Fresno California East FamilySearch Center

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 1880 Gettysburg Ave Clovis CA 93611 United States


 * Language: English

Phone:


 * 1-559-291-2448

E-mail:


 * [mailto:CA_FresnoEast@ldsmail.net CA_FresnoEast@ldsmail.net]

Center Director


 * Steve Mecham (559) 291-7363

Open Hours:


 * Tuesday 10:00am-3:00pm and 6:30pm-9:00pm
 * Wednesday 10:00am-3:00pm and 6:30pm-9:00pm
 * Thursday 10:00am-3:00pm and 6:30pm-9:00pm

Holiday Schedule:

Closed December 16th through January 1st:

Calendar and Events:
'''Launch of the new "Family History Guide Website". What is the "Family History Guide"?'''

The Family History Guide is a website that represents a best-in-class learning environment for family history. Its scope is broad, but its focus is narrow enough to help you achieve your goals, step by step. Whether you're brand new to family history or a seasoned researcher - or somewhere in between - The Family History Guide can be your difference maker.

Here are some of the unique features you'll find on the site:


 * Over 350 Goals for learning, supported by over 600 flexible Choices * Step-by-step instructions to make learning easier * Links to over 1,000 videos and articles from FamilySearch, Ancestry, and more * Quick-links to search records from multiple sources * Project Tracker sheets and Classroom materials for self-study or group instruction

Check out the website at: http://thefhguide.com/

"Discover My Family Day" Regional event May 16, 2015 was held at the West Stake Center'''. '''Those desiring a syllabus of that event may contact Steve Mecham at steve_phs@hotmail.com

RootsTech Video Archive 2015
Keynote Session Addresses by Dennis Brimhall, Mike Mallin, Tan Le;: Link

30 Pieces of Tech I Can't Live Without by D. Joshua Taylor: Link

'''You've Mastered the Census and Basic Search, What Next? by Karen Auman''': Link

What's New at FamilySearch by Devin Ashby: Link

Getting Started in Genetic Genealogy by Diahan Southard: Link

Building a Genealogy Research Toolbox by Thomas MacNetee: Link

Bring Your Ancestor Back to the Future by Anne Leishman: Link

'''The Write Stuff. Leaving a Recorded Legacy: Personal Histories, Journals, Diaries, and Letters by Valerie Elkins''': Link

Family History on the Go Using Phones and Tablet Apps byRhonna Farrer, Crystal Beutler: Link

Personal History Triage: How to Tell the Best Ten Stories of Your Life by Alison Taylor: Link

Finding Your Family On Newspapers.com by Peter Drinkwater: Link

Consultant Training: Using FamilySearch Partners by Craig Miller: Link

FamilySearch Family Tree 2014 and Beyond by Ron Tanner: Link

Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.com by Crista Cowan, Juliana Szucs: Link

Discover New Research Opportunities with the MyHeritage and FamilySearch Partnership by Mark Olsen: Link

Finding the Living Among the Dead: Using the Internet to Find Your Living Cousins by Amy Archibald: Link

From Machine-Checkable Proofs to Purple Prose: Levels of Rigor in Family History Software by Luther Tychonievich: Link

Reimagining the Family Tree by Harrison Tang: Link

Class Schedule
'New On Line Family History Consultant Training'- This course consists of six different on line modules to be completed by the new consultant. The course menu includes:

1-Understand Your Purpose: Find, Take, Teach (15 minutes in duration)

2-Start your Family Tree (15 minutes in Duration)

3-Grow Your family Tree (15 minutes in Duration)

4-Find Your Cousins (15 minutes in duration)

5- Turn the Hearts (15 minutes in duration)

6-Teach others (30 minutes in duration). All newly called Ward family history consultants should complete this on line training

Link: http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/FHD/Local_Support/Consultant/NewTraining/Lesson/story.html

Family Search Learning Center:

Did you know that you can take courses on how to do family history research right here on FamilySearch.org? These courses are one of our hidden gems.

