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In Memoriam
Beth Maltbie Uyehara
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We are sad to announce that Beth Uyehara passed away on March 6, 2010. Her blog carried the following entry:
Elizabeth ("Beth") Maltbie Uyehara passed away peacefully on
Saturday, March 6, 2010. Her niece and friends were with her for most
of her brief hospital stay. They kept her company and shared her last
moments, witnessing her passing in a very serene way.
Her husband, Paul, was able to see her before she passed away and is
devastated without her. Family members are staying close to him to help
him cope and learn to live without her physical being.
Her memory and spirit will be with us forever.
Elizabeth or Beth was such a loving, warm, vibrant, humorous and strong
person. We will miss her, but will always feel her presence.
Beth spent thirteen years at the Los Angeles Times, working as a
feature writer and section editor for the advertising supplements
department. She was introduced to genealogy while editing the genealogy
columns of nationally syndicated columnist, Myra Vanderpool Gormley,
and began researching her own roots in 1995. In 2003, Beth won first
place in the International Society of Family History Writers and
Editors contest, and her winning article was subsequently published in
Ancestry magazine (read it online here). She was featured in the second season of Ancestors
on PBS, and her article leads off the PBS companion book, In Search of
Our Ancestors: 101 Inspiring Stories of Serendipity and Connection in
Rediscovering Our Family History.
Beth was a dedicated, active supporter of SCGS. The results of her dedication to the Society,
creative ability, and commitment to excellence are apparent in many
programs and projects that bear her unmistakable mark.
Hoping to return the Searcher to its glory days, the Society
recruited Beth to lead the effort. Armed with her journalism expertise,
acquired as an editor with the Los Angeles Times, penchant for
detail, creative eye, and enthusiastic spirit, she succeeded in
developing the publication into one that would win awards for its
quality, content, and appearance. Although Beth will be the first to
say she didn't do it alone, those of us who worked with her will argue
strongly that it was her vision, determination, and ability to
get others to meet her stringent requirements that facilitated the
improvement of the Searcher.
To help generate articles for The Searcher and to build interest
in family history writing, she initiated the GENEii Family History
Writing Contest which has been sponsored by SCGS for the past 10 years.
She and Jean Snow were instrumental in forming the Writers Group, and Beth produced the Family History Writers Conference
that was held in 2007.
She compiled the best of the GENEii submissions and in 2006 edited and
spearheaded the publication of Celebrating Family History - An Anthology. She also wrote The Zen of Genealogy: The Lighter
Side of Genealogy.
Perhaps her most enduring contribution will be 1890 Project. Beth and
Louise Calaway spearheaded the project to replace the Los Angeles County
1890 Census, which was lost to fire and mishandling in the 1920's and
1930's. This project has already spawned the publication of several
indexes and will be an ongoing tribute to Beth.
A memorial
in Beth's name has been established by SCGS. The basic online donation is $10. Your contribution can be made in any amount by
adjusting the number of $10 donations you would like to make.
You may also donate using the form below.
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Featured Article
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Southern California Genealogical Society
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, CA 91504-2408
818-843-7247 phone
818-843-7262 fax
www.scgsgenealogy.com
scgs@scgsgenealogy.com
Hours of Operation:
10:00am - 4:00pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
10:00am - 9:00pm Tuesdays
10:00am - 4:00pm third and fourth Saturdays
10:00am - 4:00pm first and second Sundays
Closed MondaysLibrary open to the public; donations gratefully accepted.
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What Do You Think of Our New Look?
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The new spring fashions are out, and we are following suit. It's time for a new look.
This is the first update delivered through our new email service, and we hope that the change is a better way for you to stay in touch with SCGS. While the RootsWeb list was an acceptable method of sending updates, the downside was that conversations would occasionally disrupt the list. With our new email service, you will receive communication only from SCGS and our Society's programs. We will never release your email address to other organizations and no one else will be able to send email to you through the SCGS list.
Please feel free to forward this to your cousins or friends, and let us know what you think of the new SCGS update.
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SCGS News
SCGS Book Fund - Used Book Sale Saturday, April 3
Support the Library's Book Fund and add a few treasures to your own book shelves. The Spring Used Book Sale will take place in the Library's parking lot at 417 Irving Drive on Saturday, April 3, from 8am to 2pm. You'll find paperbacks and hard-back fiction, nonfiction, how-to, and kids' books. Thanks to Sally Emerson and the team of dedicated volunteers who work so hard on this event. If you can't make it on Saturday, consider making a donation to the book fund. You can donate online or by using the coupon below.
