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Saddleback Valley Trails
South Orange County California Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA. 92690
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 wishing to join. Yearly membership fees are $20 per calendar year for individuals, $25 for joint membership. SOCCGS is not affiliated with the LDS Family History Center.
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GENERAL MEETING APRIL 17, 2004
featuring Bob Spidell
“Searching Where Your Ancestors Lived ~ Without Leaving Home”
Most of our ancestors did not live in California! So, Mr. Spidell will reveal many ways to locate information that is buried in various places that many researchers may have overlooked. He will tell us how to dig up this information using creative thinking and techniques.
Mr. Spidell is a volunteer tour guide at the old Spanish Mission in San Juan Capistrano and is President of the Docent’s Society. He is on the California State University-Long Beach Alumni Association Board of Directors and on the Orange County California Genealogical Society Board of Directors. He occasionally teaches a genealogy computing class at the Laguna Niguel Senior Center.
He is a member of the Andover, Maine Historical Society; Bethel, Maine Historical Society; Maine Historical Society; Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants; New England Historic Genealogical Society; Orange County California Genealogical Society; San Juan Capistrano Historical Society; California Mission Studies Association; Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Bowers Museum of Cultural Art.
He became interested in family history in the mid-1990s and has traced his roots back to the Mayflower and beyond. At least ten of his ancestors were in the Revolutionary War, and at least four were in the War of 1812.
CALENDAR
May 15 - Dawn Thurston, “Write a Family History that Breathes Life into Lifeless Ancestors”
June 19 - Watch for future announcement
July 17 - Connie Moretti, “Learning to Love the Pre-1850 Censuses”
August 21 - Joan Rambo, “Getting the Most Out of Family History Centers”
September 11 - Garage Sale
September 18 - Nancy Huebotter, “Bringing Order Out of Chaos”
October 16 - Seminar - Bill Dollarhide and Leland Metzler
November 20 - Elaine Alexander, “How to Locate Naturalization Records”
SAFARI NEWS
On April 28 we are taking a break from travel and inviting members to research at our very own genealogy library right here in Mission Viejo. Docents will be available to assist in locating materials to aid in your search. We have over 2000 books and periodicals and over 250 cd’s. Surely there will be some bit of information waiting to be discovered! This will be a good time for those of you who may have been thinking about helping out at the library to get a personal tour, and guidance from an experienced docent. Please join us between 10 am and 5 pm.
GARAGE SALE 2004
Leon Smith, Ways and Means Chairman has announced that our annual garage sale will be held on Saturday, September 11. It is not too early to start cleaning out and saving your salable goodies. As in the past Leon will accept and/or pick up items beginning two weeks before the sale.
Heredity: People believe in it until their children act like fools.
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April 2004 Page 1
SOCCGS LIBRARY
Librarian, Janet Franks announced that Jamie Walker has volunteered to be a Friday afternoon docent. Jamie is a new member and we thank her for wasting no time getting involved in the workings of the society.
ONLINE GENEALOGY CLASS
Mark your calendars for April 25, 2004. Colleen Robledo, the Mission Viejo Library Technology Assistant will be conducting an Online Genealogy Class, with the assistance of Herb Abrams and myself. The class will be held in the Saddleback Room at the Civic Center across the parking lot from the library. Those of you who have attended our Seminars know exactly where the SR is located! The hours are 2-4 p.m. with additional time being allowed for questions and answers. The cost of registration is $5 per person, payable at the door. Sign-up information is available at the Docent Desk.
You may register online at: http://cmvl.org/compclasses.html
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following persons who recently joined our society:
Judy Freund - TRENCH, HOLLAND, CAREY, FEGAN, MCCORMICK in Minnesota & Ireland
Rosalie Carlini - GUMPL, LORBACH
Roger Bennett
John & Norma Keating
Linda Rogers
Edward Labahn
***Note: Surnames will be listed in an upcoming newsletter for any new member who wishes to share. Simply send an email to [email protected].
***Another note: 2004 membership lists will be available for members at the April meeting for the cost of thirty five cents each.
