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.
SOCCGS EVENTS
17 July 1999 "The 5 W's for Citing sources: Who, What, When,
Where and Why" will be the title of Barbara Renick's talk at this meeting.
Barbara will also address the issue of primary, secondary and tertiary
evidence in research.
21 August 1999 SOCCGS member, Bernard Keen, will present his "full" presentation on "How The Calendar Affects Genealogical Research." Bernard gave a shortened version of this lecture during our June meeting, and we all are anxious to learn more.
18 September 1999 Bud Miner will be our Guest Speaker and will talk on "How to Write Your Family History." Everyone attending this meeting will receive a copy of Mr. Miner's 7-page "Family History Questionnaire."
25 September 1999 Our second SOCCGS all-day seminar, "Your Family in History" will feature guest speakers, classes, prizes and fun, to be held at the Mission Viejo City Library.
16 October 1999 Barbara Renick will be our Guest Speaker once again. Her topic for this meeting will be "How Computers Are Changing Genealogical Research."
20 November 1999 Speaker to be announced.
18 December 1999 Instead of our regular meeting, we will have our Installation of Officers for the year 2000, followed by our Annual Holiday Party. Everyone is asked to bring his or her favorite "holiday treat", and beverages will be provided.
15 January 1999 Toni Perrone will once again be our Guest Speaker. In March 1999, Toni spoke on "General German Research." This time Toni will speak on "General Italian Research."
OTHER SOUTHERN CA EVENTS
4 July 1999 The Mission Viejo Street Fair - will include a booth
promoting the Orange County Register's Millenium Project. Look for it.
16 July 1999 There will be a free seminar held from 2-4 P. M. at the old Orange County Court House on "Writing Grants" which is sponsored by the CA Council for the Humanities. For information, call Felicia Harmer Kelley at (213) 623-5993.
7 August 1999 Joan Lowrey will present an on-line demonstration of "German Genealogy on the Internet" at the LDS San Diego State Center, 4195 Camino del Rio South, north entrance.
26-28 August 1999The 12th Annual British Isles Family History Society - USA Family History Seminar will be held in Los Angeles, featuring Colin Chapman on England and Wales, Paul Smart on Scotland, and Tony McCarthy on Ireland. For complete information call (310) 838-6085 or visit their web site, https://sites.rootsweb.com/~bifhsusa.
23-24 October 1999 The Orange County History Conference is scheduled
on this date, to be held at Cal State University at Fullerton. This year
the conference will be adding genealogy as part of their workshop program.
SOCCGS will have a table set up on Oct. 24th, and we will be inviting people
who inquire to visit our genealogical library in Mission Viejo on the 25th.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SPECIAL THANKS
SOCCGS has received a $100 donation from the PacifiCare Foundation
which represents an award given to their employee and our president, Judy
Deeter, for her volunteer service to the community. Thank you, Judy, for
naming SOCCGS as the recipient of this grant, and congratulations to you!
Thank you also to our members who participated in the program for the June meeting. Janet Franks spoke on "Heraldry"; Pat Weeks on "French Canadian Research"; John Smith on "GEDCOM files on the SOCCGS Surname List"; Shirley Fraser on "Periodicals in Libraries"; Bernard Keen on "The Calendar & Genealogy" which we will hear more on in August. All of these talks were very enlightening, and we thank all of these speakers for sharing their areas of expertise with us. Here are some questions for those of you who were not at the meeting. Answers are at the end of this newsletter.
1.Why is Sept. 2, 1752 important to American genealogists?
2.Why should we care about French Canadian Research here in the U.
S.?
3. What is Per. S. I.?
4. How is Irish Heraldry different?
5. What can John Smith do for you?
SAFARI PLANS
This month's Safari was planned for June 24th at the Orange Family
History Center. If you are interested in going on a Safari, you need to
contact Rich Faber, the Safari Leader, at (949) 364-0745 for information.
Remember, these Safaris are held on the 4th Wed. of the month, but are
not scheduled soon enough to be included in our newsletter.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
In planning your own research safaris, you need to know that the Family
History Center in Mission Viejo will be taking an early vacation this year.
They will be closed from June 26 to July 10.
In addition, if you are planning a research trip to the Carlsbad Library, you should be aware that there will be a temporary closing of that library, currently scheduled for a period of two months beginning the day after Labor Day. This shutdown is due to moving the main library to its newly constructed site at La Costa. The Genealogy and Local History Collection will remain at the current downtown site, which is to be renamed the Georgina Cole Library, and the facility at 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive will offer expanded space and improved equipment. Before planning a visit, we suggest you call the library at (619) 434-2870 or check for information posted on the NSDCGS Web site at http://www.compuology.com/nsdcgs.
