Happy New Year 2020! Hope to See You Soon!

Happy New Year! Typically December means no presentations for me since most societies take a break but now it's back to work and I'm on the road presenting to societies around Southern California and online. Here's what I am involved in this month.  

Presentations this Month

January 4, 2020. Orange County Genealogical Society
Topics: Steps to Better Newspaper Research and A Genealogist Visits the Library

January 14, 2020. Legacy Webinars (Click on link to register)
Topic: 10 Must-Have MyHeritage Databases


January 20, 2020. Sun City Genealogy Society
Topic: From Turtle Soup to Goulash: Tracing Your Family's Food History

January 29, 2020. Chula Vista Genealogical Society
Topic: Female Ancestors

Alaska 2020 Cruise

Do you want to join us for a cruise to Alaska in August? There's a great sale going on right now for our Princess Cruise. Get free gratuities, a beverage package and wifi! But once the cabins are sold, that's it and Princess could stop the sale before the anticipated February end date. So call Terri and talk to her about reserving your cabin (that deposit is also on sale!).Please note that you must book through Terri to be part of our group.

Oh, and if you'd rather go on our Mexico cruise in February 2021 featuring myself and Shannon Combs-Bennett talking about DNA. This sale works for that cruise as well. 

Legacy Webinars 2020

I'm honored to be a returning speaker for Legacy Webinars. My first webinar is this month but you can register to see all of my 2020 webinars free by going to my speaker page on the Legacy Webinars website. Also, check out the latest offering from Legacy, Tech Zone videos. These 10 minute or less videos are great how-to tutorials and are a benefit of Legacy webinar membership. 

Looking Forward To....

Is your society or library looking for a speaker? I speak all over Southern California but am also in the following states in 2020. Click on my Presentation List at the top of my blog for presentation titles.  Email me for details!

Arizona: April 13-20, 2020
Texas (Dallas/Denton area) : May 1-8, 2020
Utah: May 16-25, 2020
Northern California: July 11-24, 2020
Washington State: August 17-21, 2020
Missouri: August 31-September 6, 2020
Indiana: October 22-26, 2020

Looking Ahead to 2020

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment which granted women the constitutional right to vote. That means 2020 is a great time to focus on researching female ancestors.

Looking for a speaker to provide information on suffrage, women's history, or other topics that impacted our female ancestors? I'm traveling through various states and Canada speaking on these topics and would love to present to your group in person or virtually. Some of my presentation topics include the following:

Suffrage

A Genealogist's History of Suffrage
A condensed look at suffrage and what social history you need to know to tell the story of your female ancestor.

Voting: The Records Left Behind
What records exist to document a female ancestor in regards to voting? What records can you find online and in archives. We will discuss the history of suffrage in the United States and the records that exist. We will also discuss how not every female ancestor had the right to vote in 1920.

Female Ancestors

The Farmer Takes a Wife
“He was just a farmer” is a common lament but what about the farmer’s wife? Sources and material culture can help reconstruct her life. Learn about virtually unknown sources and repositories including the USDA Library, farm newspapers, and more. 


25 Tips for Researching Your Female Ancestors
Every year for Women’s History Month, I create 30 blog posts about researching female ancestors. Based on those articles, learn 25 tips that will help you identify, trace, and discover more about your female ancestors.

Wives, Widows, Spinsters, and Mistresses: Documenting Women’s Relationships
Details about women’s lives are found in examining their relationships. What records exist that document relationships to significant others? Learn what records exist that connect a woman to her husband, partner, or significant other, what information the records provide, as well as where these records can be found. 

Grandma was an Alien?! Marriage and Citizenship in 20th Century America 
Not too long ago, American women lost their citizenship when marrying non-citizens. While the 1920s saw changes to this law, women were still applying for their citizenship well into the 1970s. We’ll discuss marriage and women’s citizenship, as well as their repatriation. Examples from research at the National Archives and other repositories will help tell the story of these women’s lives. 

Her Name was Not Unknown:  Finding Female Ancestors
“What’s her maiden name?” “What happened to her after her husband died?” “How do I start researching my great-grandmother?” We’ve all felt the disappointment of seeing the word “unknown” to describe a female ancestor’s name. How do we go from “unknown” to finding a name?  This presentation will explain techniques, methodology, and resources vital to family history research. Enhance your research skills using a 5-step approach to researching (and finding) female ancestors.

