National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair

September 3 & 4, 2013

WHAT:  National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair

For the first time ever, the National Archives will host a virtual Genealogy Fairwith live lectures and chat via the website UStream and a call-in genealogy help line.

• Lectures:  This two-day program will showcase tips and techniques for using Federal records at the National Archives for genealogy research. Lectures are designed for experienced genealogy professionals and novices alike.
  
• Genealogy Help Line:  Call with your genealogy questions during the fair. National Archives staff in Washington, DC, will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. eastern daylight time (EDT) on September 3 and 4 on our special hotline at 202-357-5420.
  
  You may also email us at inquire@nara.gov, or call our Washington, DC, Customer Service Center telephone during regular business hours at 1-866-325-7208.

WHEN: September 3 & 4, 2013 (see schedule)

WHO: Speakers include genealogy experts from the National Archives and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.

HOW: The National Archives will host the virtual Genealogy Fairvia webcast using the websiteUStream and a call-in genealogy help line. Recorded sessions will be available online after the event. Closed captioning and American sign language interpreters are part of the broadcast.

• View live broadcast on September 3 & 4
  [www.ustream.tv/usnationalarchives]
• Instructions for online viewing and chat.

WHERE: The National Archives will host the live lectures via webcast on UStream.

SCHEDULE: times listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Genealogy Help Line Schedule:  Call in during the fair, from 1 to 4 p.m. (EDT) at 202-357-5420.

Find other events, seminars and meetings for California Genealogists by following the weekly update on the CSGA Blog.  If you subscribe you will get an email with each posting. (Max 2 a week, includes items of legislative importance to California genealogists)

San Mateo County Cemeteries: St. Johns

All photograph's courtesy of Russ Brabec 2013

Entrance

Tucked away in the hills of San Mateo lies one of the oldest cemeteries in the county.  The land was donated in 1885 by Abby Parrot in memory of her husband who had died the year before.

ST. JOHN’S CEMETERY

GIVEN TO

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

OF SAN MATEO

IN MEMORY

OF JOHN PARROTT

BORN IN VIRGINIA

APRIL 16, 1811

DIED IN CALIFORNIA 

MARCH 29, 1884  

         (inscription west side of Parrot Mausoleum)  

Parrot Mausoleum

The cemetery which is located at 910 Oregon Ave, is open to the public from 9am to 5 pm daily.


The link to the cemetery website was not working on Aug 10 and the notice indicates it has been down for nearly a month.  If it becomes viable again or a new site goes online, the old domain should probably work.  You will find a link on the cemetery page on the San Mateo County First Families Blog.  You will also find a link to a map there to help you find the cemetery.

Among the treasures you will find in the cemetery is the unmarked mausoleum of Agness Poett Howard Bowie.  There are also memorials for many Parrot family members whether they were buried in the cemetery or not.

St. John's Cemetery - Find A Grave lists 2888 burials with about 38% photographed.  Tim Conroy read the entire cemetery in 2004 and the listing is available on Interment.net and USGenWebArchives.

The San Mateo County Community College District is offering a class by Michael Svanevik in September entitled Underground San Mateo - A subterranean look at St. John's Cemetery.

READ MORE:

Cemetery Brochure

• Hidden Treasures in San Mateo County: St. John's Cemetery - San Mateo County Library
• Discovering San Mateo's Hidden Cemetery - Daily Journal (Parrot family history)
• Sally McBurney's  Photos on Flickr (check out her other photo sets from around the Bay Area)
• Spookiest Cemeteries in the Bay Area - SF Gate

San Mateo County Cemeteries: Woodlawn

Every cemetery is exciting, but when you are under two finding one with books, water, pictures, statues, waving birds and more is very exciting.  Woodlawn can provide an hour or so of fun for even the youngest cemetery walker.  

Sweeping views of the area make it a pleasant walk for everyone.  There are a large number of Chinese burials, many with pictures on the tombstones. Perhaps because I am unable to read them, they seem more like works of art than burial monuments.  



Located at 1000 El Camino Real, Woodlawn was established in 1904 as the replacement for San Francisco's Masonic Cemetery, which had been in existence since 1854.  Woodlawn was the twelfth cemetery in the then town of Lawndale.  

You can read more about the cemetery, it's signature castle and early logistics by clicking on History on the cemetery website's About Us Tab.  You will find a contact form on the same tab if you would like to ask for more information on a particular burial.

Brotherhood of the Sea Memorial

Among the special monuments in the cemetery is that of the  Brotherhood of the Sea and among the famous buried here is Emperor Norton.



 Find A Grave has over 8000 interments listed, many with photographs of the tombstones.  You will also find a map of the cemetery.

Billion Graves lists just under 700 burials at Woodlawn.  As most of these have a picture, you might find a photo or burial missing from Find A Grave.

An early picture of Woodlawn can be found in the SF Library photo collection.

Pictures from Woodlawn and other cemeteries can be found on Art in Stitches.

Just in case you would like to understand some of the many symbols found on tombstones, here and elsewhere,check out Cemetery Symbolism - A Wary Glossary. 

Woodlawn Memorial Park
1000 ElCamino Real, Colma CA 94104
Telephone: (650) 755-1727