Going to Jamboree

It's time for the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. I've written about Jamboree for the GenealogyBank blog including information for how to attend Jamboree from home.

Here's what I will be speaking on during the conference.

FR000E Friday June 6, 9:45 a.m.-10:45a.m.
10 Tips for Finding Newsletter Content
You have just been asked to edit your society newsletter, now what? Writing and editing a society newsletter is a vital job in the overall health of a society. The newsletter's mission can be a complex one including; informing members, potential members and non-members or upcoming events and projects, exposing members to new genealogical methods, research, websites and technology, providing a place where members can pass along information and get assistance and perhaps even a vehicle for some fundraising. With all that a society newsletter can be, it can feel like an overwhelming job that never ends. Whether you are a new newsletter editor or have been doing it awhile and need some new ideas, the ideas in this session will make your newsletter a must read and most importantly make your job much easier.

SA030 Saturday June 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Journals, Store Ledgers and Letters to Aunt Mary: Using Manuscript Collections
Manuscript collections are an overlooked resource in genealogy. Housed in archives, museums and libraries, manuscript collections can provide you with genealogical gems often overlooked when researching solely online. In this presentation we will look at what manuscript collections include and how to find them.

SA009 Saturday June 7, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Using America’s Ethnic Newspapers to Find and Document Your Family
Typically, when we consider newspaper research we narrow ourselves to a city newspaper that served our ancestor’s hometown. But the reality is that there could be multiple newspapers that reported on an area. In a large city, finding a mention of a person can be difficult at best. Ethnic communities often had their own newspapers. Because of possible prejudices, you may have a better chance at finding an ancestor in an ethnic newspaper than a general area newspaper. Join me as we discuss what treasures ethnic newspapers hold and how you can find them on GenealogyBank.

SU002 Sunday June 8, 7:00-8:30 a.m. - Scholarship Breakfast
Of Elephants, Gold, and Dashed Dreams: Researching the California Gold Rush
Did your ancestor come to California seeking their riches in gold? Maybe they came to make money off those with golden dreams. Whether your ancestor was a miner, a merchant or somewhere in between their story can be found in the social history and records.

SU021 Sunday June 8, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
GenealogyBank - Inside and Out
Everything you need to know about GenealogyBank.com
See practical examples of the genealogical information contained in newspapers. Learn about this extensive U.S. newspaper archive with more than 6,500 newspapers from all 50 states, spanning the years 1690 to today.

I hope to see you at Jamboree.

Church Record Sunday: Memorial Day 2014 Edition

Photo courtesy of Gary W. Clark. Used with permission.

One of the benefits of friends knowing you are interested in ephemera is that they send you interesting pieces to research. Today's Church Record Sunday is a copy of Strength for Service to God and Country. Daily Devotional Messages for Those in the Services. Edited by Chaplain Norman E. Nygaard (1942).

Photo courtesy of Gary W. Clark. Used with permission.

On first glance, I was focusing on the presentation page, thinking about researching the names inscribed.

Photo courtesy of Gary W. Clark. Used with permission.

Notice the comment at the bottom of this page, warning the reader not to include any identification about their unit or where the soldier or sailor is serving.

It was after taking a closer look at this book I realized that a name, church name and place were listed at the bottom of each devotional page. According to a history found on The United Methodist Church Global Ministries page, "In early 1942, the Methodist Publishing House wanted to provide devotional material for soldiers and sailors departing U.S. soil for battles across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They asked Army Chaplain Norman Nygaard to recruit 365 church leaders to write one-page devotions..."

Photo courtesy of Gary W. Clark. Used with permission.

Here's a look at some of those names from this book, starting with the month of January:

James E. Freeman, Bishop of Washington, D.C., Episcopal
T. Roland Philips, Arlington Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Md.
Henry H. Crane, Central Methodist Church, Detroit, Mich.
Victor M. Rhein, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Oak Park, Ill.
Bernard Iddings Bell, St. John’s Cathedral, Episcopal, Providence, R. I.
Karl P. Buswell, Chaplain, U.S. Naval Reserve
C. Gordon Brownville, Tremont Temple Baptist Church, Boston, Mass.
Oliver J Hart, Bishop Coadjutor of Pennsylvania, Episcopal on leave as Chaplain, Fort Dix, N. J.
Arthur Braden, Wilshire Christian Church, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jacob J. Sessler, First Reformed Church, College Point, N.Y.
Joseph Marquis Ewing, First Presbyterian Church, Fresno, Calif.
Cleland B. McAfee, Noted Bible Teacher, Former Moderator, Presbyterian General Assembly
Daniel A. Poling, Baptist Temple, Philadelphia, Pa.
Samuel W. Marble, Trinity Methodist Church, Denver, Colo.
Howard P. Powell, Dilworth Methodist Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Francis Shunk Downs, First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, Calif.
John Curry Walker, Second Congregational Church, Waterbury, Conn.
E. C. McCown, Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.
William E Brooks, First Presbyterian Church, Morgantown, W. Va.
Paul Calhoun, First Presbyterian Church, Spokane, Wash.
Roy L. Minich, First Church in Malden, Malden, Mass.
Charles Gerlinger, First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls, S.D.
O. James Sowell, University Place Christian Church, Oklahoma City
George R. Davis, First Christian Church, Chickasha, Okla.
J. George Dorn, Hollywood Lutheran Church, Hollywood, Calif.
George Hunter Hall, First United Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, Calif.
George M. Gibson, United Church of Hyde Park, Chicago
John Newton Garst, First Baptist Church, Schenectady, N. Y.
Willsie Martin, Wilshire Methodist Church, Los Angeles, Calif.
Wendell L. Miller, University Methodist Church, Los Angeles
Thomas R. Niven, First Presbyterian Church, Omaha, Neb.

