Genealogy Problem Solving with a Focus on Ancestry.com

Are you hitting brick walls in your family history research? This session is designed for genealogists of all experience levels who want to refine their problem-solving skills using Ancestry.com. Whether you’re struggling with elusive ancestors, conflicting records, or DNA mysteries, this session will provide practical strategies to break through tough research challenges.

Topics will include:
✅ Maximizing Ancestry’s Search Tools – Learn advanced search techniques and filters to uncover hidden records.
✅ Analyzing Hints & Member Trees – Understand when to trust Ancestry’s hints and how to evaluate shared family trees critically.
✅ Using AncestryDNA for Genealogical Clues – Learn how to interpret your DNA matches, build mirror trees, and solve unknown parentage cases.
✅ Record Strategies & Case Studies – Explore real-life research problems and the step-by-step methods used to solve them.
✅ Organizing & Verifying Your Findings – Discover ways to track sources, cite records, and ensure your tree is as accurate as possible.

Join us for an engaging session filled with tips, real-world examples, and interactive discussion to help you become a more effective genealogist!

March Monthly Meeting with Guest Speaker Daniel Horowitz speaking on:

“Unearthing Your Ancestor’s Stories in Historical Newspapers”

A description of this program is coming soon.

Genealogy Fun with AI: Bringing Family History to Life with ChatGPT and NotebookLM

Join us for an exciting presentation on how artificial intelligence can help transform your family history into captivating stories! Discover how ChatGPT can assist in writing engaging family narratives, creating historical fiction, and imagining the lives of your ancestors. Learn how NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered tool, can organize your family history notes, timelines, and documents into audio-creative storytelling. Whether you're preserving your heritage or crafting stories inspired by your genealogy, this session will show you how to use AI to bring your ancestors’ stories to life in fun and imaginative ways!

February Monthly Meeting with Guest Speaker Allyson Maughan speaking on:

“A Last Name for Mary Ann- Finding Maiden Names For Women”

A description of this program is coming soon.

Genealogy Problem Solving

Bring your lunch and your most puzzling genealogical questions to this interactive and collaborative Lunch & Learn session. Whether you're hitting brick walls in your family research, struggling with elusive ancestors, or deciphering confusing records, this session offers a space for sharing, brainstorming, and finding solutions with the help of fellow genealogy enthusiasts.

Why Attend:
Genealogy is often seen as a solo endeavor, but collaboration can unlock solutions you might not discover alone. This Lunch & Learn is not just about finding answers—it’s about building connections within a community of people who share your passion for family history.

Join us and let’s crack those genealogical puzzles together—one bite and one clue at a time!

January Monthly Meeting with Guest Speaker Dawn Carlile speaking on:

“Wills & Probate Records”

A description of this program is coming soon.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

Join us for our annual holiday party!

Bring your lunch & learn with us! Join us for "Create Your Family Health Pedigree Chart" with John Meyer.

Explore how to research and track ancestral family health. Your ancestors sometimes passed on health issues that might not be recognized. Discover where and how to research, track, and record ancestral death and possible contributing health issues as part of your genealogical research. What do these records tell you and how do you use them? You can learn how to add medical biographic information to your family history and create a personal medical profile.

November Monthly Meeting with Guest Speaker Hailey Belshe speaking on:

“Planning your trip to Salt Lake’s FamilySearch Library”

With billions of records now available online through platforms like Ancestry.com, genealogy has become more accessible than ever. However, not every valuable record is accessible from home. How do you know when a trip to the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City is worth it? What unique resources are available there, and how could they benefit your research? Join me to discuss how to plan for a successful research trip—covering everything from budgeting to time management—so you can make the most of this unparalleled resource.

Legacy Family Tree Overview with Sam Giordano and CJ Vadovic.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month's presentation will be "Until There Are None: A Look Into Forensic Genetic Genealogy" with CCNGS Vice President Operations - Kharisma Rodriguez.

Ohio - The Great Land Experiment with Lee Nishimoto

Discover how this experiment shaped the state we know today with historian Lee Nishimoto as your guide. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and engage with Ohio's rich history firsthand!

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month's presentation will be "A Quick and Dirty Guide for Reading Old Handwriting & Script" with CCNGS Secretary - Kelley Barrett.

This Special Interest Group (SIG) will utilize Thomas MacEntee’s step-by-step process to restart (“Do-Over”) or review (“Go-Over”) your genealogical research.

Presented by CCNGS Treasurer – C. J. Vadovic.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month's presentation will be "Freedmen’s Bureau", with a special in-person speaker, Rhonda Long, Vice President of the Nevada African American Genealogy Society.

Underutilized Websites For Genealogy – The Association Of Graveyard Rabbits, with Sam Giordano.

This Special Interest Group (SIG) will utilize Thomas MacEntee’s step by step process to restart (“Do-Over”) or review (“Go-Over”) your genealogical research. 

Presented by CCNGS Treasurer – C. J. Vadovic.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month's program will be "After You’re Gone: Future Proofing Your Genealogy Research" with Thomas MacEntee.

Have you ever considered what will happen to your years of genealogy research once you're gone? Learn how to ensure that your hard work carries on. Through a combination of planning, common sense, and new technologies, we'll review how to create an action plan for preserving your genealogy research.

Remember to bring your CCNGS member name badge so that you can take advantage of the 20% member discount at The Coffee Press (located directly across from the meeting room)

Learn more about this not-for-profit activist group that identifies important genealogical records sets that ought to be in the public domain.

Presented by Sam Giordano.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

Our guest speaker will be Andrea Bentschneider. Based in Hamburg, Germany, Andrea has been featured prominently in various national and international television shows,including "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots.” She is also a regular guest on German radio and TV programs. She specializes in German ancestor research, World Wars documentation, Jewish family research, and assistance with citizenship applications.

Andrea will present "Emigration from German ports in the 19th and 20th Century - Causes, Conditions, and Certificates."  In the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of people emigrated via the ports of Hamburg, Bremen and Stettin to distant countries on the other side of the Atlantic. This presentation gives a historical outline of German emigration. Crucial aspects of emigration are pointed out such as the costs, the travel times, and conditions on board the ships during the crossing. Various sources for researching emigrants will be presented, including other sources for locating emigrant ancestors who do not show up in the well-known passenger departure lists.  

Remember to bring your CCNGS member name badge so that you can take advantage of the 20% member discount at The Coffee Press (located directly across from the meeting room).

CCNGS has formed a Special Interest Group (SIG) for members that are using, or considering, Family Tree Maker Software. The focus of the group is to help you learn the many features and options of the software and to get answers to your questions.

Hosted by CCNGS President Craig Smith.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month's presentation will be "Preserving Family History and Family Heirlooms" with Judith Bathelor.

Did you know that artificial intelligence (AI) can help you with your genealogy? We will explore how AI can assist with your genealogy research, easily create life stories or anecdotes, and accomplish many other tasks. Anyone can learn how to use an AI tool called ChatGPT in seconds.

Presented by Ben Kemper.

Join us in the Program Room at Paseo Verde Library for our monthly meeting.

This month’s program will be “Land for the Landless: Homestead Records and How to Use Them”, presented by Amber Oldenburg.