Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree 50th Birthday Bash!

31 May 2019

I've attended SCGS Jamboree sessions off-and-on since 2001. I remember the different facilities where the event took place. I’ve enjoyed each and every year and this one is no exception.  I’m proud to say I’m a member of SCGS for most of those years.

The camaraderie between the speakers is a joy to watch. Most of them hadn't seen each other in the past year. They seem to pick up their friendship as if no time had passed. Whether they are sitting around small tables having coffee, tea or other favorite beverage or at a dining or banquet table together, laughing and joking like siblings. It's all part of the fun at Jamboree.

The Marriott hotel staff, from the front desk to housekeeping, porters and waiter/waitresses go out of their way to be helpful and friendly. I look forward to coming every year.

Here are the various sessions I attended on Friday, 31 May:
Paula Stuart-Warren | One the Clock! Demystifying the BCG Portfolio Process
Judy G. Russell  | “Death by Undue Means": Coroner's Records
Donald Coduto | Finding Italian Genealogical Records
Anne Gillespie Mitchell | Fold3 Search Update: Do You Know What You Are Missing?

During Judy Russell's session, she did a shout-out to Ventura County Genealogical Society for coroner records on their website. (I'm also a member of VCGS.)

Here’s a few events happening between sessions:
Exhibit Hall (show specials throughout the weekend); Database Research Tech Zone; Research Assistance; SCGS Sales; Periodicals; Used Book Sales; Concession Food Sales; Raffle (twice a day); Demos; Birthday Cake; Known Authors signing their books. The society provided a smartphone app for the conference. It was available for smart phone, tablet, or any device that has web-enabled browser capability.

There was something for everyone!

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 8 - Heirloom

Family Keepsakes

            When my mother passed away in October 1997, she was living with my sister Sharon in Palmdale, California. She was only 70 years old. Dad had passed way in 1995. There were only three of us now; Sharon, our brother George and myself.

            Sharon lived in a mobile home without a garage only a storage shed for seasonal items or “extra” stuff.  Before mom moved in, she had paired down her personal belongs and given away things she could no longer keep or store.

            About a month after mom’s passing, the three of us worked around our schedules and finally met at Sharon’s house to sort out mom’s effects. We don’t live close to each other, so it was hard to get together at the same time.

            We weren’t allowed to go into mom’s room unless she invited or asked us to get something for her. Walking into mom’s bedroom was surreal. She didn’t have much, mostly clothing and a few knick-knacks. Sharon started by opening closet doors and Mom’s dresser drawers. She pulled out items of clothing, laid them on the bed and said, “Take what you want.” We each made a pile of what we wanted to keep and started a Goodwill donation pile.

            I spotted a blouse that mom frequently wore. A memory flashed through my mind of her wearing this top, smiling and getting into a car. Another memory flashed in my mind, her wearing the top while we were shopping. I put the blouse in my pile in the living room. (I keep it in one of my bottom dresser drawers, next to a sweater dad always used to wear.)

            On mom’s dresser was an old, wooden, beaten-up box with a lift-off cover. She’d had the box for as long as I could remember. (It was small, only 8¾” x 6” x 2¾”.) The box had a strip of wood parquet design that ran all around the body of the box, inside and out. The parquet design carried over to the top and bottom of the cover. The cover’s handle is made of a flat piece of wood and is centered on the top.

            This box has great significance for me. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and my family home was in Chicago, we were still a family unit, and not torn by divorce.

Vanity like Mom's

            I picked up the old box and carried it out to the living room and put it with my small pile of keepsakes. Memories came flooding back to me. Growing up, Mom had a large vanity in her bedroom. It consisted of a large round mirror, four wooden drawers on each side, two shelves between the drawers, and a small chair. This wooden box was kept on the bottom shelf of the vanity. It was one of the few items we could touch, open and look through.

            I remember various items she kept in there through the years. The items would change so it was fun to lift the lid and see what was new. Rosary beads, holy medals, funeral cards, and a small manicure set. After we moved to California, she kept Disneyland ride coupons, rubber banded together.

            When I was talking to my sister the other day about the box, she said she didn’t know who had it or what had happened to it. I told her I had it and later sent her a photo. She too had memories of playing with the box.

            I’ve kept the box in different places in my home. Not always in a prominent place — such as on a shelf in my bedroom.

