Conejo Valley Genealogical Society Program

PRIOR GENERAL MEETING PROGRAMS

CVGS general meeting program

getting the scoop from old newspapers

Guest Speaker: lisa louise cooke

Tuesday February 16, 2021, 6:30 pm

CVGS welcomes back Lisa Louise Cooke for another virtual program. You will learn what key family history information may be found in historical newspapers; how to identify newspapers that likely covered your ancestors; websites that have digitized collections of newspapers; Lisa's top search tips; cool tech tools and how to use Evernote in your newspaper research.

Lisa is the author of a variety of multi-media offerings including the Genealogy Gems Premium website subscription featuring her classes on video and the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast (ad free), and four books: The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Mobile Genealogy, and How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers (ebook). She's also has a great video series Google Earth for Genealogy.

In addition to Genealogy Gems, Lisa is the producer and host of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast, author of the Lisa’s Picks column in Family Tree Magazine, and a curriculum developer and instructor for Family Tree University.

Lisa’s offerings are not limited to online. She is a sought-after international genealogy speaker. Whether in person or online, Lisa strives to dig through the myriad of genealogy news, questions and resources to deliver the gems that can unlock each genealogist’s own family history treasure trove!

Lisa Louise Cooke found her passion for family history at her grandmother’s knee at the age of 8. She is now the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy and family history multi-media company founded in 2007. She is Producer and Host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, the popular online genealogy audio show available at www.GenealogyGems.com, on your smartphone’s native podcast app, and through the Genealogy Gems app available through Apple’s App Store (iOS) and the Google Play store (Android) Her podcast brings genealogy news, research strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists in 75 countries around the world, and recently celebrated 3 million downloads!

Family is not just a priority professionally. Lisa is a doting wife to Bill, the proud mom of three daughters, and has added the role of Grandma to her resume. She counts her blessings every day for the love, fulfillment and laughter that family brings to every aspect of her life.

This will be a Zoom presentation. A link will be provided to members. If you are a non-member and wish to attend, please send an email to
cvgsevents20@gmail.com for an invitation.

GENERAL MEETING JANUARY 2021

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021, 6:30 - 8:30

NAVIGATING THE SEVEN C’S OF GENEALOGY

GUEST SPEAKER: THOMAS MACENTEE

CVGS welcomes back Thomas MacEntee for another LIVE-virtual program. Whether you are new to genealogy or a long-time researcher, sometimes we tend to lose our way, or “fall down the rabbit hole.” Here is what Thomas asks and suggests we do about this. “Do genealogy “resolutions” really work? How about setting genealogy “goals” or “themes” instead? I’ve developed a list of seven “themes” to guide me this year and hopefully I can institute these as general “rules to do genealogy by” over the next few years. I think the themes cover most areas of concern for every family historian, whether you’ve been at this for some time or you are just getting started. Participants will learn how to focus on seven key areas in genealogy research: Clean, Collect, Curate, Create, Connect, Conserve and Continue.”

Register in advance for this meeting using the link you will find on the first page of The Genealogist for January. If you are not a member contact cvgsevents20@gmail.com for an invitation.

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General Meeting October 18, 2016

“WHO DNA THINK YOU ARE? A CASE STUDY SUPPORTING TRADITIONAL GENEALOGY WITH DNA"
(Speaker Don Worth)

We are pleased to again have Don Worth, our September Civil War Speaker. This month Don will switch gears and discuss a DNA case study. He will explain the three types of DNA tests, and will give us some of the basics of Autosomal testing. He is a retired Asst. Vice Chancellor of Administrative Information Systems at UCLA. He is currently the Ventura County Genealogical Society’s webmaster and chair of their technology special interest group. In addition, Don has programmed genetic genealogy applications such as the Autosomal DNA Segment Analyzer (ADSA).

DNA CASE STUDY HANDOUT - Download File

General Meeting September 20, 2016
“EXPERIENCING THE CIVIL WAR THROUGH YOUR ANCESTOR’S EYES”
presented by Don Worth)

"Pvt." Don Worth, who portrays a soldier from the 48th Regiment, Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry as a Civil War reenactor, will
explain how descendants can immerse themselves in their soldier ancestor's day-to-day experience during the War Between the
States through detailed research and by "living it" as a Civil War reenactor. Pvt. Worth will showcase the pieces of his uniform,
weapons and accoutrements and explain how they were used by Civil War soldiers.

