2022 Annual Seminar
Ventura County Genealogical Society
Making Sense of the Census:
An In-Depth Look at Census Records
October 22, 2022
8:30 am to 3:30 pm PDT
Zoom Webinar
Join us for this year’s annual seminar, featuring one of the most sought-after speakers in genealogy. Learn how to search census records more effectively.
Registration fee: $30. Once you register, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to the seminar. You will also receive an email reminder one week before the event, one day before the event, and one hour before the event starts. Videos of the presentations will be available for a limited time after the seminar to everyone who registered. For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page.
We have over 20 prizes to award throughout the day, including FOUR grand prizes, valued between $200-$400 each. You do not need to be present to win. The total value of all prizes is ~$2,200!
A whole day focused on the census? Yes! Focusing on the US Census will help you understand your ancestor’s life and conduct better research. Come to the Seminar to learn more about the census and what the census says (or doesn’t say) about your ancestors, including:
- Where to find what census questions were asked and why
- How the WPA helped us find ancestors in the census and continues to help us
- How the Census Bureau got involved with birth vital records
- How questions about the Revolutionary War help you possibly find a female ancestor
- How to find an ancestor in the census when nothing else has worked
- Why some states have a state census, and others don’t
- What do some of the marks on the census mean?
- Where to find tools that will help you analyze your ancestor in the census
- Going beyond the population schedules to learn more
Gena Philibert-Ortega
Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, researcher, and instructor whose focus is genealogy, and social and women’s history. She holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women’s Studies) and a Master’s degree in Religion. Her published works include four books and numerous articles published in magazines and online. Her genealogical research includes research for the first season of PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow and the Travel Channel’s Follow Your Past. Her current research includes women’s repatriation and citizenship in the 20th century, foodways and community in fundraising cookbooks, and women’s material culture.
Schedule (All times listed are Pacific Standard Time)
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8:30 am |
Join the webinar |
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8:45 am |
Welcome and Announcements |
|
9:00 am |
SESSION 1 – 20th Century Censuses: What do they Say About Your Ancestors? 20th century censuses provide a snapshot of our families in a specific place in time. Immigration, age, marital status, and occupation are some of the facts you can discover and what else can be uncovered? In this presentation we will do a deep dive into 20th century censuses and what they reveal about our ancestors. |
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10:00 am |
Door Prize drawings |
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10:15 am |
Morning Break |
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10:30 am |
SESSION 2 – Searching the Census: Tips & Tricks In this presentation we will go over search techniques for websites including using wild cards and Soundex. We will look at why using more than one website can help. We will discuss some problems with indexed content and suggest better ways to search. |
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11:30 am |
Door Prize drawings |
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11:45 am |
Lunch Break |
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12:30 pm |
SESSION 3 – There’s More to the Census Than Names: Non-Population Schedules Most family historians concentrate their research efforts on the population schedules of the decennial census. No doubt that focus is important but there’s more to census research than just the population schedules. The non-population schedules include valuable information about your ancestors’ lives, both the personal and the historical. |
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1:30 pm |
Door Prize drawings |
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1:45 pm |
Afternoon Break |
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2:00 pm |
SESSION 4 – The Other Censuses: State, Territorial, and More What other censuses exist that might provide information about our ancestors? The federal government is one entity that created a census but there are others. Knowing what censuses survive and what information they contain can help you place your ancestor in a specific location and time. In this presentation we will discuss various censuses, the information they contain, and where to find them. |
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3:00 pm |
Grand door prize drawings |
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3:15 pm |
Wrap-up |
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions not addressed here, please contact membership@venturacogensoc.org for issues related to registration.
How much does it cost?
The cost to attend the all-day event is $30.
Do I need to have a PayPal account?
You do not need to have a PayPal account (or create one) to pay for your registration. We are using PayPal to collect the registration fees. The PayPal gateway has the option to accept credit cards, without creating an account. After you click on the “Pay and Register” button, you will be taken to the PayPal website to complete your billing details. If you have an account with PayPal, you can charge the seminar to that account. If you do not have an account with PayPal, you can select to pay via credit card. You will be prompted to enter your credit card information.
Can I pay by check?
Payment by check will not be accepted this year. Because we are utilizing the Zoom Webinar platform, all registrations must be completed online. This will ensure that your registration is processed quickly and that you receive the proper emails related to the event (confirmation, reminders, etc.).
Is there a deadline for registering?
You can register online any time prior to the start of the seminar. Once the seminar starts, registration will be closed.
What if I can’t attend, can I get a refund?
Yes, you can cancel your registration at any time prior to the start of the seminar. Your fee will be credited back to your PayPal or credit card account. Please note that it might take 1-2 weeks for your credit to complete. The link to cancel your registration is included in the confirmation email sent to you.
Will a recording of the seminar be available?
Yes! Each presentation will be recorded. A link to the recordings will be included in an email, sent the day after the seminar, to everyone who registered. The recordings will be available until November 12, 2022. Only the presentations and Q&A sessions will be recorded.
How do I get the Zoom link?
After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email that will contain a link to the seminar. You will have the option to add this meeting to your Outlook, Google, or Yahoo calendar. A reminder email with the Zoom link to the webinar will also be emailed to you one week prior to the event, one day prior to the event and, one hour before the seminar starts. You are asked to not share the link with anybody else.
Will there be handouts?
Yes, a link to the program handouts will be included in the reminder emails sent to all attendees prior to the event. If, for some reason, you do not receive the reminder emails, a link to the handouts will also be posted in the Q&A window at the start of the seminar. The handout will contain any material provided by the speaker in addition to information on VCGS and promotional material.