Kathryn M. Doyle's Page

Online genealogy, week of May 31-June 6

Wishing you all a good Memorial Day weekend. Here is our weekly roundup of upcoming genealogy events. Numerous associations offer online genealogy classes every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization. 

Conferences and Workshops 

June 4-12:  Jamboree 2021 (Genealogy Jamboree)

June 5:  "Getting the Lay of the Land: Using American Land Deeds in Your Family History Research " (American Ancestors)

June 5: 2021 eConference (Pastfinders Genealogical Society)

June 5: Genealogy Research Virtual Conference (Family History Fanatics)

CGS Events

June 2: "Strategic Searching on FindMyPast" by Jen Baldwin. (First in a weekly series about how to use some of the biggest genealogy websites.)

June 5: "First Saturdays Free Intro to Genealogy." This month: "Using the Census."

June 5: Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group

American Ancestors
June 3: “Boston's Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them" by Joseph Bagley

BYU Family History Library

June 2: “The 50 Things You Need to Know About DNA” with James Baker

June 6: "Discovering Your Ancestors in Mexico" by James Tanner

Family Search Family History Library

June 1: “The Research Process, Research Help, and Searching Records on FamilySearch”

June 3: "Forgotten Wives, Mothers, and Old Maids: Tracing Women in U.S. Research"

Legacy Family Tree
June 1 & 2: “Ngā aho tāne o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa: Revitalising Connections across the Pacific with Big Y” by Elena Fowler
June 2: “Solving Family Mysteries with mtDNA Projects” by Mags Gaulden

June 4: “African Americans in the U.S. Revolutionary War” by Janice Lovelace

Other Listings

Sutro Library's Bay Area Genealogy Calendar lists a wealth of Bay Area events and exhibits, including regular genealogical group meetings. This week's highlights:

June 1: “A Journey of Discovery: Researching the History of Your House, 1408 Broadway: A Case Study” by Joe Michalak (Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County)

June 4: “Free First Fridays” for kids and adults (San Mateo County History Museum)

June 5: “DNA Genealogy: A Personal Narrative” with (San Francisco African American and Cultural Society)

June 5: “Women’s Suffrage Warriors: Women Win the Vote in 1920” by Beverly Lane (Solano County Genealogical Society)

Conference Keeper  has a large calendar of classes (too many to list) hosted by genealogical organizations around the country and abroad. Lots to explore, and new events are added often, so be sure to browse the entire calendar. Here's just a sampling of the coming week's offerings:

May 31: “Family Records of The Great War 1914–1918” by James Tanner (My Heritage)

June 1: “From Here to There: Researching Office of Indian Affairs Employees” (National Archives)

June 2: “Bounty Lands” (Pinellas FL Genealogy Society)

June 3: “City Directories: No Town Too Small, No Clue Too Little “(Castle Rock Colorado Genealogical Society)

June 4: “Publishing Your Genealogy for Amateurs” (New Jersey State Library)

June 5: “Digging into Cemeteries: Disease, Death, and Obituaries” (Westminster CO Public Library)

June 6: “A Taste of Jewish Genealogy as a Gateway to the Civilization of Polish Jewry” (Santa Cruz Jewish Genealogy Society)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society 

“Strategic Searching” series in June

Wed, June 2 – FindMyPast

Jen Baldwin of FindMyPast discusses best practices, different ways to search, and utilizing the site to your greatest advantage.

Tue, June 8 – Fold3

Anne Gillespie Mitchell of Ancestry.com offers tips on how to effectively search for the veterans in your tree using Fold3.com. She will also cover some of the lesser-known collections, including photos and FBI files.

Tue, June 15 – National Archives

Claire Kluskens of the National Archives and Records Administration offers a guide to navigating this vast collection of U.S. documents with holdings dating back to the American Revolution.

Tue, June 22 – FamilySearch

Oakland FamilySearch Library director Ralph Severson talks about the growth of digitized images, a lesser known feature and hidden treasure of this amazing and popular genealogy resource.

You can register for any or all of the classes through EventBrite.

Openings in the Advanced DNA Special Interest Group!

The Advanced DNA Skills Special Interest Group will continue to develop their understanding of DNA techniques, review new developments in DNA testing and tools, and discuss member’s research problems and case studies.

Meetings are held online via Zoom, on the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

If interested, please contact Mark McLaren.

 Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society

Online genealogy, week of May 24-30

Our weekly roundup of upcoming genealogy events. Numerous associations offer online genealogy classes every week. Most are free. To register for one of the events below, click on the name of the host organization. 

Special Event, May 25: In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a panel of filmmakers and researchers for the PBS documentary "Far East Deep South" will speak Tuesday, May 25, on "Exploring Your Family History." CGS members Grant Din and Marisa Louie Lee are among the panelists at this free virtual event.