March Meeting
Over fifty members and guests enjoyed an informative presentation on German emigration given by Joan Lowrey. We learned of the different types of emigration sources and where to find the Hamburg Passenger Lists. There are a few copies of Joan’s handout available at our library for a small donation.
The following guests were introduced and gave surnames and places they are searching: Ruth Duncan, Ingeborg Greyson, Mary Greer, Marian Hatch, Linda Rogers, Martin Shira and Fred Peltz. We encourage them to join so that we may assist them in their research. Surnames being searched by new members are listed in the newsletter.
A CRACK IN THE WALL?
Some of you may remember that my major brick wall was being unable to find information on my paternal grandfather. Just today I may have begun to crumble the wall! I had long suspected that he came to Iowa on an Orphan Train from New York City. However, all research to date had shown no evidence of such. Confessions of an Office Supply Store Junkie
This morning I was looking for something to fill up this space in the newsletter and I decided that “Orphan Trains” would make interesting reading. I know some members have been researching along those lines.
More than a year ago I had searched the lists of orphan train riders to the Midwest with no luck in finding Grandpa Emrich.
Then today I learned a valuable lesson. Keep checking the Internet! New information is being listed every single day. The information I found, by typing “Orphan Trains” into Google, has been on that site since February 2003.
The “List of Orphan Train Riders to Iowa” at http://iagenweb.org/iaorphans/otr/otr.txt has a listing of children going to Iowa between 1872 and 1929. This morning I found HENRY EMRICH in Emmetsburg, Iowa, on the list! My family had always known that Henry lived in Aryshire, a small town near Emmetsburg, since he was a young man. But we never knew when or how he got to be there.
Where do I go from here? My email is on the way to the coordinators of the Internet Site “Placed Out In Iowa.” Hopefully someone there can help me.
Mary Jo McQueen
– George G. Morgan
I certainly believe in that concept, but perhaps another reason I enjoy the role of family history conservationist is that I love going to office supply stores. There are just so many interesting products to examine and consider that would help me in my genealogy work. I want to share some of the basics you will find there and some nifty items you might never have considered for your own work.
Basic Supplies - Acid-free, archival-safe storage materials are essential for preserving the unique items you obtain in the course of your work. The first thing you must consider is their archival quality. Always look for “archival safe” and “acid-free” on labels. If you don't see those statements, keep shopping. Let's examine the basic components of your family archive.
Binders - Not all binders are created equal, and the wrong choice of binder may actually damage its contents. Polypropylene is the manufacturing material of choice, and not cloth or ordinary vinyl. The best ones I have located, short of ordering from an archivists' supply company, are the Avery nonstick heavy-duty view binders. They are made of polypropylene, are durable and archival safe, and have interlocking rings so that pages do not fall out.
Sheet Protectors - Again, polypropylene is the material of choice. Sheet protectors will protect individual documents or small groups of them. Again, Avery offers nonstick, archival-safe versions, as do some other manufacturers.
File Folders and Hanging Files - When it comes to file storage, there has been a move toward the use of colorful polypropylene file folders, hanging files, project cases, and storage boxes. You will want to abandon the manila and press board file folders and boxes in favor of these archival-quality storage media, at least for your genealogy materials. I even use the colors to code the surnames I'm working with for quickly locating and accessing the files I want.
Printer Paper - Recycled paper may be less expensive for everyday work, but you should consider keeping a supply of acid-free paper for printing the e-mails, documents, and images that you intend to file with other materials. Recycled paper is not acid-free and can be harmful to other materials.
Photo Storage - Be watchful when considering photo storage supplies. Many photo and videotape storage boxes are not acid-free, so watch the labels carefully. Photo albums may be archival-safe, but be sure that the mountings you use are also safe. Almost every office supply store now carries scrapbooking supplies, and this is the area in which you can find just the right supplies.
Pens and Pencils - Archival-safe writing utensils have become more available in recent years. The scrapbooking supplies area usually has a good selection of these, and some of the pens and pencils in the “ordinary” area will be labeled archival-safe as well.
Mobile File Case - Pendaflex® has created a terrific product to take paperwork on the road for research. It comes with a polypropylene file case with a handle, like a briefcase, which also can be used as an expanding file or hung on a door. Inside are six different color polypropylene folders that cascade down for easy access. The file folders can be removed for individual use.
