In Transition

The year of 2017 is a year of changes for the San Joaquin Genealogical Society. Our latest project: we've just launched our new website. Consider yourself invited to take a peek at sjgensoc.org.

Eventually, this blog will migrate to our new location. In the meantime, whether you are currently a member of SJGS or not, click on over and take a look. 

Featured Tonight: Your Ancestors' Military Records

Thursday, March 16, 2017

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

Finding Your Ancestors in Military Records

Kathryn Miller Marshall, Ph.D.

Whether you are seeking information on family members who served during the second World War or are looking for ancestors' records from the Civil War or earlier, there is a wealth of details to be found in military records--as long as you know where to look.

For this month's membership meeting, we are pleased to announce the return of a favorite speaker. Kathryn Miller Marshall is no stranger to our members, having given several well-received presentations over the last few years. She most recently served as director of the Lodi Family History Center, a position which she held for sixteen years.

While her Ph.D. is in psychology from UC Berkeley where she taught for many years, Kathryn Miller Marshall has served as a senior research scientist in Bethesda, Maryland, evaluating the nation's substance abuse programs for congressional reports. Returning to California for her husband's last assignment as a military officer, Dr. Marshall designed curricula and began to specialize in the history of our state between the years of 1840 and 1865. She has had experience developing interpretive panels for museums, editing books for fellow historians, and writing books of her own on the Gold Rush era. Dr. Marshall is a member of the Advisory Board for the California Pioneer Heritage Foundation, which provides living history re-enactors at state parks and preserves historical sites in California.

Please consider yourself welcome to come early to this Thursday evening's meeting to enjoy refreshments and visit with fellow members. We look forward to seeing you then!

Featured This Week: Using DNA to Discover Your Roots

Thursday, February 16, 2017

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

Using DNA to Discover Your Roots

Linda Parker Magellan

Where once genealogists agonized over "brick wall" problems keeping them from discovering more about their ancestors, we now have technology enabling us to leap over those proverbial research walls. At this Thursday evening's Society meeting, our speaker will introduce us to the possibilities accessible through the use of DNA testing, and examine what can be discovered, thanks now to genetic genealogy.

This Thursday evening's speaker is Linda Parker Magellan, an independent professional Genetic Genealogy consultant who has traveled internationally to assist individuals in discovering their ancestry through the use of DNA testing. Linda enjoys putting the pieces of the puzzle together to solve the mystery of one’s genetic inheritance.   

Linda ordered her first DNA test kit in 2003 and has been hooked ever since.  She now administers several surname projects and has experience with FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, AncestryDNA, and The Genographic Project. 

As a founding member of the International Society for Genetic Genealogy, Linda has long regarded education a priority and continues to develop professionally through workshops, conferences, and continuing education coursework. Her area of expertise is in teaching others how to unravel the story in their DNA.

This meeting is open to members of the Society as well as to the public, and is free of charge. Please come early to insure a good parking place, select a seat for the presentation, and enjoy some refreshments during the networking time before the 5:45 start of our Thursday evening meeting. 

Featured Tonight: Family History for Family Holidays

Thursday, November 17, 2016

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

Working Family History At Your Family Gatherings

Kim von Aspern-Parker

The holiday season is upon us! Dinners, parties, special gatherings will likely feature one constant: these are all events which will include family members. What a perfect opportunity to encourage interest in your family history research.

This month, we are pleased to  welcome Kim von Aspern-Parker back to Stockton as our guest speaker. A Sacramento area genealogist, Kim is a graduate of University of Nevada at Reno with a bachelor in journalism and public relations. Kim  speaks, teaches, coaches, and blogs about genealogy—and has done so for more than twenty five years, providing private genealogical investigation services out of her Sacramento office. In addition to this month’s topic, Kim specializes in research in both California and Louisiana, where she often conducts  research trips.