            In the last few weeks, my husband has been remodeling our master bedroom. Everything had to come out of the room and is now in various parts of the house. I discovered mom’s box on top of a pile of things I had placed for safekeeping. I emptied it, dusted it off, and took numerous photos from different angles.

            My brother, George, has a piece of furniture that was in our family living room. My sister, Sharon, has a knick-knack that belonged to our maternal grandmother. I’m starting an inventory sheet on the various family keepsakes we each have from our family household. I want my children to know the provenance of each item and not just one day toss it away. The box has become a family heirloom.

Copyright 2018, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott  #52Ancestors #genealogy

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 6

Favorite Name

I don’t have unusual names on my family tree. Nothing I could use in a search box to help distinguish from other names. I have George, Philip, Mary, Marie, Maria, Robert, Richard, Sharon, Angela, Angie, Angeline, Dorothy, Henry. I’m the only Gayle on the whole tree. Of course, it’s not spelled like everyone else. I usually get Gail or Gale written on my coffee cup order. No matter, it doesn’t bother me like it did when I was younger. Back then, I didn’t even like my name. I would fantasize a different name like…Amanda. Then I’d have a nickname like Mandy.

Looking through my RootsMagic database, I kept coming back to the name, George. It’s my father, brother and maternal great-grandfather’s name. No difference in spelling. Dad would sometimes shorten it as Geo. That’s the well-known abbreviation of George. I always liked the name for a boy or man.

I also like the name Jennie. It sounds old, but not ancient old. It was my maternal grandmother’s given name. Growing up we always called her grandma Jean. I didn’t know her real name until someone referred to her as Jennie. When she passed away, we all found out her middle name, Sylvia. My mother and aunt both claimed them never of it. Grandma is the only Jennie on my tree.

In 1978, my husband, David and I named our first born child, Jennifer. Her name is unique. She’s not named after anyone in particular. No other Jennifer on either side of her family tree. We had a hard time picking a girl’s name. At the time, we lived in a mobile home. I would shout different names down the long hallway to see how they sounded and if we liked them.

When Jennifer was in kindergarten, my husband David and I went to our first parent-teacher conference. While waiting for the teacher to get Jennifer’s file, we strolled around the room admiring all the student crayon drawings that were displayed along the top of the chalkboard. We were shown which one was Jennifer’s. When I saw she wrote her name as “Jennie,” I stopped and stood there with my mouth open, gaping . Seeing my grandma’s name written by my little girl left me dumb-struck, unable to speak. I guess I expected she would spelling it J-e-n-n-y.  I couldn’t get over she had chosen to spell it J-e-n-n-i-e without me telling her about her great-grandma. I felt like my grandma had reached down and squeezed my shoulder, giving her approval. I think I smiled all the way through the parent-teacher conference, and give Jennifer a special hug when we got home.

©2018, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott #genealogy #52ancestors

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 2

Favorite Photo

I didn't know my paternal grandfather, Philip Ficarra, he died when I was three years old. My only memory is a very old, wrinkled man sitting in an upholstered rocking chair. 

I have several photos of Grandpa Phil, the photo below is a favorite. It was taken in Chicago, Illinois sometime in the 1930s. My father George, said he remembered his father wearing a straw skimmer hat all the time. Grandpa is wearing a tie, and with his shirt sleeves rolled up, it looks like it might be summer. I don't know what the event might be, or maybe he's at work and just stepped outside when the photo was taken. I got this copy from my sister, Sharon. She actually started on the genealogy journey in the 1980s. I picked it up in 2000 where she left off. She's been great to help me when I run into a snag with our family history.

Grandpa Phil was married four times. Two of the women happened to be both of my grandmothers. His second wife, Angie, was my father's mother, he married her 1922. He married his fourth wife, Jennie, sometime in 1946. Jennie was my mother's mother. I'm still looking for their marriage record. This is how my parents met. Father and son, married mother and daughter.

Grandpa Phil was my "brick wall" in my genealogy search. I couldn't get past him to his parents or grandparents. A few years ago, a friend of mine actually found his parent's marriage on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. I've been grateful ever since. I still don't have Philip's birth record and I can't seem to find his family in any census or New Orleans, Louisiana city directories. They have once again become my "brick walls."


Copyright 2018, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott
#52ancestors #genealogy #familyhistory

Writing My Story

I'm getting back to writing. I signed up with Amy Johnson Crow's: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. I belong to a writing group once a month through my local society. I struggle, but the group helps me make sense of what I'm trying to say. I may not make all 52 weeks, but I'm willing to start.