SPECIAL EXHIBIT
There will be an exhibit opening on July 15th, at the museum in the
old Orange County Court House in Santa Ana, entitled "Overland - The California
Emigrant Trail of 1841-1870." Since two of the main trails for Spanish
immigration pass through Mission Viejo, this exhibit should be of particular
interest to residents of our area.
And speaking of trails, a group in San Diego is working to restore the old Highway 101 as an historical drive, similar to what has been done to restore Route 66. Since some parts of the highway no longer exist, corridors would be made to skirt these areas.
A NEW GROUP
A new group has formed, called "Friends of Family History", for the
purpose of coordinating all the libraries, history centers and genealogy
societies in Orange County, providing a combined calendar of events. The
officers are Barbara Renick, President; Beth Mc Carty, Corresponding Secretary;
and our own Judy Deeter, Recording Secretary. Their meetings will be held
the last Saturday of the month at 5 P.M. and will be open to the public.
MORE MILLENIUM
As we reported in the June newsletter, the ancestral search is being
encouraged by the White House Millenium Council with a project called "My
History Is America's History", sponsored by the National endowment for
the Humanities. We have been told that the kits, which include 21 ways
to commemorate the millenium, will be available after Thanksgiving and
further information can be obtained from NEH by calling (202) 606-8400
or from the NEH web page, http://www.neh.gov.
NEW ADDRESS ?
We are now requesting address return service on our newsletter. This
means, if you fail to notify us of your new address, you will still receive
the newsletter, but with postage due, and we will receive a bill for notifying
us of your new address. We don't want to be mailing repeatedly to the wrong
address, and we want to keep our membership files up to date, but keeping
us informed of any change of address (or phone #) would save us both time
and money.
LIBRARY NEWS
A reminder that the Mission Viejo Library will be closed July 3 &
4.
JUNE LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS
1. Genealogical Evidence by Noel C. Stevenson
2. Nexus, Vol. 16, #2, 1999
3. National Geographic Arlas of the World, 4th Edition
4. The Library, A Guide to the LDS Family History Library
5. The Vital Record Compendium
6. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy
7. Ohio Marriages
8. Marriages in the New River Valley, Virginia; Montgomery, Floyd,
Pulaski, & Giles Counties
9. Researching in Salt Lake City
10. Finding Your People in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
11. Cite Your Sources
12. Virginia Genealogical Research
13. Frederick County Marriages 1738-1850
14. The Handy Book for Genealogists, 7th Edition
15. Genealogical Surname Index - Whittier Area Genealogical Society
16. Family History & Genealogical Research Syllabus
17. Wherre to Write for Vital Records
18. Rand McNally Road Arlas & Major City Guide
19. Civil War Genealogy
20. History of Muskingum County, Ohio
21. Marriage Book No. 1, 1853-1931 City of Winchester, VA Marriage
Licenses
22. Hammond United States Atlas
23. Zanesville and Muskingum County Bicentennial Military Memorial
History
24. Handy Tips for Your Genealogical Research in Ohio
25. Glove Compartment Road Arlas
26. Writing the Family Narrative
27. The Muskingum River
28. The Zanesville Business Directory and City Guide
29. Atlas of Muskingum County, Ohio, 1973
30. Ancestors of American Presidents
31. The Pilgrim Fathers: The Journal of the Pilgrims in 1620, by George
B. Cheever
32. Tracing Family Trees in Eleven States by Members of the St. Louis
Genealogical Society
33. 1997 Missouri Historical Society Collector's Edition Calendar
34. Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert W. Barnes
35. Pictorial History of Springville & Mapleton (UT)
36. The Old El Toro Reader: A Guide to the Past by Joe Osterman
Thank you to the following people for their donations of the above books: Iris Graham, Margaret Axlund, Virginia McKinley, Frank Nolen, Pat Weeks, Rich Faber, SOCCGS and the Friends of the Library.
The 50/50 SOCCGS/Member Puchases for June
1. Abstracts of Obituaries in the Western Christian Advocate
2. American Ancestry by Thomas P. Hughes, Vols. 1 thru 12
3. Genealogical Data of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Co. of
Massachusetts 1638-1774
WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?
A question at the June meeting posed, what does it mean "to need a
license to keep an ordinary?" Do you know? If not, be sure to put your
donation in the penny basket so that our book committee can purchase a
handbook of old words & terms called, What Did They Mean by That?
FUNDRAISER
The drawing for the beautiful afghans donated by Mary Ellen Lytle will
not be held at the September All-Day Seminar, but will continue indefinitely
until $1000 has been raised. Mary Ellen reminds us that if each member
would take some tickets and collect donations from friends, we would reach
our goal quickly. We really need the new microfilm reader for our library,
so call Mary Ellen at 581-6852 for tickets: $1 each, 6 for $5.
CORRECTION
The March issue of the Trails contained the article "I Want" with the
author's name being unknown. It has been brought to our attention that
this article was written and copyrighted by Barbara Brown and first appeared
on the United States Internet Genealogical Society Web site. Pat Weeks
has offered our apology for the over-sight which we make officially again
here.
