Sentimental Sunday - Happy Mothers Day

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward

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Society Saturday - On the Road Again

Editor's note: Today's post was written by  Sandra Gardner-Benward


ON THE ROAD AGAIN .........  
          this was our topic at our April General Meeting. Speaker: Pamela Brett
                              BRAVO!!! an excellent presentation - fun & informative

Let me introduce you to our Program Chair Carolee JONES [oh oh I have a JONES too. Do you think...?] 

and 

our speaker Pamela BRETT

"Practical Tips for Successful On-Site Research"

Consider Your Limitations [what limitations? I can walk a couple of miles through high grass to find that hidden lost cemetery. No problems] Be !!

Do Your Homework - [wow  I have never heard that before. There will be so much to once I get there I don't want to spend a lot of time before the trip!!] and without that homework before, think of all the extra time you will have on the road. It's true.

Plan Out Your - actually write out your itinerary. Find out when places are open, closed, what is available and where, any pre-ordering etc..........  get the details and do an itinary or make it into a TIMELINE for yourself. Make it fun, and get organized.

We learned what the necessary items are to pack, what to bring that is useful while out on the road. AND what to do when you do come back home.

What would you say would be a reward when doing on-site research?

          Personally I would say "to put more flesh on the bones of the lives of my ancestors.

                                                        What about you?

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Thankful Thursday - V-E Day - Day of Celebration

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward  & images from Google search


                              V-E Day

Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) was on May 8th 1945. VE Day officially announced the end of World War Two in Europe. On Monday May 7th at 02.41. German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document that formally ended war in Europe. Winston Churchill was informed of this event at 07.00. While no public announcements had been made, large crowds gathered outside of Buckingham Palace and shouted: “We want the King”. The Home Office issued a circular (before any official announcement) instructing the nation on how they could celebrate:..................continued

Upon the defeat of Germany (Italy having already surrendered) celebrations erupted throughout the Western world. From Moscow to Los Angeles, people cheered. In the United Kingdom, more than one million people celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war. In London, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up The Maillot Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the Palace before the cheering crowds. Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds and take part in the celebrations.

In the United States, the victory happened on President Truman's 61st birthday.......  more

History.com  more to read

Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. After years of war, the Third Reich of Nazi Germany was defeated. Millions of people were killed. Adolf Hitler, Germany's Dictator, had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin.

The German Army ceased fighting on May 2nd and, formally surrendered unconditionally, on May 7th. The surrender of all German forces was arranged for May 8 at 11:01. The Allied countries planned to celebrate victory, and the cessation of hostilities. 

Did You Know? The original planned date for the celebration of    V-E Day, was May 9th, 1945. But, journalists caught wind of the plans. So, the US and Britain moved the date up by a day to May 8th. Russia kept to the original planned date for May 9th. Russia still celebrates V-E Day on May 9th. 

Do you have memories of V-E Day? Share them with me.


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Wishful Wednesday - Society Night to Kick Off the Conference

Editor's note: Today's post was edited by Sandra Gardner-Benward and written by 5 May 2014 NGS Blog Post



I am so envious of those that are attending the 2014 NGS Conference in Richmond, Virginia right now.

The events and activities will be starting tonight. AND what a great way for them to start off with..............

    "Wednesday is Society Night at the Marriott"                             May 7 at 5:15-7:15 pm

On Wednesday the conference program does not end at 5:00 p.m. Twenty-seven genealogical and historical societies from Virginia and a few from Pennsylvania, will be on display at the Marriott Hotel in the Grand Ballroom Foyer on the lobby level and Capital Ballroom Foyer on the lower level, to answer questions about local repositories and resources, discuss their group’s activities, and sell their publications.  Certainly a great way to learn more about the resources available in the Richmond area and across the state.  

 Look who will be available to answer questions. These are very valuable resources to have in your tool bag. ..........  learn what they have available and take advantage of it while you are at conference .........

1.   Virginia Historical Society
2.   Virginia Genealogical Society
3.   Fairfax Genealogical Society
4.   Friends of the Virginia State Archives
5.   Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA)
6.   Richmond Chapter, Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution
7.   Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
8.   Goochland County Historical Society
9.   Virginia Beach Genealogical Society
10. Augusta County Genealogical Society
11. Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library
12. Orange County Historical Society
13. Louisa County Historical Society
14. Central Rappahannock Heritage Center
16. Thomas Balch Library
17. Friends of Hollywood Cemetery
18. Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives
19. Jones Memorial Library
20. Manakin Huguenot Society
23. Chesterfield Historic Society
24. National Society Colonial Seventeenth Century
25. Shenandoah County Historical Society
26. Elegba Folklore Society, Inc.
27. Tidewater Genealogical Society
28. Western PA Genealogical Society
29. Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh GRIP
30. Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

A number of the above societies also had a blog post as part of the Virginia Repositories series which ran on the NGS Conference Blog January through March. You can find those posts at http://conferenceblog.ngsgenealogy.org/search/label/research where over fifty articles were written about Research facilities and repositories across Virginia. 

We hope Society Night will be a great success and will connect people up!