I came across this great motivator from Thomas MacEntee's Twitter feed and on Facebook: 18 Writing Tips for 2018: How to Tell Personal and Family Stories with Confidence. I especially like tip number 3, Make a Time Line of Major Life Events. I really like the concept. After reading the whole article, I shared the link on my society's Facebook page and sent the link to my writing group.

I found a notebook I had and emptied out pages that had writing on them. Then I started to write down each year I've been alive. Left a page or two between each year and started adding in some of the big turning points of my life.

I don't have to write about ancestors. I'll write about whomever I want. I just want to START!

Copyright 2018, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott
#52ancestors #genealogy

German documents transcribed

About two years ago, I ordered German church microfilms from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The only way to save the images was to snap a photo with my cell phone. The images weren't great, but using Photoshop Elements, I was able to piece two or three images together into one document. 

I could make out a few words like legitimate, baptism, family surnames but that was about all. Using a German dictionary, German word lists from Family Search Wiki, and Google translate - German to English, I still couldn't make out what the documents said. 

Earlier this month, I attended the FGS Regional/Wisconsin State Genealogical Society's conference at Wisconsin Dells, WI

On the second day, I attended a session by speaker Antje Petty. Her lecture was: “Max Kade Institute: Resources to help with your German-American Family Research”. My ears perked up, this was just what I needed. Part of my road trip this month was to research my mother's German paternal line. I spoke briefly with Ms Petty after her session and she said to email her with my German document questions. Ms Petty's office was on the University of Michigan-Madison campus near the Wisconsin Historical Society.

I made an appointment to meet with her the following Monday afternoon and sent my scanned documents in advance. Since I had planned on going to the historical society for research anyway, this was perfect. Over the weekend, Ms. Petty emailed me she wasn't feeling well, and would have to cancel our appointment. She said she looked over my scans and thought the documents might be in Latin, which she doesn't read, not German like I thought. That's why Google translate, the word lists and German dictionary couldn't decipher the documents. Wow, didn't see that coming! I would have to look into the documents after I got home.

I was disappointed we couldn't meet but thanked her for the valuable translation tip. A week later Ms Petty email me and said again how sorry she was we couldn't meet, she had actually come down with the flu but taken a second look at my documents and they were definitely in Latin. Thank you, thank you and thank you again! I won't be wasting time trying to decipher German. I'll be looking into Google translation - Latin to English. 

That invaluable tip was well worth the trip. You just don't know what you're going to learn when you attend conferences.

Copyright 2017, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

FGS Regional/WSGS 2017 Gene-A-Rama Conference – Day 2

Today, was day two of a two-day conference of the FGS Regional/WSGS 2017 Gene-A-Rama held at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Here’s the sessions I attended.

Speaker: Curt B. Witcher

“Fingerprinting our Families: Using Ancestral Origins as a Genealogical Research Key”

He has a way of stating facts differently than any other speaker would. Instead of “bread crumbs,” he used “fingerprints.” Really makes you think outside the usual box. Thanks Curt!

Speaker:  Antje Petty

“Max Kade Institute: Resources to help with your German-American Family Research”

Ms. Petty’s talk was an eye-opener. I’m researching my mother’s line of Germans the Rammingers’ of Sheboygan County, WI. Date range 1852-1900. The institute is in the Wisconsin State Historical Society at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I happen to have some German church records that need to be translated. She said to contact her this coming week at the library to take a look at what I have. Good info, handout and talk!

Speaker:  Grace Dumelle

“130 Years of Genealogy Gems: Delve into the Newberry Library’s Treasure House.”

As many times as I’ve been back to Chicago, I’ve never had the research time to visit this library. Glad I was able to hear Ms. Dumelle’s talk. An extra handout was passed out spotlighting the Curt Teich Postcard Archives Collection. She walked us through the special collections; how to register online; what type of ID you’ll need; how to get a Reader’s card; what you can and can’t bring into the library, like personal scanners. I’ll definitely try and carve out some research time for this library.

Last and final speaker of the day: Rorey Cathcart

“After the Fire: Research Strategies for Besting Burned Counties”

Good examples of what could destroy county records, not just fire. Floods, tornados, loss, theft and malfeasance to name a few. Look elsewhere, use substitute records. What exactly was destroyed, what survived? Maybe the records you need were in another building and not in the courthouse after all. Determine if substitute or abstracted records were created. Ms. Cathcart’s handout, suggestions and tips are priceless.