New Microfilm Equipment
Since the SCGS Library was designated as a
FamilySearch
Center last year, we have been working
to upgrade our service to our microfilm patrons. Our goal is to acquire microfilm equipment equivalent to that used at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. With this new equipment, our library patrons can view their films and scan a digital image directly to a thumb drive. We are raising funds to purchase
this new up-to-date film scanner and associated equipment. Thanks to a
number of generous benefactors we have made significant progress toward our goal
of raising $7500 for the purchase and maintenance of the required equipment,
including the scanner, small computer, and monitor. We would very much appreciate
your donation in support of this effort. You can donate online, or you can use the form below and designate your donation for the
"Microfilm/Microfiche Scanner purchase."
Read the SCGS Blog
The SCGS blog is updated two or three times a week with timely updates on SCGS activities and breaking news in the world of genealogy, including alerts for savings on subscriptions and genealogy resources. You can read the updates on the SCGS website, on the blog, or you can have the posts delivered right to your email. To sign up for frequent updates, click on the link above.
The Searcher
The spring issue of The Searcher should be arriving on your doorstep any day, if it hasn't already. Alice Fairhurst, Board member and recording secretary, deserves a huge thank-you for stepping up and taking over as interim editor. This issue contains changes suggested in the recent publications survey. Let us know what you think about the new format. Alice is a temporary editor and the society is actively searching for a volunteer that will step into the role. To learn more or to explore this volunteer opportunity, contact AliceFairhurst@gmail.com.
 SCGS at the Festival of Books
at UCLA April 24 and 25
One of our favorite events is the annual LA Times Festival of Books. We do look-ups in the 1930 census and encourage our booth guests to start researching their own family histories. This year, SCGS booth 130, located by the Cooking Stage, will host Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak as she sells and autographs Who Do You Think You Are? which is the companion book to the television series. Stop by the booth and sign up for a chance to win a free one-year subscription to the Ancestry World Deluxe Edition, donated by Ancestry.com. To volunteer for a shift in the booth, contact Leo Myers at ltmyers44@gmail.com. General admission is free; parking costs $10. See you there!
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Jamboree Update
Early Bird Deadline: April 30
Registrations are running very strong and it looks like 2010 will be another attendance record breaker. Register by April 30 to save money, to receive a free copy of the printed syllabus, and to make sure that you get one of the fabulous conference bags being donated by RootsMagic. Walk-in fees have been adjusted to discourage walk-ins, so do your checkbook a favor and register in advance. Register online using Visa or MasterCard, or fill out the registration form and send it in by mail.
Marriott: Jamboree Room Block 75% Booked
If you are planning to stay at the Marriott during Jamboree, we encourage you to make your hotel reservations now. The hotel block is nearly 75% full. Make your reservations online or by calling 818-843-6000
or toll-free 1-800-736-9712
and mentioning code GENGENA. Hotel reservations must be made before May 10 to receive the Jamboree discount.
Call for Volunteers
Jamboree is a huge endeavor and it takes literally hundreds of volunteer hours to execute. We are in need of volunteers to serve as room monitors, speaker introductions, security and traffic flow, data entry, registration, staffing the SCGS sales table, and other tasks. Are you good at working with digital projectors and/or audio-visual equipment? We are looking for three volunteers who can take charge of our AV equipment and assist speakers in getting set up for lecture sessions. The list of volunteer jobs is here. Please contact Jan Jennings jantj@sbcglobal.net to volunteer for the SCGS sales table and Carma-Lu Thompson clu5536@yahoo.com for all other volunteer spots.
"How to Get the Most out of a Genealogy Conference"
SCGS hosted its first webinar on Saturday, March 27. George G. Morgan of The Genealogy Guys podcast conducted the online seminar with 120 participants from over 20 states and Alberta, Canada. If you missed it, you can watch the webinar online. We're a little behind schedule in getting it posted online, but it should be available within the next few days. Check the SCGS website or Jamboree blog for announcements.
Ancestry to Provide FREE Scanning at Jamboree
Bring your photos and documents to Jamboree, and Ancestry will scan them at no cost. You'll get the digital images returned to you on a thumb drive provided by Ancestry. You need to preregister to let Ancestry know that you want to participate, and then you'll need to register again at Jamboree to get a time slot. Get all the details for preparing your documents and click on the link at the bottom of the page to preregister for scanning
Sign up for the Jamboree Blog
There is always news breaking when it comes to Jamboree. New events and activities are added, schedules change, and new opportunities pop up. All of these announcements are made on the Jamboree Blog. Sign up today to receive these updates delivered right to your email box. You'll have a better time at Jamboree, we promise.
