySearch Center 4766 Lincoln Ave, Oakland, CA

Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia will be going on a special field trip for a tour of the FamilySearch Center in Oakland on Thursday, August 1st 2024.

The tour begins at 10:45 am, If you want to carpool, we will meet at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum in the back parking lot to drive to the Center at 10:00 am.

If you let our President John Watson ([email protected]) know you want to car pool --- we will be on the lookout for you.

The Oakland (California) Regional FamilySearch Center is one of the largest and most accessible centers for genealogical research in California, with over 9,000 volumes of books, periodicals, family histories, city and county histories, city directories, plus over 37,000 reels of microfilm and 9,000 microfiche containing millions of local vital records and historical census data from all over the world.
The Oakland FamilySearch Center is a free community resource and everyone is welcome to come and use it. They have well-trained, kind, and helpful volunteers who are eager to assist you in achieving your family history goals.

The FamilySearch Center is extremely well equipped, with 60 computers with printer access; copiers, 10 microfilm readers, 2 microfiche readers, 3 mircofiche/film scanners, and a flatbed scanner.

Within the Center is an area with a computer, scanner, printer and software to assist in the scanning of photos and transfer to your flash drive or DVD; scan slides or negatives and transfer them to your flash drive or DVD, convert your photo files back and forth from gif, tiff, jpg or other sources.

Please advise us by email at [email protected] if you plan to attend.

2024 Intro to Genealogy - 1st Saturday Free! Overview and Focused Topics Our four-part series is ideal for getting started with genealogy or for advanced researchers to revisit principles of good research

Attend the CCCGS fall webinar and learn how to use the Leeds Method of Clustering DNA Matches on October 5 via Zoom! Sign up for by visiting: https://cccgs.net/eventListings.php?nm=47

Prairie Pioneer Certificates

This project was organized for the Bicentennial, and the first pioneer was certified in 1982. This is now a very popular project with over 4,000 pioneers certified. There are three categories of certificates issued to descendants of pioneers who resided in Illinois:

(1) prior to statehood.
(2) 1819-1850.
(3) 1851-1880.

Documentation proving the pioneer's date of residency in Illinois, along with documentation proving the applicant's lineage to the pioneer, must accompany the application. The fee for each application is $30.00. One certificate is included in the fee. Fees are non-refundable. Full instructions and fee schedule are available on the application form.

View ISGS's current Index of Certified Prairie Pioneers here.


If you have previously honored your ancestor as a Prairie Pioneer, you may purchase a lapel pin for $10 using this order form and mailing a check to the ISGS Office. Click HERE to download the order form.

Thursday, October 3
Finding the Hardest Ones, Part 2 (Speaker Series)
1:30 pm
ZOOM Presentation

The Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia's Thursday October 3, 2024 meeting featured speaker is James M. Baker, PhD. His topic is "Finding the Hardest Ones, Part 2”

This is Part 2 of a two-part presentation.

Mr. Baker will use Case studies to show problem solving methods where key data are missing – without embarking on new research – by analyzing data such as naming patterns, birth/marriage witness data, inheritance data, sibling data, timelines, family migrations, and other data already in your database.

Part 1 was done at our September Meeting. A recording of that presentation will be available by request until our October meeting by sending an email to [email protected] .

Mr. Baker has been an active genealogist for over 15 years. He specializes in German, Midwest US, early American research, and DNA. He has written articles for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Magazine, the NGS Quarterly, and Der Blumenbaum, the journal of the Sacramento German Genealogy Society. He has presented classes and webinars to many genealogy groups including National Genealogical Society, Southern California Jamboree, and Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Mr. Baker earned a PhD in sociology and social psychology from the University of Utah. He is retired from an aerospace and business management career.

GSVB Members will automatically receive a Zoom invitation that will be sent out a couple of days before the meeting.

Non-Members: If you are interested in attending, please send an e-mail to [email protected] to request a Zoom invitation.