My husband and I drove five days from California so I could attend this conference. The trip was well worth the trek.

© 2017, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

FGS Regional/WSGS 2017 Gene-A-Rama Conference – 8 April 2017

Yesterday, I attended the first of a two-day conference of the FGS Regional/WSGS 2017 Gene-A-Rama held at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

The syllabus was sent via email a week ahead of the conference. I printed the pages I thought I’d need from home for the various sessions I planned to attend. The night before the conference I set up my conference bag, clothes I would wear, and other items I’d need. I either read the schedule wrong or was so excited for the conference to begin, I went down to registration about two and a half hours early. I was excited!

Before the sessions began, there was society business matters and announcements. Two of the sessions I’d planned to attend, their speakers were absent because of family emergencies. The WSGS president announced that the sessions would be filled with FGS speakers so there was no delay.

My first session was substituted from “100 Years Later: Finding Your World War I Ancestor” to “Pinterest.” I’m not an avid Pinterest user but sat in on the session and figured I could learn something new. The speaker didn’t disappoint. Good talk and PowerPoint slides.

My second session was after lunch. Again, the session was filled in with a different speaker, Curt B. Witcher. I’ve heard Mr. Witcher many times on different subjects. Several years ago, he was the seminar speaker at my local genealogy society. He’s a highly qualified and sought after speaker. His lecture was very much like the programed lecture; “Search for your Data in their Repository.” He gave many excellent points for narrowing down keywords in searches. He suggested using the “place” where your ancestors lived instead of their surname exclusively. His examples were five key components: place, ethnic, surname, religion, and occupation. I will be changing the way I do my searches based on the above.

My third session was again with Mr. Witcher, “Minding the Mother Load: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research.” This was actually a session I had originally chose. Curt B. Witcher is the senior manager of the Genealogy Center in the Allen County Public Library in Ft Wayne, IN. I haven’t had much luck in finding anything in PERSI, that’s just me. I know it’s because I’m searching wrong. Mr. Witcher went into great detail showing and explaining the ins and outs of the search capabilities. Unfortunately, PERSI is now housed with FindMyPast.com a subscription site that is mostly used for international searching. I’ll have to use it in my local Family History Center.

The fourth and final session I chose was “Software: Genealogy Apps on Mobile Devices.” Substitute speaker was Rorey Cathcart. Ms. Cathcart is a professional genealogist. She did a great job pitch-hitting this subject. She used the handout from the syllabus and added many more ideas of mobile apps she herself uses. I’ll be checking out some of them and look forward to incorporating them with my research.

I met some very nice ladies from various parts of Wisconsin at my table for dinner. They gave me great tips for researching in Sheboygan County, which I will follow-up.

The evening dinner speaker was once again my favorite, Curt B. Witcher! His talk was “The Great American Tapestry—Voices of Our Ancestors.” No PowerPoint slides this time. His talk about our ancestors’ and the letters or journals they left behind gave us a glimpse of our ancestor’s thoughts and feelings. He wove a beautiful story by just reading the letters or journal entries.  A very enjoyable evening.

Copyright 2017, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

FGS Regional/WSGS 2017 Gene-A-Rama Conference

This week, I’m attending the FGS/Wisconsin State Genealogical Society Gene-A-Rama conference in Wisconsin Dells. The syllabus was sent to me via email. I prefer receiving it this way. I can then print out just the pages I want, and save $30 by not buying the printed syllabus that can sometimes be as big and heavy as a phone book. (Been there, done that!)

The conference has impressive speakers scheduled, some I’ve heard before, but will attend their lectures again. Curt B. Witcher, David E. Rencher, Rorey Cathcart, just to name a few. Of course, what’s a conference without all the fabulous vendors. I brought extra tote bags for the goodies I plan to bring home. Shopping, shopping, shopping!

I’ve attended various FGS events in the past so this conferences should be good. I hope to talk to WSGS representatives to ask if I should research at the historical society in Madison or perhaps go to the archive that best represents Sheboygan County where my Ramminger line is located.

I’m looking forward to visiting Wisconsin Dells again. My husband, daughters and I visited many years ago, with my cousin and her family. Great resort town. My mother took my sister, brother and I to the Dells in the early 1960s. This visit should bring back happy memories.