Don Worth is a retired Asst. Vice Chancellor of Administrative Information Systems at UCLA and the Ventura County Genealogical Society's webmaster and chair of their technology special interest group. He is also an avid Civil War historian and reenactor and has programmed popular genetic genealogy applications such as the Autosomal DNA Segment Analyzer (ADSA)

General Meeting August 16, 2016

Annual Ice Social and a presentation
"Doing Background Research for Genealogy Television: It's not like it looks on TV!"
by Jean Wilcox Hibben

The evening began with our Annual Ice Cream Social! It was fun and interesting – no workshop, no brickwall strategies, just entertainment of a genealogical nature. The Society furnish ice cream. Members of the Board of Directors furnished the toppings.

After the Ice Cream Social, the speaker was Jean Wilcox Hibben who served as lead
researcher on the PBS television program Genealogy Roadshow in 2013.
Her topic was “Doing Background Research for Genealogy
Television: It’s Not Like It Looks On TV!"

General Meeting July 19, 2016

Caillte Agus Aimsigh - Lost and Found
Irish History and Records
speaker Barbara Randall

The myth is that Irish records don’t exist or are lost. The myth is not truth. History does have an impact on the records but Irish records do exist. Irish research relies on an understanding of historical events that impact how and where to find the records.
Barbara Randall presented at the NGS conference in Fort Lauderdale in May and at the Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank in June in addition to other lectures in southern California. She is a board member of the Southern California Genealogical Society and president of the British Isles Family History Society- USA. She is also editor of the BIFHS-USA Journal and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), National Genealogical Society (NGS), Genealogical Speakers Guild, International Society of Family History Writers & Editors, New England Historical Genealogical Society (NEHGS), New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) and other local societies. Barbara is a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) volunteer genealogist/consultant. She is a special education middle school teacher/coordinator with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

General Meeting June 21, 2016

A Research Trip to Our Own Library
Priscilla Pruitt, CVGS 1st VP and Program Chair

Our June 21st program takes us on a “trip” to our own impressive genealogy collection – just a few steps from the Community Room where we will gather for a few minutes before we move on to the Genealogy area. This will be a great opportunity to become better acquainted with our large collection of books, periodicals, and family genealogies, and have the added benefit of being able to call upon the expertise of several of our advanced researchers, or your neighbor! To start things off, our new CVGS Librarian, Karen Moore, and I will give you an overview of how the CVGS collection is organized. Our system does not rely on the Dewey Decimal System; it is organized primarily by state, geographical area, general genealogical reference, etc. In addition to visiting the stacks, you will have an opportunity to go on one of our dedicated computers with the guidance of our Website/IT Director, Peter Bueschen, to review the online subscriptions sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Library and our Society. Currently, Ancestry.com, Genealogy Connect, and NEHGS (American Ancestors) are offered, but the CVGS Board is currently reviewing several subscription sites that might be added to our list of member benefits, and we would like your input, so let us hear from you. Yes, we will return to the Community Room for refreshments! I hope to see many of you there, and this will be a great opportunity to demonstrate to the library administration that we value their support.

General Meeting May 17, 2016

"Genealogy as Detective Work" by Linda Serna

This program highlighted the skills used by both detectives and genealogists to solve mysteries and explored how to reason through a genealogical challenge by using the tools of a detective and using indirect evidence. It included specific examples as well as case studies showing how to find and put together information that at first seems elusive.

Linda has been involved with genealogy in researching and writing family stories for over 30 years. She was privileged to work as a genealogist for the first season of the PBS Genealogy Roadshow program. Currently, she is a member of the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (SCCAPG), the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA), the Polish Genealogical Society (PGS-CA), and the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America (GSHA-CA) and is a past Vice President of Programs for the Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS).

General Meeting April 19, 2016

"Using FamilySearch.org to Build Your Family Tree" by Jim Cyr

Jim Cyr first started researching on his family history in 2000 using FamilyTreeMaker 8, Rootsweb.com, books, and CDs. He joined CVGS at that time and was fortunate to be able to build upon the research written down by his grandmothers and grand-aunts. In 2012, Jim started indexing the 1940 census online at familysearch.org.

He now uses familysearch.org, other online sites, Roots Magic 7, and our CVGS library
books for his research.

General Meeting March 15, 2016

"FamilyTreeMaker - Pathways to the Future" by Dick Humphrey

Dick Humphrey, a long-time FTM user and acknowledged expert, will outline the potential changes to Family Tree Maker and review the options currently on the horizon.

On February 1, 2016, Ancestry announced that Family Tree Maker has been acquired by Software MacKiev. These are the folks who have worked with Ancestry for the last six years to produce the Mac version of Family Tree Maker. This company will develop, sell, and support Family Tree Maker in both the Windows and Mac versions. In addition, Ancestry has an agreement with RootsMagic to connect with Ancestry by the end of 2016.

During our program, Dick will discuss information about the software updates and new versions from Software MacKiev, and the ability to purchase new versions of FTM as they are released. Dick will also discuss your continued access to Ancestry Hints, searches, etc.