Our new Learning Center makes it easier for you to find courses of interest to you. You can search by keywords and use filters. The Learning Center also highlights recommended and popular courses.

Familysearch Learning Center

Staff Training Meetings
Ten top things that family history consultants should learn: Website

Collections

 * FamilySearch Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the FamilySearch Catalog.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.

Hardware and Equipment

 * Our Family History Center has 18 separate computer stations; one microfilm copier; two microfilm readers; one microfiche reader, and a copy/scanning machine.


 * Thanks to the efforts of Dennis McCauley and Bill Holden, we have one of the best family history centers set up in the Fresno Region. The Stake has recently increased the size of our internet bandwidth so our computers are able to connect much quicker to family history websites that in the past.
 * Thanks to the efforts of Dennis McCauley and Bill Holden, we have one of the best family history centers set up in the Fresno Region. The Stake has recently increased the size of our internet bandwidth so our computers are able to connect much quicker to family history websites that in the past.
 * Thanks to the efforts of Dennis McCauley and Bill Holden, we have one of the best family history centers set up in the Fresno Region. The Stake has recently increased the size of our internet bandwidth so our computers are able to connect much quicker to family history websites that in the past.


 * Due to the large number of individual computer stations, our Center offers an excellent facility to bring groups of ten to fifteen individuals at a time for family history training. We would request that if your Priesthood Quorum, or mutual class, or other organization bring in a group for training purposes, that you call Brother Steve Mecham, the Family History Center Director at 559-291-7363, so that we can schedule adequate staff to assist patrons on a one to one basis.

For youth groups, we request that the youth have their LDS accounts set up before coming to the Library so that time may be more fully devoted to helping them find names to take to the temple rather than setting up their accounts.

Staff Research Specialties
Conrad and Karen Bitters~Stake Index Leaders~559-291-4847

Steve Mecham Family History Center Director~works Wednesday nights at FHL; phone 559-291-7363

Elder David Grenier- FamilySearch Support Missionary, works Thursday night at FHL; phone 559-297-1345; e-mail address: [mailto:grenida@pacbell.net grenida@pacbell.net]

Rebecca Shiner~Eastern Prussia; Great Britian Research~ 559-346-1390

Bishop Dan Winiecke~ Polish Russian Research~559-903-0605

Patrick Cummings~Leeds &amp; Grenville Counties, Ontario; New York Research~559-346-1259

Leon Papin- French Canadian Research~559-346-9620

''Jane Moffitt~Great Britian Research~works Tues. Mornings at FHL; 559-412-4267''

Bill Vaughn~Fresno East Stake FHL printing specialist- works Thursday night at FHL; phone 559-298-8345 Bill and Patty Vaughn- Fresno East Stake Family History Consultant Trainers- 559-298-8345

Jana Last~Family History Blogger specialist~291-6375

''Steve Mecham~Ancestry.com Research~works Wed. Evenings at FHL; 559-291-7363''

Resources in the Local Area
American Historical Society of Germans From Russia:

Their purpose is purely historical by doing genealogical research of our German from Russia forefathers, as well as reuniting with living relatives, recording and preserving historical facts.

Genealogy Research Library and Museum

Library Hours: Tuesday to Friday 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m., Closed Saturday to Monday

Tours and/or Personal Research by appointment

Central California Chapter, 3233 N. West Ave, Fresno, CA 93705-3402

Phone: 559-229-8287 Email: info@ahsgrfc-centralcal.org

American Historical Society of Germans From Russia

The Heritage Center ~San Joaquin Valley Heritage and Genealogical Center~Central Branch- 2420 Mariposa St., Fresno, CA. 559-600-6230; Link

Hours:

Mon-Thurs 10am to 7 pm

Friday, Sat 10am to 5 pm

Sun 12 noon to 5pm

Resources:


 * California vital record indexes, censuses Great Registers


 * City Directories and Telephone Books for Fresno More


 * Obituary File


 * Yearbooks from local area schools and colleges


 * online resources including ancestry library edition


 * newspapers: local and California dating back to the 1850's


 * Maps: Fresno, San Joaquin Valley and parts of California


 * Postcard and Photograph collection


 * William Saroyan Collection


 * Oral Histories

For a more complete list of Resources, go to: Link

Daughters of Utah Pioneers:

C.L. Fancher Camp meets in Clovis on the third Thursday at noon.

