Visit a little bit of Sacramento at the 2013 NGS Conference

[Editor's Note: Today's post was written by Richard Hanson. Image courtesy of NGS.]

Are you attending the NGS 2013 Family History Conference (May 8-11 in Las Vegas)? The local Sacramento German Genealogy Society is hosting a vendor booth at that event. They will be selling books and memberships. Booth volunteers will include Shirley Riemer and Ingeborg Carpenter. Be sure to stop by and say hello! Or in their case, Hallo!

The Sacramento German Genealogy Society is one of two local sister societies of Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society. The other is the Genealogical Association of Sacramento.

SGGS Meeting: Dear Helpdesk: I have German Ancestors – what next?

Here we have an SGGS member Michael Mayer-Kielmann, a native German, and a regular helper at the Elk Grove Family History Center, who, week in and week out, guides family historians along the way toward answers to their research problems. He will share with us his expertise in German research.
Meeting time & location: Tuesday, Sept. 25, beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Marks Methodist Church on Lusk Drive at St. Marks Way, east of the Country Club Plaza Shopping Center (2391 Saint Marks Way, Sacramento). Meetings are held in MacMurdo Hall, on the basement level. An elevator is available. Guests are welcome.
We advise attendees to arrive early, perhaps at 12:30 or even a little earlier, in order to have opportunities 1) to look over the books for sale, 2) to discuss a problem with a “Quick Questions” expert, or 3) to become acquainted with other services that SGGS offers. Admission is free.
You are also welcome to attend the “Study Group,” a small group that meets from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church's Education Building (second floor, usually in room E-22). People who attend the Study Group discuss ideas and make suggestions for researching specific German ancestors. Admission is free.

We look forward to seeing you!

NOTE: The SGGS website is temporarily down because the server it resided on has permanently given up the ghost. We are in the process of posting the website on a new server. It should be back up very soon.

Submitted by Sacramento German Genealogy Society
Posted by Ron Setzer

Sacramento German Genealogy Society – Medieval German Stories and Ballads

This program, originally scheduled for presentation in 2011, had to be postponed due to problems of travel from Germany. “Cantefable” is a medieval term for a story which is partly spoken and partly sung or accompanied by music. For several years, this German troupe has been presenting performances annually in the United States geared to medieval and other traditional topics. The songs and stories presented by these German historian-performers, whom we see dressed in period costumes and playing medieval instruments, give us glimpses of life in German medieval times.
Meeting time & location: Tuesday, March 27, beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Marks Methodist Church on Lusk Drive at St. Marks Way, east of the Country Club Plaza Shopping Center (2391 Saint Marks Way, Sacramento). Meetings are held in MacMurdo Hall, on the basement level. An elevator is available. Guests are welcome.
We advise attendees to arrive early, perhaps at 12:30 or even a little earlier, in order to have opportunities 1) to look over the books for sale, 2) to discuss a problem with a “Quick Questions” expert, or 3) to become acquainted with other services that SGGS offers. Admission is free.
You are also welcome to attend the “Study Group,” a small group that meets from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church's Education Building (second floor, usually in room E-22). People who attend the Study Group discuss ideas and make suggestions for researching specific German ancestors. Admission is free.
We look forward to seeing you!

Submitted by SGGS

Posted by Ron Setzer

Datebook: Annual Seminar at the Sacramento German Genealogical Society

Registration is now open for the Sacramento German Genealogical Society Annual Spring Seminar. Find the registration form and more information on the website.