Looking through newspapers by searching on the name of Norman E. Nygaard I found another mention of this book and the assertion that it was used by a million and a half soldiers and sailors in World War II. This newspaper clipping is from Newspapers.com and promotes a presentation Nygaard was giving in Southern California. (Click on the link for an enlarged view of the article.)



The legacy of this book continues on today. An Eagle Scout, Evan Hunsberger decided to make it his project to get the book republished after finding his grandfather's copy from World War II. You can read more about Evan's project and the new revised edition on the website Strength for Service.

Did your World War II or Korean War era soldier carry Strength for Service? Was your minister family member one that contributed a devotional to this book?

May Presentations

Looking for something to do this month? Check out my presentations in Southern California and online. I hope to see you at one!

May 10, 2014. San Diego Genealogical Society
Topic: Read All About It: Newspaper Research/Hit the Books!: Digitized Books

May 12, 2014. Sun City, Palm Desert
Topic: Read All About It: Newspaper Research

May 21, 2014. Southern California Genealogical Society Webinar (FREE)
Topic: Cost Cutting Measures to Help you Do More Genealogy

May 22, 2014. Family Tree University Webinar
Topic: Making MyHeritage Work for You

May 27, 2014. North San Diego County Genealogical Society
Topic: Cemetery Research

Join me for Breakfast! Jamboree Style

Going to the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree? Like to eat breakfast? (You know you need to eat breakfast at least once while you are there.) So why not join me for Of Elephants, Gold, and Dashed Dreams: Researching the California Gold Rush, the Scholarship Award Breakfast on Sunday, June 8th.

Official announcement of Jamboree breakfast including a joke those Jamboree folks played on me.

Sure there's going to be the traditional breakfast foods; eggs, fruit, "assorted herbal infusions," sausage or bacon (heck, consider it an all-you-can-eat bacon bar) but more importantly it supports a cause, the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant founded by my friend the Family Curator, Denise Levenick, and honoring her mom. I believe in this grant and am honored that I will be providing the presentation for this award breakfast.

So sure, come and eat lots of bacon with me but also come to support the winner of this year's grant, tell Denise thank you for giving this grant, and thank the Jamboree folks for supporting it. It's through opportunities like this award that we support the continued love of family history in the next generation.

To sign up for the breakfast, see the Jamboree website. There is a limit to how many people they will provide all-you-can-eat bacon too, so please hurry and register.

See you at the breakfast!

Happy Easter 2014!

Telling HerStory 2014: Tracing Your Female Ancestors

The Book:

Tracing Your Female Ancestors (A special publication from Internet Genealogy and Family Chronicle magazine.)

What's it about:

From the Internet Genealogy website: "Internet Genealogy and Family Chronicle are pleased to present Tracing Your Female Ancestors, a new, 68-page special issue compiled by Gena Philibert-Ortega, a regular contributor Family Chronicle and Internet Genealogy, and the author of From the Family Kitchen: Discover Your Food Heritage and Preserve Favorite Recipes. Gena provides readers with a comprehensive collection of tips and strategies for locating female ancestors in a variety of different sources — both common and not-so-common."

Why you should read it:

This magazine provides an overall look at tracing your female ancestor. Resources, ideas and methodology can be found in this magazine. (Please forgive the blatant self-promotion.)


Additional resources:

• Tracing Your Female Ancestors

Telling HerStory 2014 Meets Church Record Sunday: Relief Society Magazine

Amazon.com

The Book:

A Legacy Remembered: The Relief Society Magazine, 1914-1970 

What's it about:

The Relief Society Magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).


Why you should read it:

I've blogged about The Relief Society Magazine before and what a great resource it is for finding names and images of 20th century Mormon women. This book includes selections from the magazine. I would also highly recommend checking out the online digitized copies of the magazine. Links can be found at my previous article.


Additional resources:

• Church Record Sunday Meets Women's History Month 2013: Relief Society Magazine