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ISSN0736-802X THE LIVERMORE ROOTS TRACER VOLUME XV JULY 1996 NUMBER 3 Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society PO Box 901, Livermore, California 94551
TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME XV NUMBER 3 From the President 610 Calendar of Selected Events 611 Reference Material at Mocho Street FHC 612 CD Corner 613 Telnet Access to Library Catalogs 613 Under the Genealogy Tree With Jolene 614 Social Security Facts and Myths 616 Meet the Members Wayne Russell BARNES 618 Gerald "Gary" BRADLEY 619 Martha (Hoopaugh GARCEAU 620 J'Nell Kay (MASSEY) THOMPSON 621 Michele "Lynn" TORREZ 622
Copyright Notice: No articles may be reproduced for profit or commercial gain without the express written consent of the authors, the editors, or the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society.
LIFE MEMBERS OF L-AGS: Beverly Schell Ales Anastasia Alexander Carrie Alexander G. E. "Robbie" Robinson Harriet & George Anderson Judy Person Harry and Kip West BENEFACTORS: Addie Martz Doug Mumma
**** IMPORTANT **** IMPORTANT **** IMPORTANT **** Because of recent changes in U.S. Post Office regulations, in order to expedite mailings and keep the cost down, we MUST have your full nine- digit Zip Code. For example, it should look something like: 94550-5805. Please write or call Lori Codey with this information.
THE AUGUST 13 MEETING OF L-AGS HAS BEEN CHANGED TO SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 4:00 PM. We are going to have a garden party/social at the home of Lori Codey, see address above. The party will be a pot-luck. Please bring a dish to feed 8 - 10 people, along with your own place setting (plate and silverware) and your spouse or "significant other". Soft drinks will be provided. The Codey's have a pool, so bring a swim suit and towel! There will be no planned program, but all are invited to talk about their recent trips and results of research - as well as anything else.
HELP WANTED: L-AGS has display cases reserved in three different libraries in September, October and November for displays of Genealogical interest. If you have any books, pictures, artifacts, etc. that you think would be interesting to place in a locked case to help promote National Genealogy Month and our annual Seminar, please call John Walden at 443-2057. John also needs the help of those of you who have artistic abilities and would like to help arrange materials in any of the display cases.
LIVERMORE-AMADOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY P. 0. Box 901, Livermore, CA 94551 President David ABRAHAMS lst VP and Membership Chair Lori CODEY 2nd VP and Program Chair Katherine BRIDGMAN and Lucille KUSK0 Recording Secretary Mildred KIRKWOOD Corresponding Secretary David CURRY Business Manager Harold NORRIS Roots Tracer Editors Jolene ABRAHAMS and Regina SCHAEFER Library Chair Judy PERSON Publicity Chair John WALDEN Livermore Cultural Arts Council Rep Leo VONGOTTFRIED Computer Interest Group Doug MUMMA Historian David LINDSEY Publications Chair "Robbie" Robinson The Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society is exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) (literary and educational) of the Internal Revenue Code and California Taxation Code 237020.
The Roots Tracer is a quarterly publication with articles of interest to the genealogist. Members are encouraged to submit their "Profiles" as well as articles of general interest. Queries are free to members, $1.00 to non-members. The deadline for each quarterly is the 15th of June, September, December, and March. Send to: Roots Tracer, P. 0. Box 901 Livermore, CA 94351 Any book presented to the Society will be reviewed in the quarterly along with the purchase price and address of the publisher. Our Library is located in the Pleasanton Public Library building, 400 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton, CA. Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 PM, at Congregation Beth Emek, 1866 College Ave., Livermore, CA. Membership in LAGS is open to any individual, library, or society. Our fiscal year is January 1 through December 31. Membership includes a subscription to the quarterly Roots Tracer. Publications Members Non-Members Postage Surname Index (1994) $9.00 $14.00 $2.00 Livermore Cemeteries (1988) $12.00 $17.00 $2.00 Pleasanton, Dublin Cemeteries (1990) $8.00 $12.00 $2.00 Roots Tracer Index $3.00 $4.50 $1.50 The above publications are available on diskette (IBM or Mac) for the same price as the paper copies. When purchased with a book, they are half price. Send check or money order to: Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society P. 0. Box 901, Livermore, CA 94551 DUES Individual $12.00 Family $18.00 Life $125.00 Benefactor $30.00 Patron $60.00 Life (Couples) $185.00
FROM THE PRESIDENT On behalf of the entire membership of the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society, I want to take this opportunity to thank Lori Codey for the magnificent job she did on creating and assembling our new Member's Handbook. We have shown the Handbook at other meetings, and it has been met with OOOOHHHs and AAAAHHHHHs. The Handbook will be updated periodically, either with material mailed to members or included in the Roots Tracer. Congratulations are also in order to Shirley Terry. Her family newsletter, Branching Out - Damkroger-Siems.. of Gage County, NE, has received another award. She recently received an honorable mention from the 1995 National Genealogical Society contest. Shirley also informed us that she has recently received a listing of authors of diaries and letters in the possession of the Overland Trails Association. It is not a complete index and does not include names mentioned in those documents. She can provide anyone with the form needed to request a copy of one of those documents. Our thanks, too, to Felicia Ziomek, who recently donated a microfiche reader to L-AGS. Felicia purchased the reader at a garage sale! L-AGS now has two microfiche readers, which are available for our members to use at their convenience. Both are at the home of your president; a phone call is all it takes to make arrangements to borrow one.
