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Saturday, September 6
Finding an Impossible Ancestor: Joining ThruLine Results with Old Time Records (Speaker Series)
11:00 am Online Zoom Meeting
The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
Our speaker is James M. Baker, PhD. The topic is: "Finding an Impossible Ancestor: Joining ThruLine Results with Old Time Records"
Tracking down an “impossible ancestor” by combining ThruLines results with historical records is a challenge many genealogists face—especially when DNA hints conflict with traditional documentation.
James Baker will explain how to use Ancestry’s ThruLines to identify potential ancestors and evaluate DNA matches.
Mr. Baker has been an active genealogist for over 15 years. He specializes in German, Midwest US, early American research, and DNA. He has written articles for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Magazine, the NGS Quarterly, and Der Blumenbaum, the journal of the Sacramento German Genealogy Society. He has presented classes and webinars to many genealogy groups including National Genealogical Society, Southern California Jamboree, and Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Mr. Baker earned a PhD in sociology and social psychology from the University of Utah. He is retired from an aerospace and business management career.
Solano County Genealogical Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email a few days before the event. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link on the website in the Members Only menu section.
Guests are welcome to attend this FREE event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4:00 p.m. September 5th to request an invitation.
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Saturday, October 4
From Slave to Soldier: What Civil War Records Can Tell You about Your Ancestors (Speaker Series)
11:00 am Online Zoom Meeting
The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. The speaker is Michael A. Willis. The topic is: "From Slave to Soldier: What Civil War Records Can Tell You about Your Ancestors" .
Have you ever wondered if your ancestors served in the Civil War? Have you wanted to know if military records about your ancestors exist, where they are located and how to retrieve them? Did you know that genealogical data exists in military records? This presentation aims to address these questions by providing a historical background. He will be mainly be focusing on the African American United States Colored Troops, the records that detail their service, medical histories, genealogies and how this information can bridge gaps in research and extend pedigree charts.
Michael A. Willis was inspired early on by his grandmother, he began learning genealogy at age 8 when he memorized seven generations of his maternal line. He is a professional genealogist based in the Northern California East Bay with over 22 years of experience helping people explore their family history—especially African American ancestry. Two of his specializaions are Louisiana research and Genetic genealogy. He was educated at UC Davis (B.S., 2000). Mr. Willis is the board chair of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California.
Solano County Genealogical Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email a few days before the event. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link on the website in the Members Only menu section.
Guests are welcome to attend this FREE event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4:00 p.m. October 3rd to request an invitation.
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Saturday, November 1
Using Maps and Geography in Genealogy (Speaker Series)
11:00 am Online Zoom Meeting
The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Our speaker is Dr. Melinda Kashuba, Ph.D. The topic is: "Using Maps and Geography in Genealogy"
Maps help us identify where a place is located. For genealogists, there are many other things maps can help us achieve: visualize past environments, document boundary changes, show the locations of cemeteries, churches, and schools, suggest migration routes, and assist us in critically analyzing records. A variety of maps that are helpful in genealogical research will be discussed as well as methods to locate them.
Dr. Melinda Kashuba, Ph.D. is a professional genealogist and owner of Kashuba Research Services, a genealogical and historical research company. Her popular book, Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography, joins a long list of articles in numerous genealogical magazines and other publications. She is a Course Coordinator and faculty member at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and a faculty member at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.
Her genealogical specialties include 19th century and contemporary genealogical records in California including maps and land records. She holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, she serves on the board of two nonprofit organizations in Shasta County and has over a decade of experience in community outreach, board development, and fundraising.
Solano County Genealogical Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email a few days before the event. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link on the website in the Members Only menu section.
Guests are welcome to attend this FREE event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4:00 p.m. October 31st to request an invitation.
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Saturday, December 6
How to leave your Genealogy (Speaker Series)
11:00 am Online Zoom Meeting
The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Our speaker is Lisa S. Gorrell. The topic is: "How to leave your Genealogy"
What to do with your genealogy research? Some in paper form, some as digital files. What to do with all that research when you pass on. You might have a relative that will continue the research. Or you might be able to donate it to a library of a historical society. Ms. Gorrell will discuss why now is the time to make a plan to increase the chance that your work is saved for future generations.
Lisa has been researching family histories for over 30 years. She is a Certified Genealogist®, a graduate of the ProGen program, and an alumna of many genealogical institutes. Her areas of expertise include southern states and Texas; California, Montana, and Oregon; 18th & 19th-century German research; and 18th & 19th-century Swedish research. Lisa has served on boards of several genealogical societies and was the recording secretary with the Contra Costa County Historical Society, where she volunteers at their archives in Martinez. She is also a founding member and instructor of the online Applied Genealogy Institute (https://appliedgen.institute).
Solano County Genealogical Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email a few days before the event. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link on the website in the Members Only menu section.
Guests are welcome to attend this FREE event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4:00 p.m. June 6th to request an invitation.
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Tuesday, December 9
Solano Genealogical Potluck (Holiday Potluck)
12:00 pm Veterans Memorial Building 549 Merchant, Vacaville
Our Solano County Genealogical Society is having a Holiday Potluck on Tuesday December 9th 2025 at 12 noon.
The event will be at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 549 Merchant Street, in Vacaville.
All members and their guests are invited.
Drinks will be provided.
No alcohol is allowed.
Please let us know if you are planning to attend and what favorite food dish you will bring to share. RSVP by email to scgs@scgsca.org by Dec 5th so that we have an idea on how many people to expect.
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We hope to see you there!
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