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May 2010, Vol. 4, No. 5
Holiday Hours
Library Closed for Memorial Day Holiday Weekend
The California Genealogical Society Library will be closed on Saturday, May 29, 2010, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
 
Discover Your Swedish Roots with Genline
Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
Learn how to research Swedish church records to trace your Swedish ancestry. Peter Wallenskog, CEO of Genline AB and Kathy Meade, Genline's North American representative, will give a presentation on Swedish genealogy and demonstrate how to trace one's roots using Genline, an online service that contains digital images of the original Swedish Church Books archive from the 16th century to the 20th century.

Learn more on the blog. Register online for this free program.
 
May Membership Meeting and a Bonus - Save the date!
Saturday, May 8, 2010, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland


Jo Ann Rowley-Minhoto
Jo Ann Rowley-Minhoto
Member Jo Ann Rowley-Minhoto will be our featured speaker in May and she has graciously consented to present two talks:

Rootsweb Overview - 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Social Networking: What's Available at RootsWeb. - Approximately 1:20 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Please plan to come in the morning for Jo Ann's first presentation, break for a brown bag lunch (or pick something up nearby), attend a short membership meeting at 1:00 p.m., then hear Jo Ann's second talk.
Learn more on the blog.

Hard Drive Organization - Making Use of Your Computer File Folders
May 15, 2010, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
After collecting digital images from online sources and manually scanning paper documents and photos for over twenty years, Tim Cox found a management method that works for his digital files. He will demonstrate how to name files for easy identification, how to organize folders that make it easy to find them, and how to properly identify scanned photographs.

Please note: this workshop is now full. Register online to be placed on a waiting list for a future encore program.


Field Trip to Sutro Library with Dick Rees and Jane Lindsey
Wednesday, May 26, 2010, Library hours 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
480 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132

Dick Rees will lead a group to Sutro on public transportation using BART and Muni leaving from the 19th Street Station in Oakland. Members may also car pool and meet at Sutro. The Sutro staff will give a short tour of the facility. Bag lunch recommended. Learn more at the blog.

Register online and let us know how you plan to go.
 

CGS On The Road to the Fremont Family History Center
Thursday, June 17, 2010, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Family History Center, 3551 Decoto Road, Fremont, California

Members and friends in the Hayward/Fremont environs are invited to meet for networking and a program. Past President Jane Lindsey will present an overview of the society's library holdings. Lavinia Schwarz's Some Brick Walls Are of Our Own Making will help you look at your own research dilemmas with new insight.

Ethnic Series - Primeros Pasos: How to Look for Your Latino Ancestors
Saturday, June 19, 2001, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California


Our Ethnic Series continues as Ellen Fernandez-Sacco presents a workshop for beginning genealogists who need assistance with research in Spanish-speaking countries. Lectures include:  A Brief History of the Spanish Empire's Government, Researching Catholic Church Records and Searching Websites and Other Resources.

Learn more and register online.
 

Microsoft Word 2007 Workshop with Tim Cox
Saturday, June 26, 2010, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
CGS Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland
Word 2007 is a powerful tool for writing request letters, publishing family histories and processing other genealogical documents. In this workshop Tim Cox will show how to navigate around the program, learn where things are located, create and save documents, use bullets, insert images, create headers and footers, and more.

Learn more and register online.

Encore Presentation: New York City Research with Steve Harris
Sunday, June 27, 2010, 1:00 p.m. - 5: 30 p.m. (Doors open at 12:30 p.m.)
Oakland Regional Family History Center, 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland


President Steve Harris presents an encore presentation of his popular workshop. This extended version is sponsored by the Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society. Part 1 of program will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Hands-on time on the computers will be from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Part 2 of program will be from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
 
Coming in July
Save These Dates!
Mark Your Calendar
July 10:  Membership Meeting - California Newspaper Project, Henry Snyder

July 17:  Tech Saturday - Using the Internet for Genealogical Research, Nancy Peterson and Ron Filion



Volunteer Opportunity in the Library
Computer Committee Seeks Two Members
by Kathy Watson
Computer image
Are you skilled at working with the XP Professional operating system? Are you proficient with the installation and configuration of software? Do you have experience managing file folders server/desktop interaction? If so, the California Genealogical Society's Computer Committee needs your help! Knowledge of virus protection and backup strategies is helpful but not mandatory. Must be available on Mondays. Training provided.

Contact Kathy Watson.


Editor's Picks: Suggested Links From the Blogosphere


Genealogy Goes Green

Uses For Facebook In Genealogy by Cyndi Howells


Shades the Magazine - April Issue

In Praise of Genealogical Junk Food by Katrina McQuarrie

Our Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Kimberly Powell

A Look at Northern Ireland Research by Carolyn L. Barkley


Have You Seen These [Special Collections] Blogs? by Paula Stuart-Warren







California Ancestors: Diverse Heritage, Shared History
Photo Tributes to the CGS Family
Edited by Cathy H. Paris

In honor off Syttende Mai (17th of May), the holiday celebrating Norway's independence, we pay tribute to the Norwegian ancestors of member volunteer, Gloria Hanson. By good fortune and hard work, Gloria has photographs of seven of her eight great-grandparents. Here she tells their stories:

Ole Christian Branstad (top left) was born in Moss, south of Oslo, Norway. He led an exciting life sailing the seas and fighting in the U.S. Civil War before settling down on the farm in Grantsburg, Burnett County, Wisconsin where my cousins still live. His wife, Sophie Anderson came from Hadsel Island in Nordland, north of the Lofoten Islands. Her father was one of the first settlers in the Grantsburg area. In the photograph, my grandmother is sitting on her father's lap.

Sophie Nilsdatter Kvisberglien (top right) lived and died in the Gausdal region of Oppland, Norway, a little north of Lillehamar. My second cousins still live on the family farm. Her eldest son, my grandfather, immigrated to Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Sophie and the children in the photograph stayed in Norway.


Gloria Hansen GGrandparents







































Bersven Pederson and Anna Anderson
(bottom, left) also settled in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.  According to family stories they both came in 1862, on the
Sleipner, the first ship to go from Norway directly to the Midwest, stopping in Quebec, then in Chicago.  Bersven was from Stjordal in the Nord-Trondelag area of Norway, near Trondheim. Anna Anderson's family came from the Skjak area, in the northern part of Oppland, Norway. In 1851, Anna's family moved to the Bardu region of Troms, Norway. In 1862 they moved again, this time to the U.S.  

Thor Jorgenson (bottom,right) immigrated with his family in 1850 from the Drangedal area of Telemark, Norway. The family name was Porsmyr at that time. By the mid-1850s they were in Scandinavia, Wisconsin and in the later part of the decade they moved to Burbank Township, Monongalia County, Minnesota. In Burbank, Thor married Thorinne Johnsdatter Gvale (Woilley in the U.S.) They stayed in Burbank until they appeared in 1876 in the Fergus Falls area of Otter Tail, Minnesota. Thorinne also was born in Telemark, Norway, but in the Hjartdal area. She immigrated with her family in 1866. In the family photograph my grandmother is the third from the left in the back row.



Call For Submissions- Do you have a great family photo that is scanned and ready to be shared? Do you have a wonderful family story and a photo to go with it? If you would like to pay tribute to your ancestor in a future edition of the eNews, please email Cathy Paris and send your image with a brief narrative.


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Kathryn Doyle, eNews Editor
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