Society Saturday: Lisa B. Lee to Speak in September

Lisa B. Lee

Welcome back Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society members and guests!  Hope you had a great Summer of successful family history finds.  Come to the our meetings and workshops to share your stories.  Root Cellar's new membership year begins in September and Program chairperson Carolee Jones has scheduled a wonderful line-up of speakers for the upcoming months.

On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, Lisa B. Lee will present How to Prepare a Genealogy Legacy for your Online Presence.  You've heard the saying that "anything you put on the internet will be there forever". Well, have you thought about the online presence you'd like to leave after you're gone? Whether it be a blog, family tree, Website, or YouTube video, tonight's program will help you consider what steps you need to take now to ensure that the stories you've left for the world to see will continue to be there for your descendants to find them. We'll discuss where & how to leave passwords, arranging for registration & renewal fees; writing your own obituary and how and where to post it. We cannot control when we're going to die, but we may be able to ensure that our legacy endures long after we're gone.

About the Speaker

Professional genealogist, Lisa B. Lee, is owner of GotGenealogy.com, a Website designed to help genealogists make the most of their online searches. A graduate of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (University of Toronto), she obtained her PLCGS with certificates in U.S., Canadian and Irish genealogy and methodology.  Since the inception of ExpertConnect, by Ancestry.com in 2009, Ms. Lee was one of the original Experts, and conducted professional research for clients in the U.S. and Europe, until the demise of ExpertConnect in Early 2011. In addition to the Got Genealogy Gazette, dozens of her articles have been published in numerous genealogical journals and newsletters in North America.
 

Ms. Lee speaks and conducts workshops at genealogical societies and conferences in the U.S. and Canada where her animated style, infinite knowledge of everything internet, wit and perverted humor ensure that attendees will not only learn a lot but will have fun doing so.  All of her workshops feature a free raffle where attendees can win valuable prizes, and if you ask her a genealogical question she can’t answer, you’ll win an awesome reward.  Mind you, your question has to be pretty hard to stump her, especially since she’s memorized the internet by heart.  If genealogy isn’t fun, then why do it?  She invites you to join her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/got.genealogy? She may be contacted at Lisa@GotGenealogy.com.

Details:

Date: Wednesday, Sep 12, 2012Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Citrus Heights Community Clubhouse 6921 Sylvan Road, Citrus Heights
Cost: Priceless - Free, guests welcome

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posted by Denise H. Richmond

Society Saturday: Coming Soon - George G. Morgan

The following announcement was posted on 1 Nov 2011.  But...it bears repeating and sharing with your family and friends.  I recently overheard the members of the Seminar Committee talking about registration information that was days away from being released. Stayed tuned for further updates!

On Saturday, March 31, 2012, Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society will be presenting its 2012 Spring Seminar. It will be held at the Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, 11427 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, California, from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Space is limited, so watch for the registration information to be released in early 2012 on our website and blog.

Our guest speaker will be George G. Morgan, a popular speaker at international genealogical conferences and an author of nine books including How to Do Everything: Genealogy, which will have a new edition being released shortly. George is also the president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., a training company for libraries and genealogical societies since 1996; the author of numerous on-line articles for websites including Ancestry.com, Digital Genealogist and Ancestry Daily News and articles published in many magazines including Everton’s Genealogical Helper, Family Chronicle Magazine, the Federation of Genealogical Societies FORUM and Heritage Quest Magazine; a co-host with Drew Smith on the podcast The Genealogy Guys; and has held many positions in Florida and National Genealogical Societies.

The four topics for the seminar will be:

• Bring Them Back to Life: Developing an Ancestor Profile
• Push and Pull: The Reasons for Migration
• Sidestep Genealogy
• The Genealogist as CSI

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for this exciting and informative day of genealogical education.  And be sure to tell a friend! 

Submitted by Diane Maltase, 2012 Seminar Chairperson
Originally posted by Ron Setzer
Re-posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Society Saturday - Thomas MacEntee to be Featured Speaker

Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society is very excited to announce that Thomas MacEntee will be the featured speaker at its Spring Seminar on March 16, 2013. Yes, that's 2013! 