Copyright 2017, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

Ramminger Research

I’m on the trail to tie up some “loose ends” of one of my maternal lines. I have quite a few documents and sources, but I’m missing some key elements.

1852 Passenger list

My direct line immigrant ancestor was Andreas Ramminger. He was from a village in Germany, Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1852, Andreas, his wife Gertrudis (Gertrude) and their six boys boarded a ship in Rotterdam, Netherlands to come to America. The sons were, Conradus (Conrad), Joannes (John), Henricus (Henry), Jacobus (Jacob), Philippus (Philip), and Adamus (Adam).

They made their home in Sheboygan County Wisconsin by farming. In 1854, Gertrude died. 

1854 marriage record

Andreas married Wihelmine Bergner. In December 1854, he bought 40 acres of land from John M. Watson, who received the Bounty Land as a solider in War of 1812.

I’d like to research the land deed.

Learn exactly when Gertrude died and where she’s buried.

Name all of Andreas and Wihelmine’s children. The list I have is: Frederick, Maria, Herman, William Mary, and George.

George is my great-grandfather. He was born in 1866 in Rhine, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

Married Susanna Steinhauser in 1894. Their homestead was in Clark County, Wisconsin.

I’m going to the Wisconsin Historical Society to research all of the above, and hopefully, more!

Copyright 2017, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

FGS Conference 2016 - Day 2

What a great day I've had! I was expecting dry, hot, and humid weather while in Springfield but it has been so beautiful. I think it was in the mid-70s all day with a nice breeze.

Here's the sessions I attended today, all were excellent!

Elizabeth Shown Mills:
Elusive Ancestors? No, They're Never "Too Poor to Trace"!

FamilySearch Luncheon:
FamilySearch: Past, Present and Future

Mary M. Tedesco:
Italian Genealogy Research in Italy and from Home

Michael D.Lacopo:
The German Immigrant Experience in the 18th Century

After lunch I decided to explore the Exhibit hall, so glad I did. I was able to go around to multiple vendors and get my Exhibit Hall Passport stamped. I'll need to get both sides of the passport filled with stamps to be eligible for the FGS Grand Prize Package of a 2017 FGS Conference Package. That is a grand prize worth working I wouldn't mind having. It was nice to have an almost empty hall. No crowds or lines to maneuver, perfect!

After the last session I went to the  President Abraham Lincoln Hotel ballroom dinner at the "Meet & Greet" sponsored by Ancestry.

Tomorrow will be more great choices that I can't wait to explore.

Illinois State Capitol

Copyright, 2016 Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

FGS Conference 2016 - Day 1

I'm in Springfield, IL listening to Curt Witcher during the morning Plenary session. He's such a versatile speaker!
"How To Survive and Thrive: Successfully Embracing Change".

Wednesday is Focus On Societies day.

Have a full day of classes. Here they are:
Archiving a Society's History
Micro-Volunteering: Get Your Members Involved a Little Bit at a Time
Finessing Facebook
Video Marketing: Killer YouTube Strategies for Societies

There are so many choices, some I can't get to but whatever I choose, I'll soak up all the speakers have to give. I'm going to enjoy my time here this week.

Copyright 2016, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott all rights reserved

Genealogy Do-Over, Cycle 3, Week 1: Self-Imposed Guidlines

While reading blogs and posts on the Genealogy Do-Over Facebook Group page I have set up my own self-imposed guidelines to work from.  I've borrowed from Thomas MacEntee (thanks Thomas!) items I thought would work for me.

1.  Research with an open mind.
Take off the blinders. I won't just keep family stories utmost in my mind and think what was shared through the family is the only truth.

2. Track my work and cite my sources.
When I first started with genealogy I was always conscious of citing sources. I would use a research log/journal/calendar (never could figure which was the correct word) sporadically to track my work. I will now use a research log, track all work, even dead ends, cite my sources, and analyze data before it is entered into any software or online tree program.

3.  Ask for Help.
I've learned there are no stupid questions. There is no right way to ask. I'll post a query on Facebook or ask a question during a webinar or email my favorite genealogy rock star.

4.  Make sure I have a Plan.
Write down the steps I'll take before researching. I would always skip this step. I kind of kept an idea of what I wanted to accomplish in my head. With a real written plan I'll be more focused.

