THE LIVERMORE-AMADOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN FOR March 2010 Web Site: http://www.l-ags.org ========================================================================== PRESERVE YOUR STORIES IN THE ROOTS TRACER Our Roots Tracer offers all members the opportunity to preserve the stories of their families in print. Please contact the Roots Tracer staff whenever you seek assistance via their email address: tracer@l-ags.org or the editor at XXXX@comcast.net. Approximately 300 to 1,500 words. Photographs and, or, lineage charts always make any article more readable. Quarterly deadlines are the 15th of January, April, July and October. ========================================================================== SUMMARY OF L-AGS MEETINGS FOR March 2010 Note: The Master Genealogist Group is meeting a week later than normal this month, on March 27th. o General Meeting - Tuesday - March 9, 7:30 p.m. Speaker: Lisa Louise Cooke - Solving Family History Mysteries with Google Earth From Elizabeth Shown Mill's book, "Evidence Explained" o L-AGS March Board meeting - March 23, 7:30pm - Members are welcome to attend board meetings. Please contact corresponding@l-ags.org. o Study Group - Thursday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. Topic: Prominent records that may lead to the illusive town name of your immigrant ancestor o Master Genealogist Group - Saturday March 27, 1:30 p.m. Topic: Cemetary Markers and Plaques ========================================================================== Summary of L-AGS Board Meeting, Feb. 16, 2010 The budget for 2010 was discussed and will be posted for the membership at the March 9 meeting. A DVD was produced from the copying of the old newspapers at the Pleasanton Library and the Museum on Main. The copyright release has not been received for general circulation. Contact Patrick Lofft for the latest information. Next Board Meeting on March 23. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Study Group Meeting Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010 Time: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Location: LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore, CA Map to the meeting site: http://www.l-ags.org/maps/Liv-FHC.html Topic: Prominent records that may lead to the illusive town name of your immigrant ancestor. At our March Study Group meeting we will have an open discussion of the records that may lead to that illusive town name of your immigrant ancestor. There are several prominent record groups that could provide clues that may provide the path to this information. Share your success and challenge to the rest of the group. Please let us know what topics you would like to cover at Study Group meetings. We need to increase the attendance at our meetings! Please support L-AGS special interest groups. Have a favorite website you would like included during our evening's presentation? Please forward it to study.chair@L-AGS.org. This discussion will not focus on Google search directly. This will be a future topic for a weekend workshop or another L-AGS meeting. Although not a requirement to attend meetings, if you can R.S.V.P. to study.group@L-AGS.org it will help to determine the number of handouts required. Have a genealogy brick wall? Let the Study Group help you brainstorm your research options. Use our L-AGS Study Group forum for any genealogy topic discussion or computer interest questions. L-AGS is blessed with people willing to share their knowledge and expertise! E-mail the forum at: study.group@L-AGS.org. Please send your suggestions for future Study Group meetings to study.chair@L-AGS.org. We would appreciate your input and feedback. ========================================================================== DETAILED L-AGS MEETINGS FOR March, 2010 Visitors are welcome free of charge at all of our meetings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly General Meeting GUEST SPEAKER: Lisa Louise Cooke TOPIC: Solving Family History Mysteries with Google Earth DATE: Tuesday March 9, 2010 - 7:30 p.m. LOCATION: Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton Map to Meeting Site: http://www.L-AGS.org/maps/Pls-BethEmek.html Google Earth is a 360 degree 3-dimensional way to view your ancestor's world! In this presentation you will learn how to unlock mysteries in your research - from unidentified photographs to exploring the family homestead. Google Earth has the power to geographically document your ancestor's lives, and lends itself very well to collaboration with other researchers. It's one of the best online genealogical tools available. And, best of all, it's FREE! Lisa Louise Cooke is the producer and host of two Internet radio shows: the weekly Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast which walks family historians step-by-step through the research process, and The Genealogy Gems Podcast which features research strategies and expert interviews. Both shows can be heard free in iTunes and at Lisa's website www.genealogygems.tv, which also includes genealogy themed videos, a free monthly newsletter, and a variety of family history resources. Lisa also hosts the monthly Family Tree Magazine Podcast, writes and conducts webinars for the magazine, conducts interviews for the Family History Expos online video channel, and is a genealogy speaker and lecturer. For additional information contact: Dick Finn, Program Chairperson Email: program@l-ags.org Our Roots Tracer offers all members the opportunity to preserve the stories of their families in print. Please contact the Roots Tracer staff via their email address: tracer@l-ags.org or the editor at XXXX@comcast.net. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tri-Valley TMG Users Group The Master Genealogist Software Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010 Time: 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM (Rescheduled Time) Location: 7077 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 110, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Map to the meeting site: http://www.l-ags.org/maps/Pls-KollCenter.html Chair: Kay Speaks, tvtmg.chair@L-AGS.org Instructors: Kay Speaks & Sue Johnston Source Citation Assignment: Cemetery Markers and Plaques (physical and virtual) In March we will cover Elizabeth Shown Mills' book Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace's Markers and Plaques. In the 2007 edition of Evidence Explained, Cemetery Markers and Plaques are discussed in Chapter 5 Cemetery Records. Your assignment: o Basic Issues, 5.1-5.5 o Basic Elements, 5.10 o Cenotaphs & Memorial Plaques, 5.11 o Grave Markers: Churchyard, 5.12 o Grave Markers: Rural, 5.13 o Grave Markers: Rural GPS, 5.14 o Grave Markers: Urban, 6.15 o Images: Markers & Plaques, 5.16 At the beginning of our workshop, we will quickly review last month's Census Records. Attendees were to post their personal census examples on the Tri-Valley TMG Users Blog for review and comments of the instructors and members of the group prior to the March meeting. Any L-AGS member may register with the TV-TMG Users Group and then e-mail tvtmg.chair@L-AGS.org requesting access to the class blog. Session documents and post-meeting notes will be posted to our blog for download or review. Bring two of your own markers or plaque information to enter into your own TMG database during the second half of our workshop. Kindly R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend the meeting and indicate if you will bring a laptop. Meetings are a cooperative experience where TV-TMG users will have the opportunity to lead one of the classes on a volunteer basis. Let us know if you have a favorite source citation you would like to present. Be sure to check the meeting date and time each month for possible changes due to scheduling conflicts of the instructors. Don't forget to check our blog, the "Tri-Valley TMG User Group" at http://tvtmgug.blogspot.com/. This is a great place to record our citation decisions, post notes and ideas from the meeting, and ask and answer questions. If you haven't received an invitation to join the blog readership, please notify Kay and Sue at tvtmg.chair@L-AGS.org. Guests are always welcome at our meetings however we may not be able to accommodate the use of your laptop as desktop space is reserved for registered TV-TMG members. TV-TMG users should bring their laptop and power cord if possible. The class is currently using TMG version 7. A copy of the group's practice database will be provided from our blog. Please download the newest version prior to each workshop. A laptop is not a requirement as the lesson will be digitally projected. TMG questions not specific to all attendees will be addressed in the later part of our meeting or on our blog. Please bring samples of your problem if possible. We hope to see you at the next meeting! Resources: A free demo version of the software can be downloaded at http://www.whollygenes.com. Mills' book can be purchased online from the following websites plus many other websites: Amazon, WhollyGenes, Footnote and Ancestry. For additional information contact: tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. The user group e-mail address is tvtmg@L-AGS.org. ========================================================================== U P C O M I N G C O N F E R E N C E S A N D S E M I N A R S ========================================================================== Livermore Heritage Guild Monthly Meeting March 17th, doors open at 7:00, talk starts at 7:30 sharp, at the Livermore Library Topic: One of Livermore's Most Interesting Families - The Gardemeyers. Some families were large landowners, successful businessmen, had run ins with the law, or someone in the family murdered, but it was rare that all of the above could happen to one Livermore family. Learn about this important family in Livermore history. Speaker: Richard Finn Past president and vice president of the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society. Member: Amador-Livermore Historical Society, San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society, and the Livermore Heritage Guild. Genealogy docent at the Pleasanton Library, volunteer at the Museum on Main in Pleasanton, Livermore Family History Center, and the Livermore Heritage Guild. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- NGS National Genealogical Society Family Conference April 28 - May 1, 2010 Salt Lake City, Utah - Salt Palace CGS also organizes the Tenth Annual CGS Salt Lake City Tour, April 21-28, 2010, that precedes it. See details at http://www.calgensoc.org/. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Descendants Group, an Auxiliary of the American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor, will be holding their first annual convention in Reno April 7-11, 2010. To register for the convention and view the agenda, go to the website: http://www.west-point.org/family/adbc. The Descendants Group is continuing the legacy of the ADBC (American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor). One can also sign up to become a member of the group. The website has various links for more information on the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. ========================================================================== L O C A L G E N E A L O G Y G R O U P M E E T I N G S ========================================================================== CGS - California Genealogical Society and Library Saturday, March 13, 1 p.m. Speaker: Mary Mettler Topic: The Successful Research Trip: Lessons Learned on the Road 2201 Broadway, Ste Ll2 Oakland, CA 94612 CGS web site at http://www.calgensoc.org/ EBGS - East Bay Genealogical Society Wednesday March 10, 1 p.m. Speaker: Patrick Lofft Topic: Attacking Brick Walls and resources Seldom Searched at OFHC Patrick is lead genealogy docent at the Pleasanton Public Library and editor of L-AGS quarterly publication, the "Roots Tracer". He has researched his own families and followed those records back to the Irish and German villages of his ancestors. He will help us understand how to attack those brick walls brick by brick, and challenge us to take a closer look at the broad range of resources available on the shelves of the Oakland Regional Family History Center. 4766 Lincoln Ave. Oakland, CA http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~caebaygs/ GSVB - Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benecia Thursday March 4th, 1-4 p.m. Speaker: Gail White Topic: "Melungeons", who are they? Come and find out Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum 734 Marin St., Vallejo, CA 94590 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagsv/ MACGEN- Macintosh Genealogy Group Saturday March 27, 2010, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Speaker: Rich Peterson Subject: Family History Slide Shows using the Macintosh Oakland Regional Family History Center 4766 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, CA 94602 Workshops - There is also a 2nd Wednesday evening workshop this month on Mar. 10th. from 7-9 p.m. at the same Oakland Regional FHC. http://www.macgen.org MCGS - Marin County Genealogical Society Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Speaker: Mary Ames Mitchell What was it like aboard a sailing vessel at sea in 1630? Marin Family History Center 220 North San Pedro Rd, San Rafael, CA 94903 415-479-2200 http://www.maringensoc.org NVGBS - Napa Valley Genealogical and Biographical Society Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Speaker: Member Christine Patterson Land records in genealogical research Napa Senior Center 1500 Jefferson Street, Napa http://www.napavalleygenealogy.org/ SMCGS - San Mateo County Genealogical Society Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10:30 a.m. Speaker: Susan Goss Johnston Topic: Cite it Transfiguration Episcopal Church 3900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94403 Sue is an experienced genealogical researcher and teacher who has been active in the field for 30 years. She is a graduate of the National Institute on Genealogical Research, "Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis" at the Samford University's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, and the National Archives' course, "Going to the Source", which has helped make her an expert in the use of correct source citations. Come and learn the correct way to cite YOUR sources. http://www.smcgs.org SRVGS - San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 10:30am Speaker: Eddie Fung and Judy Yung Topic: Paper Sons and Paper Wives The Complexities of Researching Chinese Family History during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943. They will both discuss their family's immigration history and growing up in San Francisco Chinatown--he under the shadow of exclusion in the 1930s, as he wrote about it in his book The Adventures of Eddie Fung; and she under the shadow of exclusion and McCarthyism in the 1950s, as she wrote about it in her book, Unbound Voices: A Documentary History of Chinese Women in San Francisco. Judy has a November 1, 2009 deadline for her next book, Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America. Danville Family History Center 2949 Stone Valley Rd Alamo, CA 94507 http://srvgensoc.org/ SCCHGS- Santa Clara County Historical & Genealogical Society Tuesday, March 16, 7 p.m. Speaker: Mary Hanel Topic: What's new for Genealogists at the Santa Clara City Library Santa Clara City Public Library 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA 95051 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cascchgs/ SVCGG - Silicon Valley Computer Genealogy Group Saturday, March 13, 9-11 a.m. Richard Rands: Immigration to North America Pamela Erickson: Publishing your project to/for non-genealogists Pat Burrow: Advanced Macintosh Genealogy Topic Pat Solomon: Beginning Macintosh Genealogy Topic Lesly Klippel: Beginning PC Genealogy Santa Clara Family History Center 875 Quince Ave., Santa Clara, CA 9551 http://www.svcgg.org The above genealogy groups are obtained by going to our L-AGS website (http://www.l-ags.org) and clicking on "Internet Genealogy Links", and then clicking on "Genealogical Societies". Meetings are chosen from groups with a genealogy-related topic of interest. ==========================================================================