A comprehensive handout will be available to all attendees. We are getting some discs on the new FTM program from Software MacKiev that may be raffled off at the meeting.

General Meeting February 16, 2016

The Conejo Valley Genealogical Society cordially invites you, your family and friends to an Open House with featured speaker Dick Humphrey who will present "Getting Started With Genealogy."

Dick is the popular leader of the SCGS Family Tree Maker User Group and a presenter at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 SCGS Jamborees. Since retiring from teaching science and managing the IT department at Harvard-Westlake School, he creates family history projects such as large tree charts, video slide shows and photo-history books, and actively researches various family history sources.

Win a free 3-day pass to the 2016 SCGS Jamboree (in June 2016), a pass to our seminar (on March 12th), or one of many other prizes!!

Please plan on attending this informative meeting and bring friends who might be interested in joining CVGS!!!!

Download a Flyer

General Meeting January 19, 2016

Are you thinking of using your genealogy research to join a lineage society?

Using lineage guidelines, websites, handouts and experience, Registrar Sarah Steenberge and Librarian Sharon Martin will provide tips to help you. They will concentrate on the first three generations, qualifying your patriot's or ancestor's service and participating in Lineage Societies.

Sarah and Sharon are both members of the Conejo Valley Chapter NSDAR as well as various other lineage societies.

General Meeting December 8, 2015

"Annual Potluck Dinner" by All!

• Food: Bring your favorite potluck dish to serve 6-8 people. (Beverages, paper goods and flatware will be furnished.)
Please bring it just a tad early so we can start on time.

• Election and Installation of Officers and Presentation of the Helen Crise Honorary Life Membership.

• Table talk: this is the time to share something about the holidays that has a special
meaning for you.

General Meeting November 17, 2015

"Dispelling the Myths and Finding Your Family" by Linda Serna

This presentation debunks some common genealogical myths and suggest avenues to pursue instead. It also addresses through analysis and examples how to determine the people you add to your tree are really your people.

Linda has been involved with genealogy in researching and writing family stories for over 30 years. She was privileged to work as a genealogist for the first season of the PBS Genealogy Roadshow program. Her loves, in addition to public speaking, include history, writing, and traveling. She especially likes seeing how individual family stories fit in and make up the fabric of history.

General Meeting October 20, 2015

"The Ordeal of Rebecca Nurse" by Helen Wyers

Come join us for a different experience. Members of the audience will read a play by Helen Wyers entitled “The Ordeal of Rebecca Witch.” This is an ancestor of Ms. Wyers. She was accused of being a witch, and was hung in Salem, Massachusetts.

We plan to use up to thirty readers. If you are interested in reading a few lines, please contact Priscilla Pruitt (805) 390-8216.

Helen is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Colonial Dames of the XVII Century, Daughters of the Indian Wars, Associated Daughters of Early American Witches, National Society of Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Her aim in joining these heritage societies was to honor the ancestors who took chances in their lifetime and for the societies to preserve the documents proving her ancestors’ participation in that activity.

General Meeting September 15, 2015

Weaving the Research Quilt by Barbara Randall

Intertwine all of your research to weave the story of your ancestors. Learn how to use your information to piece the quilt together. The lives of your ancestors are not in the isolated, separate documents you've collected, but are in the whole of your research.

Barbara is a board member of the Southern California Genealogical Society and the British Isles Family History Society- USA. She is editor of the BIFHS-USA Journal. Barbara conducts workshops in the southern CA area. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), National Genealogical Society (NGS), Genealogical Speakers Guild, International Society of Family History Writers & Editors, New England Historical Genealogical Society (NEHGS), New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) and other local societies.

General Meeting August 18, 2015

Ice Cream Social and Brick Walls Workshop

Please note that in addition to continuing our tradition of providing our old-fashioned IceCream Social, we are going to focus on looking at our brick walls from a different point of view. However, one table will be devoted to Beginning Genealogy.

Please bring whatever information you have on the primary person, and their parents, siblings, or other relations. We will exchange this information with a fellow researcher, or gain a fresh perspective by consulting with one of our experienced genealogists. Sometimes, that fresh look from another will provide a breakthrough.

Please bring your laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.

General Meeting July 21, 2015

"French Canda and Beyond - Making the Jump from France to Canada to the US" by Suzy Goulet

Suzy was born and raised in Connecticut, relocating to California in 1969. She graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in business and was employed for 42 years as a manager in the Finance Group at the Rand Corporation.