Judy Nissila and Thomas MacEntee October 2011



For those of you who don't already know Thomas MacEntee, he is a knowledgeable, engaging and popular speaker. Thomas is a professional genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogy research and as a way to connect with others in the family history community. He is the creator of GeneaBloggers, home to 2000+ bloggers and where Root Cellar blog posts frequently appear (thank you very much) and the owner of High Definition Genealogy, his business website describing his topics and availability for speaking engagements, workshops, other events and conducting market research. He also hosts FGS Radio and Blog Talk Radio and many webinars.

You may be wondering why Thomas and Root Cellar member Judy Nissila are all smiles in this photo.  Well, during the Legacy Family Tree Cruise in October 2011, they discovered they were cousins!

Updates about Thomas MacEntee and the Spring Seminar in 2013 as well as more about the Cousin Connection will be posted here in the months to come.  Stay tuned!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Those Places Thursday - House Histories

I am pleased to introduce Cath Madden Trindle as my Guest Blogger for the following article. Cath has considerable experience in researching house histories.  Thanks Cath!

Building a House History

Do you know who lived in your house?  Have you found all the information on the houses your ancestors lived in?  If not, you might be in for some wonderful surprises.

My first house history was done for a friend.  She paid for the records and I put in the time, with the understanding that I could use the results to put together a class.  Over the years, the class has been quite popular.  That house was in San Francisco and was built before 1906.  If you have ever looked at the age of a house in San Francisco, those built before 1900 generally say 1899.  The deeds and many other records were lost.  Even so, we managed to pinpoint the birth of this house to a small period of time. 

Using Sanborn maps (they show the footprint of the building), water tap records (the date the water line was hooked up to the property), newspapers (sales notices), the few existing Deed Registers (there are no deeds, but a few registers survived), block books (owner's names written in property outlines) and much more, it was possible to find the original owners of the land, the builders, the first owner of the house, all subsequent owners and many tenants.  The civil sword found in the wall was explained by the first owner having served in the Vermont infantry. The house was sold three times within a few months in the early 1920s.  Apartments were added during the depression. It is a wonderful house with a lot of history.



Patrick Geraghty
(Photo owned by Cath Madden Trindle)

More recently, I decided to learn more about the houses that my mother’s family lived in in St. Paul, Minnesota. My great-great grandfather Patrick Geraghty was a big burly Irishman who had trouble finding a place to rent when he arrived from County Mayo in 1884.  Silly landlords, he was the only teetotaling member of my extended Irish family.  In 1885 Patrick decided to build his own house.  It must have taken every family member working many hours to cover that expense.  He built a 16x24 brick and bracket house with a peaked roof for $500.  Just two years later in 1887 they tore the house down, added a basement and rebuilt the house 5 feet higher.  He added a new kitchen on the side and spent another $500.  All this information came from building permits that are housed in the Ramsey County Historical Society.



House on Topping Street
(Photo owned by Cath Madden Trindle)



 Unfortunately, Patrick did not have clear title to the land.  The courts stepped in and Patrick and three other homeowners on the block finally received their deeds in 1888 when it is recorded that he had paid $450 for the land.  I knew the family had lived in this house on Topping Street.  It was here that my grandmother remembers living while her widowed mother was off working in the Ryan Hotel to support the family.  It was here that she, at the age of four, would watch her two year old sister for the day.  Their Aunt was just below in the basement apartment, but they were on their own.  Patrick in the meantime moved on to a bigger and better house.....but 465 Topping stayed in the family until the 1940s. 

 

This is just one of many stories I’ve uncovered working on house histories.  Among the others is the shuffling address on Litchfield Street, which was confusing  enough to baffle the building department.  These two houses with three addresses were lost by bankruptcy and redeemed by family members.   Then there is the tiny lake house, down payment loaned by the Doctor who wanted my grandmother out of the city during the Spanish Influenza. From the records, the stories emerge, so much more than births, marriages and deaths.

 

Looking for a place to start?  There are some websites* and blogs that are devoted to house histories.  Look on the websites of libraries in the area, many are adding information on researching local houses.  Trace the deeds.  Who paid the taxes?  When was the property originally subdivided?  What was it before?  What type of architecture is it?  Most of all have fun and gather those stories about those places your ancestors and about the house that you live in!

