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March 2014, Vol. 8, No. 5e
Editor's Note
Rainy Days are Perfect Research Days
At last we're getting some much-needed rain in the Bay Area. And although almost any day doing family history research is a good day, for me a drizzly day is perfect for deciphering old land records, looking at census records online, browsing the library stacks for county histories, or taking a class to learn more about how to do a particular kind of research.

However you choose to spend your rainy days, I hope your research efforts result in at least one of those genealogy "happy dances." 

See you at the library!
Marcelle White signature
Last Chance to Register for the Salt Lake City Tour
Explore One of the World's Best Genealogy Libraries
The March 5th deadline to register for this year's annual tour to "Mecca" -- the Family History Library in Salt Lake City -- is less than a week away! 

The tour package includes: a 7-night hotel stay, shuttle service to and from the airport, three group dinners, daily breakfast, orientation and lectures, and assistance using the online catalog at FamilySearch.org and other websites.

Join us for this fun week of research and camaraderie, April 6th - April 13th. Register now!

 

March and April Classes
California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland 
   3/8: What's in a Name? Trouble!, Ron Arons

 3/22: Finding Country Cousins in Land and Property Records, Susan Goss
            Johnston -- waitlist only 

 3/29: Hard Drive Organization -- Managing Images and Your Computer File Folders,
                                         Tim Cox

                                 4/5: Finding Your Family: Intro to Genealogy, Dick Rees

                               4/26: Seeking City Slickers in Lesser-Known Records, Susan Goss Johnston
                 
Other Featured Events
Other Activities in the Bay Area and Beyond
3/1 - 3/30: 11th Annual Crossroads Irish-American Festival, San Francisco
  • A full month of activities that celebrate the history of the Irish in America. Events include: A Dialogue on Irish and Black Contributions to American Culture, and Oral Histories of the Irish in San Francisco. Learn more about all of the activities.  
3/8: 9th Annual African-American Family History Seminar, Sacramento
  • An all-day event that includes 20 classes on topics such as Historical Black Newspaper, Native American Research, and Breaking Down African-American Brick Walls. Download their flier to learn more
For more activities, view March's San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar.

 

Featured Library Resource
The Manuscript Collection
by Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner, Manuscript Committee
Our Manuscript Collection includes over 100 years of genealogical records and family history materials that have been donated to the California Genealogical Society.

After a gargantuan effort by the Manuscript Committee over several years, information about these materials is now available in a searchable database
on the CGS website, under the Library tab, and accessible to all.  
The database is organized alphabetically by surname and also provides information on geographical location, timeframe, contents, and related surnames. The collection, now stretching almost 100 linear feet, includes a mixture of memorabilia and genealogical material: family group sheets and charts, correspondence, handwritten notes, scraps of paper, cards, diaries, fading newspaper articles, photographs (both identified and unidentified), and vital records.

 

 Individual collections may be viewed at our library by appointment. We invite you to browse our database first to find the materials that may be of interest to your research, then contact us for an appointment.   
 
Ancestor Tribute: They Came from Everywhere!
A Father of 11 Children Keeps His Sense of Humor   

By Marcelle White, member since 2009  

John Amandus George
My great-grandfather, John Amandus George, was born July 4, 1867, in Peru, Ohio, to Joseph George and Theresa Mook. By the time he was 13, when this photograph was taken, the family had moved to Michigan.  

 

By 1892, the family was living in Manistee, along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. And it was there that John married Elizabeth "Lillie" Stapleton on February 6, 1894. John and Elizabeth's first nine children were born in Manistee, and the last two were born after the family moved to Detroit.  John supported his large family as a barber. He had his own shop first in Manistee, and then in Detroit. According to the 1940 census, he was still working as a barber at the age of 72. 

At some point John learned to speak Chippewa, and he was very proud of it. A newspaper article recounts that he sang "In the Sweet By and By" in Chippewa at his 65th wedding anniversary party! John had no Native American ancestry -- his parents were both of German descent -- but he must have had regular contact with Ojibwe people during his years in the Manistee area.   

 

According to my grandfather, his father used to joke that his birthdays were the very best, because there were always fireworks. John died four days after his 92nd birthday on July 8, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan.  (Photo edited by Lorna Wallace.

   

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Share your World War I family photo! Send it to Lorna Wallace, along with a short summary about why the ancestor featured is important to you. Photos should be in .jpg format with a file size over 100 kb; photos and text may be edited for space. 

 

Suggested Links from the Blogosphere
Special Interest Group Meetings and More
California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland 
Mark Your Calendar  3/8: Stephen Harris City Directory Library, 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.

3/11: Book Repair Committee, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.


3/15: San Francisco Special Interest Group, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

3/18: RootsMagic Special Interest Group
, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

                                 3/21: Stephen Harris City Directory Library, 10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
   
Save the Date: April Membership Meeting
California Genealogical Society & Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland 
Our April Membership Meeting will take place on Saturday the 12th. The theme will be "Finding, Keeping, Sharing Family Photos."

Please join us for a "Bring Your Own" lunch and social hour, followed by the meeting from 1:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m.
 
    
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Marcelle White, eNews Editor  email me