5.  Give and be abundant.
Exchange information freely with other researchers. I won't hold data "close" to myself or exchange it in lieu of something else. When I first began on this path, I read stories of people helping others, giving their hard researched data to strangers but never getting anything in return or hearing from those people again. I was very careful not to fall into that trap. I felt "what will I get in return?"  I have since put data I've gathered onto shareable CDs and given them out to family members with and without computers. It's been a pleasure to give the gift of our mutual families.

Genealogy Do-Over Cycle 3, Week 1: 3-9 July 2015

 

I'm joining Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over, Cycle 3. http://www.geneabloggers.com/tag/genealogy-do-over/

 

I didn’t follow Cycle 1, I was a “lurker” during Cycle 2. I found the steps everyone was taking to get their files and research organized intriguing. Organized, what a concept! The Do-Over will last 13 weeks, ending on October 1.

Week one will consist of:

1) Setting Previous Research Aside
2) Preparing to Research
3) Establishing Base Practices and Guidelines

Number one above, might be a tough one for me. I open my genealogy software several times during the week. My sister and brother both live in different states from me. When any question comes up regarding our childhood or need verification on something, they each say, “Call Gayle, she’ll know the answer!”

Number two is something I’ll need to embrace. My usual practice is sit down at my laptop, fire-up the Internet and away I go. I usually have to scramble for a pen/pencil, notebook or opening up a blank Word document to take notes.

Number three I’m actually looking forward to. I do use research journals and keep track of any correspondence I’m writing. I know I need a real Research Plan I can follow and keep me focused.

Okay, I’m rolling up my sleeves, here I go…!

 

SCGS 2015 Jamboree – Day 4

Today’s the last day at Jamboree, heading home after my last class. I’ve enjoyed each and every moment of the past four days. I got to see old friends and make new ones too. I’ll be watching my email for a notice of when 2016 Jamboree registration opens!

Here’s the classes I attended today:

8:30 am to 9:30 am – Michael Booth – Personal Historian 2: Bring Life to Your Life Stories

10:00 am to 11:00 am – Crista Cowan – Getting Even More out of Your Ancestry.com

       Subscription

1:00 to 2:00 pm – Anita Paul – Who, What, When, Where? Using Journalism Techniques to

       Write Your Story

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Dr. Michael Lacopo – Incorporating Social History into Your Genealogical Research

©2015, copyright, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott. All rights reserved.

SCGS 2015 Jamboree – Day 3

The Ventura County (California) Genealogical Society, which I’m a member, brought new and used books to sell today at Jamboree. We usually get one small table in the foyer and hope for the best. Yesterday, a SCGS committee member asked if we would like to move into the Exhibit Hall on Saturday. They had an unexpected vacancy and asked us to fill it. We jumped at the opportunity to have four long tables and a prominent place in the Exhibit Hall!

I volunteered to help out with setting up the tables so I had to get to the Exhibit Hall by 7:30 am; the Hall opened at 8:00 sharp. I wrote up books titles on the sales slip, took money, made change, and helped where needed. There were several members helping so I was able to attend several classes throughout the day. Here’s the classes I attended:

10:00 am to 11:00 am – Michael Brophy – Irish Genealogy

2:00 to 3:00 pm – Jean Wilcox Hibben – America: Land of the Farm, Home of the Plow

      My German line were farmers, thought this would be a good class for me. Was not expecting a
      mini singing concert from her.

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm – Mark Olsen – Learn How to Discover New Ancestors Using Magic From MyHeritage

      My family tree is planted at MyHeritage.

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm – Rhonda R McClure – City & Rural Directories; More than Just Names

      I’m going to look for Farmer Directories for my rural ancestors.

A long day today but had fun and spent quality time with friends and helped my society!

©2015, copyright, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott. All rights reserved.

SCGS 2015 Jamboree – Day 2

Since I’m staying at a hotel close to the convention center, I didn’t have to hop out of bed as early as I did yesterday from home. Last night I updated My Schedule on the SCGS Conference App and chose some interesting classes. Here’s what my line up looks like, subject to change.

I have a conflict with some morning classes. I’ve hear all three excellent speakers in the past so it’s going to be tough to choose.

9:45 am to 10:45 am - Thomas MacEntee – Creating a Community Indexing Project

Or
10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Jean Wilcox Hibben – Society Support & Share Open Forum
Or
11:00 am to 12:00 pm - Drew Smith – Crowdsourcing Your Brick Walls

EXHIBIT HALL opens yay!

