Saddleback Valley Trails

South Orange County California Genealogical Society

Vol. 19 No. 2

P.O. Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA. 92690

February 2012

Editor: Gary Schwarz

Monthly meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at the Mission Viejo Family History Center Institute Building, 27978 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, between Medical Center Drive and Hillcrest Drive. Membership is open to anyone interested in genealogy. Individual membership fees are $20 per calendar year, $25 for joint membership.
SOCCGS is not affiliated with the LDS Family History Center.

“Ancestry.com” has many wonderful features - a lavish buffet where it is hard to choose what to use and how to use it. In this program Randy will discuss the effective use of such features as new or old search algorithms, basic or advanced search forms, exact or ranked matches, full names or wild cards, specific or all databases, restricted or whole collection, and site navigation.

About the Speaker: Randy is a member of NGS, NEHGS, SDGS, CVGS, CGSSD, SCGS, and currently serves as Newsletter Editor and Research Chairman for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. He speaks occasionally to genealogy groups around Southern California, teaches Beginning Computer Genealogy senior adult classes, and writes the Genealogy 2.0 column for the FGS’s FORUM Magazine. Randy is also an avid blogger and he blogs daily about genealogy subjects at Genea-Musings (www.geneamusings.com), The Geneaholic (www.geneaholic.com), and Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe (http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com).

Safari News

The San Diego Genealogical Society Research Library will be our destination on February 29th (not Feb. 22nd). How often do you get to go on a safari on Leap Year Day? You might remember that many of our books were relocated to their facility in 2010. Their "library catalog" can be accessed at http://casdgs.org/libraryRecords.php. We will meet at the LDS Church parking lot at 9:00 A.M. You may bring a lunch, or be prepared to travel a short distance to a local eatery. Don't forget $$ for your driver. There will be no plans for dinner on the way home. Contact Bill Bluett to reserve a spot.

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
~George Burns

-Might be helpful to a genealogist though.

President's Message

~Bill Bluett

On January 4th of this year, we lost one of our very dear members and former society board member. Shirley Fraser was an avid supporter and one of our “founding members”. She would always make an announcement regarding any Scottish Games or Czech events that might be taking place in the Southern California area. That was her mission! The last time I talked with Shirley was in early December. She had not traveled on one of our safaris for quite some time and wanted to join us on our trip to the L. A. Public Library in January. I was hoping that she would be able to make it. Shirley will be greatly missed.

On January 6th of this year, two days after Shirley died, one of my best friends and “breakfast buddy” passed away. Don Coppock was a pilot and had retired from American Airlines 22 years ago. When I retired in 2001, we began going out to breakfast on a weekly basis. Sometimes holidays or vacations interrupted our schedule. But, all in all, we were pretty consistent. At breakfast, we would talk about our families, sports, TV shows, and politics. You don’t know how many times we solved the problems of our country and the world over our meals. But, we could never get our politicians to listen to us or heed our advice. Oh well, we tried! Gosh, I will miss those conversations with Don!

The reason I mention Don Coppock is because he has a unique set of ancestors. Don grew up in Salem, Ohio, which is located near the State’s eastern border. Even today, it is only a community of 12,000 folks. The house he grew up in is across the street from the Hope Cemetery. He always noted as a young boy that there was a grave site with a very tall marker dedicated to an individual by the name of Edwin Coppock. As a child, he wondered if this was a relative and who he was. As it turned out, he was a distant cousin. Edwin Coppock and his brother, Barclay, were boys raised in a Quaker home and Don knew that his direct line ancestors were also Quakers. Salem was a central location for the Underground Railroad because many Quaker families were supporters of the abolitionist’s movement and a number of homes in town served as “way-stations” for those traveling through the system. The two boys were young when their father died and the mother eventually remarried. The family relocated to Springdale, Iowa, which was an area also settled by Quakers and served as a “way-station” for the Underground Railroad. As young men, this is where the Coppock brothers met John Brown and became active militant abolitionists.