BOOK SEARCH
Questing Heirs Genealogical Society, Inc. in Long Beach offers a book
search source in their June newsletter, a Web site called "Hello Central"
- A bookfinder for genealogists, at .http://www.genealogy-books.com.
They say the site lists books alphabetically, is cross-referenced by regions
or states and is kept current on a daily basis.
GOOD NEWS FROM NARA
We are happy to learn, from Diane Nixon via Pat Weeks, that a decision
has been made to NOT move the National Archives from Laguna Niguel. This
is wonderful news!
Also, included in the Index to Microfilm in the Research Room of the
National Archives in Laguna Niguel, is a list of NEW PASSENGER LISTS, of
interest to people doing research on individuals who immigrated to Southern
California. These include the following:
1. Ventura, CA, 1929-1956, pub. A3363, cab. V4
2. San Ysidro (Tia Juana) CA, 1908-1952, M1767, V4
3. San Pedro, CA, 1930-1937 (Special Inquiry of Persons Held), M1852,
V4
4. San Pedro/Wilmington/Los Angeles, CA Index, 1907-1936, M1763, V4
5. San Pedro/Wilmington/LA, CA, Passenger Lists, June 29, 1907-June
30, 1948, M1764, V4
In addition, there is a microfilm #M1845 (cab. V12) on Headstone Records
which should help in finding graves of Union soldiers in the Civil War
and some 1812 Veterans, 1879-1903.
MORE WEB SITES
Jim Jessee in his "Jessee Family Newsletter" (No. 15, Aug 1999, p.30)
provides an interesting Web site for those researching in the Appalachia
area. It is called "A Melungeon Home Page", found at http:// http://www.melungeons.org/ .
For those of you who are not acquainted with the term "Melungeon", as I
was not, he explains that "Melungeons are people of mixed Native American,
African, and European ancestry, including English, Irish, Welsh, Spanish
or Portuguese (especially Sephardic Jews or Conversos escaping the Inquisition),
Arab, Moor, or even Turkish peoples, who already lived in the southern
Appalachians when our European ancestors arrived". . . . . Some "argue
that the Melungeons are a myth," while others maintain that "the Melungeon
people are very much part of the history of SW Virginia, North Carolina
and Tennessee." (I wonder if some could have been descendants of the people
of the first Virginia settlement who vanished?) "The mystery of the Melungeons
is further explored in the October and November issues of the Newsletter
of the International Internet Genealogical Society," at http://www.iigs.org/newsletter.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
1. Sept. 2, 1752 the Gregorian calendar was adopted in America, causing
11 days to be lost.
2. Early French fur traders occupied the vast territory from the East
Coast to Colorado and to the Gulf of Mexico, and were assimilated into
the American frontier and many American families.
3. Per.S.I. stands for Periodical Source Index. It lists genealogical
articles which can be ordered for a price either by mail or over the Internet.
Ask for order forms at the library.
4. An Irish coat of arms is not hereditary and may be used by anyone
of the same name.
5. To learn what John Smith can do for you, read the next paragraph.
NETWORKING
As we learned from John Smith, in his talk at the June meeting, we
have a most useful networking tool through the SOCCGS Surname List ,
which is a database he created just for our members. Any member can participate
in this database by submitting a GEDCOM file, of any length, for their
family history, and their surnames will appear in Soundex order. The database
can be accessed on the computers in our genealogy library, and can provide
"automatic" research by comparing your data with data of other members
and creating your own personal "match" report. Many members have already
learned they have ancestors in common, which offers an opportunity for
sharing data. In addition, with your permission only, your GEDCOM file
can be included on the Web, with names of living persons automatically
removed. You can access the Web site by a link from the SOCCGS Web site
or directly at http://www.savoury.net/soccgs.
For further information, send E-Mail to [email protected]
QUERIES - ARE WE "BARKING UP THE SAME TREE" ?
BOYD Need death dates of Henry BOYD of Lyon Co., KY (b. 1830),
and wife Virginia Elizabeth (SILLS) (b. 1839), m. 1855. "Lost" after 1860
Census. Beverly Long, 8-U Via Castilla, Laguna Woods, CA 92653. (949) 587-1149.
COOPER Looking for Michael COOPER (Krueper), (12/29/1783-2/24/1858), NY & Elizabeth STRAUT (1786), m. 4/14/1804. Any info. on Thos .JONES (1784), Pernath, Wales & Elizabeth "Gwen" THOMAS. Researching DALY, HOGAN, SMITH, JONES, McGUINN, MAHONEY, TYNE, DOWLING, MORAN "MARAIN", McGILLICUDDY. Cynthia Daly Ryan, 25025 Sunset Place East, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. (949) 770-3296.