The Zoom meeting time is at 1:30 pm Pacific Time. The event is FREE. All are welcome.

Thursday, September 5
Finding the Hardest Ones, Part 1
1:30 pm PDT
ZOOM Presentation

The Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia's Thursday September 5, 2024 meeting featured speaker is James M. Baker, PhD. His topic is "Finding the Hardest Ones”

Mr. Baker will use Case studies to illustrate and discuss his seven strategies to find the most challenging data: (1) collaborating with other genealogists; (2) search engine research; (3) digging in giant tomes; (4) checking property/tax records; (5) broadening the search; (6) performing on-site research; and (7) analyzing DNA evidence.

This is Part 1 of a two-part presentation. Part 2 will be at next month’s meeting on Thursday October 3.

Mr. Baker has been an active genealogist for over 15 years. He specializes in German, Midwest US, early American research, and DNA. He has written articles for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Magazine, the NGS Quarterly, and Der Blumenbaum, the journal of the Sacramento German Genealogy Society. He has presented classes and webinars to many genealogy groups including National Genealogical Society, Southern California Jamboree, and Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Mr. Baker earned a PhD in sociology and social psychology from the University of Utah. He is retired from an aerospace and business management career.

GSVB Members will automatically receive a Zoom invitation that will be sent out a couple of days before the meeting.

Non-Members: If you are interested in attending, please send an e-mail to [email protected] to request a Zoom invitation.

The Zoom meeting time is at 1:30 pm Pacific Time. The event is FREE. All are welcome.

Wednesday, August 14
Google Tools (Discussion Group)
10:00 am
Online Zoom Presentation
Our Solano County Genealogical Society’s August 14, 2024 Discussion Group Topic is “Google Tools”.

Google is more than a search engine and no researcher should overlook the many tools available for free that will be of use as they pursue their ancestors.

This roundtable discussion group will be a chance to learn about the tools available and hear how participants have used these Google tools in their research.

Few of us think of YouTube as a Google tool and it is! YouTube is the best and quickest way to answer many of our questions as we work.

Google Translate, Google Books, Google Scholar, Google Earth, Maps Google Images are among the additional tools available.

Discussions are informal groups gathered to exchange of learn new ideas about each topic.

Please join our roundtable discussion to also share your ideas and experiences.

Hopefully all your questions will be answered by our participants.

Our Solano County Genealogy Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link in the Members Only menu section.

Guests are welcome. Non-members should send an email request to [email protected] no later than 4 pm the day prior to the event.

Zigzagging Through German Church Records | New York Genealogical & Biographical Society Researching German ancestors can feel like a daunting task, but German church records can be a highly valuable resource to help you uncover hidden ancestors.

New Collaboration with FamilyTreeDNA - MyHeritage Blog FamilyTreeDNA has been a valued partner and friend of MyHeritage for well over a decade. Notably, since the launch of MyHeritage DNA in 2016,

LIFE HACK!
You can use BanyanDNA to find multiple relationships between two people in your tree, even if neither has done a DNA test! Here's how: import your gedcom into BanyanDNA, enter a nominal 1 cM shared by the two people, and do a pre-check validation run in the calculations panel. (The 1 cM tricks BanyanDNA into comparing those two people. You can delete it later.)

This example shows a classic case of endogamy, where a married couple were 4th cousins to one another, 7th cousins once removed four times over, and 8th cousins four times over. Blue lines are the husband's pedigree, red lines the wife's, and yellow lines where pedigree collapse happens.

Wednesday, July 10
Family Search Center (Discussion Group)
10:00 am
ZOOM Presentation
Our Solano County Genealogical Society’s July 10th, 2024 Discussion Group Topic is: “Family Search Center”.

We will talk about the local and larger centers where volunteers are offering to help people discover their heritage and connect with family members.

We will also explore the online Family Search website.

Discussions are informal groups gathered to exchange or learn new ideas about each topic.