The Secret Lives of Women: Research Female Ancestors Using the Sources They Left Behind
Why is finding a female ancestor so difficult? One reason is the way we research their lives. Successful research must combine familiar genealogical sources and the specific sources that women left behind. It is the sources that women authored or participated in that tell us their unique story.  In this lecture we look at the specific trail women left including signature quilts, community cookbooks, journals, and diaries.

I'm in the Book: Researching Women in Directories
City directories are great, but what other types of directories exist that can lead you to information about female ancestors? Surprisingly there are numerous kinds that include members of a church, community group, and membership organizations. Learn more about directories, what they contain and most importantly, where to find them.

Fabric, Cigars, and Murder: Reconstructing a Community of Women
Imagine finding a 1930s quilt top with the names of numerous women and, through genealogical research, uncovering a community. After I purchased a quilt top in Southern California, I started a research journey that led me to Indiana and a unique community of women and the records they left behind. 

Women in the Newspaper
Newspapers are the great equalizer and women are prominent in their pages. In this lecture we will discuss the types of articles women can be found in, as well as search-engine tips specific to researching women.

Researching Women: Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors
Community cookbooks, commonly known as fundraising cookbooks with the plastic comb binding, have been around since the Civil War. They serve as a “city directory” of women, with everything from names, residences, and in some cases familial relationships and photos. Learn more about community cookbooks and using them for your family history. Presentation includes community cookbooks and food.

Martha Proby and her Book: A Case Study of a 19th Century English Woman

Martha Proby, a spinster living in early 19th century England left behind a unique artifact, a commonplace book. The research done to uncover who Martha was, her community, her manuscript, and her modern-day family includes methodologies that can assist anyone researching a female ancestor. Beyond the same old same old, these techniques go beyond typical family history research.

Join Me In Roswell This Saturday

I'm leaving home and heading to Roswell, New Mexico for the Wilson-Cobb Genealogy and History Library Annual Workshop on November 16th.

We will be talking Genealogy by the Numbers with these presentations:

• 10 Reasons Why You Can't Find Your Ancestor
• 25 Websites to Find US Vital Records
• 10 Facts You Don't Know About the US Census
• 20 Places to Find a Maiden Name

Find more information on their website. Hope to see you there!

Did You #genchat #LadiesFirst?

Last Friday (April 13th), I had the honor of being a guest on #genchat. Have you participated in #genchat? GenChat is a Twitter chat that happens every other Friday night. Co-hosted by  @geneapleau & @leprchaunrabbit, a topic is discussed with questions being asked by the hosts and answers supplied by all in attendance. Because it is all text/images, and the information comes at a quick speed, it can take some getting use to. But the beauty of the chat is that you can use the GenChat hashtag (#genchat) to go back and read the chat at your convenience.

What can you expect to learn during #genchat? Everything from repository holdings, to helpful websites/collections, and tips from other researchers. It's an important service that is provided absolutely free.

If you want to participate in #genchat, you must have a Twitter account. Once you have an account (which is free), I recommend following the Twitter account @_genchat and the account of the two hosts listed above. And you can follow me (@genaortega).

Twitter is "cataloged" by hashtags (a pound sign and a word or words) so make sure to search on #genchat and #genealogy to find those tweets that can be beneficial to your research.

Courtesy of  @leprchaunrabbit.

Just to give you a flavor of what we discussed, here are some of my questions and tips. This is not everything I shared but it provides you an idea.

Thanks to everyone who participated in #genchat. I had a great time and hope you found it beneficial. Special thanks to the #genchat hosts (@geneapleau & @leprchaunrabbit)  who invited me to participate. 

Where You Can Find Me: October 2017

Gena Philibert-Ortega

The following places are where I'm speaking in person and virtually. Hope to see you there!

October 9 - 13, 2017. Family Tree University Workshop
Topic: Research Logs Made Easy

October 14, 2017. Genealogical Society of Riverside
Topic: Step away from the Computer...

October 18, 2017. Legacy Family Tree Webinars
Topic: The WPA: Sources for your Genealogy                                                    (virtual and free but requires advanced registration)

October 21, 2017. Contra Costa Genealogical Society
Topic: Fall Seminar: Finding Your Female Ancestors (requires paid registration),
This all-day seminar features four presentations on finding female ancestors. ALL presentations are new and have been updated/changed/enhanced from previous versions.