Her interest in genealogy grew out of her love for traveling. In the early 70's, when planning another trip to Ireland she began to ask what county the family emigrated from in the 1800's. (County Cork - Baker, O'Keefe, Sheahan, Mulcahy)

She has also tracked her French-Canadian Goulet ancestors back to France in the late 1500s. And of course she has visited the church in France where her early ancestor Jacque Goulet was baptized. Other family names being researched are LaPointe, Lefebvre, Hebert and Landry. She travels frequently to Quebec, where her family has lived since 1647. Her motto is, "Wherever the Family has been, I should visit!". Suzy has done presentations on Researching French Canada, Canada, and New England, and on Migration from French Canada into various parts of the US. Other topics presented have been Family Reunions and Genealogy Tourism.

General Meeting June 16, 2015

"Migration Patterns of our Ancestors" by Georgine Herd

Have you ever wondered how your ancestors traveled across the United States after arriving from distant origins of the world? Travel was not easy. While our ancestors had fewer options for transportation than we enjoy today, they did not stay in the same place very long.

Migration patterns can often help solve genealogical problems. Learning about the commonly used migration trails in the localities where your ancestors resided can often help to determine their previous place of residence.

General Meeting May 19, 2015

"Family History - The Game is Afoot" by Dick Humphrey

Tales, inspiration, tips, strategies, discoveries, excitement, success and brick walls! Come and learn about the challenges and rewards of investigating and recording the individuals and events in your family history.

Dick will share insights, tips for the beginner as well as encouragement for more advanced researchers.

Some included topics:

• Basic check list of research sources
• Ancestry.com search form
• Genealogy software considerations
• Examples of free genealogy resources (Find A Grave, state indexes and archives, Family Search, Google, etc.)
• Organizing computer files
• Sleuthing projects
• Ideas for sharing

Dick is the leader of the Southern California Genealogical Society’s Family Tree Maker User Group, and a popular Jamboree speaker. In this talk, Dick says he wants to convey some of the joy and excitement of Family history research with anecdotes, basic strategies and organizational ideas

General Meeting April 21, 2015

"When Researching German Ancestry, History Matters" by Gordon Seyffert

General Meeting March 17, 2015

"What's New in Online Genealogy Research" by Jim Cyr, CVGS President

Jim will speak on the latest information on the following. Keep up to date – you don’t want to miss this meeting!!!

http://www.cyndislist.com/
http://blog.eogn.com/
http://www.gensoftreviews.com/
http://www.tamurajones.net/index.xhtml
http://www.genealogyintime.com
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com
http://familytreemaker.com/
http://www.rootsmagic.com/
http://www.rootstech.org
https://familysearch.org/
https://treeseek.com/ (Source Tracker)
https://www.findarecord.com/
http://www.findagrave.com/
http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/
http://www.ancestry.com/
Creating a GEDCOM
http://genealogy.com - http://genealogy.com/index_n.html
http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://familytreemaker.com/
http://alexanders.com/
http://www.genealogy.org/
http://www.familyhistory.com/

General Meeting February 17, 2015

How to Shoot Great Cemetery Pictures by Walter Sturrock

Walt is an artist and has been an instructor for 30+ years. He has illustrated six children’s books for Unicorn Publishing, Inc., the National Humane Society, and Walt Disney Publishing. He has taught painting, graphic design, and computer graphics in several schools and companies in New Jersey. He moved to California in 1995 when he started with Disney Animation on the movie “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” He worked there for 14 years as an instructor, Manager of Computer Training, and Technical Director. He currently works as a Webmaster, Instructor, and Technical Illustrator for a leading aerospace company.

He began his genealogy work five years ago as an offshoot to his love of history, photo restoration,and family. In an effort to make sense of the thousands of photos that his family was giving him to scan and restore, he created a comprehensive family tree and database that he could reference when identifying the 100,000+ photos in his collection. He is now “addicted” to genealogy research and has become the family historian.

General Meeting January 20, 2015

CVGS Open House!!!

Attention CVGS members!

The Conejo Valley Genealogical Society cordially invites you and your family and friends to an Open House.

Win a free 3-day pass to the 2015 SCGS Jamboree (in June 2015) in addition to more than twenty other prizes.

Please plan on attending this informative meeting and bring friends who might be interested in joining CVGS.

Download a Flyer

General Meeting December 9, 2014 (NOTE DAY CHANGE THIS MONTH)

Christmas Potluck and Installation of Officers

This month we celebrate the end of another year with our annual Christmass Potluck and Installation of Officers for 2015.
Note the day change and an earlier start time of 6 pm.

Join us and have a great time!

General Meeting November 18, 2014 (NOTE DAY CHANGE THIS MONTH)

DNA AND GENEALOGY: WHY, WHAT, WHO, WHEN, AND HOW! by TERI REYNOLDS

Teri has been working part-time on her family genealogy since 2002.
She has been fortunate to be able to build upon prior research by other family members.