Plastic Paper clips - Colorful plastic paper clips add some fun to your work and avoid the possibility of rust or tarnish on your important document. You can even use them to color code different types of documents.
Maps and Atlases - We all use maps in our research. Buy laminated maps of the areas where your ancestors lived and fine-point dry erase marking pens to use in tracing their migrations and the places they lived. A contemporary road atlas makes an excellent home reference source.
Literature Organizer - If your genealogy work area is a jumble of all those papers for every surname you're researching, a literature organizer may be just the ticket. This is like the office mail station, with multiple boxes in which papers can be placed horizontally. You can use these non-archival quality items for temporary storage while waiting to file your documents.
Plastic Multi-Drawer Storing Systems - These storage units are wonderful for storing a variety of things, although not ideal for storing your genealogical documents. I have several of these on my office closet shelves in which I store printer cartridges, boxes of staples, blank CDs and disks, tape, labels, and other supplies. I have two others under my desk in which I store printer paper, my labeling machine, my postal scale, and other supplies. The drawers are all labeled with for easy identification of the contents.
Message Boards - Is your desk a mass of Post-It® notes? Do you make notes to yourself? I found a solution in the form of a small dry erase board. They come in many sizes, beginning at 8-1/2” x 11” and with different colored borders. There are even combination white board/cork bulletin board units, and some will accommodate magnets. I hung a small dry erase board in plain view on the wall beside the desk. I stick Post-It® notes there and make notes with different color fine point dry erase markers. This provided an immediate clutter-reliever in my office.
A visit to an office supply store is a great way to spend a couple of hours and a little money organizing your genealogical work and adding color and fun to your workspace.
(Along Those Lines, 3/5/2004 - Copyright 2004, MyFamily.com.)
Misers may be difficult to live with but they make great ancestors!
LIBRARY ADDITIONS - March 2004
SOCCGS Purchases:
Barbour Collection: Hartford 1735-1855; Windham 1692-1850; Waterbury 1686-1853; Sherman 1802-1850 & Simsbury 1670-1855 (one volume); Rocky Hill 1765-1854, Roxbury 1796-1835, Salem 1836-1853 & Salisbury 1741-1846 (one volume).
Donations:
Barbara Renner:
Great Register of Voters of San Diego County, 1866-1873; Census Records of San Diego County, 1850, 1852 & 1860; Land Records, Deed Index of San Diego County, 1850-1876
Thomas Cuthbert:
Ten books of genealogical information from Wisconsin counties; Listing of Inhabitants, York Co. PA, 1779 and Berks County, PA, 1767
Thomas W. Cooper: Records of New Amsterdam, Volumes One through Seven; Seventeen Volumes of New York Historical Society Abstracts of Wills
Judy Deeter:
Ohio: Clermont County 1870 Atlas & History; Clermont County Pioneers 1798-1812: Darke County Atlas 1875-1888; Lynn Clippings & Memories, 1812 Census
Alabama: Alabama Salt List, 1862
Maryland: Maryland Militia, War of 1812, Vol. 3 (Cecil & Hartford Counties)
Michigan: Military Records
Virginia: Colonial Militia, Vol. II
Names: Nicknames, Past and Present
African American: Black Courage 1775-1783, Black participation in the American Revolution
Family History: The Hutchinson Family from New Jersey to Clermont County; The Bankhead Family
Organizations: Roster of the Society of the Cincinnati
Military/Wars: Pennsylvania Soldiers of the Rev. War; Register of Invalid Pensions Rev. Service 1789; Minority Military Service, Massachusetts 1775-1783; Minority Military Service, Rhode Island 1775-1783
Ann Marie McCann: CD - Orphans in Ohio, 1870
Audrey Soll: Genealogical Atlas of Ireland; CD - Marriage Records IL, IN, KY, OH, TN
Friends of the Mission Viejo Library: (For the California Collection)
Bunker Hill, Los Angeles; El Molino Viejo; California; The Malibu; Jack Hiller’s Diary of the Powell Expeditions, 1871-1875; Life of Love ( Old Amphibian Airport, Catalina Island)
Unknown Donor:
Microfilms: Lancaster County, 1850 Census Rolls #787, 788, 789; Maine 1850 Census, Parts of Somerset and Washington Counties; North Carolina 1800 Census Anson - Lincoln Counties
Tennessee: East Tennessee Historical Society, Vols. 35, 37, 38, 39
North Carolina: Genealogy periodicals 1967-1968
Thank you to all who donate books and cds for our library. Your generosity is appreciated. Janet Franks, Librarian
GENEALOGY POX
Symptoms: Continual complaints about need for names, dates and places. Patient has a blank expression; sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except for feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses. Has compulsion to write letters; swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins and remote desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls; hides phone bills from spouse. Mumbles to self. Has strange far away look in eyes.
