User:SShoemaker

Hello!

My name is Susan Shoemaker, maiden name Preston. I was born and raised in California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I still reside with my whole family. My roots in this state go back to the California Gold Rush days. My roots in this COUNTRY go back to the Mayflower!

My husband and I became converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1985, and that is where I got my start in genealogy. At first, I just dabbled in it, but about six years ago, I really began to apply myself to learning all I could about genealogy, and then researching my family history. It has been both a fun and rewarding experience! One of my happiest experiences has been meeting my cousin, EdrieAnne, who has become my genealogy mentor and my friend. She is one of the kindest and most generous people I know, and a whiz at this stuff!

My current areas of research include: Termini Imerese, Sicily (my great-grandfather) and Castellamarre di Stabia, Italy (my great-grandmother); and Prince Edward Island, Canada. And the United States, of course! I am just starting to look into my husband's family, especially his mother's side, the Keenan's from Ireland. It is still a mystery to us if the surname "Shoemaker" is English. We've heard hints of it being German, as in Schumacher.

The reason for this User Page is so that I can post an article regarding church records I discovered with birth and marriage records from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in San Francisco--dating before the "Quake", and subsequent fire, in 1906, when civil records were lost. So happy to have found this resource, and to be able to share this find! Yes, the Church still has the original record books, and they will look up names for you, but I found that a frustrating experience. They do not allow you to see or handle the books, and I wanted to SEE the actual records! Happily, there are micrifilmed records of those books archived elsewhere that you can search.

I wish to thank everyone who has so generously helped me along my way with genealogy: The cousins I have met during my research who have helped me and shared their information; the many individuals who have given freely of their time to teach seminars and classes; and the Diablo Valley Mac User's Group, who have not only helped with genealogy, but broadened my horizons in the computer world, enabling me to carry on this gratifying work. And last but not least, my husband Jim, because without his support, I would not be able to accomplish any of the things that matter most to me.