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Thursday, February 12
"Genetic Genealogy Case Studies" with Dawn Kosmokos (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Dawn will tell three different stories of cases that were solved with Genetic Genealogist. One is her own personal great-grandfather brick wall, the second one is a John Doe that was identified, and the third one is an unknown father case for an adoptee that ended up turning into several adoptees being helped with this one case.
After registering you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
At the age of 45, Dawn Kosmokos took a DNA test for fun and discovered that the father who raised her wasn't her biological father. After successfully using DNA clues to find and reunite with her birth father, she became passionate about helping others with similar stories. She started as a search angel in Search Squad and DNA Detectives in 2016, which gave her the experience and confidence to start her career as a professional genetic genealogist in early 2019. She is currently accepting new clients for unknown parent cases as well as volunteering as an Investigative Genetic Genealogist for Moxxy Forensics on law enforcement cases.
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Thursday, March 12
"Homesteading - Land For All" with Christine Cohen (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Christine will show us how homestead application packets from 1862 - 1934 are great sources of genealogical information. These applications list family members and statements from neighbors, plus notations of previous residences. Plus, pages from the family Bible, birth, marriage or death certificates, newspaper clippings, and witness affidavits. Union Civil War Veterans had to provide proof of military service and immigrants had to provide naturalization documents.
Click here to register for this meeting
After registering you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Chistine Cohen’s interest in genealogy began in 1977 with the airing of the TV mini-series “Roots”. Her enthusiasm was piqued when she was given a typed pedigree chart, commissioned by her maternal grandfather, of her Dutch heritage from the New Netherlands in the 1650s. She is a native Californian, a graduate of UCLA in Political Science, and has recently retired to pursue her genealogy interest full-time.
Christine is a long-time member of the Whittier Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) and is the current Program Director. In addition to WAGS, she is a member of the Tualatin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, and the Association of Professional Genealogists.
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Thursday, April 9
"Faith and Founding Fathers: Religion’s Role in America’s Story" with Sylvia Tracy Doolos (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Beginning with the American Revolution, religion has shaped our ancestors’ lives. Discover faith-driven events that can help unlock your family’s story.
Sylvia Tracy Doolos is a Professional Genealogist, Consultant, and Lecturer. She is an active volunteer in several genealogical societies and local libraries. Sylvia is currently an officer in the Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society (WISE), the Colorado chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (CAPG), as well as the Past President of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH).
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Thursday, May 14
“250th Anniversary Show & Share” with Annual Meeting (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
In past years, it has been customary for CCCGS members to show ancestral heirlooms and photos. This year, members will be sharing factual accounts of their early-American ancestry (1600s - 1790s). Experience dramatic and fearless ancestral lives sprinkled with murder, exile, refuge and pleas!
Do you have an early-American ancestor (1600s-1780s) that you would like to share with other members? Time frame is 5 to 10 minutes. Get in touch with us at events@cccgs.net for more information or submission.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
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Thursday, June 11
"Using DNA Painter" with Fran Shockley (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Whether you want to apply DNA analysis to your family mysteries or refine your genealogical skills, Professional genealogist Fran Shockley will provide practical, clear examples to empower your research using DNA Painter.
Using a focused approach with the Shared cM Project Tool, What are the Odds (WATO), What are the Odds plus (WATO) plus, and the Chromosome Maps, Fran will show how to break through genealogical brick walls.
You’ll see how DNA Painter can help you:
- Interpret shared centimorgan data to estimate relationships
- Use What are the Odds tools to test family tree hypotheses
- Visualize chromosome segments to better understand DNA matches
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Professional Genealogist Fran Shockley is a “genealogy sleuth” who is skilled in family history research, employing techniques to uncover hidden ancestral stories, solve mysteries, and find connections that traditional methods might miss. Her work involves using tools like DNA databases, historical records, and family interviews to reconstruct family trees and narratives.
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Thursday, July 9
"Reading and Transcribing American Colonial Handwriting" with Janice M. Sellers (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Understanding the way letters were made and evolved between the 1600's and the 1860's can turn the illegible into the readable. This class identifies those logical changes and discusses generally accepted rules for transcribing original records into typescript.
After registering you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Janice M. Sellers is a professional genealogist and international speaker whose grandparents told her she is related to actor Peter Sellers and to John of Gaunt, son of a king and father of a king. Unfortunately, they were wrong, but that’s why she has researched her family for 50 years and now helps others find the right pieces to fit their genealogy puzzles. She specializes in Black, Jewish, forensic, and newspaper research. She has done research and appeared on camera for the television series The Dead Files. |
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Thursday, September 10
"Our Quaker Ancestors: Their History and the Records They Left" with Annette Burke Lyttle (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Quakers were among the earliest settlers in North America and as they moved west, they were often the earliest settlers in newly-opened territory. Quakers were amazing record-keepers. Not only did they record births, marriages, and deaths, they kept extensive records on those who came into their local meetings and those who left. Transgressions by members of the community were publicly discussed and recorded, and as they came to believe that slavery was evil their records on Quakers who kept slaves became extensive. Learn about the history of these pioneering Americans and how to find the rich records they left behind.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Annette Burke Lyttle holds the Certified Genealogist® credential. She provides professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories. Annette is a course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the British Institute. She is a published writer whose research interests include Quaker ancestors and ancestral migrations in the US. She is past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and editor of The Florida Genealogist.
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Saturday, October 3
"Finding Binkey: When Your Ancestors Choose You" with Michael A. Willis (CCCGS Meetings)
10:00 am to 1:00 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
FALL WEBINAR - MEMBERS ONLY
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!
ROOTSTECH SPEAKER 2026
If you are interested in researching your ancestors, learning who you are, where you come from, and the methodologies that make it all happen, this webinar is most definitely for you! While taking you on his journey, Michael will share lessons from his personal experiences in tracing his family tree, such as documentary and genetic evidence, bonds with newfound relatives, and present "how-to's" for beginning-to-intermediate family historians so that you too may find your ancestral stories.
Michael A. Willis is an award-winning author, speaker, consultant, blogger and instructor with 25 years’ experience as a genealogist. An East Bay Area native, Michael has documented over 5500 people on his family tree and researched his ancestry back 11 generations into the early 18th century.
Michael helps people gather knowledge about their past with the intent of bringing context to their present and unleashing the potential of their future. Michael is committed to helping individuals answer their genealogical questions through historical document discovery and analysis. These documents may be found at archives, libraries, courthouses universities, special collections departments, historical newspapers, vital records, estate records, or online. He also utilizes DNA analysis to unlock mysteries that are otherwise unsolvable.
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Thursday, November 12
"Marriage by Blacksmith: Gretna Green Marriages" with Madeline Yanov (CCCGS Meetings)
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Via Zoom - Registration Required
Madeline will delve into the origins of Gretna Green’s popularity and unravel the stories behind its American counterparts. What motivated people to journey far from home to exchange their vows? Are these marriages legally recognized? Where can one unearth the elusive records of these unions? These American cities may hold the key to your ancestors’ missing marriage records.
Click here to register for this meeting
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Madeline Yanov is the owner of Time Travel Genealogy, and has more than 32 years of genealogy experience, specializing in American research. Since most Americans are descendants of immigrants, she is also very familiar with European genealogy – specifically, Irish, British, the Slovak region, Russian, and some German.
Madeline is President Emeritus of the Contra Costa County Genealogical Society and serves on the board since 2012. She also is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and several other local genealogical societies. |
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