However, there are still brick walls in her tree, including one very short branch, and several others almost as short. So she has turned to DNA analysis in conjunction with traditional genealogy research in an effort to extend those short branches further back.

General Meeting October 28, 2014 (NOTE DAY CHANGE THIS MONTH)

Fascinating First Ladies by Jim Neilson

Who was the First Lady who requested that “Hail to the Chief” be played routinely for all presidential entrances because she was concerned that her husband “was not an impressive figure, so some announcement was necessary to avoid the embarrassment of his entering a crowded room unnoticed?”

Jim Neilson presents interesting facts about our First Ladies. He is currently the past President of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library and has been an active docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum and Library for over 11 years. Jim is a former history teacher and served 29 years as a Special Agent of the FBI.

General Meeting September 23, 2014 (NOTE DAY CHANGE THIS MONTH)

German Research by Gordon Seyffert

Gordon Seyffert from the Immigrant Genealogical Society in Burbank will give a presentation focused on German Reseearch.

http://www.immigrantgensoc.org/

General Meeting August 19, 2014

Annual Member Workshop and Ice Cream Social

We will begin the evening with our annual Ice Cream Social. The Society will furnish the ice cream. Members of the Board of Directors will furnish the toppings.

Then we will have our workshop. This year, members will be able to choose between four areas of interest:
• Basic DNA and the three main DNA tests,
• Cloud Computing,
• What's new at Ancestry.com, FindaGrave.com, Treeseek.com and Familysearch.org
• Beginners

Please plan to arrive before 6:00 pm so that you can choose your area of interest before the tables fill up, and the ice cream is all gone!

WE WILL BE STARTING THE MEETING AT 6:00 PM
(Change from regular time)

General Meeting July 15, 2014

World War II - Return of the Dead by Bill Beigel

At the end of the war, the U.S. Congress launched a global initiative “The Return of the World War II Dead Program” beginning a massive effort to locate the “valiant dead” from across the globe and return them home for burial with honors.

In an engaging and informative presentation, Bill shares:

Process of locating and transporting our valiant dead
Emotional letters from next of kin
Methods of transport, handling, and honors for precious cargo
Text from the official government brochure sent to next of kin
Journeys of specific transport vessels
Magazine and newspaper articles and photo from the day
Modern-day repatriation stories
Stories from Bill’s personal research

This presentation includes a wealth of information about this program, unique in the entire world, and will be of interest to veterans, surviving family members and friends, historians, journalists, genealogical researchers, and students of all ages.

General Meeting May 20, 2014

Are Your Ancestors Playing Hide and Seek? by Barbara Randall

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Knowing states have good records does not make your ancestors any easier to find. There are strategies and sources to use when the obvious doesn’t work. Knowing how to widen the scope of your research and find the hidden repositories can bring your ancestors to life in many ways. This presentation concentrates on NY, CT, RI, VT and MA but the strategies apply to any state

General Meeting April 15, 2014

"Not in Plain Sight: Color Revelations in Civil War Images " by David Richardson

Every photo tells a story, one obvious and sometimes one not so obvious. This month, we will take a journey back to the Civil War and have a look at photographs that we have seen hundreds of times in history books and on TV. Now, with the help of full color images and high resolution negatives, we get to explore parts of our nation’s past that we may not have realized. Hiding within these images for the last 150 years was another world, one that tells a different story, one that allows us to connect to this earlier time.

David will share some of the bits of our past that have been uncovered in the hundreds of Civil War images that he has helped to restore and colorize. This remarkable journey will allow you to see not just a single image, but several. One that tells of the struggle our nation endured and at the same time the story of the individuals that lived it.

Spend some time with us as the past comes to life again for one night. Discover the secrets that have been locked in these images all this time. Who knows, you might encounter one of your ancestors or uncover that the life they led was filled with amazing detail that is only now being seen. We hope you can join us for this special look at our shared past.

General Meeting March 18, 2014

"Find A Grave for the Family Historian" by Dick Humphrey

Find A Grave (FAG) is an increasingly popular, free website listing millions of burials. Besides burial locations, FAG memorial pages may contain useful personal data and photographs of grave markers. For the genealogical researcher, Find A Grave can be a real gold mine.

Topics Dick will address in this presentation:

Understanding and evaluating the eleven elements of each FAG memorial page.
Tips for locating memorial pages and the organization of FAG records.
Becoming a Find A Grave contributor – why and how (it’s easy!).
Overview of contributor activities: create/edit memorial pages, upload photos and leave virtual flowers.
How to request grave photos and the transfer of memorial pages for maintenance.
Find A Grave contributor tools: cemetery lists and virtual cemeteries.
A method to incorporate FAG memorials in genealogy software like Family Tree Maker.
Example of an interesting FAG project linking together family memorial pages.