Until October 15, Legacy Family Tree Webinars is offering FREE access to some of their popular webinars including my 50 Websites Every Genealogist Should Know. Check it out and see it for FREE for this limited time.

Got a Genealogy Problem?

This week I'm answering questions for the Genealogy Problem-Solving Workshop via  Family Tree University.

This week-long event includes articles, videos, and 1:1 help from me! I'm looking forward to lots of  questions and helping researchers find their ancestors.

Feel free to join us. You can learn more at Family Tree University.

See You In August!: Gena's Schedule

I hope you are staying cool this very hot August. I'm speaking at various locations this month including online. Check it out!

Last month San Francisco, this month Southern California (c) 2006 Gena-Philibert-Ortega

August 16, 2016. Family Tree University
Webinar: Research Tips To Overcome Brick Walls 
*** Please note: This is an online webinar and does have a fee. Please see the Family Tree University website for details.

August 17, 2016. Genealogical Society of North Orange County California
Topic: That's New to Me: Unfamiliar Websites for Your Genealogy

August 20 , 2016.  Ventura County Genealogical Society
Topics: Step Away From the Computer: Using Archives, Academic Libraries and Museums for Your Research; Tackling a Research Project


Don't forget to check out my Legacy webinars. My latest recording is Researching Women: Community Cookbooks and What They Tell Us About Our Ancestors. I also have a series on Researching California and Researching Utah. That collection, a bonus feature for subscribers, will be added to later this month. You can also register for my October webinar on social history on the Legacy website.

Telling the Story of Mrs. E.G. Stetson on Saturday

Mrs. E.G. Stetson
Newspapers.com

Have you ever felt passionate about your research? Some researchers admit to "falling in love" with the subjects they research/write about who they've never met and are long dead. For me, I'm endlessly curious. I want to know more about my research subjects, what motivated them, and what their lives were like. I can't stop at names and dates, nor do I want to.

One day I went to an antique store and bought some letters thinking that I would use them for articles on some social history topic. But then I read those letters.

Join me this Saturday (May 7th) for my FREE webinar presentation for the Southern California Genealogical Society titled: Once Upon a Time at an Antique Store: Telling the Story of Mrs. E.G. Stetson.

The description for this webinar is:

Have you ever found photos or old documents at an antique store? The story behind some love letters I found in an antique store led me on a path I would have never imagined. Come learn more about finding and uncovering a story involving mistresses, divorce, art, the 1893 World’s Fair, and accusations of disloyalty to a nation during World War I. Fact is so much more fascinating than fiction.

This webinar is free but you must pre-register. For more information see the Southern California Genealogical Society blog.

Learn How To Find Your California Ancestors

I'm very excited to announce my latest webinars available from Legacy Family Tree. I'm proud to partner with Legacy to make available this series on researching in California. Legacy has a great library of webinars and really is a wonderful addition to your education plan. See the announcement below. 

Got ancestors in The Golden State? We'll help you find them! Announcing the first two classes in our California Research series:

• Researching in California - Libraries, Archives and Online
• To Live and Die in California: Researching Vital Records

We're working hard to give our webinar subscribers the educational classes they need to maximize their genealogical research! Both of these new classes are bonus webinars in the webinar library. The webinar previews are always free.

Researching in California - Libraries, Archives and Online

Have California ancestors? Where do you start looking? Trying to figure out what is available can be intimidating and time consuming. In this webinar we look at what you need to know to start your California research. We’ll explore repositories for research starting with archives, libraries, and museums and then cover genealogical and historical societies. We will continue our discussion by looking at what California collections are online. Knowing what is available will help you better understand where to look for that must-have record.

 

To Live and Die in California: Researching Vital Records

Birth, marriage, death, and a final resting place. These are all important events in documenting our ancestor’s life. California officially started recording BMD events in 1905 but what counties started the process earlier? What alternative sources exist for vital records when a government issued certificate is not available? Once you have documented the death of an ancestor, where do you find their final resting place? We will explore vital record recording in California and alternatives prior to official state recording. We will also explore other places to find information about your ancestor’s BMD event. Finally we will look at what types of cemeteries exist in California and where to find burial information.