If you know someone who is suffering from this ailment, humor them.
~Author Unknown
THE WORLD WIDE WEB
ARIZONA. The State of Arizona has placed Birth and Death Records online: http://genealogy.az.gov
Arizona's laws state that birth certificates can become public after 75 years. Death certificates become public after 50 years. Therefore, most people born in Arizona will not be able to see their own birth records online. The site is easy to use. If a match is found is will most likely list the child’s full name, date and place of birth and both parents’ names. Thank you Arizona!
KENTUCKY. The KYGenWeb Project announces the latest addition to its Special Collections of research references -- the Kentucky Vital Records Project. This centralized collection of Kentucky birth, marriage, and death records, is now available in the first stages. Currently, the browse able index lists all of the deaths in the Kentucky Death Index (1911-1999). The volunteer team is in the process of adding digital images and transcriptions of actual death certificates, which will then be linked to the browse able index as they are added. Records for this project are a combination of researcher-contributed records and a coordinated extraction program. Plans are for the addition of birth records (pre-1894 unless proof of death is provided) starting about 15 April 2004 and marriage records starting about 1 June. As these records are added, they will also be linked to the index. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kvrp
NICKNAMES. A Listing of some 18th and 19th Century American Nicknames from the Connecticut State Library http://www.cslib.org/nickname.htm
FOOD. Ever wonder what the Vikings ate when they set off to explore the new world? Why do they call it "corned beef"? How did Thomas Jefferson make ice cream? What did the pioneers cook along the Oregon Trail? What goes in the Cornish Pasty? See "Food Timeline" created by the Morris County, New Jersey, Library for a fascinating look at food through the centuries, and some recipes. http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food.html
CULINARY HISTORY TIMELINE. Learn about social history, manners and menus. http://asiarecipe.com/culinary.html
NARA. Federal Military Pension Application Files through Order Online! You can now use your computer to request reproductions of Federal Military Pension Application Files and/or obtain initial reference services, useful for beginner genealogists. Order Online! accepts Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover.
http://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/start.swe?SWECmd=Start
LAND RECORDS. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/The site we genealogists use to access land records of our ancestors has been taken off the Internet once again. It seems that the Interior Department still has not fixed security holes that threaten payments owed to American Indians. There has been no notice as to how long this part of the site might be shut down. Keep checking the site if you are searching land records.
WHY DOES THE BARBER’S POLE HAVE RED AND WHITE STRIPES?
Before the 1700s, in addition to cutting hair, barbers throughout Europe pulled teeth, performed minor surgery and practiced bloodletting. During bloodletting, patients squeezed a pole to allow their blood to blow more freely. The pole was often panted red to mask the bloodstains.
At the end of the operation the pole was wrapped in the white bandages used during the operation and put outside the shop to air. As a result, a red and white pole became associated with barbershops and barber guilds adopted it as their trademark.
Later, a knob was added to the top of the pole to symbolize the basin that was used to collect blood during blood letting whipped shaving cream. In the United States, the color blue was added to the pole to match the flag’s colors.
(Source: Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things by Charles Panati.)
GENEALOGICAL EVENT CALENDAR April 13 - Free Genealogy Class begins at the Mission Viejo Family History Center, 949-364-2742
What do you mean my grandparents didn't have any kids!?!