Join us in welcoming Kim von Aspern-Parker back to Stockton at our meeting tonight, Thursday, November 17, at the Margaret Troke Library in north Stockton. As always, plan on coming early to enjoy some refreshments and a social time with fellow Society members. Also, feel free to invite a friend to attend the meeting with you—the more, the merrier!

Featured This Week: Your Ancestors' Voter Records

Thursday, September 15, 2016

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

Tracing Your Ancestors in Voter Records

Teresa Costa Fraser

Politics has certainly been in the news lately, with elections coming up. But have you ever thought about what you might be able to find out about your ancestors, based on their voting records?

There is a lot more to voter records than political party affiliations. Join us this Thursday as our speaker, Teresa Costa Fraser, delves into this useful research resource. She’ll give us an overview of which voter records can be used to complete pedigree charts and round out family history stories. In addition, she’ll discuss how to find those voter records online and at local and state collections, and will share what she has discovered about her own ancestors, using voter records.

We’ve enjoyed Teresa’s past presentations at our Society meetings. A fourth generation Californian, Teresa saw her interest in genealogy blossom sixteen years ago, upon locating her Swiss Italian immigrant great grandfather’s 1900 census entry at a Family History Center in San Diego. With that success, she has been tracking down her other ancestors ever since, now specializing in research in the Mid-South region for individual clients and research firms.

Please join us early this Thursday evening to enjoy refreshments and chat with fellow SJGS members before our meeting begins at 5:45. We look forward to seeing you back at the Troke Library for this Thursday’s meeting!

Featured Tonight: Brick Walls versus FAN Club

Thursday, April 21, 2016

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"Breaking Down Brick Walls:
An Introduction to the FAN Club"

Presenter: Susan Goss Johnston

While we may see “brick walls” in our genealogical research as impenetrable, it is possible to get around these impediments. But you have to know how to do this. This month’s speaker will share key hints on how your ancestors’ “FAN Club”— Friends, Associates and Neighbors—can lead you to just the clues you need.

This month’s speaker, Susan Goss Johnston, is a 2011 ProGen alumna, has completed the “Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis” course at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, and the National Archives' lecture and lab course, “Going to the Source,” and has attended the National Institute on Genealogical Research (now known as the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records). She is a co-editor of the recently published Source Templates for The Master Genealogist™ (available on Lulu.com). Her personal research focuses on families in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region, and she specializes in military records. 

Susan's life is now "in transition" as she and her husband are planning a move to New Mexico later this year. Barring any change of plans, this San Joaquin Genealogical Society event will be your golden opportunity to catch Susan’s last presentation before she leaves California.

We look forward to seeing you this Thursday evening.

Featured Tonight: Researching Your Irish Ancestors

Thursday, March 17, 2016

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"Irish Research:
Online and On the Ground"

Presenters:
Jacqi Stevens
Claire Stevens

Sure, you’ve always been told there’ve been Irish immigrants in your family history, but can you trace your way back to their homeland? Join us this month as SJGS members Jacqi and Claire Stevens present a case study on the winding path that led them from the family’s home in Chicago back to the very spot on Tountinna, the mount in northern County Tipperary, where Claire’s second great grandfather was born.

Researching “across the pond” presents many challenges not encountered by those whose families lived for centuries in North American locations. This presentation will guide you from the point of your most recent immigrant relatives’ residence to the region they once called home. Don’t think you have to travel to that spot to get your research done: with current digitization projects, many of the records helpful in your quest are now available online, and will be shared at this week’s meeting.

Please join us this Thursday evening, whether your ancestors were Irish or not. The steps taken and online resources used to find these Irish ancestors applies as well to researching ancestors from many European origins. Hope to see you then!

Featured Tonight: Researching Wills and Probate Records

Thursday, February 18, 2016

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"Where There's a Will:
Probate Records Can Prove Family Connections"

Presenter: Janice M. Sellers

Records created when a person dies can be very useful for genealogists, as they often describe family relationships. They may, however, also contain pitfalls. In this month's membership meeting, SJGS is pleased to offer a topic covering estate records as well as guardianship records, all presented by a professional genealogist who is no stranger to our Society.