BE ALERT! BE ALERT! BE ALERT! BE ALERT! Be aware of Numa Corp. - AKA Halbert's. Numa pays the so-called "Family Director" two percent commission on books sold through mailings directed to people with the same surname. However, there was no relative's signature affixed to the book pitch received by the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic. The letter, addressed to Fernando V. San, tried to sell the clinic a book on the SAN family in the U.S. From The Genealogist, Jan 1996, Vol. XVI, #1, pg 7.
OUR ANCESTORS ON TELEVISION! Don't forget to call or write to your local PBS station to request that they show Ancestors this fall. KQED, 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-1400, phone 415-553- 2100. KTEH, 100 Skyport Drive, San Jose, CA 95110, phone 408-437-5454. From SRVGS News, Vol. XII No. 2, July/August 1996
LAND RECORDS NOTE Regarding witnesses to land records, it is true that occasionally the first witness is a member of the husband's family and the second witness is a member of the wife's family, there is no criterion or standard practice where this is the case. The frequency of its occurrence is sporadic at best. If it does occur, it is much more likely to be coincidental than planned. Paraphrased from a note by Wendy Elliott in the CSGA Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 7, July 1996.
CALENDAR OF SELECTED GENEALOGICAL EVENTS (From various sources) July 9 Livermore-Amador Gen. Soc. meeting, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Emek, corner of College Ave. & South "M" St., Livermore. (510-447-9386) July 16 San Ramon Gen. Soc. general meeting entitled "Among Ourselves", members share expertise. 10:00 a.m. Danville Women's Club House 242 W. Linda Mesa Ave., Danville, CA Aug 10 Livermore-Amador Gen. Soc. meeting has been changed from Aug 13. For info call 510-447-9386 Sept 10 Livermore-Amador Gen. Soc. meeting, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Emek, corner of College Ave. & South "M" St., Livermore. (510-447-9386) Sept 19 L-AGS Study Group, 7:30 p.m., LDS Church, 950 Mocho St., Livermore. Beginning genealogy. More info call Jolene Abrahams, 447- 9386 Sept 21 Livermore-Amador Gen. Soc. Annual Seminar. A one day program featuring many of the best genealogy instructors in the Bay Area. LDS Church, 950 Mocho, Livermore, CA. For info call Jolene Abrahams, 510- 447-9386. Sept 26 L-AGS Computer Interest Group, 7:00 p.m., LDS Church, 950 Mocho, Livermore, CA. For info call Doug Mumma, 447-5164. Sept 28 Contra Costa Gen. Soc., at 9:00 a.m., will present Sheila Benedict, speaking on four different subjects. Vendors available. Contact Susan Swindell, 510-372-6996. Oct 8 Livermore-Amador Gen. Soc. meeting, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Emek, corner of College Ave & South "M" Street, Livermore. Call 510-447- 9386 Oct 12 Concord Family History Center, all day seminar. Karen Clifford, keynote speaker. Midwestern and southern states research. Classes for beginning to intermediate genealogist. Call Jackie Hein, 510-827-4729. Oct. 17 L-AGS Study Group, 7:30 p.m., LDS Church, 950 Mocho St., Livermore. Census records & Social Security records. More info call Jolene Abrahams, 447-9386. Oct 24 L-AGS Computer Interest Group, 7:00 p.m., LDS Church, 950 Mocho, Livermore, CA. For info call Doug Mumma, 447-5164.