May 25: “Whaling Captains of Color: America's First Meritocracy” with Skip Finley

May 27: “Using the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center Archives for Family History Research” by Lindsay Murphy

BYU Family History Library

May 26: “Getting Individualized Help Through FamilySearch” with Jacqueline Kanyuck

May 30: “Discovering Your Ancestors in Central America” by James Tanner

May 30: “Lighting a Fire: Getting Started with Family History” by Michelle Karren

Legacy Family Tree

May 25: “Advanced DNA Features on MyHeritage” by Ofer Karp

May 26: “How Testing Multiple Relatives Can Turbocharge Your DNA Research” by Michelle Leonard

Other Listings

Sutro Library's Bay Area Genealogy Calendar lists a wealth of Bay Area events and exhibits, including regular genealogical group meetings. This week's highlights:

May 25: "Radio Memories of San Francisco” by Jack French (San Francisco Historical Society)

May 27: “The Scottish Conundrum” by Sierra Pope (Marin Genealogical Society) 

Conference Keeper has a large calendar of classes (too many to list) hosted by genealogical organizations around the country and abroad. Lots to explore, and new events are added often, so be sure to browse the entire calendar. Here's just a sampling of the coming week's offerings:

May 24: “Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy” by Scott Lee (Heritage Seekers Genealogy Club)

May 25: "Genetic Genealogy: Learning Through a Case Study” by Elyse Ross (Central Jersey Genealogical Club)

May 26: “Genealogy Do-Over: A Year of Learning from Mistakes” by Thomas MacEntee (The Villages Genealogical Society)

May 27: “Probate Records: Wills and a Whole Lot More” with Annette Burke Lyttle (Florida State Genealogical Society)

May 28: “Locating Texas Documents” (Texas State Library & Archives Commission)

May 29: “The Old Uses of Your House Forgotten” by Dan Hartman (Polk County FL History Center)

See our post "Genealogy Learning in the Time of Coronavirus" for links to classes archived online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsTech, and more. Be well, stay safe, and happy learning!

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society 

Covell Family Manuscripts Added to the CGS Website

by Chris Pattillo

CGS Member extraordinaire Stewart Traiman just finished scanning the Frank Covell Manuscript Collection and our Technology Committee Chair, John Ralls, has uploaded the material to our website. You can access the material by clicking on Online Resources from the Research Tab, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for Resources Developed by CGS Members.

The following information about the collection is from a blog post was written in 2010 by blog editor Kathryn Doyle. The Spring 2011 edition of The California Nugget included an article about Frank Covell that was written by CGS members Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner, titled "Frank Covell: California Pioneer and Family Historian."

20 September 2010

Spotlight on the Manuscript Collection: The Covell Family Papers

Posted by Kathryn Doyle

The Covell collection was received in March 2010 and contains vital, deed and probate records, obituary and news articles, family correspondence, mementos, many original photos and portraits, school yearbooks, pedigree charts and family history files on the Covell and Coover families and related lines. It was compiled by Leah Jeanette Porter Gainer, great-granddaughter of Frank Marion Covell; Ann Eliza Peffers, granddaughter of Archer Morgan Covell; and Leah Coover, daughter of Leah Jeanette Covell and Homer Porter. Mrs. Gainer died December 29, 2007. 

Ann Eliza Peffers Covell

The patriarch of the family in California was Frank Morgan Covell, born to Morgan Covell and Laura Chamberlain on March 12, 1851 in Ridgebury Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Frank came to California by 1871 and settled in the Santa Cruz area. His interest in genealogy is evidenced by his 1918 hand-written account of the family that details military service by his ancestors in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

The collection is filled with personal material that can enrich and amplify a family history. Items include a diary that Frank kept for a brief period of time in which he notes: “May 10th 1872. Took Annie Peffers to dance. Made Charly Myars mad. He won’t hurt anybody I guess.” Frank and Annie were married a year later.

A Covell family portrait from the collection

Also in the file is Frank’s 1926 letter written to granddaughter Esther Covell, reminiscing about his 1868 high school graduation and sharing with her some of the hopes and dreams he had as a young man. These items and many more are awaiting the visits of interested descendants and researchers. 

Archival boxes in our Manuscripts room

The Covell Family papers are a 40 linear inch collection with the following surnames: Aronen, Chamberlain, Chisolm, Coleman, Coover, Covell, Farum, Finley, Gainer, Gammon, Holway, Kane, Maki, Peffers, Porter, Quinn. The family geography includes: California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle. COVELL family information provided by Georgia Lupinsky and Virginia Turner.