General Meeting February 18, 2014

"Computer Workshop" by ALL

Our August Brickwall Workshop was so successful that many members have asked if we could have another workshop. We
will be using the same basic format, but this time we will focus on learning to use some of the basic computer programs
and accessories. If you have a laptop, please bring it along with the charging cord.

Our target topics are: Printing, Scanning, SnagIt, Snipping Tool, Getting the Most out of Ancestry.com, Family Tree Maker. In addition, we will have a table for beginners

General Meeting January 21, 2014

"Putting the Color Back in Grandma's Cheeks" presented by David Richardson

Ready to transform your time-worn family photographs into a treasured addition to your family history? If you are like most of us, you probably have them in a shoebox in the back of the closet. Or maybe you have already scanned some of them on your computer. Either way, they probably are showing signs of age. Maybe faded a bit, torn, damaged over time, and probably in black and white.

How do you take these worn-out images and really make something of them? Often these are the only photos that exist of some of these people. Over time, they may not be in the best condition. If only it was possible to do something to fix the images and make them look like they did when they were new.

David Richardson, author of “Restoring and Tinting Vintage Images,” will take us through the process of how to digitize your old black and white photos, repair the damage, and then convert them to full color! Mr. Richardson has spent the last several years restoring and colorizing images of family members as well as museum collections. This is a process you can use with your own collection of family photos.

General Meeting December 10, 2013

Annual Potluck and Installation of Officers

• Food: Bring your favorite potluck dish to serve 6-8 people. (Beverages, paper goods and flatware will be furnished.) Please bring it just a tad early so we can start on time.
• Installation of Officers and Presentation of the Helen Crise Honorary Life Membership. There will also be several special presentations.
• Table talk: this is the time to share something about the holidays that has a special meaning for you.

General Meeting November 19, 2013

"Beyond the Passenger Lists" presented by Barbara Randall

Passenger lists are more than a list of names – if you know how to use them. What did your ancestors see and experience as they came to America? Who traveled with them?

Learn research strategies to add context to your ancestors and start you back across the pond.

General Meeting October 15, 2013

“WHICH WITCH IS WHICH IN THE FAMILY TREE" by Pat Harmon

Hunting for witches in Salem and elsewhere…who are you really related to?

Join us for a presentation and discussion on whether your ancestor was actually a practicing witch, or someone accused of, or involved with, witchcraft or witch hunting. It would definitely add a touch of interest to your family tree! Learn who is related in one way or another to those involved in the Salem Witch hysteria.

Did you know:
1,000 people were hanged as witches in England over a 200 year period.
26,000 accused witches were burned at the stake in Germany
3,000 to 5,000 accused witches were executed in 16th & 17th century Scotland

General Meeting September 17, 2013

"Creating a Photo Family History Book" by Richard Humphrey

Having retired from teaching science and overseeing the IT department at Harvard-Westlake School, Dick Humphrey currently creates family history projects such as large tree charts, video slide shows and photo-history books and is a 20-year user of Family Tree Maker. A member of the SCGS, he currently leads the Society’s Family Tree Maker User Group.

To date, Dick has completed seven photo-history book projects ranging from navy service to a baseball career and a gospel team in the midst of the Depression. These books weave story, images, historical background and genealogical reports into imaginative layouts that engage readers’ attention and provide understanding for future generations. As a former teacher, Dick is enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge and experiences with others.

In this presentation, Dick will share from experience his ideas for organizing a photo-history project and tips for generating content for pages, even from meager sources. He will also present the steps and techniques with PowerPoint he uses to create page images and upload for book printing with on-line services. Samples of all seven books will be available at the meeting to peruse.

General Meeting August 20, 2013

Annual Round Table and Ice Cream Social

Exposure, exposure! Ask anyone who has ever found an ancestor who has been in hiding. It is usually because they wrote, talked, or in some way communicated with someone, somewhere, that the answer was found.

This program is an opportunity for you to ask the BIG QUESTION – “How can I break down my brick wall?” We will have a different format this year – we’ll be breaking into small groups which will give a better opportunity for us to share and help each other – it promises to be exciting. Don’t miss it.

In addition, we will begin the evening with our annual Ice Cream Social. The Society will furnish the ice cream. Members of the Board of Directors will furnish the toppings.

General Meeting July 16, 2013

"Women in the Civil War" by Gena Philibert Ortega

This month’s program will examine the widespread contributions to the war effort by women on both sides.

Our guest speaker, Gina Philibert Ortega, is the author of over 100 articles that have been published in various genealogy magazines and newsletters. In addition, she is the author of "Putting the Pieces Together", and "Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra".