Welcome to New Members Mary Maenchen Jane E. Southwick J'Nell Thompson Lynn Torrez Donald L. Bradfield Jim Branden Wes Nelson Jan Tyler
OBITUARY James Alan HORTON, husband of Mary Lynne, died Monday, June 24, 1996 in St. George, UT. He was 60. Born Jan 1, 1936, in Spokane WA., Jim worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 13 years. He and Mary Lynne moved to St. George upon his retirement from the lab in 1994. Jim and Mary Lynne were long-time members of L-AGS.
REFERENCE MATERIAL AT THE MOCHO STREET LDS FAMILY HISTORY CENTER Jim Scofield The major research aids at the Livermore LDS Family History Center (FHC) at 950 Mocho Street, Livermore, are the International Genealogical Index, the Ancestral File on computer, the index to the United States Census through 1850, the Social Security Death Index, the LDS Family History Catalog, the Index to the Periodicals, and the Scottish Church records. There is an extensive set of additional reference material, the bulk of which is on microfiches. The present collection has many research aids and some indexes, genealogies, and date collections. This collection has many gazetteers and postal guides for the United States, Canada, European countries and U.S. states. There are inventories of vital records, church records, public records, and library holdings of many U.S. states and some European regions. Also included are indexes to British streets for census years, early U.S. probate records, war pension records, and land records. There are collected genealogies for early families of regions and collections of submitted genealogies. Some of the recognized items are the California Death index for 1905- 1959, the Rhode Island vital records, Massachusetts marriage records by Bailey, Henshaw's collection of Quaker records, Kirkham's guide for searching larger cities, Savage's New England genealogy, and the U.S. township atlas. There is an index to the collection. Patrons of the library can participate in adding to the collection. All microfiches ordered are on permanent loan and microfilms can also be requested to be on permanent loan.
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE MOCHO STREET FHC Additional good news is that a microfilm reader/printer has been ordered. Delivery is expected within the next two to three months. A 16mm lens is available for use on the current microfilm reader, which will enable users to read 16mm microfilms at a greater magnification. One of the computers has had another 2 megabytes of memory installed. The FHC recently acquired a telephone directory on CD-ROM. An updated version of the Ancestral File will be released in late 1996.
DON'T RESHELVE AT SUTRO! Do you know why Sutro Library has the rule that books are to be refiled only by staff? It's not just to guarantee that books can be found where they are supposed to be. Because Sutro is a state institution, it is judged by numbers; how many persons use the facilities (don't forget to sign in), how many books are used (DON'T RESHELVE). You no longer have to feel guilty about taking stacks of books to your table. You're helping the cause. From Thelma Kester, Education, Napa Valley Gen. & Biographical Society, Wine Press Newsletter, Vol. 22, #3, March 1996
CD CORNER Robbie Robinson After a long wait by many of us, the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vols. 1 through 148 has arrived. It is a set of nine CDs with volumes 1-148 on the first eight CDs and a condensed index on CD 9. They have "imaged" each page so retrieval is slower than you are probably used to seeing, but the end result is well worth it. Each of the almost sixty-thousand pages contains the image of the original text (including illustrations). In addition to the condensed index on CD 9, there is an index on each CD as well. When you print out a page, on the bottom of each is a notation of which volume, the month and year of that page. Unfortunately, for you MAC users, this is a Windows program. They recommend that you have Windows 3.1 running in an enhanced mode, a 486 or higher IBM PC or compatible, 8 MB of Ram, a VGA monitor running in at least 16 colors and a Microsoft-compatible mouse. You will need at least 9 MB of free hard disk space and a CD-ROM drive. If you have ancestors in New England states, this CD set is a must. It is expensive, costing $295 for the set, comes in a very nice storage case, and believe me when I say that it is well worth the money. GenRef has put out their Social Security Death Master File. It is current through December 1995 and can be used on either MAC or PC Windows machines. This two CD set contains nearly 52 million records and contains name, date of birth, date of death, social security number, state or country of residence, ZIP code of the last residence and the ZIP code where the survivors payment was sent. If you wish to obtain additional information from Social Security, the program generates a letter requesting a copy of the deceased individual's application for a social security card. This set only costs $40 and is very user friendly. I've heard that the Genealogical Publishing Company is about to release some of their books on CDs. Several more "data" suppliers are currently involved with putting their information on CDs, more on this next month.