On October 16, 1859, John Brown led a group of 21 men in a raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Included in that group were the Coppock brothers. U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee was found on leave nearby and was assigned as commander along with Lt. J. E. B. Stuart and to recapture the Armory with a force of 86 Marines. On October 18th, the troops arrived at Harper’s Ferry by train. After negotiations failed, the fire house was stormed and most of the raiders were captured and a few were killed. Edwin was captured but Barclay escaped. Edwin was hung on December 16th, 1859, two weeks after John Brown. He was 24 years old at the time of his death. His funeral and burial took place on December 30th in Salem, Ohio. A scanned image of the original funeral program is online.

Barclay, who had escaped, was only 20. He eventually escaped to Canada. His flight was aided by Iowa governor Samuel Kirkwood, who refused to extradite him when Barclay was discovered hiding in Iowa. Later, he joined the Union Army during the Civil War and served as a recruiting officer. On December 3rd, 1861, Barclay was killed in action when his train plunged into a ravine on the Platte River in Kansas. Confederate Raiders had cut through the supports of the train bridge. The incident is referred to as the Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy. Barclay was 22 years of age when he died.

So, as you can see, my good friend Don had a couple of interesting ancestors to read about and discuss over breakfast. There is so much included online and in the Ohio history books about these two young men and their commitment to a cause that they strongly believed in. I thought that it was amazing that my friend played in the Hope cemetery as a young boy and probably saw that monument nearly every day of his life until he went off to serve our country in the United States Navy Seabees. After his military service, Don flew for the Flying Tiger Line until he joined American Airlines in the mid 1950’s. Did you know that the Flying Tiger Line was purchased and then merged with Federal Express in 1989? I didn’t remember that or even the fact that the name Flying Tigers carried on for so many years after World War II.

Well, thank you for bearing with me in this message. I felt compelled to share something with you about my friend and a few of his ancestors. We are all richly blessed with many interesting ancestors. Please share some of your stories with our society through our newsletter. Gary Schwarz (our newsletter editor) is waiting to hear from you. We would all like to have the opportunity to read them because it helps us to get to know one another on a new level. So, keep those stories coming!

Condolences to Family and Friends of Shirley Ann Campbell Fraser

~Mary Jo McQueen

It is indeed a sad day when we lose a good and loyal friend. Shirley Fraser passed away on January 4, 2012.

Shirley was the 30th genealogy enthusiast to sign up when SOCCGS was formed in 1994. Through the years she has been an active and dedicated member. She was a library docent from the time of its inception to about a year ago.

On 21 September 1929 Shirley Ann Campbell was born to Lumas and Laura Campbell in Fargo, North Dakota. She moved, with her parents, to Butte, Montana graduating high school there in 1947. Shirley graduated, with a nursing degree, from Montana State University in 1953. She was employed for a time at Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls, Montana before moving to California.

Shirley will be remembered for her love of everything Scottish. At Clan Gatherings she would divide her time between the Campbell and Fraser tents, always appearing in the appropriate plaid.

I believe, somewhere, bagpipes are playing in her honor. I miss my friend.

British Newspaper Archive

~David Flint

SOCCGS has added a very useful new online subscription to our computers at the library, The British Newspaper Archive. This online database is a collaborative effort between the British Library and an online publishing company to digitize up to 40 million newspaper pages from the British Library’s vast collection. You can search this website free from home at www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk to see the kind of material that is available. However, it is a pay site, so it costs money to view or copy an article if you find something of interest. But a visit to the SOCCGS research center computers will allow you to use all of the features of this online subscription – FREE. Our library docent will provide you with the pass codes needed to gain free access.

This website will allow you to search millions of British newspaper articles that otherwise would be available only at the British Library in London, but you only have to travel to Mission Viejo! With this online database you can search British newspapers by date range (e.g. 1750-1799), by newspaper, by region, county or place. The advanced search features allow you to use various combinations of keywords or a phrase; or to search by the place of publication, by publication title, or by a specified date range (such as FROM: day/month/year TO: day/month/year). You can also filter your search results by article type (advertisement, article, family notice, illustrated, miscellaneous); and you can search for front page articles only. You can specify the order to sort your search results by relevance, date (earliest) or date (most recent).

Once you find something of interest you can print it, download it, or bookmark it – which allows you to save it in a “My Research” bin and add notes so you can come back to it later. The website has a HELP section with tips for how to search, browse and view your results. As you can see, this is a very robust website with lots of features to aid you in your search of British newspapers.