Date: Saturday, April 21, 2012
Place: Sacramento Turn Verein, 3349 J Street, Sacramento, California
Time: Registration 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Program 9:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Program: Tracking Down Our German Ancestors
Speaker: Warren Bittner, C.G.
Topics:

• German Maps and Territories
• German Gazetteers and Levels of Jurisdiction
• Marriage Laws and Customs
• Elusive Immigrants – Proving the German Link
• U.S. Federal Land Case Files – Key Records for German Immigrants
• Welcome to the Library – Reading to Put Your Family into Historical Context

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

SGGS Meeting: Tuesday January 24 – Getting Ready for the 1940 Census

Steve Morse will be speaking at the Sacramento German Genealogy Society meeting on January 24. His topic is “Getting Ready for the 1940 Census.” Although this census will be released on April 2, 2012, it will not have a name index, and probably won't have a complete one for at least six months. Therefore the only way to access the census is by Enumeration District (ED), and therefore researchers will have to determine the EDs for their respective locations. That's where the “One Step” ED tools that Steve Morse has developed will come to the rescue. At this meeting, Morse will instruct us on how to get a head start on finding the link to the census images for a given ED, even though the links will not be operational until April 2.
Meeting time & location: Tuesday, January 24, beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Marks Methodist Church on Lusk Drive at St. Marks Way, east of the Country Club Plaza Shopping Center (2391 Saint Marks Way, Sacramento). Meetings are held in MacMurdo Hall, on the basement level. An elevator is available. Guests are welcome.
We advise attendees to arrive early, perhaps at 12:30 or even a little earlier, in order to have opportunities 1) to look over the books for sale, 2) to discuss a problem with a “Quick Questions” expert, or 3) to become acquainted with other services that SGGS offers. Admission is free.

Submitted by Rick Hanson

Posted by Ron Setzer

Thankful Thursday - German for Genealogists

Sacramento area genealogists will be very thankful when they read the following announcement from Shirley Riemer, Der Blumenbaum editor of the Sacramento German Genealogical Society.

At the Sacramento Turn Verein, we’re offering a new course through our German Language School titled “German for Genealogists.” Obviously, this eight-week course will interest people who are either thinking about pursuing their German ancestry or those who are already engaged in German family research.

About the Course
Title: “German for Genealogists”
Date:  Mondays, starting January 9th ending February 27, 2012 (8 weeks)
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Location:  Sacramento Turn Verein, 3349 J Street, Sacramento
Cost: $80.00
Sign up: appear for registration at the Turn Verein around 10 a.m. on Monday, January 9th

About the Instructor
The course will be taught by Ingeborg Carpenter, a native German who has, for many years, been immersed in German genealogy and in German-to-English translations of ancestral documents. A California-certified teacher of German, she has just recently created this specialized course, based on the huge interest in German genealogy that she has encountered. This teacher of German is the “go-to” person in Sacramento when it comes to questions of the German language as used in German records. Her education in both German and U.S. universities gives her a wide and deep understanding of our German ancestors’ lives.

Most Americans of German descent face as their main obstacle to pursuing their ancestry the lack of knowledge of German.  Besides the language, another problem is learning where to find German records and how to interpret them. In short, this course can be a lucky break for those who want to pursue their German roots, but who don’t read German.

If you have questions about the course, send an email to Shirley Riemer at lorelei@softcom.net and your message will be directed to the appropriate person for response.

If this activity happens not to interest you, please consider sending it along to a friend or family member who would appreciate receiving it. We’re excited about it – we’ve never heard of an offering like this – anywhere! Bet you’ve never heard of it either!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Society Saturday - A German "Erntedankfest" September 18

Come on over! You are invited to one of the most colorful and German-delicious events of the year – the “Erntedankfest,” to be held on Sunday, September 18, and made possible by the German-American Cultural Center – Library of the Sacramento Turn Verein.

“Erntedankfest” translates to “Harvest Festival,” a basic annual event long celebrated by our German ancestors, who worked their farms with unforgettable sweat and diligence, and too often against terrible odds, given the storms, droughts and pestilences that were constant dangers for farmers' families. The state of each year's harvest served to predict – happily or with dread and fear – the stock of food that would be storied in cellars and pantries over the upcoming winter months. The Erntedankfest was, and still is, a giving of thanks for the fruits of the harvest – in one of the most colorful of German traditions.