IF you are not attending and want to participate you can always purchase a track of sessions being offered live streaming straight from the classroom in Richmond Virginia.......  great way to participate and not even leave home.  AND if for some reason you will be busy and can't attend the live streaming sessions you can watch them on your computer as many times as you want through 10 August, 2014. What a great deal.

NOTE: I just received my email (6 May) from  NGS Live Stream Access with my instructions on how to access the live stream sessions coming up this Thursday & Friday. So check your email for your invitation. 
KEEP IN MIND: Since a couple of my sessions are being live streamed at 8am and 9:30am EASTERN TIME, that would be 5am and 6:30 am our time- NO WAY. The taped version will be available to watch about 24 hours later and I will watch it when it is convenient for me. 

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Tuesday Tip's - Don't Let the Information Disappear...........

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward


As of March 26, 2014, due to 113th U S Congress Bill 203 the Death Master File will no longer be available for purchase and therefore not put online anywhere. WHAT!!

The Legal Genealogist ....United States Senate voted 64-36 to pass a budget deal that includes — 
as a purported revenue-enhancing measure — a provision that closes off access to the Social Security Death Master File (known to genealogists as the Social Security Death Index or SSDI) for three years after an individual’s death and takes access to such information out of scope of the Freedom of Information Act as well. ..... read more of this post.

At this moment the S S Death Index is current to September 2012
AND through GenealogyBank is current to December 2011
                      World Vital Records is current to December 2011
                       Ancestry.com seems to be current to March 2014

San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society [SLOCGS] has embarked on a project to index the Deaths for 2012 & 2013. They are already indexing 2014.

Here are some suggestions for you as an individual or as a society to take on for your area............

If any of you live in the County you currently host for the California GenWeb or any other US GenWeb County, I would challenge you to get a similar project going.

If you can't index the deaths at the Clerk's Office, figure out how to do obit look-ups. If you can't do obits, take a look at local newspapers online and index the deaths listed there.

Here is a list of CA Newspapers

This would be an excellent 
                  and 
                        very beneficial project for everyone to take up


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Matrilineal Monday - Agnes

Editor's note: Today's post was edited by Sandra Gardner-Benward & written by member Joan Conzatti




Again another special heirloom that has been passed down through many generations. Owner and Root Cellar SGS member Joan CONZATTI shared her doll with other Root Cellar SGS members at the February Show N Tell Meeting. Thank You for sharing Joan!

"AGNES"

The China Head (Porcelain) Doll

(as related by Joan Conzatti)

I am the 5th generation to care for this doll. Here is what I know about the doll as related to me by my mother the late Alice KREUTZER HOGAN:

The doll was first owned by my great, great grandmother (Martha WOODRUFF AMEN) who was born in Missouri in 1847. Her daughter (Iona AMEN BROWN, my great grandmother) was the next family member to inherit the doll. Iona carried the doll from Missouri to Oregon traveling by wagon train. Iona's daughter (Katherine AMEN BROWN, my grandmother), was the next family member to inherit the doll. When my mother was about 8 years of age she received the doll from my Grandmother Katherine.

During the 1950's and 1960's my mother loaned the doll to the Siskiyou County Historical Museum in Yreka. The doll was on display in a glass case in the Museum;s main lobby area.

I almost got into big trouble when I was about 10 years old and took the doll from my mother's bedroom because I had plans to take it to my fort in a big Walnut tree close to our farm house. I was not fast enough and my mother caught me before the doll and I made it to the fort. I recall getting a few good swats over that caper.

.......and here she is AGNES............

In researching this porcelain "China Doll", I found the name of "Agnes" imprinted on her chest just below the neckline and the words "Patent App For Germany" stamped on her back. The doll's clothing includes a printed calico cotton dress (circa 1950) which my mother made and the original white lace-trimmed dress and bloomers. Other that that, I have no other information on where Agnes was made in Germany or what it may have cost to purchase her in the 1850's-1860's.

I cherish this beautiful China Doll. She rests on a soft, fluffy pillow in my home in the guest bedroom., If only she could talk!

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Society Saturday - Digitalization Project Completed

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward


Root Cellar PRESERVES is the ROOT CELLAR Sacramento Genealogical  Society publication produced three times per year. We have published at least 3 issues each year since 1979. Of course the PRESERVES Publication is a benefit for our members and only available through our Members Only section. After major discussions and lots of reading through our past issues our board of directors has decided to place several issues -one from each decade- on the public side of the website so that guests can see and enjoy the great publication that we put out for our membership. You will be able to see how the publications have changed over the years with different editors and the availability of better tools to work with. Having some of the publication on the public side of our website will be coming soon. So keep checking back. We hope that you will enjoy this publications when available.

 Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society has had a major digitization project going on for quite some time. We are happy to report the Root Cellar PRESERVES digitization project is complete. On the Members Only Section of our website members will find a complete set of downloadable copies of the PRESERVES. The downloadable, fully searchable digitized copies range from January 1979 to the present.

This project is complete and we are all very thankful, but it will be continued as publications are created.        
Big thanks goes to John Jay for the scanning and Ron Setzer for the file preparation and posting............



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