Lydia McCauley Camp meets in Fresno on the 2nd Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Camp Sugar Pine meets in Oakhurst on the 2nd Monday at noon.

For more information, contact Sonja Kland 559-224-5236

International Society of Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 300 N. Main, Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1699

Link"

Fresno County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1429, Fresno, CA 93716-1429; Phone no 559-600-6230

FCGS meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in Feb-July, Sept and Nov. at 6:30 p.m. in the Woodward Park Library located at 944 E. Perrin (at Champlain).

Meetings feature speakers on a variety of topics of genealogical and historical interest.

Save the Date! October 17, 2015; Lisa Louise Cook, host of the Genealogy Gems podcast, author, blogger, and national speaker, Lisa has spoken for the Southern California Genealogy Society's Jamboree, RootsTech, Who Do You Think You Are? We are pleased to bring Lisa to the valley. Look for more information on our website,

Our website: Link P

'''Want to make a donation to the Church History Library? '''Contact Church History Library Donations;

Acquisitions hotline 1-801-240-5696. Will accept journals, manuscripts, books, letters, museum items with historical value with LDS content. E-mail inquiries to: churchhistoryacquistions@ldschurch.org

BLOG CENTER = FAMILYSEARCH BLOG CENTER

How to Exchange Details Between Ancestry and Family Tree https://familysearch.org/blog/en/exchange-details-ancestry-family-tree-2/

What's New at FamilySearch.org? https://familysearch.org/blog/en/whats-new-at-familysearch/

Family Search Blog- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/

Expanding your Family Tree: Through Descendancy Research- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/expanding-family-tree-descendancy-research/

Pioneers of the Westward Expansion- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/pioneers-westward-expansion/

Past persecution Make Irish Information Difficult to Discover- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/past-persecution-make-irish-information-difficult-to-discover/

Advancement in Technology Aid Genealogists- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/advancements-technology-aid-genealogists/

Using the Family HIstory Guide- https://familysearch.org/blog/en/family-history-guide/

The Benefits of Writing a Genealogy Blog By Jana Last

Have you heard about genealogy blogs? Have you thought about beginning your own genealogy blog? Genealogy blogs are a great way to share information about our ancestors. I began my genealogy blog in April of 2012 and have found so many benefits from sharing information about my ancestors in my blog. Here are some of the benefits I've found over the years:

• My blog acts as cousin bait, which means that if a relative of mine searches for one of our common ancestors on the internet, they may find my blog and contact me. I've had this happen several times. I recently had a previously unknown cousin who lives in Brazil contact me. He shared a photo of my great-grandfather with me that I’d never seen before. Blogs have a global reach. They can be read by people all over the world, which is amazing.

• Writing about my ancestors helps me to better analyze the research I have about them.

• Writing about my ancestors helps me to get to know them better. It's fascinating to learn about them. It also helps me to appreciate them and what they experienced during their lives.

• My immediate and extended family members near and far can learn about their ancestors by reading my blog. And hopefully my future descendants will read my blog and enjoy learning about their ancestors too.

• Even if distant cousins don't contact me when and if they find my blog, the information, stories, and photos I share may be helpful and interesting to them. They may see a photo of an ancestor that they'd never seen before. I know how exciting that can be.

• Each person in my family tree deserves to be remembered. And writing about them in a genealogy blog is a great way to remember them.

• I've made lots of genealogy blogging friends online. These friends are from all over the world. There's an active online genealogy blogging community and its members are very kind and helpful.

• Blogging about ancestors is fun!