I made a recent visit to try the new subscription and see if I could find information on a Sturgis family I am helping to research for a cousin in England. The family was originally from Boston, but they are buried at my cousin’s village churchyard in Mickleham, Surrey. I quickly found an article in the 7 November 1887 issue of The Morning Post from London announcing the death of the father, Russell Sturgis, at age 82 in the nearby village of Leatherhead. I printed the short article and added it to my research on this family. So I can attest to how easy it was to use this new database.

I highly recommend this new subscription website if you are doing any research on ancestor’s from Great Britain. You might find an article, family notice, letter, obituary or advertisement that relates to your ancestor. Check it out!

Newsletter Submissions

~Gary Schwarz, Editor

I wish to thank members who have submitted articles for publication in the newsletter. Please continue to submit your articles of genealogical interest. Submissions should be submitted by the Wednesday after the monthly meeting. The articles should be a text or MS Word attachment, emailed to the editor and have a Subject line: “SOCCGS Newsletter Article – article title or description”. If you have a typewriter hardcopy article, I will accept that too, but it may take a while to get it digitized to go into the newsletter.

Epitaph - “Children she had twenty-four. Thank the Lord there’ll be no more.”

-Helps genealogists identify families in census records.

Theodore Wilson Fowle

~from a story (biography) written by Anne Fowle his wife after 1976

As boy and as a young man, Theo, Theodore Wilson Fowle (1885-1976) was active in sports, tennis, skating, football, and had five brothers and two sisters.

He wished to have a son, expressing disappointment to his wife, Anne Eliza (Smith) Fowle (1892-1981) when their daughter Carolyn Elizabeth Fowle (1921-2011) was born, that they were not having a boy. Anne suggested that they agree to treat their child the same as if she were a boy, not emphasizing differences of sex, as so many foolish young mothers seemed to be doing. This decision worked well and was in harmony with what understanding persons were doing in the field of education. Girl’s camps let girls swim and go on long hikes. At Thetford, Vermont, they used to rent a house on the village street for the children and Anne during the summer, while Theo was going to Teachers College in New York. At one time, he urged Anne to go also; taking the children, but Anne thought Thetford better for them. Carolyn was a guest camper, doing camp activities, coming home for meals and sleep. Villagers were always welcome at such Camp doings as the Sunday-evening talks by “Chelibi” (Uncle Charles Wilson Farnsworth 1877-1930). Theo had been the swimming teacher at the girl’s camp Fairlee, summer 1908.

In later years, when Theo spoke of his experiences as camp swim instructor, a favorite story was this: He was teaching a group of young boys. Watching them, he stood near the end of the wharf and noticed bubbles rising to his left, where the boys were not supposed to be. He dove in and rescued a little boy, who would have drowned except for this quick action. It seems that the boy was timid and shy, did not want to go with the group, and so had chosen a place to go in alone! Theo was alert and saved him.

Theo had long been interested in Boy Scouts. He wanted to teach Anne the many ways to tie knots in a rope. In York (1922-1923), he was District Supervisor for Boy Scouts.

In 1937, visiting York, Pennsylvania and the High School, Theo wrote Anne that he wished for Carolyn to go to such a good place. He located a home to rent, carried beds there, made them up ready for occupancy. Theo went to York, PA originally in 1922 as a chemistry teacher at William Penn High School, according to his obituary.

When the family drove to York, Theo let them sit by the stove in a gas station that was open nights, so that they would not arrive in York before 8 A.M. They had breakfast at some eating-place, then on to the new house, where the daughters were quickly in bed and asleep!

Carolyn had had high grades at the Mount Pleasant High School, and played her father’s flute in the band, which marched out on the field at football games.

Additional background (added by Granddaughter - Barbara Taylor):

Theodore Wilson Fowle was one of 8 children of Rev. James Luther Fowle (1847-1917) and Carrie Palmer (Farnsworth) Fowle (1854-1917), who were part of, the “Turkey Fowles”, an American family who served as missionaries and teachers in Turkey going back to 1852, from the book, Descendants of George Fowle (1610 - 1682) of Charlestown, Massachusetts by Eugene Chalmers Fowle.