General Meeting June 18, 2013

"Chains, Poles, and Rods, OH MY!! by Georgine Herd

Forget about the metric system! Forget about the feet and yards! Did you know that a pole, rod and perch all measure the same? And that they all contain 25 links? Now the question is, how much is a link? And how many are in a chain? And how many chains are in a mile? You need to know this if you’re going to be figuring out how much land your ancestors owned and how to read their land records.

And where do you find the land records? That’s the main emphasis of this month’s meeting. Find out the difference between State-Land States and Public-Domain States and how land was distributed in early America. Come and wander around our wonderful country and locate where your ancestors lived. Their land records will help you in building their residential timelines.

General Meeting May 21, 2013

"GALE Genealogy Connect"

The library has taken a one-year on-line subscription to "Gale Genealogy Connect” which makes it easy for users to access genealogical content and discover the information most meaningful to their research. This month’s program will feature a West Coast trainer who will provide training on how to use this program which is a series of six categories available on-line to anyone holding a Thousand Oaks Library Card!

Getting Started -32 Titles
Essentials - 96 Titles
Colonial/Revolutionary - 190 TitlesImmigration - 162 titles
Royal & Noble - 43 titles
Native Americans - 65 titles

How-to-books and research guides
Industry standard reference works spanning topics and time periods
Source records, historical narratives, family histories
Passengers lists, directories, etc.
Pedigree charts, narratives, lineage records
Unique source materials, classic histories and standard works

“With Gale Genealogy Connect we are opening up a treasure chest of resources for current and future genealogists as this is the first time much of this information is available in an online, searchable database,” said Gerald Sawchuk, publisher for public library solutions at Gale. “Instead of spending countless hours scouring a book for mention of a family name, users can quickly search across multiple information sources, making the research experience much more efficient and exciting.”

General Meeting April 16, 2013

"Be Mine - Early American Marriage Customs" by Connie Moretti

This program addressed marriage customs in New England, the Middle Colonies, the South, and the Backwoods. Understanding the customs can help you understand what records may be available for the location.
Connie is the past President of the California Division and 2004-2006 Historian General of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and is a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

General Meeting March 19, 2013

"The New Family Tree" by Dr. Richard McBride, Director of the LA Family History Library

Dr. McBride introduced us to a new program, Family Tree, that FamilySearch.org feels will be a great tool for genealogists. The following information is an excerpt from FamilySearch.org:

    Work on Family Tree has been ongoing, with many new features coming soon. These new features include:

        The ability to use Family Tree on behalf of someone else (“Helper” mode)
        Additional features to reduce merging of non-duplicate records
        The migration from new.FamilySearch.org of individual and family notes as well as user-entered sources
        The ability to print pedigree charts, family group records, and other reports

General Meeting February 19, 2013

"Handwriting" by Sheila Lowe

Sheila Lowe began her study of handwriting in 1967. Now a court-qualified handwriting expert, her clientele includes corporate clients, mental health professionals, Offices of the Public Defender, attorneys and private investigators. Active in promoting professionalism in her field, she has served in a variety of capacities on the board of directors of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation.

She is often seen in the media and publishes The Vanguard, a periodical for handwriting professionals and serious
students. Sheila has authored numerous monographs and trains those interested in pursuing a career in graphology. She sponsors the nationally acclaimed Vanguard Conferences which are specifically designed to elevate the standards of handwriting professionals. Her company, Sheila Lowe & Associates, The Write Choice! serves a broad spectrum of clients in fields extending from staffing services to real estate, financial services, psychologists, private investigation, medical, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, automotive and others...

General Meeting Jan 15, 2013

"The Webbs of Iowa" by Kim Webb Toth-Tevek

Kim Webb Toth-Tevel has lived in Thousand Oaks since 1982. She is married to and works with her husband, Tas Toth-Tevel, a local Chiropractor. They are the parents of a son, Trevor, who is a senior at UCLA and an actor. Kim grew up in Iowa and Minnesota. When the newspaper from her father's hometown of Rolfe, Iowa went online back to 1897, she got hooked on family history and one thing lead to another....

Charles Morris Webb 1865-1935, Kim's great-grandfather, was a druggist in Rolfe, Iowa. He really helped transform a one-horse town into a thriving community. He documented the town and citizenry with a fascinating photo album which will be shown. Additionally, Charlie's grandmother's uncle was General Jacob Brown of the War of 1812 and founder of Brownsville, New York. A painting of General Brown's birthplace in Bucks County, Pennsylvania from about 1790 was inherited by Kim and will be shown during the presentation.

Kim also sings bass with a local chapter of Sweet Adelines, AHH! Chorus and she has an online dish store at www.DecorativeDishes.net.