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Upcoming Activities and Calendar
 - Used Book Sale - April 3. Hours 8am - 2pm.
- The Master Genealogist User Group April 3. Hours 2pm - 4pm.
- Writers Group - April 6. Hours 12pm - 2pm.
- Lunch and Learn - April 10. Lunch at noon, presentations start at 1pm. "History and Genealogy of the Stone Quarry Hills, Elysian Park, and Solano Canyon" presented by Lawrence Bouette, and "Think Like an Archivist: Uncovering Hidden Genealogical Resources in Libraries and Archives" by Nancy Loe.
- African American Interest Group - April 10. 3pm - 5pm.
- SCGS at LA Heritage Day - April 11. Hours 11am - 4pm.
- Legacy User Group - April 12. Hours 7pm - 9pm.
- Meeting, SCGS Board of Directors. Hours 6pm - 8pm.
- German Interest Group - April 17. Hours 1pm - 4pm.
- Writers Group - April 18. Hours 1pm - 3pm.
- RootsMagic User Group - April 18. Hours 2pm - 5pm.
- Hispanic Tuesday - April 20. Hours 12noon - 9pm.
- SCGS at LA Times Festival of Books - April 24 & 25.
- Volunteer Luncheon - May 8. If you have worked as an SCGS volunteer in any capacity during the year, please join us for an afternoon of friendship and celebration.
- Research Trip to Ft. Wayne - May 11 to 18.
- Irish Interest Group - May 30. Hours 10am - 4pm
- Genealogy Jamboree - June 11-13.
- Open House - July 10.
The French-Canadian Research team is available for consultations each Wednesday from 10am to 4pm. If you're looking for assistance with your German research, stop at the SCGS Library on Thursdays from 10am to 4pm.
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Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are? is the NBC television series that explores the family histories of seven US celebrities. It's entertaining, heartwarming, sometimes gut wrenching. Thus far, it's done well in the television ratings. The program
airs on Friday nights at 8:00, 7:00 central time. So far, we have seen: Sarah Jessica Parker's Gold Rush and Salem
witch trial ancestors Emmitt Smith's search for his slave
ancestors Lisa Kudrow's family link to the
Holocaust and the discovery of a long-lost cousin. Matthew
Broderick's ancestors' WWI and Civil War service In a recent
schedule change, the following weeks' episodes will be as follows: April
2 - Brooke Shields April 9 - repeat of Sarah Jessica Parker April
16 - no show April 23 - Susan Sarandon April 30 - Spike
Lee Have you watched the program? Have you talked about it with
your "civilian" friends and relatives? Have you helped to spread the
fire and passion of genealogy? Have you invited others to meet you at SCGS and get started the right way? Although the program has been hailed by genealogists, some have commented that
the program makes it look "too easy" or that it doesn't accurately
portray the months and years of time it takes to search for ancestors. It doesn't teach all of the skills needed to research a family history, and the celebrities don't "do it themselves." Consider
the opinion posed by podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke: ... I have to ask the
genealogists out there who are bemoaning the lack of detail about how
and where documents were found in the making of the show: Would you really
want that? Would NBC really be the most qualified entity to
provide such instruction? In fact, dare I say it, would Ancestry really
be? (They have GREAT online documents, but instruction on the research
process doesn't appear to be one of their goals either!)
My answer is, No, of
course not. Let's drift
back to the heyday of genealogy entering America's
consciousness - the debut of Roots. Hands down, Roots did
more for genealogy than anything else in recent memory. I don't
recall seeing a single document, courthouse, or National Archives
employee in that series. And if we had seen that it would have
diluted from the incredible impact it had on all of us.
Alex
Haley and the TV
network showed us what was possible - showed us our connection to
history - showed us the stories just begging to be uncovered in our own
family tree! ... He INSPIRED us to want to know
more.
Inspiration is
what
it is all about.You can read her entire commentary on her website. |
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Donation: From: ____________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________
Purpose: [ ] unrestricted [ ] directed for: ________________________________ Amount: $____________
SCGS is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations may be deductible as allowed by law.
Send to: Century Club, Southern California Genealogical Society, 417 Irving Drive, Burbank, CA 91504
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