As we've already seen during her past presentation at our 2014 Seminar, this month's speaker, Janice M. Sellers, is passionate about her work. She loves to research her own family and everyone else's, and by her own admission, will "talk your ear off about genealogy," given the chance. She specializes in Jewish, Black, forensic, and newspaper research. In addition, she edits three genealogy journals and serves on the boards of three genealogical societies. Along with her website at ancestraldiscoveries.com, she writes an informative genealogy blog.

Join us tonight as we return to the Margaret Troke Library to resume our regular monthly meetings there for the Spring calendar. As always, feel free to invite a guest. We look forward to seeing you then! 

Beginners' Workshop at Troke Library is Today!

Saturday, November 7, 2015

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive

Stockton, California

Our last workshop session for the Fall semester will be held today, discussing the topic of "How to Research Your Mexican Ancestry."

San Joaquin Genealogical Society member Sylvia Perez will discuss researching your Mexican, Central, or South American genealogy. She'll include her own example of finding relatives in Jalisco, Mexico, after ties were broken for more than a century. She will walk you through websites with resources to help you locate your own family's genealogy.

Join us at this free workshop, beginning at 11:00.

 

 

Tonight: SJGS Hosts Director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy

Thursday, October 15, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"DNA Refresher and Genetic Genealogy Update"

Presenter: Katherine Hope Borges, Director
International Society of Genetic Genealogy

SJGS is pleased to announce our speaker for tonight’s meeting: Katherine Borges. Returning to Stockton after her well-received presentation here three years ago, Katherine will be bringing updates on developments in the use of DNA testing for genealogy, as well as reviewing the basic concepts behind DNA testing for those interested in exploring this tool for use in your own family history.

Katherine Borges is co-founder and current director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, the first society organized to promote the use of DNA testing in genealogy. Established in 2005, the non-profit ISOGG is currently eight thousand members strong and represents a membership spread across the world in more than seventy countries. With a mission to promote and educate members and the general public about the use of DNA testing for genealogical purposes, ISOGG has been active in presentations across the continents. Katherine, herself, has spoken not only at many events in the United States, but also in Canada, the U.K., and Ireland.

Join us this evening in the Community Room of the Margaret Troke Library as we welcome Katherine Borges back to Stockton.

This Week's Meeting: SJGS Hosts California Genealogical Society President

Thursday, September 17, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"The California Genealogical Society and Library:
Connecting People to Their Diverse Family Heritage"

Presenter: Linda Harms Okazaki, M.A.

As genealogists, we begin by researching our own roots, following our family back to origins in other states and perhaps even other countries whose ethnic customs we've celebrated all our life. But then, perhaps a marriage introduces an entirely new culture—and a different direction for our family history research. Enter a new learning curve as we start to familiarize ourselves with names and places not part of our own heritage.

No matter which countries of origin you've added to the patchwork quilt of your family heritage, you will be interested to hear the experience of this month's guest speaker at our monthly membership meeting.

With one speaker, we offer a double feature. Linda Okazaki, president of the California Genealogical Society and Library, will share with us the scope of services available through CGS and the holdings that can be found at the CGS Library in Oakland.

In addition, because of the diversity of the state of California and the fact that our ancestors came from so many different places, our speaker is passionate about encouraging people to avail themselves of the specialized resources of many different genealogical societies, and will share some of these other useful resources with us in her presentation this coming Thursday evening.

As an example of mounting that learning curve in researching family roots from unfamiliar regions, Linda will delve into her own family's experience—in particular, discussing how she researched her husband's Japanese roots.

Linda Okazaki is a fourth generation San Franciscan whose interest in genealogy began as a hobby but has since grown to a professional quest. Linda is a member of APG, the Genealogical Speakers Guild and DAR. A graduate of NIGR, ProGen and several other genealogical institutes, Linda is passionate about researching, documenting, teaching and sharing the stories of Japanese Americans. We are honored to have her as our guest speaker for this first meeting of our fall season.

Nationally Recognized Author Speaking in Stockton

The San Joaquin Genealogical Society is pleased to host our Summer Seminar next Tuesday, July 14, at the Cesar Chavez Library in downtown Stockton. The featured speaker, Gena Philibert-Ortega, will focus on two classes to provide genealogical researchers with online and newspaper resources.

This event, beginning at 10:30 a.m., is free to attend, but due to limited seating at the library's Stewart Hazelton room, requires pre-registration through our page at EventBrite.

OLLI Presents: SJGS!

The San Joaquin Genealogical Society is honored to partner this summer with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of the Pacific. We have been invited to present two series of beginning genealogy classes for OLLI. The classes are designed specifically with application in mind, and will include three hands-on lab sessions to walk participants through the beginning steps of completing their own pedigree chart and family group sheet.

Just this week, we began the first session with an energetic group of participants.

Each series will include six sessions.

There are still a few slots available for the second series, which begins on Monday, July 13. The ninety minute long morning classes begin at 10:00, and are held on Mondays and Wednesdays. To join OLLI and register for their classes, check out their website.

SJGS President on Panel for Wednesday's DearMYRTLE Broadcast

The topic slated for this week's "Wacky Wednesday" broadcast is DAR applications, and DearMYRTLE has invited a panel of experts to walk the audience through the process of completing the required research and preparation. If you ever wondered what is considered acceptable for DAR proof of lineage from a Patriot ancestor, this is your opportunity to tune in and find out.

Professional genealogist Sheri Fenley, who happens to be our Society's president, will don a different hat as Registrar with El Toyon, our local chapter of DAR, to participate in this panel discussion.

Follow this link here to access the live broadcast at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, 9:00 p.m. Eastern (UTC - 7).

Tonight: More Tools for Brick Wall Smashing

Thursday, May 21, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

   
"Re-Branded Lives: Tracking Name Changes"

Presenter: Kathryn Miller Marshall, Ph.D.

Do you have mystery ancestors whose invisible trail through time has driven you to distraction? Every genealogist eventually runs across a Brick Wall case in which the ancestor seems to have literally disappeared. Research responses include the usual tactics: puzzling over name variants, typos, transcription errors, and mishearing of names by census enumerators.

But what if names have been changed intentionally? Your ancestor may have had one of many reasons for such action. Forbidden romance, adoption, debts, criminal records, avoiding military service, religious persecution, and national quotas have been common motives for selectively filtering or modifying information about oneself over time.

Returning for an encore following her February presentation, Dr. Marshall will show us techniques for tracking intentional name changers in these different scenarios during tonight's membership meeting. The principles she will describe are important to problem solving about elusive ancestors, resolving contradictory claims about family lines, and recognizing if a same-named individual is part of your family line or actually belongs to another's ancestry.

Please consider yourself invited to join us for this evening's presentation, and to invite a friend, as well. Come early to enjoy refreshments and an opportunity to socialize with fellow members before the beginning of our 5:45 p.m. business meeting.

Tonight’s meeting will be the last in our Society’s regular spring line-up. Next month is our annual potluck dinner. The meeting location will be sent to members in the monthly newsletter.

We will resume our evening meetings at the Troke Library after our summer break, with our first fall presentation scheduled for Thursday, September 17.

Beginners' Workshops Continue at Troke Library

Saturday, May 2, 2015

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive

Stockton, California

 

Our Spring beginners' workshop series continues this Saturday with a session designed to help locate and use free Internet resources for genealogical research.

 

The Internet can serve as your portal to access online copies of documents and records for family history research. Although many people are aware of subscription services on the Internet such as Ancestry.com, there are numerous free resources that you can avail yourself of, as well.

 

This session is designed to acquaint you with top-rated online genealogical resources, and provide direction in how to find them and use them, both at your local library and from your own home.