General Meeting Dec 12, 2012

Annual Potluck and Installation of Officers

The annual potluck was held with a great selection of home-cooked dishes! The new 2013 officers were installed as well.

General Meeting Nov 20, 2012

"The Gift of Freedom" by Peter Wolf

Peter Wolf, a resident of Thousand Oaks since 1981, has not always had it so comfortable. He was born in Germany, near Leipzig and immigrated to America in 1961. He graduated from the University of Illinois where he studied physics and mathematics. He was employed as an engineer until 1985 after which he started his own business, first in a company he called Job Search and then in his current business “PhotoCrazy, Inc.” He married Teresa in 1976. They are now the parents of four children and grandparents to seven. A book authored by Paul W. Cooper, Because I Can: A True Story of Courage and Determination ©2004, is based on the inspiring story of Peter. It tells about life in Russian-occupied Germany, and then finally his new life in the United States of America and of his becoming a citizen – a proud moment. It seems appropriate that at this time when Thanksgiving is so much a part of our tradition that Peter Wolf’s story should be told and shared.
November was also our Annual Business Meeting in which elections for next year's officers will be held.

General Meeting Oct 16, 2012

"The Mourning After Death" by Shelly Foote

Shelly Foote was born in Ventura but spent 30 years working at her career at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. at the Historical Museum of American History, serving both as a curator of costumes but also, over the years, as the Assistant Chair in the Division of Social History. Now retired, she is busier than ever, volunteering at the Museum of Ventura County and serving on the Western Region Board of the Costume Society of America. Shelly became interested in mourning customs and costumes, partly because of the excellent collection at the Smithsonian, but also for the great demand for talks on the subject. She discovered that mourning customs are actually a lot more interesting than wedding customs. Her research has also made her a constant reader of women’s diaries to learn first hand the accounts of life in the 19th Century.

CVGS 33rd Anniversary

The society also celebrated it's 33rd anniversary during the October meeting! Here is a list of past presidents:

Mary Louis Chittenden
Robert W Formhals
Dee Rickards
Delores Pederson
Linda Hitchings
Emma Lee Price
Randi Berry
Charles Smith
Lois Burlo
Pat Halfhill
Daryl Reynolds
Gail Ireland
Ed Strait
Pat Thomas
Pat Griffin
Judy Hall
Pat Harmon

1979-1982
1982-1983
1984-1985
1986-1987
1988-1989
1990-1991
1992-1993
1994-1995
1996-1997
1998-1999
2000-2001
2002-2003
2004-2005
2006-2007
2008
2009
2010-2012

General Meeting Sept 18, 2012

"Dr. Beanes and the Star-Spangled Banner" by Daniel Slosberg

Introducing Dr. Beanes, otherwise known as Daniel Slosberg who portrays Dr. William Beanes, the Maryland physician whose troubles with the British military during the War of 1812 ultimately led Francis Scott Key to write our national song. Dr. Beanes and Mr.Slosberg tell the whole story of our National Anthem, from the origin of its melody in 1776, through its composition in 1814, to its ultimate adoption as our National Anthem over 100 years later. Daniel Slosberg has been involved in educational performances for more than 20 years, first as a teacher and musician with the Aman Folk Ensemble. After his retirement from the Aman group, he began his work at the Crossroads School in Santa Monica. He is well known for his portrayal of Pierre Cruzatte, a musician with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Daniel Slosberg will perform his one-man show. You will be entertained as well as
educated!

General Meeting on August 21, 2012

This meeting was the annual CVGS Round Table and Ice Cream Social. Members discussed their "Brick Walls" and enjoyed ice cream and toppings!

General Meeting on July 17, 2012

"Discover Family History in Online Newspapers" by Judy James

Judy Janes is past President of the Ventura County Genealogical Society where she still serves on the Executive Board. Judy is a third-generation Californian who has traced her family extensively through New York, New England, the South and California. She has used newspapers extensively in her genealogical research and has been richly rewarded.

Newspapers have been published in the United States of America for over 300 years. Digital online newspapers now provide a powerful tool to discover incredible details about our ancestors’lives that are provided by no other historical resource. While genealogists most commonly seek such items as births, marriages and deaths, newspapers also recorded social events, real estate transactions, probate court and legal notices, travel, lost animals and all of the other important events that took place in our ancestors’ day-to-day lives.

Each online digital newspaper collection requires a different search technique. Come learn how to find online collections and the tips and tricks needed to make a search for your ancestors successful.

Judy Janes Flyer

​CVGS general meeting program​getting the scoop from old newspapersGuest Speaker: lisa louise cooke​Tuesday February 16, 2021, 6:30 pm​

​General Meeting September 2020​