 

 Not a member yet?

Legacy Family Tree Webinars provides genealogy education where-you-are through live and recorded online webinars and videos. Learn from the best instructors in genealogy including Thomas MacEntee, Judy Russell, J. Mark Lowe, Lisa Louise Cooke, Megan Smolenyak, Tom Jones, and many more. Learn at your convenience. On-demand classes are available 24 hours a day! All you need is a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.

Subscribe today and get access to this BONUS members-only webinar AND all of this:

• All 344 classes in the library (494 hours of quality genealogy education)
• 1,476 pages of instructors' handouts
• Chat logs from the live webinars
• Additional 5% off anything at FamilyTreeWebinars.com
• Chance for a bonus subscribers-only door prize during each live webinar
• Additional members-only webinars

It's just $49.95/year or $9.95/month.

Look at our lineup of speakers for 2016! All live webinars are free to watch.

Print the 2016 webinar brochure here.

Join me for the 2016 SCGS Jamboree Extension Series Webinars

I'm excited to have been invited to be a presenter for the 2016 SCGS Jamboree Extension Series Webinars. You can learn more about the webinars from the press release below. Sign up for the webinars you are interested in now. It's FREE! I will be presenting  Once Upon a Time at an Antique Store: Telling the Story of Mrs. E.G. Stetson on Saturday May 7th. You can register for this presentation here.

The Southern California Genealogical Society is proud to announce the 2016 schedule for the highly acclaimed, free Jamboree Extension Series Webinar program. SCGS offers an international online audience of genealogists and family historians educational webinars twice a month.

The 2016 series begins Saturday, January 2nd at 10:00 a.m. PST. This year's speakers include Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS; Diahan Southard; Gena Philibert-Ortega; Jean Wilcox Hibben, Ph.D., MA, CG; Dr. Michael Lacopo; Cyndi Ingle and many others presenting on a broad range of topics.

Whether you are a budding genealogist or a seasoned professional, the webinars offer a wide range of topics to build your skills. The Jamboree Extension Series has helped to fulfill the SCGS mission to "foster interest in family history and genealogy, preserve genealogical materials, and provide instruction in accepted and effective research techniques" since its inception in 2011.

All SCGS webinars are open to the public and free to attend. Webinars are offered the first Saturday (10:00 a.m. Pacific time) and third Wednesday (6:00 p.m. Pacific time) of each month.

Sign up (remember - it's FREE) by going to the SCGS website page with the 2016 Webinar Series information, http://tinyurl.com/2016-SCGS-Webinars. Click on the links to register for as many webinars as you'd like. A confirmation email will be sent, along with the link to attend the webinar.
You can attend the webinars on your computer, or smartphone. If you don't have an internet connection, you can even dial in by phone and listen to the session.

SCGS members never need to worry about missing a webinar. As a benefit of membership, SCGS members enjoy access to over 130 archived webinars and select Jamboree sessions to view at their convenience 24/7 on the SCGS website behind the member wall. Visit our membership web page for more information on this and other valuable membership benefits.

Download the 2016 Jamboree Extension Series Webinar flyer
<http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/media/2016webinar-handout.pdf>and share it with family, friends and neighbors today.

Join us for our first session on Saturday, January 2, 2016!

Discover Your Roots, Share Your Stories: The Alberta Genealogical Society Conference

I'm honored to have been asked to present at this year's Alberta Genealogical Society Conference. From April 18-19th presenters from the US and Canada will be sharing some great genealogy information.

Courtesy of Alberta Genealogical Society http://www.abgenealogy.ca/2015-ags-conference

I'll be presenting five topics at the conference:

• Finding your Genealogy in Digitized Books
• Banquet: Once Upon a Time at an Antique Store: Telling the Story of Mrs. E.G. Stetson
• Martha Proby and her Book: A Case Study of a 19th Century English Woman
• Five Lessons from Researching Genealogy Roadshow
• Step Away From the Computer: Using Archives, Academic Libraries, and Museums For Your Research

If you will be there, please introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you! For more information see the Society website.

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 on Saturday for Women in WWII

What are you doing on Saturday? Why not join me for a webinar hosted by the Southern California Genealogical Society?

