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Monday Genea-pourri, Week of March 7-13, 2022

I have completed one hundred four (104) weeks of semi-lock down due to Covid-19. I am out and about more. We’re maskless at the History Center, Oakland FamilySearch Library, and Train Club, but masks are still worn going into restaurants and the public library. Besides those three above places, I did phenology and took a hike with a group of women in the foothills of Mt. Diablo. We wore masks while carpooling.

Genealogy

Blog Writing:

Worship: Where My Paternal Ancestors Went to Church I found photos of the Catholic churches where my Gleeson, Hork, Sievert, and Sullivan families attended in California, Montana, Illinois, and Richmond (Ontario), Canada.

1950 Census Prep for Norman’s Paternal Relatives. This was the last group, where using known 1949–51 addresses, I determined the Enumeration District (ED) number where I might find them.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Are You Ready for 1950 U.S Census? I showed my complete compiled list of family I plan to search for in the census which will be available on 1 April.

Online Study Groups & Meetings Attended:
I had fewer online meetings this week. Because Jacqueline is on vacation, our Monday meetings have been on hiatus. However, there were two AppGen meetings on Monday and Friday, a Contra Costa County Historical Society Zoom practice session for our upcoming annual meeting, and a brief Amigos meeting. Book club discussed The Doctors Blackwell.

Client Work/Presentations:
Saturday I gave a presentation to the Seattle Genealogical Society on researching farming ancestors. I also did some deed research for a client at the county recorder’s office. Mondays are very busy there! Wednesday, the writing group met and we discussed two member’s writings. I am also getting ready for my AppGen Institute class on records which begins on Thursday this week. I checked the agenda, the handouts, and will double-check the PowerPoint files before Thursday. I also sent out the Zoom link for the classes.

Volunteer Work:
Besides the volunteer work at the History Center on Tuesday, I also went into the Oakland FamilySearch Library in Oakland on Saturday to give a short presentation to the Acalanes chapter of DAR on how to browse in the deed and probate records from the catalog. Wednesday was CGS Roundtable and I hosted it alone. We had a lively discussion on several topics and presented by blogs on how I was collecting ED numbers for the 1950 census.

Own Work:
I attended the fifth session of the SLIG Academy course “Writing for Peer Review” from Karen Mauer Jones. This time we heard from Karen on how to add charts, diagrams, and maps to our writings. Angela McGhie led the discussion on dissecting a NGSQ article. We have homework for both classes.

Webinars Viewed:
Bein Yiu Chung, The Chinese Railroad Worker by Raymond Chong
Mixers and Shakers: Tracing Tavern, Saloon & Barkeeping Ancestors by Debra Dudek

Other: This week I got in some bird watching, first on Tuesday with the Mt. Diablo Audubon Society at the Mt. View Sanitary District site, then on Wednesday at Heather Farm Park I met my friend, Hugh, who showed me three hummingbird nests, and finally during a walk with a new hiking group in the foothills of Mt. Diablo. We were supposed to see peregrine falcons, but all we saw on the cliffs were swallows and swifts. I saw a red-tailed hawk and a meadowlark during the hike. This new group walks every Friday and this was one of their longest—5.5 miles. I hope to go on others with them.

We found a new-to-us channel on television and watched two old movies: “The Greatest Show on Earth” and “The Apartment.” We really enjoyed them.

I am reading:

  • The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura—Finished!
  • Send Us a Lady Physician: Women Doctors in America 1835-1920 edited by Ruth J Abram—Finished!
  • Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
  • Tractor Wars by Neil Dahlstrom
  • Research Like a Pro by Diana Elder

Photos for this week: From my hike.






Genealogists are great at documenting our ancestors’ lives but not so great documenting our own. I’ll write about what I’ve been doing the past week. This idea came from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing, who started this meme.


Copyright © 2022 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.

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