Stay at home orders are now expected to be lifted on Independence Day (July 4th) but could change at any time. Because of this new date, we will not have a meeting in June. It is also possible that our July meeting may be too soon to meet.
When we meet again, I hope to hear about all your ancestor findings and brick walls that have toppled.
If you have any questions, concerns, ideas or suggestions, please let me know. You can find my contact information in the member directory.
Stay at home orders are expected to be lifted on May 15th but could change at any time. Social distancing is still being asked of us so for this reason, we are cancelling our May meeting. If the rules for gatherings of ten or more is lifted, we may be able to have our June meeting.
Since many of you have stayed home for over five weeks now and your genealogy is completed (laugh), here are a few suggestions to fill your idle time and be helpful to the community.
Unclaimed Persons is a group of volunteers who research collaboratively to help locate next of kin of unclaimed persons in the county coroner’s offices across the United States. To learn more, check out: https://unclaimed- persons.org/
I have helped with both of these groups and it has been a rewarding experience. The more indexed records there are, the easier our own genealogy research becomes. Contributing to giving closure to a family of a deceased person is also rewarding. Many of these unclaimed persons are veterans and many have been estranged from their families for many years.
If you have any questions, concerns, ideas or suggestions, please let me know. You can find my contact information in the member directory.
In the wake of the COVID-19 virus epidemic, we will be canceling our April meeting. Since news of the virus seems to change on a daily basis, we will leave the option open for having our May meeting. If the social distancing guidelines are still in place at that time, we will cancel again and hope to be able to gather together in June. Please stay safe.
In the meantime, let’s take this time to work on our genealogy. Scan your photos and put into your computer or online programs, read books that seem to stay on the shelves and learn a new technique thru a webinar or You Tube.
If you have any questions, concerns, ideas or suggestions, please let me know. You can find my contact information in the member directory.
Dear Questing Heirs members and friends, due to recommendations for group meetings during the COVID-19 virus situation, the March 15th QHGS meeting has been cancelled. We hope to see you again soon.
Please join us on Sunday, March 15 as Jean Wilcox Hibben returns to give two presentations, Dead Language/Dead People: Translating Latin Records from the Catholic Church and Is Your Brick Wall Topped by Barbed Wire? Researching Ancestral Prisoners.
About the Presentations
Dead Language/Dead People: Translating Latin Records from the Catholic Church
Latin has been the traditional language used for the records of the Catholic Church. Focusing on records written
before the early 1900s, this lecture looks at how to decipher the basic terms and identify the types of records
found. Using examples from German Catholic Churches in Germany and the United States, I will help the
researcher discover how to find needed information on baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Because the examples
come from German research, it is advisable to determine if the prospective audience has origins in that
country. Although Latin records are also used in other locales and there is bound to be a relationship between
the Latin examples given here and the records found in other areas (Italy, Mexico, etc.), the uniqueness of Gothic
German handwriting makes this presentation most helpful for those who are working on records from that
country.
Is Your Brick Wall Topped by Barbed Wire? Researching Ancestral Prisoners
Get a glimpse into the past, the issues of housing scofflaws, and the changes made over time (mostly in America).
Examples of criminals ranging from people being in the wrong place at the wrong time to hardened convicts who
either could not stay OUT of jail or who, once in prison, never left; these case studies will help audience members
see the issues of finding prisoner ancestors. If your forebear seemed to disappear, could it be that he (or she) had
slipped onto the wrong side of the law? Learn what types of records might help reveal these realities.
About Jean Wilcox Hibben
Jean Wilcox Hibben; PhD, MA (DBA Circlemending), has been involved in family research for over 40 years. A former Board Certified genealogist, she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the National Genealogical Society (NGS), and is or has been on the following Boards: the California State Genealogical Alliance (now disbanded), the Genealogical Speakers Guild, the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, the So. Calif. Chapter of the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists (current President and past APG board member), and the Corona Genealogical Society (former president & current 1st VP and webmaster). She writes the “Ask Aunty Jeff” column for the Jefferson County, NY, Genealogical Society Informer and maintains her own website with information about her presentations, CDs, articles, projects, etc.: www.circlemending.org.
Jean is associated with the Corona California Family History Center (former director, current staff trainer); she
was the lead researcher for the 2013 Season of the PBS television program Genealogy Roadshow and did research
for Follow Your Past, appearing on Travel Channel in 2016. A native of the Chicago suburbs and retired college
speech professor, she holds a master’s degree in speech communication and doctorate in folklore. Jean is a national
speaker known for her entertaining, as well as informative, presentations, and is a frequent writer for various
genealogy publications. With Gena Philibert-Ortega and Sara Cochran, they form Genealogy Journeys®, hosting
genealogy events and a series of podcasts (launched in 2016), dealing with Social History. Their blog is
http://genaandjean.blogspot.com where information on both of these endeavors can be found.
A former square dance caller, Jean has been playing guitar for about 50 years, learning a variety of other folk
instruments along the way. She sees a connection between family history and music because, in learning about our
forebears, we try to piece together the various elements of our ancestors’ lives in an effort to create a complete
(or as complete as possible) picture of who they were in their homes, families, occupations, religions, and
activities. Their musical interests/involvement should be considered part of this whole picture, or circle, of their
lives and that is the primary focus of much of Jean’s writings.
Jean’s philosophy is that “who we are is a compilation of our experiences and associations as well as our biological
connections. When we understand our ancestors we can better understand ourselves. By doing this, we can
complete our personal family circles.” This connects to her mission statement: “My goal is to assist others in their
efforts to connect generations (past to present), completing the family circle.”
We hope you can join us on Sunday, February 16 as the ever-informative Hal Horrocks gives two presentations: Organizing Your Genealogy and Early Migration Patterns to Kentucky and Beyond.
