CZECHS MEET IN HOUSTON
(Please be aware this post was written in 2003 and published at that time in the Houston Chronicle (Houston, Texas) newspaper. Some of the news in this post, therefore, may not be current. Current and future posts on this blog may revisit and update news on this and other posts on this blog. If you have questions and/or suggestions, please send Mic a note using the comment page -Don’t forget to use the orange “subscribe” button to receive new posts-Thanks, Mic)
Each year the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International holds their annual conference in a city hosted by one of their member societies. This year the Texas Czech Genealogical Society is the sponsoring organization and the conference will be held Thursday through Sunday October 15-18 at the Omni Houston Hotel Westside, 13210 Katy Freeway at Eldridge Parkway in West Houston.
The purpose of the CGSI is to promote Czechoslovak genealogical research and interest among people with ancestry in the Czechoslovak region as it was in 1918. That region includes families of Czech, Bohemian, Moravian, Slovak, German, Hungarian, Jewish, Rusyn and Silesian origin.
The 2003 conference is hosting a fantastic lineup of speakers and topics of interest to everyone of any of the above mentioned ethnic groups. There will be lectures on cultural topics such as folktales, folksongs, folk dances, folk art, folk dress and folk design; Lectures on historical lifestyles and Czechoslovak settlements and patterns plus immigration in Europe and America; There will also be lectures on other genealogical and historically related Czech Republic and American record groups such as military records, vital records and census records.
Registration for the complete CGSI conference is $135 for non-members with discounts for current and new members and a single day attendance fee schedule for those who can only attend one or more days. To learn more about the conference or the society visit their website at http://cgsi.org/ .
ROMANIANS IN AMERICA
While Romanians have been in the United States since at least 1748 the first significant wave of immigration took place between 1895 and 1920 when over 145,000 Romanians entered the country. In 1990, according to that year’s United States Census, approximately 365,000 Americans claimed Romanian ancestry.
Vladimir F. Wertsman’s Romanians in the United States and Canada: A Guide to Ancestry and Heritage Research is the most extensive, up-to-date resource guide to ancestry and heritage research available. It is excellent tool for genealogists, historians, ethnic research specialists and hobbyists. It lists more than a thousand annotated books, periodicals and Web site sources helpful to researchers.
Researchers will appreciate the tips and strategies, extensive bibliographic resources, and the exhaustive lists of resource contacts, which include names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. With its wealth of information, multi-faceted methodology, statistical tables, and appendices, Romanians in the United States and Canada provides a timely tool for everyone searching their Romanian heritage.
Romanians in the United States and Canada is available for 24.95 from Heritage Quest on their website at http://heritagequest.com or by telephone at 1-800-760-2455.
LEARN GENEALOGY
An introductory course in genealogy, Roots of Genealogy-How To Research Your Family Tree, will be offered through Leisure Learning on Tuesday October 7 from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. The class will be conducted at Leisure Learning’s 2990 Richmond Avenue campus. The following week the class will tour Clayton Genealogical Library and conduct on-site census research at the library. Registration for this class is $35. For more information and to register, contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.
PROVING TEXAS ANCESTRY CLASS
Leisure Learning is hosting a new class, Proving Ancestral Residency In the Republic of Texas 1836-1846. The class will discuss the various extant records such as military, tax and land records that document residency in the Republic of Texas. It will also explain how to use them in genealogical or historical research. This class will be of utmost interest to those trying to gain membership in the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas or other similar organizations.
The class will be held at Leisure Learning’s 2990 Richmond campus on Wednesday October 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Registration is $35. To register and obtain more information contact Leisure Learning at 713-529-4414.