We'll start off on the 18th with an Erntedankfest procession of adults and children leading a harvest wagon, parading to the strains of band-tempo music. All those in the procession will be dressed in their Trachten (traditional festival outfits), and carrying fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers to place on the “altar” – as has been done for centuries in German village churches. Bring your camera if you like, as the scene will be well worth remembering. A brief slide-show will be offered to display beautiful scenes of the German harvest, as well as the tools and objects of barn and home that contributed to everydayfarm life.

We'll offer you a dinner consisting of German-traditional dishes, featuring Jägerschnitzel, Rotkohl (red cabbage), roasted potatoes and salad. (Special fare will be offered for vegetarians.) The meal will end with a dessert concocted by our fabulous German baker, Blattlers by Hoffmann. Drinks will be available at the bar.

SPECIAL NOTE: This year – one that has been especially difficult for so many people in Sacramento – we ask that each person attending bring at least one item of non-perishable food to contribute to the Sacramento Food Bank. Donations of money (cash or checks, payable to “Sacramento Food Bank”) may be substituted for food items. We're hoping to make the fall “harvest” a bit more plentiful for Sacramentans in need.

DETAILS:

The event: A German “Erntedankfest” (Harvest Festival)

When: Sunday, September 18, starting at 4 p.m.

Where: In the Banquet Hall of the Sacramento Turn Verein, at 3349 J Street

Admission: $20 per person ($10 for children 12 and under)

R.S.V.P. Preferred. Send your check (payable to “GACC-L”) to: Gisela Parker,

3462 Patterson Way, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

For further information: 916-421-8032 (Identify yourself when asked electronically, and we pick up the phone and talk to you, if we're at home. Otherwise, leave a message for a call-back.)

WELCOME TO THIS GERMAN CELEBRATION TO REMEMBER! (Shirley Riemer)

posted by Sandra Gardner Benward for Society Saturday

Presentation: New York Port of Entry for German Immigrants

The following announcement was received from the Sacramento German Genealogical Society (SGGS):

Topic: NEW YORK PORT OF ENTRY FOR GERMAN IMMIGRANTS

A look at the New York experience of many German immigrants including arrival, settlement, and the records generated that help us in our search for family.

Presenter: Richard Haberstroh, Ph.D, A.G.

Dr. Richard Haberstroh is a native of New York City, whose six German ancestral lines arrived between 1835 and 1852. He has been involved in German research since 1984, when he made his first of many trips to Germany. He served as a volunteer librarian at the LDS Family History Center in Plainview, New York, from 1988 to 2001, specializing in assisting patrons with German and New York City research. Richard has published numerous genealogical articles, including his own family's New York City genealogy in the NYG&B Record, and shorter articles for the newsletter of the German Genealogy Group, of which he was a founding member. He is also the author of the book, The German Churches of Metropolitan New York: a Research Guide, published by NYG&B. While working with others on their family histories, lecturing on German genealogy, and continuing his own family research, Richard works as a researcher in Electrical Engineering, specializing in Signal and Image Processing.

Meeting time & location: Tuesday, August 23, beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Marks Methodist Church on Lusk Drive at St. Marks Way, east of the Country Club Plaza Shopping Center (2391 Saint Marks Way, Sacramento). Meetings are held in MacMurdo Hall, on the basement level. An elevator is available. Guests are welcome.

We advise attendees to arrive early, perhaps at 12:30 or even a little earlier, in order to have opportunities 1) to look over the books for sale, 2) to discuss a problem with a “Quick Questions” expert, or 3) to become acquainted with other services that SGGS offers. Admission is free.

You are also welcome to attend the “Study Group,” a small group that meets from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church's Education Building (second floor, usually in room E-22). People who attend the Study Group discuss ideas and make suggestions for researching specific German ancestors. Admission is free.

 

We look forward to seeing you!

Sacramento German Genealogy Society

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond