Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research Presents -
Your 19th & 20th Century Mexican Ancestors in the U.S.
Historical records and social history paint a rich picture of the lives of our Mexican ancestors who were in the U.S. after the mid-19th century. A new border, new laws, a violent revolution, two world wars, and changing economic and political conditions significantly impacted your Mexican ancestors who came to or were born in the United States. Sharing a border, and sharing a long common history in certain regions of the U.S. has presented situations unique to those of Mexican descent compared to other immigrant and ethnic groups. Presented by guest speaker Colleen Robledo Greene.
For registration, please click here.
This event is offered by Houston Public Library - Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research. Please direct questions to cla.reference@houstontx.gov or 832-393-2600.
Genealogy Face2Face - Presented by Clayton Library Friends
This is a weekly roundtable discussion for Clayton Library Friends members and the general public related to genealogy research.
Topic: "Finding Aids and Links to Sources for Locating Historic Homes, Businesses, Schools and Churches etc. of Your Ancestors and their Relatives" by Randy Pace
Finding and researching historic buildings adds another dimension to the many stories about your ancestors and their relatives who have lived, worked, shopped, worshipped and attended school in them as well as their physical architectural characteristics that define their style in the era in which your ancestors lived.
Randy Pace currently lives in a historic home located within a historic district in Houston , Texas. He has also personally restored many historic homes and commercial buildings, and he retired after 16 years as the Historical Preservation Officer for the City of Houston in May 2011. He currently serves as the Clayton Library Friends, Director of Publicity and Public Relations. Randy began researching his family history as a freshman in Junior High School. Not only does he continue to discover his heritage, but he also enhances his heritage with the historic buildings associated with his many ancestors and their relatives.
Registration in advance of the meeting will be required. Pre-register now by following this link.
Genealogy Resources at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Staff from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission presents an overview of essential resources for family history research available at the State Archives with a particular emphasis on online tools.
The Last Newspaper Writeup : Obituaries and Death Notices
An obituary or death notice may be the last thing written about your relative within their lifetime. Finding these biographical announcements of your ancestors can lead to a fuller picture of them and your whole family, or it may only give you one tiny puzzle piece of their lives. Dive with us into the world of obituaries to see what they can tell us and where to look for these last ancestral writeups. Presented by Clayton Library staff member Irene B. Walters.
Family History Month Virtual Showcase
In celebration of October as Family History Month, Clayton Library will join the Genealogy Network of Texas (GNT), for a collaborative event showcasing eight recorded webinars. The GNT is a state-wide initiative to connect libraries and societies and provide educational and research opportunities spearheaded by the Genealogy Center of the Waco-McLennan County Library. Co-sponsors include the Central Texas Genealogical Society and the Texas State Genealogical Society.
Please register for this online event and you will receive an email with links to the recorded programs and handouts a few days prior to Oct 15, 2021. The links will only be active on October 15, 2021.
10 AM – 10:50 AM | NARA Mythbusters: Your Family IS in the Archives Judy G Russell, JD, CG, CGL, The Legal Genealogist. Sponsored by: Friends of Corpus Christi Public Libraries. “All the military records were burned in the fire.” “There isn’t any birth, marriage or death information in federal records.” “There aren’t any details about ordinary families at the National Archives.” These kinds of myth-statements stop genealogist from breaking down all kinds of brick walls using the wealth of information in NARA records. Join the mythbusters with the treasures the National Archives holds for your family. Difficulty: Beginner 11 AM – 11:50 AM | Methodology: Using Timelines to Focus Your Research Susan Ball, President TxSGS The most important tool you can use to research your ancestor is a timeline. Learn how to construct a timeline for your ancestor and use it to uncover previously overlooked avenues for research. Difficulty: Beginner 12 PM – 1:15 PM | Beginning Genealogy Workshop Kathy Huber, MLS, Director of the Tulsa Genealogy Center, Hardesty Public Library This workshop will explain the steps necessary to begin your family history research and introduce useful records that will assist you in getting started on the right tract. Exploring some basic genealogy research records, we'll discuss how to locate and use them to your advantage. Bring lunch and join us for this informative and fun workshop. Difficulty: Beginner 1:25 PM – 2:30 PM | So, You’ve Found Your German Town of Origin, Now What? Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG. Sponsored by: Waco-McLennan County Library Finding your ancestor’s town of origin can be exciting. Once this piece of information is found, you might be left wondering how to get records from the other side of the ocean. This lecture focuses on how to get records for German towns. Highlights include verifying the location, strategies for identifying misspelled town names, finding historical jurisdictions, finding records for that town, useful aids for reading those records, and tips for hiring a professional genealogist in Germany when necessary. Difficulty: Intermediate 2:40 PM – 3:35 PM | Fingerprinting Our Families: Using Ancestral Origins as a Genealogical Research Key Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF Manager, The Genealogy Center Senior Manager, Special Collections, Allen County Public Library Explore how the concept of “America, the Great Melting Pot” may really be a flawed concept. Identifying the ethnic group of one’s ancestor or potential ancestor can pay some significant research dividends. Topics include how to build a historical context for one’s ancestor, studying population clusters, paying attention to patterns of all sorts (naming, migration, settlement, etc.), understanding the motivations of migration, and locating resource repositories. Difficulty: Beginner 3:45 PM – 5 PM | Attacking 18th and 19th Century Mysteries with DNA Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., The Genetic Genealogist. Sponsored by: Waco-McLennan County Library Did you know that you have an arsenal of Secret DNA Weapons at your fingertips? These tools can help you attack those mysteries from the 1900s and 1800s! Learn how to harness the power of Shared Matching to pull out matches related via a mystery ancestor, how to build Research Trees to quickly identify common ancestry, and more! Difficulty: Intermediate 5:10 PM – 6 PM | Filling in the Family Stories Susan Kaufman, Senior Manager, Houston Public Library, Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research This presentation, through examples of sources, will help you to understand the context in which your family lived, celebrated, cooked, listened to music, and other daily activities that all help provide the stories that make our families come alive. Stories in context go beyond just a name, date and place on a pedigree chart. Social history helps us to better understand lives, provides context to our research, adds interest to the pedigree chart and can also lead to additional records. Difficulty: Beginner 6:10 PM – 7 PM | Discover Genealogical Treasure Using Historic U.S. Maps Hannah Kubacak, Genealogy Librarian, Genealogy Center Waco-McLennan County Library Maps provide a valuable tool for understanding the world as it was when our ancestors were living. Explore a variety of resources for finding and using historic maps. A few of the maps to be discussed during this presentation will include Fire Insurance maps, county boundaries, Public Land Survey System maps, and land grants. Difficulty: Intermediate
10 AM – 10:50 AM | NARA Mythbusters: Your Family IS in the Archives
Judy G Russell, JD, CG, CGL, The Legal Genealogist. Sponsored by: Friends of Corpus Christi Public Libraries.
“All the military records were burned in the fire.” “There isn’t any birth, marriage or death information in federal records.” “There aren’t any details about ordinary families at the National Archives.” These kinds of myth-statements stop genealogist from breaking down all kinds of brick walls using the wealth of information in NARA records. Join the mythbusters with the treasures the National Archives holds for your family.
Difficulty: Beginner
11 AM – 11:50 AM | Methodology: Using Timelines to Focus Your Research
Susan Ball, President TxSGS
The most important tool you can use to research your ancestor is a timeline. Learn how to construct a timeline for your ancestor and use it to uncover previously overlooked avenues for research.
12 PM – 1:15 PM | Beginning Genealogy Workshop
Kathy Huber, MLS, Director of the Tulsa Genealogy Center, Hardesty Public Library
This workshop will explain the steps necessary to begin your family history research and introduce useful records that will assist you in getting started on the right tract. Exploring some basic genealogy research records, we'll discuss how to locate and use them to your advantage. Bring lunch and join us for this informative and fun workshop.
1:25 PM – 2:30 PM | So, You’ve Found Your German Town of Origin, Now What?
Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG. Sponsored by: Waco-McLennan County Library
Finding your ancestor’s town of origin can be exciting. Once this piece of information is found, you might be left wondering how to get records from the other side of the ocean. This lecture focuses on how to get records for German towns. Highlights include verifying the location, strategies for identifying misspelled town names, finding historical jurisdictions, finding records for that town, useful aids for reading those records, and tips for hiring a professional genealogist in Germany when necessary.
Difficulty: Intermediate
2:40 PM – 3:35 PM | Fingerprinting Our Families: Using Ancestral Origins as a Genealogical Research Key
Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF Manager, The Genealogy Center Senior Manager, Special Collections, Allen County Public Library
Explore how the concept of “America, the Great Melting Pot” may really be a flawed concept. Identifying the ethnic group of one’s ancestor or potential ancestor can pay some significant research dividends. Topics include how to build a historical context for one’s ancestor, studying population clusters, paying attention to patterns of all sorts (naming, migration, settlement, etc.), understanding the motivations of migration, and locating resource repositories.
3:45 PM – 5 PM | Attacking 18th and 19th Century Mysteries with DNA
Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., The Genetic Genealogist. Sponsored by: Waco-McLennan County Library
Did you know that you have an arsenal of Secret DNA Weapons at your fingertips? These tools can help you attack those mysteries from the 1900s and 1800s! Learn how to harness the power of Shared Matching to pull out matches related via a mystery ancestor, how to build Research Trees to quickly identify common ancestry, and more!
5:10 PM – 6 PM | Filling in the Family Stories
Susan Kaufman, Senior Manager, Houston Public Library, Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
This presentation, through examples of sources, will help you to understand the context in which your family lived, celebrated, cooked, listened to music, and other daily activities that all help provide the stories that make our families come alive. Stories in context go beyond just a name, date and place on a pedigree chart. Social history helps us to better understand lives, provides context to our research, adds interest to the pedigree chart and can also lead to additional records.
6:10 PM – 7 PM | Discover Genealogical Treasure Using Historic U.S. Maps
Hannah Kubacak, Genealogy Librarian, Genealogy Center Waco-McLennan County Library
Maps provide a valuable tool for understanding the world as it was when our ancestors were living. Explore a variety of resources for finding and using historic maps. A few of the maps to be discussed during this presentation will include Fire Insurance maps, county boundaries, Public Land Survey System maps, and land grants.
Discovering Your Female Ancestors
Finding your female ancestors can be a challenge because of the changing of surnames through marriage and because less historical records on women are available the further in time we go. Women may only be referred to as wife in a will or by their husband’s name on a church register. The African American descendants of enslaved women have a much bigger challenge because of the lack of surnames in the wills and deed records of slaveholders and the inconsistency in surname use after Emancipation. Clayton Library staff member Rodney Sam will provide research strategies and tips for genealogists looking to uncover the history of their female ancestors.
Topic: "Overview of Houston Genealogical Forum Programs"
Did I Get Everything? – Creating a Checklist for Genealogy Research
Are you really done with researching that ancestor? Many genealogists think they have a brick wall when, in fact, they just haven’t done a “reasonably exhaustive search.” Learn how to assemble a genealogy research checklist to take your genealogy to the next level. Participants will learn how to identify gaps in their genealogy research and then move to the next level of research. These levels include using genealogy networks, going beyond online research with the help of Family Search Centers and other “offline” resources, and crafting a genealogy research checklist. Presented by guest speaker Thomas MacEntee.
Quarterly meeting of the Clayton Library Friends Executive Board.
The Board meets via Zoom Video Conference.
The Final Event - Funeral and Associated Records
Discover records of your ancestor’s final event through funeral home records, county records and more. Join Clayton Library manager Susan Kaufman for a close look at sources that can illuminate your ancestor’s final hours.
Organizing Your Research : Making Molehills out of Mountains
Do you love the research part of genealogy but dread the next step of data-entry and organizing your findings? You are not alone! Organization allows you to better utilize research time. Join guest speaker Cari Taplin and learn methods for organizing documents and notes, building a better research log, and time management tips.
Topic: "It’s In Clayton But Not on the Internet!" by John Dorroh
Don't neglect the resources at the library. The vast majority of books and sometimes microfilm at Clayton Library is not available online.
John Dorroh is the Director of Acquisitions for the Clayton Library Friends.
Findmypast.com
Have you tried the genealogy database Findmypast? Known for their extensive British Isles records, they also provide many U.S. records, and access is free while inside the Clayton Library! Learn all about it with guest speaker Jen Baldwin of Findmypast.
Native American and First Nations Research
Learn about the first steps in Native American genealogical research. Emphasis is placed on paying close attention to historical details, the major differences between Euro-American and Native American societies, and conducting research within the proper historical and geographic contexts. Guest speaker Curt Witcher, Director of Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will cover major records groups and provide an extensive bibliography.
The Clayton Library Friends Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Presentation: Proving Long-Lost Family the Indirect Way: Finding the Ancestors of F. N. Raymond by Patti Gillespie
Sometimes we must go all the way around before we can prove what is right in front of us. This is a presentation chock full of records and research with a resolution to a mystery that has been misunderstood for decades. Hold on for the ride as this presentation demonstrates the use of “long way round” research strategies while offering hope for those with direct brick walls.
Patti Gillespie, B.A., M.S. is a Professional Genealogist & Personal Historian with over 30 years of experience. She is the owner of Family Lines & Stories and specializes in Wise County, Texas and U.S. Research.
Registration is required. You do not need to be a member to attend the meeting.
Register: registration link coming soon
This event will be recorded. CLF members will have access from our website.
Face2Face will be taking a Holiday Hiatus starting in late November and all of December. We hope too see you again in 2022!
DIY Oral Histories: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating an Oral History Project
Join archivist Samantha Bruer of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center for an overview of the practice of oral history, from idea to finished product. The workshop will provide an introduction in how to conduct oral histories and tips for developing a multi-interview project while following best practices of the field. This includes project planning and implementation; interviewing; equipment and technology; legal and ethical concerns; budget; and preservation.
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