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Michael Brophy – Paddy on the Net: Irish Genealogy Databases

     I don’t have Irish ancestry but I’m helping a friend of mine with her maternal line. Since I haven’t done any Irish research before I’m going to start at the beginning.

2:30 to 3:30 pm – Michael D. Locapo – Methods for Identifying the German Origins of American Immigrants

     German is my mother’s paternal line.

4:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Cindi Ingle - Time lines: The Straight Line Between You and Your Ancestor

Another conflict:

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm – Michael D. Lacopo – Finding and Utilizing German Church Records
Or
Thomas MacEntee – Genealogy Do-Over – A Year of Learning from Research Mistakes
      I’ve been following the Do-Over on Facebook and plan on jumping into the next round when it starts over on July 3.

Well that's it for today. Going to be a long day, but looking forward to it!

©2015, copyright, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott

SCGS 2015 Jamboree – Day 1

I’m in Burbank, CA for the annual Jamboree put on each year by Southern California Genealogical Society. I’ve been a member for several years and try not to miss this national conference which is “in my neighborhood.” No airport, TSA screening, tight seats and recirculating air. I do like to have a hotel room for the duration of the conference because I hate driving 50 minutes to over an hour each way, each day from home.

I attended an all-day workshop titled “Creating a Digital Genealogy Scrapbook” by Barb Groth.

We needed to bring our laptop as the process could not be completed on a smart phone or a tablet.

Ms. Groth sent an email with instructions what to have ready before we came to class. We should have some (not necessarily all) of the following information saved to our desktop in a single folder:

·         Family photos – each should be a minimum of 300 dpi

·         Documents, such as census records, church records, naturalization, military, newspaper articles, etc.

·         Scanned memorabilia – medals, etc.

·         Maps or photos of places and/or locations your family came from or resided in

·         A few Word document with brief typed information about the family or person you are including in the album

We downloaded the free demo version of the software program “ScrapRoom.” http://scraproomsoftware.com/purchase.html  (Scroll down until you see the free demo version.)

We also downloaded free templates and elements to use in the program at http://www.simplyyin.blogspot.com/   (Scroll all the way down the page until you see: Mye De Leon FREE Demo Kit.)

She recommended to watch any scrapbook tutorials on YouTube.com and just have fun! Use Google to look for other free design layouts for scrapbooking.

Ms. Groth discussed the organization of photos, elements and documents on our computer, the ScrapRoom Software and its components, and the organization of the album. We began to design and develop the actual pages of the album. I wasn’t able to complete the album in class. We were learning the techniques, but felt confident I’d be able to complete the album on my own. We could also purchase the Guide that’s been written to help assist with step by step directions. I’ll probably pick it up in the Exhibit Hall tomorrow.

I’m looking forward to completing my album at home.

©2015, copyright Gayle Ficarra Wolcott. All rights reserved.

Getting Ready for SCGS 2015 Jamboree!

I'll be attending the Southern California Genealogical Society's 2015 Jamboree  this year. It's being held in Burbank, CA. I love going to this national conference because it's "in my own backyard" so to speak. I live about an hour away in Ventura County. No airplane ticket or car rental to hassle with. I'll be attend from Thursday through Sunday.

I’ve barely given the conference much advance thought, but in reality, it's this week! My pre-planning has begun.

This year I signed up for a Digital Scrapbook workshop on Thursday; it's an all day event. I've got the photos, documents, maps and other files I want to include in the scrapbook in a folder on my laptop's desktop.

1. I've downloaded the conference App and started looking through the schedule. I love the Apps the conferences have been implementing. Everything I need is on my Samsung S5 Android phone.
2. I'll print out my personal trip checklist so I don't forget anything I can't live without.
3. I've been going through the syllabus and select the classes I’ll plan to attend. I've also started printing out any handout that have been supplied.
4. I need to go through the list of exhibitors and note the ones I want to make sure I see. I plan on updating my genealogy software to the newest version.
5. Think about the people I want to try to meet.

I look forward to this conference each year and meeting up with friends I haven't seen in a year.

Our 40th Wedding Anniversary!

5 April 2015
Today is our 40th wedding anniversary! We've been blessed to have shared our lives together.

5 April 1975




George Ficarra Sr, Bernice Ramminger Ficarra, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott,
David Wolcott, Frances Kubicsek Wolcott, Charles Wolcott

Copyright 2015, Gayle Ficarra Wolcott