TELNET ACCESS TO LIBRARY CATALOGS Jim Scofield The catalogs of many public and university libraries are available through the Internet, usually by communicating with the library's computer via Telnet. For those with Web browsers, the St. Joseph public library at [http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/] can provide Internet addresses for public libraries. A catalog which includes the nine campuses of the University of California and the California State Library which includes the Sutro library can be accessed at: telnet://melvyl.ucop.edu. The first three commands are first to give 'vt100' as the terminal type, second a carriage return, and third 'cat' as the item to search. Online help is available. The basic commands are 'find' and 'display'. A typical search on title words might read: ftw census index 1870. The catalog to the Allen County Public Library is at: telnet://summit.acpl.lib.in.us. Use the login name given. The catalog has an easy to use menu driven format. The Library of Congress catalog is at telnet://locis.loc.gov. The catalog does give useful information on the books, it is however somewhat cumbersome to use.
UNDER THE GENEALOGY TREE WITH JOLENE Selected Acronyms and Terms L-AGS: Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society. FGS: Federation of Genealogical Societies is a national-level organization that provides information to its member societies and libraries on society management and genealogical events crucial to the field of genealogy. L-AGS is a member of this organization; their publications may be found in the genealogy section of the Pleasanton Library. NGS: National Genealogical Society is a national society. They maintain a library that allows members to borrow books by mail, and they publish a newsletter and a quarterly. NGS also has a Computer Interest Group (CIG), which maintains a Bulletin Board for computer genealogists. L-AGS is a member of this organization; their publications may be found in the genealogy section of the Pleasanton Library. CGS: California Genealogical Society is the oldest genealogical society in the state of California. The Society maintains a library, gathers and preserves vital records, and provides education through meetings, seminars, workshops and a Computer Interest Group. It is located in San Francisco, California. CSGA: California State Genealogical Alliance is the umbrella group for the various societies in the state of California. They publish a monthly newsletter. It has a calendar of events not only for California but around the United States. In addition there are articles of nationwide interest besides the articles on major research repositories in California. L-AGS is a member of this organization. CIG: Computer Interest Group. It usually is a group, within a society, that has a special interest in using computers in genealogy. FHC: Family History Center. The Mormon Church has assembled (and continues to do so) the largest collection of genealogical information in the world. They have made this material available for research to anyone. I recommend you learn the ins and outs at a local FHC first. They have computers, microfilm readers and microfiche readers. You can also order microfilm at your local FHC that will come from Salt Lake City; ask for details. There is a nominal fee for this service. If a local FHC is large enough they will have a book collection. Consult your telephone book for the nearest one. Ancestral File: This is a FamilySearch computer file assembled by the Mormon Church that contains genealogies of families from around the world. The information is mostly about deceased people, linked into pedigrees to show their ancestors and descendants. IGI: International Genealogical Index. This is another file provided by the Mormon Church. It lists the dates and places of birth, christening, and marriage, as well as LDS temple ordinances, for millions of deceased people. It includes people who lived during the early 1500s to the early 1900s. The information is found on FamilySearch computers and on microfiche. Family Histories: This information can be found at all Family History Centers. They are listed by surname (last name) in the Family History Library Catalog. This catalog describes records from around the world. It is available on microfiche and on FamilySearch computers. On microfiche, search the pink surname section. On FamilySearch computers, use the surname search. Social Security Death Index: This is a FamilySearch computer file listing millions of people who have died in the United States since 1962. AGLL: American Genealogical Lending Library. DAR: Daughters of the American Revolution. SAR: Sons of the American Revolution. SASE: Self Addressed Stamped Envelope; an envelope provided to another person or correspondent by a researcher, already addressed back to that researcher, for the convenience of the correspondent. Holdings: In genealogy circles, holdings are the collection of genealogy books in a library. Surname: The last name of a person, usually the same as the father. Maiden Name: The surname of a woman at birth. Microfiche: Cards made of photographic material containing reduced images of printed material; used with a special reader. Microfilm: Rolls of photographic material containing reduced images of printed material; used with a special microfilm reader. Stacks: The books on the bookshelves in a library. Vital Statistics: Statistics relating to births, death, marriages. Other terms that are used include documents or vital records. Query: This is a short request for specific information regarding members of a family you are researching. The queries are usually placed in genealogical periodicals, newspapers and newsletters. Study the queries that appear in publications such as Everton's Genealogical Helper and the Heritage Quest.
