Watch My 20th Century U.S. Military & Immigration Presentations on Feb. 3rd

Have you hit a brick wall with your WWI or WWII Army or Air Force veteran ancestor due to encountering a burned personnel file? Do you have Mexican ancestors who immigrated to the U.S. in the 20th century? Join me on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 for this jam-packed set of genealogy presentations focusing on these important 20th century topics. Hosted by the Orange County California Genealogical Society (OCCGS), located in Huntington Beach, California, this FREE hybrid program is available in-person and online via Zoom. I am excited to kick off my 2024 speaking season with my own county genealogy society.

I am even more excited, and to be honest, a bit nervous too because this will be my first in-person genealogy presentations since January 2020 (SLIG & SLIG Academy 2020)! You see, I have a weak immune system, so I am only now comfortable enough with the state of COVID to return (fully boosted, of course) to giving in-person community presentations.

This program features two of my favorite topics to teach, both focusing on 20th century research, and they are jam-packed with excellent information. Both presentations showcase records and repositories, however both also go heavy into methodology. On a fun little personal note, this combination of presentations allows this Latina Leprechaun the rare opportunity to share family history stories from my Mexican half and my mostly Irish half in the same program.

Program Information

• When: Saturday, February 3, 2024 (10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)*
• Where/How: In-Person at OCCGS or online via Zoom (pre-registration required for both options)
• Who: FREE and open to the public (recordings available to OCCGS members only for a limited time)

(*) The OCCGS website, including the promo graphic I borrowed to use in this post, have the wrong start time for the second presentation. The second presentation begins at 11:25 p.m., not 11:15 p.m.

After the Fire: Reconstructing a World War I or II Military Service Record

(10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.)

Many individuals who research World War I and World War II U.S. military ancestors encounter a significant roadblock, due to record loss from the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. So how does one hurdle this research obstacle? This methodology lecture will use two case studies to demonstrate strategies and alternative types of record collections that can help piece together a World War I or World War II service member’s history despite a destroyed personnel file.

(11:15 a.m.) Essential Immigration Records for Researching Your Mexican Ancestors

(11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.)

Did your Mexican ancestors immigrate to the United States in the late 19th or 20th centuries? This period of history witnessed significant waves of Mexican immigration to the U.S., both permanent and temporary. The types of immigration records introduced or refined during this era provide a wealth of biographical and kinship information for tracing individuals and families on both sides of the border.