I will be presenting on the topic of Women and WWII. The description for this webinar is:

Think your grandma was just a housewife? Historically war brought on new roles for women. Maybe she was a WAC; a WAVE; participated in the Women's Land Army or was a Gold Star Mother. We will look at women's activities during the War including those in the military and those who were left behind on the home front. We'll discuss women's occupations; volunteer groups and organizations. As we explore women's roles we will look at the documents that detail their activities and where they can be found.

I'm excited about this topic and hope you will consider joining me as we look at women and what their lives were like during the War and how you can research your female ancestor's life.

While this webinar is free, you must pre-register because seats are limited. See the SCGS website for more information. 

Family History Month Presentations

October is Family History Month and I have the pleasure of speaking to some groups this month about genealogy.

So if you're in the area, please stop by and say hi.

October 5, 2013. Palm Springs Genealogical Society

Topic: Step Away from the Computer

This society meets at the Palm Springs Library, one of my favorites. Gotta love a library that has a Koi pond in the middle of it.

October 16, 2013. Hi-Desert Genealogical Society

Topic: I LOVE Libraries!

October 19, 2013. Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego

Topics: Google and Using American Memory.

CGSSD is having a mini-fair for Family History Month. Spend the morning in presentations and then the afternoon researching at the University of California, San Diego Library.

October 26, 2013. Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society

Topic: Telling Your Family Story

And mark your calendars for a SCGS webinar on November 2nd.

November 2, 2013. Southern California Genealogical Society Webinar

Topic: World War II Women

What did you female family members do during World War II? We'll explore everything from work to community organizations and more. Prior registration is required to participate but it's free. Just see their website.

Where in the World: My Presentations for October

October is Family History Month and it provides me the opportunity to speak on my favorite topics. Please join me at one of the following presentations.

October 5-8 2012. American Quilt Study Guild Seminar.
Topic: Fabric, Cigars and Murder: Reconstructing a Community of Women

October 17, 2012. Hi-Desert Genealogical Society. Topic: Death Records

October 18, 2012. Utah Genealogical Association Virtual Meeting
Topic: The Secret Lives of Women. Research Female Ancestors Using the Sources They Left Behind.

October 28, 2012. French Canadian Heritage Society of California
Topic: Catholic Church Records

Where in the World: My Presentations for August

August started with some presentations at the Corona Family History Seminar, a great event put on by the Corona Genealogy Society. The month is still young and I have other presentations this month including one that everyone can attend.

August 15: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension Series. Topic: Women's Work.
This is going to be a great webinar. There's no doubt that tracing female ancestors can be difficult. We make a lot of assumptions about the lives of women, some of which may not be true. In this presentation we will look at the occupations, including volunteer work, women held in 19th century America and what records they left behind. Whether your ancestress was employed or not, the repositories and collections we discuss will help you research your female ancestor. Your ancestress was just a housewife? You might be surprised.

August 17: San Fernando Valley Genealogical Society. Topic: Elusive Genealogy Sources. Oh how I love talking about interesting seldom used sources. Hit a brick wall? Maybe some new sources will help you knock it down.

August 18: Ventura County Genealogical Society. Mini-Seminar: Social History Websites That Bring Your Family History to Life and Finding Images to Tell the Story of Your Ancestor. Come join us for some social history. Plus you can enjoy the beach afterwards!

What Was That Website?: The Links Page

From freedigitalphotos.net

While giving a presentation last week someone remarked that it would have been nice if I had listed all the websites that I referred to on the handout. That's a fair comment, but here's my dilemma. Oftentimes, speakers are asked to turn in handouts weeks and even months before a presentation. I know that at least for me, I am constantly adding to  presentations, sometimes up to the last minute. And in that tweaking I find new resources that I want to share. So then there's the decision, do I share only what's on the handout or do I provide all the tools that I think are useful to an audience? Because I want to leave participants with tools they can use,  I present what I have just discovered. My belief is that the handout is to augment the presentation. For me it's not a transcript of everything I will be presenting.

Also, because I think it's easier to click on a link rather than retype a website address I decided to go ahead and create a Links page on my blog. Does this page include every website I will ever mention in a presentation? No. But it does have the ones that I speak about in the majority of my presentations. I will be adding new links as I find them so this is not a "static" resource.

The Links page is here. It also can be found by clicking on the Links tab at the top of this blog.