 

About Cath Madden Trindle

Cath is a Certified Genealogist, serves as Special Projects Committee Chairperson for the California State Genealogical Alliance and writes for its blog, and is Treasurer for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS).  She is the former Publications Chairperson for the San Mateo County (California) Genealogical Society, and frequently lectures for genealogical societies in northern California, the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree, the Salt Lake Institute and FGS. 

*Watch for Follow Friday tomorrow!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

You're Invited! Sacramento Cemeteries - People and History Presentation

All are invited to hear William (Bill) Pettite speak at the Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society meeting.

• When: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
• Where: Citrus Heights Community Clubhouse, 6921 Sylvan Road, Citrus Heights, CA
• Time: 7 pm - 8:30 pm
• Program: "Those Were The Days", people buried in our region
• Contact:  Sandi Benward (916) 412-351

About the Speaker:
William (Bill) Pettite was a probate judge and coroner in Idaho. He has earned many rewards for his lifelong community involvement, including the 1999 Promotion of History Award from the Sacramento County Historical Society and the National Preservation Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. One of his great accomplishments was to prepare historical information on some of the cemeteries in Sacramento County as a community service. One such endeavor was the history of East Lawn Memorial Park, located on Folsom Blvd in East Sacramento.

Come listen as Bill tells us about the cemeteries and people who are buried there, including Ancil Hoffman, Effie Yeaw, Newton Earp, military heroes, gypsies, and more.

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

UPDATE - You're Invited! Searching Secrets to Ancestry.com Presentation

New speaker and topic.

All are welcome to hear Victoria Fisch speak at the Jewish Genealogical Society meeting.  Victoria will step in due to the illness of the previously scheduled speaker. 

• Date: Monday, September 19th
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Place: Albert Einstein Residence Center, 1935 Wright St., Sacramento
• Topic:  "Searching Secrets to Ancestry.com"

Victoria will explore little known methods of getting the most out of the Ancestry.com search engines.  She'll explain alternative ways of searching for your ancestors when their names have been mis-transcribed, finding records in lesser-used databases, how to best set up charts, and how to keep your chronological records useful.

About the Speaker
Victoria Fisch is the current president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento and is the northern California editor of the Western States Jewish History Journal. She is currently editing a book on the historical Jewish community of Santa Cruz, and is a researcher of the Jews of the Gold Rush.  Her Ancestry.com trees contain thousands of individuals and her experience with this website has given her insight into how to make it work for you.  During her talk Monday evening she'll go online with Ancestry.com.

For more information, visit the Jewish Genealogical Society of Sacramento website or send us an e-mail.

See you there!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

You're Invited! Nisanen Indians and Genealogy Presentation

Visitors are welcome to hear April Moore at the next Placer County Genealogy Society (PCGS) regular monthly meeting,

• Date: Thursday, September 22nd
• Time: 7 pm
• Place: Beecher Room of the Auburn Library, 350 Nevada Street, Auburn
• Topic: "Nisanen Indians and Genealogy"

About the Speaker
April Moore is an indigenous Nisenan Maidu and Welmelti Washoe of California; she was born and raised in the Auburn area. Her family maintained much of the native culture, meaning they were traditionally taught by their grandparents and elders. She is active within the Maidu/Washoe culture and involved with the Maidu Traditionalists, a group preserving the Maidu songs and traditional dances as well as preserving the knowledge of assembling regalia used in the dances.

Her cultural background enabled her to become a Chapa-De Indian Health board member. She retired from twenty-eight years of service to the Placer Hills Union School District over four years ago. One of her jobs was the Indian Education coordinator, cultural educator, resource person, and tutor for the numerous Native American students within the district. She also conducted demonstrations on Maidu culture and lecture at surrounding schools. She worked as an archaeological technician/Native American monitor in Placer County, Nevada County and Sacramento County as well as with the U.S. Forest Service.  She participated with Placer County Museum system, Maidu Museum and the Coloma State Park (Gold Discovery Park) and various historical and civic groups, which included demonstrations and lectures on Maidu culture.