My grandfather returned to the United States in 1888 for a visit with his parents when he was 3 years old, documented in the George Fowle book and passenger ship records.

According to the 1900 census, when Theo was 15, he was living with his Aunt Emma Frances Fowle (1837-1912), as were his brothers Charles Warren Fowle (1882-1963) and Luther Richardson Fowle (1886-1973) in Woburn, Massachusetts, the family’s hometown. The census indicates that the 3 brothers arrived in the US in 1897 (when Theo was 12, Charles was 17 and Luther was 13). As far as I can tell, his aunt Emma was a school teacher who never married. His parents returned to the United States in 1907 for good, due to ill health after 33 years of service in Turkey, documented in the George Fowle book and passenger ship records.

Theo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1907, a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1912, a Master’s Degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York in 1916, and did post-graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Teachers College in New York and at Pennsylvania State College. He taught chemistry in colleges and high schools in China, Turkey and the United States, per his obituary.

After completing most of his higher education, when he was 28 years old (1913), my grandfather went to China for several years where he planned to travel and teach, from his stories [confirmed by passport and ship passenger records.] He was gifted in being able to speak several languages including Turkish, some Arabic, Chinese, Latin and German as well as English.

My grandparents married in Vermont on August 28, 1918, then went to Turkey in January 1919 [per marriage records, US Consul Records and passport files.]

Their first daughter, Carolyn (my mother) was born in Constantinople, Turkey in 1921 at Roberts College, where my grandfather was teaching at the time. Her sister, Eleanor Louise Fowle (1924-1955) was born in Detroit, Michigan after they returned to the US.

The home my grandparents built in Dover Pennsylvania (about 1939) was where I was born and they both lived until they died. They ordered the lumber and building materials according to a standard design plan and had the materials shipped to them in a railroad car that was delivered to their land. They built it as a single family home on 6 acres, designed with the idea they could raise their children there, or if they traveled or worked elsewhere, they could rent it out, which they did at times while Theo taught at different schools around the country. When they built the home originally, they added plumbing pipes and a window to a large master bedroom closet upstairs that later became their small kitchenette. When they retired, they converted the upstairs rooms (2 bedrooms, bath and attic) to a one-bedroom apartment for themselves and rented out the first floor to other families for supplemental income.

Computer Software - Documenting Digital Photographs (Images)
Documenting digital photos in “meta” data of jpg or tiff file types – No change to appearance of the photo image.

Windows

1. Right click anywhere on an open image or the file name.
2. Left click on “Properties” at the bottom of the menu box that opened up.
3. Choose the “Detail” tab on the “Properties Window”
4. Place your cursor under the “Value” header to the right of: “Title”, “Subject”, “Rating”, “Tags”, “Comments”, “Authors”, “Date Acquired”, or “Copyright”.
5. Left click in the box that appears.
6. Key your data into those boxes and then press the “OK” or “Apply” button.

Windows Notes

• When hovering the cursor arrow over the file name, a box will pop up showing the contents of the “Title”, “Rating”, and “Tags” boxes.
• In Windows 7, the same info will show up when the filename is highlighted, at the bottom of the Windows Explorer window. If the Explorer window is maximized the “Comments” show up too.
• A search of files in the folder will search the contents of the “Properties” boxes for the search arguments you supply and if found, will list the file.
• The metadata of .gif and .bmp file types doesn’t support user data i.e., this metadata method for image documentation won’t work for those file types.

January Meeting

Several of our own members gave presentations on various topics this month. The topics ranged from useful genealogy websites to computer gadgetry that can be helpful when collecting and storing research information. The presenters (in order) were: David Flint, Herb Abrams, Bill Bluett, Gary Schwarz, and Francie Kennedy. One guest introduced at the meeting was: Sheryl Cooley. The refreshments were provided by: Tina Murtha, Pat Christiansen and Chris Loffler.

Brick Walls & Genealogy Research Suggestions

Mary Jo McQueen reminded us that the 1940 Census will be available the public on April 2nd. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has a “countdown” clock on its website as well as informational links on how to start your research until the indexing of this census is complete.

David Flint tried out our new addition at the library. The British Newspaper Archive website had some items of interest for David as he browsed the collection. Check it out when you have a chance. The website collection is huge!

