RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2011
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
On 15 October 2011, the Texas Czech Genealogical Society (TCGS) will proudly host its fourth annual “Czech Roots and Christmas Memories” meeting at the Caldwell Civic/Visitor Center in Caldwell, TX. Guest speakers will be Brenda Lincke Fisseler, James Hejl, Bette Stockbauer-Harris, and Edwin Wallek, Jr. Topics to be discussed will concern how to prove your lineage; how to document and cite genealogical sources; Czech letters of Jan and Ferdinand Pribyl; Ferdinand’s Nativity art; life in 1980 from behind the Iron Curtain rule of Communist Russia; relationship charts made easy; and early Christmas memories. Participants will have access to the society’s book room where hundreds of books, periodicals, and other materials pertaining to Czech research will be handy to peruse and experienced genealogists will be available to offer assistance.
The fun-filled day will include a live fund-raising auction, door prizes, and some surprises. Refreshments and a delicious lunch will be served.
The fees per person for registrations postmarked on or before 1 October will be $25 for TCGS members or $35 for non-members. Registrations postmarked after 1 October will cost $30 for members and $40 for non-members. At the door registration fees will be $45 per person, whether you are a member or not. Checks, payable to TCGS, and registration forms should be mailed to Bennie Stasny, 8402 Shenandoah, Austin, TX 78753. To receive a brochure or to obtain more details about the meeting, get in touch with Stasny at the above address (phone: 512-836-8084) or go to the society’s website at www.txczg.org.
“From Allen’s Landing to the Moon Landing: Destination Houston” is the theme of the Texas State Genealogical Society (TSGS) 51st annual conference, presented jointly with the Clayton Library Friends. Pre-conference sessions pertaining to using the new FamilySearch website and easy ways to begin writing your family history will occur on 3 November 2011 at the Clayton Library and the Houston Marriott South at Hobby Airport in Houston.
Main sessions of the information-packed meeting will take place on 4-5 November 2011 at the Marriott hotel. Topics discussed on 4 November will range from Hispanic genealogical research, DNA and genetic genealogy, African-American genealogical research, and how to work with foreign records when you are not familiar with the language to resources at the Clayton Library (one of the foremost genealogical libraries in the U. S.) and the 175-year history of the city of Houston and to research in records pertaining to schools, the Civil War, the Texas General Land Office, and ship passenger lists. On 5 November, guest lecturer Paula Stuart-Warren will talk about how to find and use manuscripts, methods for tracing railroad history and records, Southern deeds, and genealogical records created in the WPA era.
Costs vary according to the days and sessions you wish to attend. Early fees apply to registrations postmarked by 15 October. To obtain more information or to register, go online to www.claytonlibraryfriends.org or sites.rootsweb.com/~txsgs.
Family researchers are eagerly awaiting the release of the 1940 U. S. census in 2012. Meanwhile, they will be interested in a brief note about American population schedules on page 6 of the August 2011 issue of the prominent periodical, National Geographic. Accompanying the note is a chart showing the various options for race identification that have appeared on the censuses for the years 1850, 1900, 1950, and 2000.