Join Us For Another Beginners' Workshop

Saturday, April 5, 2014

11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 W. Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

The San Joaquin Genealogical Society is presenting another in its continuing Beginners' Workshop Series for this Spring with its upcoming class this Saturday. The April 5 presentation at the Troke Branch Library will be on Basic Internet Family History Research.

In this session, you will learn how to find and use the best free and inexpensive genealogical websites, including Ancestry Library Edition and FamilySearch. Join us to find out which search terms get the best results; how to find distant relatives through social networking sites; and how to order copies of distant county records, or access immigration, ethnic and foreign information and images.

This one-hour training session will be followed by time to consult with SJGS members about your genealogy research questions. Be sure to bring whatever data you have for this one-on-one session: birth, marriage, death dates of ancestors, and where they lived. To access the wi-fi that is available for this workshop session, you may either bring your own laptop or tablet, or use one of the library's laptop computers.

Since space is limited for this workshop session, pre-registration is required. Stop in at Troke Library and sign up for this April 5 workshop at the reference desk. You may also reserve your place by calling the library at (209) 937-8221, or by emailing your reservation directly to the Society at sjcogensoc@gmail.com.

Our March Meeting: Land Records

Thursday, March 20, 2014

5:45 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 W. Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

Discovering Your Family’s History

Through Land Records

Deeds. Warrants. Patents. Could these provide any hints for the pursuit of your family’s history?

Come join us as we reconvene at the Troke Library on March 20, to examine how genealogists use land records to help trace their family history.

This month, we are pleased to have as our speaker Kathryn Marshall from the Lodi Family History Center.

Kathryn Miller Marshall holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley where she taught for many years. Dr. Marshall is the Director of the Lodi California Family History Center, serving there for the last fifteen years. 

Dr. Marshall began to specialize in the history of California between 1840 and 1865 when asked to prepare interpretive panels for museums, edit books for fellow historians, and write books of her own. As a curriculum designer for "Odyssey of the Mind," she particularly enjoyed planning and implementing exciting educational activity days for children and their families. She recently published Discovery of California Gold, a curriculum augmentation book for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th grades, which is being adopted by school districts throughout the state. 

Dr. Marshall is a member of the Advisory Board for the California Pioneer Heritage Foundation, which builds monuments, provides living history re-enactors at state parks and special events, and preserves historical sites in California.

SJGS Continues its Spring Workshop Series

Saturday, March 15, 2014

11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Margaret Troke Library

502 W. Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton

San Joaquin Genealogical Society is continuing with its Beginners' Workshop Series for this Spring with its upcoming class on Saturday. The March 15 presentation at the Troke Branch Library will be on "How Libraries Can Help With Family Research."

While many family history researchers have become accustomed to searching online for information on their ancestors, we can't lose sight of the many resources available to us through our local library system. Many of the reference books in our holdings are not available anywhere online, and we are fortunate to be able to access them in our own city.

The Chavez Library in downtown Stockton has a comprehensive genealogical reference section, with over three thousand volumes donated for public use by SJGS in a program we have had in place since our founding in 1952.

In addition, our library system includes many historical resources of local significance, as well as microfilmed copies of local newspapers.

Of course, the entire Stockton-San Joaquin County library system offers free access to the Library Edition of Ancestry.com to patrons while they are in any of the library's branches, county-wide (one of the prime reasons SJGS has partnered with the SSJCPL to provide monthly Beginners' Workshops).

A one-hour overview of how to best utilize the many genealogical resources of our library will be followed by time to consult with SJGS members about your genealogy research questions. Be sure to bring whatever data you have for this one-on-one session: birth, marriage, death dates of ancestors, and where they lived. To access the wi-fi that is available for this workshop session, you may either bring your own laptop or tablet, or use one of the library's laptop computers.

Since space is limited for this workshop session, pre-registration is required. You may sign up for the March 15 session at the Troke Library reference desk. Or you may call (209) 937-8221.

"I Have Searched Every Cemetery in the County, But..."

"...I cannot find the resting spot of my missing relative."

Our Society has gone one step beyond. We have painstakingly indexed all the cremations performed at the Casa Bonita Mausoleum in Stockton, California. These books are now on sale for $15.00 each. Or, you may purchase both books for $25.00.

Death Records of Casa Bonita Mausoleum, Stockton, California: August 1928 to December 1948 - Book I

Death Records of Casa Bonita Mausoleum, Stockton, California: 1949 to 1958 and 1967 to 1970 - Book II

To order your copy of either or both of these two valuable books, you may complete our order form for this special sale by clicking here.

First Stockton All-Day Seminar a Success

One hundred thirty people from all over northern California assembled last Saturday at the University of the Pacific's well-appointed Biological Sciences building lecture hall for SJGS' first All-Day Genealogical Seminar.

The event featured four members of the California State Genealogical Alliance, presenting on a wide variety of topics of current interest in genealogical research.

Attendees joined us in this Stockton, California, event from the Sacramento area, the greater Bay Area, foothill region cities such as Jackson and San Andreas, our neighbors to the south in Modesto, and as far away as Santa Rosa. There were over forty registrants from the Stockton area alone, joined by those in other San Joaquin County cities: Lodi, Manteca, Tracy and Woodbridge.

We are grateful for the generosity of the Jacoby Center for Public Service and Civic Leadership for their support in hosting us at University of the Pacific.

All-Day Genealogical Seminar This Saturday in Stockton

Almost every seat in the house will be filled by the time of our upcoming all-day genealogical seminar this Saturday, February 22, at University of the Pacific. We are expecting participants from all over northern California.

Featured speakers from the California State Genealogical Alliance will present a variety of topics beginning at 9:00 a.m. until the close of the final session at 3:30 p.m. Doors will open at 8:00 a.m. for check-in and to receive speaker packets.

Linda Serna, a professional genealogist from southern California who is part of the research team for PBS' "Genealogy Roadshow" and who also serves as Vice President of Programs for the Orange County Genealogical Society, will present "Family Stories: Genealogy Beyond Just the Dates," guiding seminar participants in how to tell your family's stories.

President of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Letty Rodella, will conduct a session addressing resources and techniques for "Researching Your Mexican Ancestors." Letty has spent thirteen years pursuing her own Hispanic ancestry, including working with documents dating from the 1500s.

After ample time for participants to network with other seminar participants and enjoy lunch at local Stockton restaurants, Tim Cox, APG member and Education and Events Coordinator for the California Genealogical Society and Library, will focus on how to maximize use of available technology in genealogical research. His informative and entertaining session, "Fun Tools to Help Genealogists Work Smarter" draws on his expertise in technology and organization.

Wrapping up the afternoon, professional genealogist and journal editor Janice Sellers will share her experience, detailing a case study in her presentation, "Reconstructing Family Information When You Start With Almost Nothing."

Registration for the seminar is free, but is required to receive the package of seminar handouts--as well as free gifts included for each registered participant.

Seating is limited. We have almost reached capacity for this exciting event.

There are only a few seats still available. To be included in this event, hurry and register for this event online at https://sjgsseminar.eventbrite.com/ before all seats are taken!  

Speaking In Stockton January 16: Stephen Morse

San Joaquin Genealogical Society

Annual Dinner Meeting

Featuring: 

One-Step Webpages: A Potpourri of Genealogical Search Tools

by Dr. Stephen Morse

Stephen Morse is the creator of the One-Step Website. Many genealogical websites are not easy to use.  Dr. Morse created alternate ways of accessing most of these websites which you will find at the One-Step website. From his site you can search multiple websites at one time.  Sites like:  Ellis Island and Castle Garden passenger arrivals, the collections of Germans, Irish and Russians to America at NARA and census records.  In his other life, Stephen Morse is a computer professional with a doctorate in electrical engineering. He is best known as the architect of the Intel 8086 (the granddaddy of today's Pentium processor), which sparked the PC revolution 30 years ago.

Thursday   January 16, 2014

5:30 pm

UJ's Restaurant

7628 Pacific Avenue, Stockton

Pacific Avenue @ Hammer Lane

For more information on reserving your place for dinner,

email sjcogensoc (at) gmail (dot) com

before Friday, January 10, 2014