Historian Needed for SOCCGS!

Our current Historian, Barbara Wilgus, has served for over 6 years and needs to step down at his time. We need someone that would be interested in keeping up our Historian books with photos that are taken of guest speakers each month as well as any special events. Our October seminar and installation of new officers in December are two such examples. Barbara would be happy to fill you in regarding her duties and show you the books that she has keep up over the years. Also, the Historian attends our monthly Board meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM in the Mission Viejo Library. If anyone might be interested in helping our Society with this task, please call or e-mail Bill Bluett (President). Contact information is in the Board of Directors listing at the back of the newsletter.

History of the SOCCGS Logo

~Pat Weeks

Way back in January 1994 when our society was first formed, we needed to stay in touch with the surprisingly large group of people who had eagerly had signed up for membership. So, the newsletter was established in April of that year. After two editions, a need for a name came up, and the society invited members to give the newsletter a name. The incentive was a year’s subscription to the society. Our winner was Pat McCoy, who dubbed it “Saddleback Valley Trails”.

When the need for a logo came up, we ran another contest with the same enticing incentive. Member Ed Gill, a local artist, presented the winning logo. Look at your logo on the cover of your newsletter. It was meant to represent the Saddleback Valley expanse from Irvine to San Clemente. What better way to visualize the area than Saddleback Mountain, which can be seen from all over the region. The mission was to remind us of the beginnings of growth in the area. The trail running through the logo was to tie one end of the valley with the other, thus the name of the newsletter.

Ralphs Community Contribution Program

Jim Thordahl – Ways & Means Chairman

Thanks to SOCCGS supporters to this program, our treasury garnered $265.75 for the last quarter (SEP-OCT-NOV). Although the statement from Ralphs listed only 31 households who participated, this is a record amount. The participants were: Abrams, Barry, Crayne, Crowley, Dill, Dunk, Flint, Gahran, Harley, Inuye, Keyser, (a number only), Larsen, Luckman, Mauzey, Mc Queen, McGuigan, Murtha, Nash, Naylor, Penland, Poff, Reinhold, Ryu, Schwarz, Sheean, Taylor, Thordahl, White, Wilgus, Witte.

The number of participants is less than the average during the prior year. If you have not re-enrolled since August, it’s never too late. Pick up a “Scanbar letter” at the docent desk or at the next meeting or down load a copy from our website. Present it at checkout the next time you shop at Ralphs.” You may also enroll/re-enroll on-line at www.ralphs.com. Your participation in this program does not affect other Ralphs benefits you receive, such as “Ralphs Rewards Points.” If you have questions, call: (949)-492-5334 or e-mail: [email protected].

SOCCGS Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

~Pat Weeks

French-Canadian SIG, contact Pat Weeks, [email protected]

2011 Genealogy Events

February 11: Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society Seminar – Presenters Gina Philabert Ortega & Joel Weintraub

February 25: 29th Annual Whittier Area Genealogy Society All Day Seminar presents George Morgan – Whitter, California

March 10: North Orange County Genealogical Society All Day Seminar – presenting John Coletta – Yorba Linda, California


June 8–10: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree

June 14-17: 2012 American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Annual Convention, Portland, Oregon

July 18-22: 42nd Annual Germans from Russia Heritage Society International Convention, Bismarck, North Dakota

Surname List
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~casoccgs/

Members, please check your information on the SOCCGS Surname Website. If corrections and/or additions are necessary notify Herb at [email protected] or (949-581-6292). New and old members are encouraged to add information by sending an email to Herb listing surnames, locations and years being researched.

Those of you with smart phones, and have down loaded the QRReader or similar App, can use the bar code at left for quick access to the SOCCGS website.

South Orange County California Genealogical Society Membership/Renewal Application

 ( ) New   ( ) Renewal      ( ) Individual, $20/yr.      ( ) Joint Members, same address, $25/yr.
 
 Name(s)_________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 Address_________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 City_____________________________________ State_______ Zip _____________ Phone__________________
 
 Email address:__________________________________________________________________________________
 
 Make check payable to: SOCCGS
 Mail with application to: SOCCGS, P.O. Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA 92690