SOCIAL SECURITY FACTS AND MYTHS John F. Whitaker Copyright 1996 There has been a fair amount of traffic and questions raised at different times on what Social Security CDs are and what they are all about. The following is for your reference and use as you feel appropriate. The Social Security Administration System (SSAS) provides to anyone who will pay the fee, a tape of Social Security information. This tape is the same for any producer of genealogical material onto CD ROM. What many do not realize is that the information on these tapes, which is later published, is not a listing of all individuals found in the SSAS. This tape contains only those who are on the Social Security Death Benefit Records Index (SSDBRI). Here lies the beginning of the confusion. There are two primary files that are maintained by the SSAS. They are what is often referred to as the Master Social Security File (MSSF) and the Social Security Death Benefit Index (SSDBI). By definition, they are different in function and form. The MSSF is a file or listing of everyone who has ever had a Social Security number. It is important to remember that individuals stay on this file until they are proven to have died. With this in mind, it is possible for someone who was born in 1880, who lived to 1937, received a Social Security number, and later died and was buried in the family plot with no knowledge of the SSAS. In this instance the individual could still be on the Master Social Security File. The real issue comes down to what puts a name on the file that is public accostable either through requests of the SSAS or on a commercial or public service. Enter the Social Security Death Benefit Records Index. This file or index is nothing more than a list of those individuals who have been proven to be deceased and taken off the master file. In light of this, it is very important to understand what qualifies an individual to be listed on the SSDBRI. The criteria at present are as follows: 1. The individual must have a Social Security number. 2. Had to have received Social Security benefits while living, died and the SSAS be notified with proof of death. 3. Had to have died, and survivors notify the SSAS of the death with proof of death and apply for survivors benefits. 4. The SSAS then must move the deceased individual from the Master Social Security File to the Social Security Death Benefits Index File. If any of these appropriate steps were not done, it could keep a name from being moved to the file which allows us to search on the various compact discs and other services. It has been stated that states are now forwarding death information to the Social Security Administration. I have not been able to verify that as of this time. It raises an interesting issue though. How does a state know who to submit? Every individual in a state is not always on a roll of some kind that would identify them as alive or dead. Also, what verification is a state going to accept? In terms of an easy way to forward information to the SSA to identify deaths, it is not clear if this would also put a name in the SSDBRI File. As soon as I find this out, I will update this information paper. It is often brought to my attention that an individual who is known to be dead and had a Social Security number is not on the SSDBRI File. If an individual was born prior to Social Security and lived to the beginning of the Social Security Administration, received a number, and later died and was buried in the family plot, it is possible that no benefits were applied for and this person would not be found in the SSDBRI. To apply for benefits or establish death, it is as simple as requesting the Death Burial Check which is supposed to defer burial costs. This is done by going to the local Social Security building in your town or the nearest one and filling out the appropriate paperwork and proof of death. Often it has been said that names are on an older version or issue of the SSDBI File on CD and then later when a new and updated CD is released, the same name is no longer in the file. It is impossible to second guess the production methods of a publisher but we can consider the job of maintaining such a large file. It is possible to have errors occur and names can be lost. What good is the SSDBI File to those with ancestors who were born prior to 1900? The twentieth century researcher is benefited by this resource. Individuals in the Social Security system that were born as early as the 1840s in some cases, the SSDBI helps locate those elusive ancestors who do not show up on traditional documents. It was not uncommon for someone to be born in a rural area and not show up in that county records at all because they married in some other location or died before any legal or government process could take place and have them become a part of a public record of some kind. Social Security was a program with national emphasis and funding and for many it promised a means to a more secure future. If your research takes you into the middle class, city and residential areas of the U.S., then the SSDBI Files will benefit you the most. On a different note, farmers and laborers did not normally become involved until the late 1950s or even the mid 1960s. The middle class in populated areas and immigrants are those who benefited from Social Security the most and as a group, will provide the most success in searching the Social Security. Ethnic research can be enhanced with this resource also. Using common or very unusual surnames it is possible to focus in on groups of individuals who have common heritage. Using the Zip Code in the Social Security location information will help pinpoint specific towns which in turn can lead the researcher to counties where more information may be found. This resource is often available at your local public library and is almost always available in most of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Family History Centers located throughout the country. It can also be purchased at a number of outlet stores and genealogy distributors in the form of a package of genealogy software and CDs or it can be found in advertising in many genealogical magazines for CD sales. There are no less than three organizations that currently produce a Social Security Death Benefit Records Index on CD. NOTE: John F. Whitaker is a professional genealogist and owner of Automated Research, Inc. Questions and comments relative to this article can be directed to him at his office: 1156 South State Street, Suite 201, Orem, Utah 84058-9217; phone 801-222-9774 or online at aricds@xmission.com or CompuServ 74721,2212.
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