About the Presentations
Organizing Your Genealogy
Have you ever needed to find a file on your computer and can’t find it? You don’t remember where you put it.
You really need it to continue or verify your genealogy research. It’s not surprising because you probably have
over 10,000 files in your documents section alone. Maybe it’s time to get organized. Then the question is how are
you going to organize them? We will explore several ways for you to organize your computer files.
Early Migration Patterns to Kentucky and Beyond
You have traced your ancestors back to Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Then you find them in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York or Virginia before that. Have you ever asked yourself how they got to Kentucky? We will explore some of the routes they might have taken to give you a better understanding what your ancestors went through to get a better life and the trials they went through.
About Hal Horrocks
Hal Horrocks is a native of Long Beach and a 46-year Orange County resident currently living in Costa Mesa. Hal is a professional genealogist, teacher, author, and lecturer and has been doing family research for over twenty years. He is a member of several professional genealogical associations and is a past-president of the Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS) headquartered at the Huntington Beach Central Library. Hal owns his own small manufacturing company located in La Habra and is a graduate of CSULB. He has been lecturing to genealogical and other societies for the last eleven years on a range of subjects that include why people get involved in genealogy to conducting research in early England.
To start the year off, we have two presentations that might spark some new ideas for those pesky brick walls you have. Questing Heirs Member and Newsletter Editor Janice Miller will present Discovering Your Family – The Importance of a Timeline and Finding Records for Your Female Ancestors – What Undiscovered Records Might Reveal.
About the Presentations
Discovering Your Family – The Importance of a Timeline
Do you know the when, where and why of your ancestor’s life? There is more to their story than their birth, marriage and death. If you map out their life using a timeline, it can help identify the holes in their life and clear up contradictions in your research.
Finding Records for Your Female Ancestors – What Undiscovered Records Might Reveal
Do you know where to look for your female ancestors? Are you tired of hearing that your great grandmother’s name was Mrs. Robert Smith and not knowing her birth name? We will explore records to search, see concrete examples and perhaps find clues to break down a brick wall that has you stumped.
About Janice Miller
Janice has been doing genealogy research for her family for more than thirty years. She is an avid reader and attends various genealogy workshops and conferences to further her knowledge base. Janice has been the QHGS newsletter editor for the past two years and is currently taking online classes through the National Genealogical Society.
In the course of her research for her DAR membership, she found an ancestor that was an aide to General Washington. Another ancestor, Rebecca Nurse, was one of the last women hung at Salem in 1692. Throughout the years, Janice discovered there is never an end to one’s research. New records come online each month. There is always something fun and interesting to learn no matter how long you’ve been researching your family tree.
Our December meeting is always a great time to connect with fellow genealogy enthusiasts and share experiences. In December, we gather to install our new officers, share stories and eat great food.
Join us and share one of your favorite family dishes with your Questing Heirs friends at our Annual Potluck. Please bring your favorite food. Plates, utensils and drinks will be provided.
The program section of December’s meeting is Heroes, Rascals and Ne’er-Do-Wells. You all know who those folks are in your family. Tell us about one of yours. Participation is voluntary.
We will also hold the drawing for November’s cup of coffee question. The possible answers are found on page 89 of the December newsletter.
Our October meeting will feature an ask-a-professional panel discussion with guests from the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (SSCAPG). After brief introductions, the panelists will take audience questions related to professional genealogy. Topics might include such things as preparing to become a professional genealogist, running a successful genealogy business, and/or hiring and working with professional genealogists. Bring your questions and join us for an informative and enjoyable afternoon.
We are excited to have the opportunity to host four professional genealogists at our next meeting. If you have attended a panel discussion before at a genealogy conference, you know how valuable these can be. You don’t have to have a degree or initials after your name to be a researcher for others. Get ready to take some notes!
The panelists are:
Kimberlie Guerrieri, MA is a professional genealogist, author, and educator. As the founder of The Ancestry Agency, she spends her days helping people discover their family histories and solve some pretty cool mysteries. She recently appeared on “We’ll Meet Again” with Ann Curry on PBS.
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA is a genealogical speaker, musician, and folklorist. She taught speech communication before leaving academia to pursue two passions: folklore and family history. Jean has held board positions with the Genealogical Speakers Guild, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. She is the current president of SCCAPG.
Christina “Tina” McKillip has been doing family research for 30 years and adoption research in California for 25 years. Tina doesn’t have a certification in genealogy research but relies on genealogy meetings, seminars and webinars to educate herself. Tina has her own business of viewing and extracting vital records in Los Angeles County for various clients. Tina is a new member of APG and SCCAPG and currently the President of Questing Heirs Genealogical Society.
Cyndy Richardson (Bio not available at time of publication.)
Our September Speaker is Sara Cochran, whose presentation will be on Disaster Proofing Your Genealogical Research.
Family historians spend years gathering and compiling records, photographs, and family heirlooms to preserve the past and guide the future. Let’s talk about ways to ensure that all this hard work isn’t lost in any number of potential disasters.
About Sara Cochran
Sara Cochran has been conducting genealogical research for 25 years, and her research has taken her into nearly every state in the USA, as well as Ireland, Italy, Austria, and Britain. She holds a Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate, a Bachelor Degree in Library Science, and is an alumnus of the ProGen Study Group. She especially enjoys breaking down brick walls for her clients, discovering the stories of black sheep ancestors, and helping individuals preserve their photographic legacy.
Sara began her career as a professional genealogist in 2016 after spending over 11 years working for a pre-employment background check company. She is currently the Treasurer of the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Registrar for the Aurantia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Secretary for the Amanda Stokes Tent, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and volunteers at the National Archives, Riverside office.