Please join our roundtable discussion to also share your ideas and experiences.

Hopefully your questions will be answered by our participants.

Our Solano County Genealogy Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link in the Members Only menu section.

Guests are welcome. Non-members should send an email request to [email protected] no later than 4 pm the day prior to the event.

You don't see them as much anymore, but back in the 19th century, grave bells were a common occurrence next to gravestones. Along with safety coffins, these were mechanisms used in case a person was buried alive. If they woke up and found themselves trapped underground, they could ring the bell and alert someone that they were alive. There are many other variations of the safety coffin, but the grave bell is one you might even see today. You can find an example of one here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15605479/charles_ferdinand-mills
Photo: GinaC

Have you ever seen a corrected gravestone? This grave is for Albert DuRee whose birth year was initially carved as 1885, but then it was scratched out and replaced with 1855 and the phrase "oops!" written underneath. Not much is known about why or when the change was made, or if maybe it was intentional. If you check on the memorial page, you'll also find newspaper clippings about DuRee's murder as well. You can read more here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41476116/albert-duree
📷: sharoni barlichenstein

Reunion for Mac meeting.
Meeting link: https://tinyurl.com/3kvjnnz5

Save the dates! The International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) Conference 2025 will be held June 13-15 in Columbus, Ohio. We look forward to seeing you there!

SGGS is an active partner with IGGP.

Starting today! Visit myheritage.com/military-records!

Thursday, June 6
June Pot Luck (Annual Potluck)
12:00 pm
Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum *12 NOON*
This is the Genalogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia's Annual Summer POTLUCK Meeting.

Bring a labeled dish to share for our potluck. Drinks will be provided.

Please note the 12 NOON Start Time at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

Everyone can share what we have been working on.

We can talk about what we have found, what we are stuck on, and anything else that comes to mind. You might like to share a picture or artifact related to your search.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Oh No! We are all in trouble.
Alexa! Add Sage to my shopping list

(adds Ghost Brush to cemetery kit)

❤️ Thanks for sharing Laura ❤️

IGHR 2024 Virtual Institute July 21-26, 2024. 13 courses to choose from, so bookmark your favorite course pages. Virtual classrooms using Zoom, sessions will be recorded. All courses come with a digital syllabus and students will receive a digital certificate upon course completion. Registration begins March 9, 2024, so mark y...

Solano County Genealogical Society, California
Saturday, June 1
“Finding Dirk: Insanity in the 19th Century” (Speaker Series)
11:00 am
ZOOM Presentation
The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation
via Zoom on Saturday, June 1, 2024 starting at 11 a.m. Pacific Time

Jill Morelli will present “Finding Dirk: Insanity in the 19th Century”.

Do you have an “unmentionable” in your family tree—someone you know existed, but can find little information about? Attend this presentation and you might come away with some clues.

Dirk disappeared from his family’s records at age 20. However, the family purchased a tombstone for him in an asylum cemetery in Illinois. Eventually, someone posted a photo of the tombstone on FindaGrave, where it waited for someone to notice and put the pieces of his story together. Jill will review the history of care of the insane, the process for certifying someone insane, and identify the records and the location of public, governmental and other documents that fill out the story of Dirk’s life in and outside the asylum.

Biography: Jill Morelli, Certified Genealogist, is a writer, lecturer and co-founder of Applied Genealogy Institute, which provides practicum-based educational opportunities for high-intermediate and advanced genealogists. In 2017, she founded the Certification Discussion Group to help demystify the certification process for others. Jill lectures nationally on a variety of genealogical topics and has written articles for National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Swedish American Genealogist, and many others. She is past president of the Seattle Genealogical Society, and a member of many local genealogical societies.

Guests are welcome to attend this free event. If interested, send an email to the society at [email protected] no later than 4 p.m., May 31st to request a Zoom link invitation.

Additional information on events can be found on the society’s website at www.scgsca.org and our page www.facebook.com/SCGSCA.