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MCGS General Meeting

  • October 28, 2015
  • 7:00 PM - 9:59 PM
  • Marin Family History Center, 220 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael

General Meeting:

“Marriage in America:
A Genealogy Researcher's View”


Presented by George McKinney.

No rite has a greater impact on genealogy than marriage. George McKinney will take a whirlwind tour through marriage in America historically.

He will begin with a look at marriage ceremonies in America over the centuries. He will then discuss the legal position of married women in America over time – from the early 1800’s to the present: change which reversed discrimination and started toward legal equity.

Finally he will look at one of the hardest topics in genealogy:
How to find the birth name for a married woman?
There are six methods of search to be discussed:

1. Vital Records, including church and bible records.
2. Wills and other legal documents.
3. Federal records including censuses, Social Security, and Military.
4. Newspapers, including reports of vital records events;
5. Collateral sources, including neighbors, siblings, and names.
6. DNA analysis.

George McKinney is a retired engineer living in
Oakmont, Santa Rosa.
Researching Genealogy since 1960’s he holds a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University.
Founder and coordinator of the Oakmont Genealogical Club with 188 active members, he teaches courses and lectures on Genealogy related topics.

About our Meetings:

The Genealogical Society General meetings are open to the public, with no admission fee. Feel free to drop in! Bring your friends as everyone is welcome. Come early and ask your burning genealogical questions of other members before the meeting.

We meet on the 4th Wednesday of every month, with a couple of exceptions. November's meeting is held on the 3rd Wednesday, due to Thanksgiving. There is no general meeting in May, due to our Annual Picnic, nor in December, due to the holidays and our Winter Holiday Party.

Annually, several of our regularly scheduled meetings have a certain focus: April, we hold our Annual General Meeting and Elections (but there's usually a presentation also); May of each year we hold an Anniversary Celebration or Annual Picnic; and in September, we have a workshop.

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