Links:
LDS Church Members~ Create your own personal accounts with "ancestry.com: ; "find my past"; and "my heritage" for free. See: Familysearch Partner Access

books.familysearch.org  Discover unknown ancestors in a collection of over 20,000 digitized family and local history publications from around the world. Preserve your printed family history for generations and share it without making paper copies. When you use scan-on-demand, you keep the original, and FamilySearch makes a high quality digital copy and preserves it no matter how technology changes. Questions? send an e-mail to books@familysearch.org

Download your own free copy of "48 Ancestry.com Research Tips" in available PDF file: Family tree magazine free-ancestry-search-tips

BYU Relative Finder~ Roots-fb.cs.byu.edu Relative finder is a place where you can find how you are related to the world. Discover connections between you, presidents, prophets, and your families.

To find Relatives in Fresno East Stake, join Fresno East Stake Group, password is fowler

To find relatives in Fresno Stake, join Fresno Stake Group, password is Cedar

To find relatives in Fresno North Stake, join Fresno North Stake group, password is 1234

To find relatives in Fresno West Stake, join Fresno West Stake group, password is sierra

A little known program of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides genealogy information that may be difficult or impossible to obtain elsewhere. The records include naturalization files, visa applications, and citizenship tests, and may reveal family secrets and mysteries. In addition to relatives, historians or researchers can also request files.

Under the USCIS Genealogy Progam, which started in 2008, requests are usually completed within 30 days. The government will run a search of the name, as long as the person is deceased. If there are records available, the government charges additional fees for the files. The fee for a record copy from microfilm identified as (M) is $20 per request. The fee for a copy of a hard copy file identified as (HC) is $35 per request. More information about the fees associated with each file series may be found at USCIS Government History Genealogy Records.

The documents typically include immigration information, often (but not always) including exact hometowns in their ancestors native countries. The files often have information on brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles. Many times it is useful to obtain the records of your uncles, aunts, and cousins who also immigrated from "the old country."

If the immigrant applied for American citizenship, the details are also included in these files. For anyone of Japanese, German, or Italian origin who lived in the United States during World War II, the documents often include FBI reports about the person's activities, including friends, family, and political activities.

For more information about the program, check out USCIS Government Genealogy.

Using Free Message boards in Genealogy Research~ http://genealogy.about.com/od/help/a/message_boards.htm

The National Archives~Resources for Genealogists~ Archives Government Research Genealogy

How to Submit Temple names through Ancestry.com: FamilySearch Blog

New Audio File Feature Helps You Teach Others About Their Ancestors: Audio

Consultant Webinar Series: Web Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 1: Quick Start: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 2: The Research Process: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 3: Record What You Know: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 4: Learn from Family: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 5: Choose an Ancestor and Question: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 6: Locate Where Your Ancestor Lived: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 7: Records, an Introduction; Link

'5 Minute Genealogy Episode 8:'Find a Record: Link

'5 Minute Genealogy Episode 9:Using Indexes to Find a Record:' Link

'5 Minute Genealogy Episode 10:'Using Name Variations to Find a Record: Link

'5 Minute Genealogy Episode 11:'Find Help from Others Online: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 12: Write It Down: Link

'5 Minute Genealogy Episode 13:Organize Your Records:' Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 14: Understand how records are created: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 15: Share with Others: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 16: Completing Your Research: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 17: Get Help In-Person: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 18: Get Help from Others Researching the Same Name: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 19: I Want to Interview a Living Relative: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 20: I Want to Learn More About Sourcing: Link

5 Minute Genealogy Episode 21: Indexing, I want to help: Link

Making family History Fun for children:

Friend/2011/02/Family-history-fun

Lds-magazines/Friend-March-2012/2012-03-08-extra-extra-read-all-about-it

Magazines Friend-July-2013-07-31-familysearch-sleuth

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Friend/2009/10/My-family-tree

Friend/1982/03/Seek-and-find

Liahona/2002/08/Sharing-time-the-heart-of-the-children

Kids Family Tree Magazine

Volunteer at the Center
(Include information here about the volunteers you are looking for.)