Recently she has been involved with the Federal Regulatory Commission re-licensing process for Pacific Gas & Electric, Nevada Irrigation District and Placer County Water Agency as a representative for the Nisenan Maidu in the service area. Along with other community folks they have developed Historical Properties and Native American Traditional Cultural properties guidelines which will assist the agencies in any sensitive areas, historical as well as aboriginal history and pre-historical issues.

Her brother, Alan Wallace, and she have been working with Sierra Native Alliance teaching the Nisenan Maidu language to interested people (youth as well). They have also been compiling family history and documenting culturally sensitive sites in their traditional homelands (Maidu & Washoe). She feels that it is her purpose and duty as a Nisenan Maidu to keep their lifeways, knowledge and language alive and to encourage others to remember who they are and help them to broaden their knowledge and take pride in their aboriginal heritage. It is also important to educate others of their rich culture and make aware that there are still Native peoples who still practice and live their culture.

For more information on the Society, its Study Group, Family TreeMaker User Group and regular meeting activity, see the Society's Web page or call toll free at 1-866-894-2076.

See you there!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Society Sunday - Meet-up at Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society

Psst, pass it on - the California State Archives has county records.

What's going on here?

Find out on Wednesday, September 14, 2011

7pm-8:30pm

Citrus Heights Community Clubhouse
6921 Sylvan Way
Citrus Heights

More info: Sandi Benward 916-412-3511

Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society will host Linda Johnson, Senior Archivist at the California State Archives. Linda will describe the many types of county records held at the Archives and answer audience questions. Please come and bring a friend to hear about county resources in an unexpected place.

Linda began her own family history search in 1988 when enrolled in an undergraduate class at CSU, Sacramento. She went on to receive her Master of Arts degree in Public History in 1993. As a graduate student, she interned at the California State Archives for three years and at the San Joaquin County Historical Society for 6 months. After graduation, she worked as assistant archivist at the Center for Sacramento History followed by collections manager for the manuscript and archival collections at Shields Library, UC Davis.

In October 1997, Linda accepted a position at the California State Archives, where she has worked in a variety of program areas. She is currently the Reference Coordinator and has responsibility for all activities related to the Reference Program. Linda has participated in the annual Family History Day since its inception in 1999 and will be a speaker this year. In addition to the Family History Day engagements, she has been a presenter at several local genealogical and historical societies.

Reminder - Family History Day at the California State Archives
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Get your notebooks ready and prepare your period costume!

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Society Sunday - Learn Social Networking at Roseville Genealogical Society

The Roseville Genealogical Society invites you to its next meeting.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Maidu Senior Center, 1550 Maidu Dr., Roseville, CA

1pm -3 pm

Program: Social Networking for the Genealogist presented by Tamara Noe

Social Networking for the Genealogist will cover a variety of technology tools that can be used to further your research by connecting with others.

Tamara Noe has been a volunteer at the Sacramento Regional Family History Center for over 9 years and is currently serving as a supervisor. She is also a writer for and the current editor of the Roseville Genealogical Society's newsletter.  She has been teaching beginning, intermediate, and research genealogy classes as well as PowerPoint classes for the past 5 years. Always looking for ways to use technology in genealogy research, she recently finished taking a 6 week course on how to use social media in genealogy research.

Also, have you filled out your surnames cards yet? If so, please bring them to the meeting. If not, please fill them out and get them in.

Please sign in at the Senior desk and also at our table.

Everyone is welcome. Hope to see you there.

April Membership Meeting

Our regular general membership meeting is this coming Wednesday, April 13th at 7pm.  The program is the  “April 1906 Earthquake video with David Kiehn” – sounds pretty exciting to me. See you there.

It's election time. We will be taking nominations from the floor for any of the board positions which include President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Communication Director. If you or someone you know would like to be considered for any of the positions, contact Marilyn Ulbricht, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, or make the nomination at the April meeting. Please keep in mind that the nominee must be present to approve the nomination.

Sandi Benward will be at the Citrus Height Community Clubhouse about 6pm, so if any of you can come down and help set up that would be wonderful.  Thank you in advance.