 

  

Tonight's Meeting: Equipping You to Break Through Brick Walls

Thursday, April 16, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

 502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton 

Elementary, My Dear Watson:
Solving Your Genealogy Puzzles With
Clues You Already Have

Presenter: James Baker, PhD, CG

Every researcher has run across them: those challenging situations where key data are missing or inadequate. How do you fill in the genealogical blanks without embarking on new research?

Dr. James Baker, CG, will provide us with the answer to that quandary as he returns to present this second part of his research series this evening, April 16, at our monthly membership meeting at the Troke Library in north Stockton.

The evening's presentation will provide case studies to show how thorough data analyses and the use of indirect evidence can be your effective approach in reviewing documents you've already compiled. He'll provide workable examples by examining naming patterns, witness signatures to birth or marriage documents, inheritance data, sibling data and family migration patterns, many of which details you may already have in documents you've previously obtained.

After the favorable reception to his presentation last October, we are pleased to welcome Jim Baker back to Stockton for this month's follow up session. Please come early to enjoy some refreshments and a social time with fellow members. Feel free to invite a friend to attend with you. 

Beginners' Workshop Series Continues in Lodi

San Joaquin Genealogical Society returns to the Lodi Public Library this Saturday with our next session on the beginners' genealogy series, "Grow Your Family Tree." The afternoon session, covering the basics of pursuing your own family history, will be held in the library's Community Room. In addition, the topic for this session will include how to find free resources online, and will introduce the Society's new program, First Families of San Joaquin.
 
Lodi Public Library is located at 201 West Locust Street in Lodi, California. Come join us this Saturday afternoon, from 2:00 to 4:00, and explore which resources will help you with your own family tree.
 
For more information, email the Lodi Public Library or call them at (209) 333-5503.

Got Irish Roots?

Thursday, March 19, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

 502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton 

Researching Your Irish Roots

Presenter: Kim R. von Aspern-Parker

Whether you are among the 33 million Americans who in 2013 reported to the United States Census Bureau that they have Irish ancestry—or the additional three million haling from Scots-Irish roots—when it comes to the month in which we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, everybody’s Irish. At least, everyone who is pursuing family history can benefit from the lessons learned in researching Irish roots.

This month, we welcome as our speaker Sacramento genealogist Kim von Aspern-Parker. Graduate of University of Nevada at Reno with a bachelor in journalism and public relations, Kim has often commented that she speaks, teaches, coaches, and blogs about genealogy—and this she has done for more than twenty five years, providing private genealogical investigation services out of her Sacramento office. In addition to this topic, Kim specializes in research in both California and Louisiana, where she recently completed a research trip.

 
Join us in welcoming Kim von Aspern-Parker on Thursday, March 19, at the Margaret Troke Library in north Stockton for our monthly membership meeting. Come early to enjoy some refreshments and a social time with fellow members. Feel free to invite a friend—the more, the merrier!

Tonight's Meeting Brings Pre-1850 Research Tips

Thursday, February 19, 2015

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton 

 

 The Quest for Pre-1850 Colonials

Presenter: Kathryn Miller Marshall, Ph.D.

At some point in the quest to find our ancestors, we need to be equpped to cross the great census divide and move our family history research back before 1850.

 

The challenge with that, of course, is the lack of itemization of names of anyone in each family, other than the head of household, in every U.S. census enumeration occurring before 1850. To trace family members before that landmark year, we need to employ other types of documentation.

 

We are delighted that our speaker for tonight's meeting is equipped to provide us numerous tips on how to proceed with our pre-1850 research. We welcome back Dr. Kathryn Miller Marshall, who has been enthusiastically received by our members in the past. A speaker at numerous genealogical seminars and conferences, Dr. Marshall served for sixteen years as Director of the Lodi California Family History Center.

 

Please join us tonight in welcoming Dr. Marshall back to Stockton, as we return to the Troke Library for our 2015 general membership meeting series.