April 16 - 2004 SCGS Jamboree & Resource Expo at the Westin Pasadena Hotel http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/
April 22-May 14 - Research and Sight see in Ireland with Nancy Bier. Information: http://www.timetraveltours.com
April 25 - Online Genealogy Class April 25; Saddleback Room, Mission Viejo Civic Center
May 19-22 - NGS Conference in Sacramento - http://www.ngsgenealogy.org Registration brochures are at the SOCCGS genealogy library
June 7-21 - Tour Wales, research your ancestors with Nancy Bier. Information: http://www.timetraveltours.com
June 20-27 - San Diego Genealogical Society trip to Salt Lake City <[email protected]>
NARA SPRING 2004 GENEALOGICAL WORKSHOPS
To reserve your space call (949) 360-2641, ext. 0. Cost is $7.50 per workshop, payable at the door.
April 14 - Naturalization & Immigration Records
April 20 - Preserving Your Family’s History
May 5 - Introduction to Military Records
All workshops begin at 9:30 a.m.
SURNAME SEARCHING THROUGH SOCCGS’ WEB SITE
Check out the website! Webmaster, Herb Abrams, has the Surname List, with updated information and email addresses of those who wish them listed, now ready for your perusal.
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~casoccgs/surnames.htm
LOAN APPLICATION
When a New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client he was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the Lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply (actual letter):
"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."
Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows (actual letter):
"Your letter regarding title in Case No. 189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 194 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased, by the U.S., from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Isabella. The good queen, Isabella, being pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus' expedition. Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana. God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back, to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it AND the FHA. I hope you at the FHA find God's original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?" The loan was approved.
(Thanks to Shirley Fraser)
Thrift is a great virtue.......in an ancestor.
TIPS FOR ONLINE RESEARCH
~Juliana Smith
As the editor of the Ancestry Daily News, I frequently see messages from readers looking for help with their online searches. So below are some tips that can help you get more from your online research.
Set Goals. While it can be fun to surf the Net, wandering through the maze of genealogical sites that have sprung up in the past few years, most of us don’t have the luxury of this much time to just roam about aimlessly. We want to make the most of the limited time we have to spend on our favorite hobby! So before you embark on your online journey, it is helpful to review your research and set some goals, just as you would if you were going to a library. With a deliberate focus to your search, you are more likely to see positive results.
Keep a Log. With the immense array of resources available online (and new sites going up every day) it can be difficult to keep track of where you have searched, when, and for what. Keeping a research log of sites visited, searches performed, and results can save much duplicated effort. With Web sites that are constantly being updated and/or added to, you may want to go back every so often to recheck them. Your log can tell you when you last checked a site. You can print out a research calendar at: http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/researchcal.htm
Include Full Citations with Your Finds. When you find a piece of information, be sure to include the full bibliographic citation. Include the original source of the data, name of the database, the URL of the site on which you found it, and the name of the site (very important in the online environment where URLs can change.) If you have performed a successful global search on Ancestry.com, you can find the bibliographic information by clicking on the "?" next to the name of the database, or by clicking on “More information about this database” at the bottom of the final results page. You will be grateful for this information down the road.
Follow Up Offline. While the Internet has put a wealth of information at our fingertips, traditional sources should not be overlooked. Most of the information online is considered secondary and needs to be verified with original or primary source documents, which will often contain even more information. The exception to this would be scanned original documents that have been posted online, but in these cases, the method of indexing these documents may contain errors, causing you to miss the document you search for.
Using Online Sources to Save Time with Offline Research. When you are planning a trip to an offline facility, check to see if the catalog is available online. This can save you valuable research time in the facility, which you would otherwise have to spend sitting at the catalog at the repository and which could be better spent doing actual research.
(Ancestry Daily News, Myfamily.com 6/29/2000)
I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow
it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.
— Eleanor Roosevelt
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South Orange County California Genealogical Society
Membership/Renewal Application
( ) New ( ) Renewal ( ) Individual, $20/yr ( ) Jt. Members, same address $25/yr
Name(s) _______________________________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________ State_____Zip____________Phone ____________________
Email address:__________________________________________________________________________
Make check payable to: SOCCGS Check No. __________________
Mail with application to: SOCCGS, P.O. Box 4513, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-4513
Date Rec'd__________________
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