July 8, 2008 Meeting - Roseville Genealogical Society

Yellow Rose Roseville Genealogical Society

July 8, 2008 Meeting

RGS Home 2008 Officers
Meeting Calendar
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Non-Member Research
Surname List
Surname Search
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MEMBER'S ONLY
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"A Genealogy Presentation of Tips and Techniques You May Use
Plus Questions and Answers"

Speakers: Alan Vanatta, Les Ferguson & Doug Lewis

Biography - Alan Vanatta

Born September 2, 1939 Turlock California
Graduated Turlock High School 1957
Attended Modesto Junior Collage Majoring in electronics
Graduation with an AA degree

Worked approx a year at Lockheed Missile and Space Division in Sunnyvale

Building Solar Panel assembly for the first satellites

Also transferred to building Ground Support equipment

On July 22, 1960 Hired out with the Southern Pacific Railroad as a Brakeman
In 1968 was promoted to Conductor
Moved to Roseville in 1972 when Southern Pacific moved part of their Fright runs here.
Hobbies include:

Reading

Genealogy

Computers

Biography - Les Ferguson
Lester Neil Ferguson was born on November 15, 1923 in Roseburg, Oregon in my Great-grandmother’s home with a doctor in attendance. My folks, Archie and Emily Ferguson lived in Days Creek at the time. They came into Roseburg (some 30 miles in a Model T) to be closer to medical help if it was needed. My Grandmother had passed away in 1916, so was not available for Mom to go to her place. Her father had moved to Virginia.

My first remembrances were of being on the farm (cows, chickens, turkeys, sheep, alfalfa, oat hay, and pasture; and Mom always had a huge garden. As a result of living with all these animals and produce, we came through the depression in pretty good shape. I went to school at the Days Creek Union and Union High Schools graduating in 1941 as the Outstanding Boy in a class of 8, 5 girls and 3 boys! I helped around the farm until it became obvious that I was going to be drafted if I didn’t enlist. So I enlisted, eventually. I went, first, to an occupational school in Eugene, Oregon to learn about ‘radio’. While there I enlisted in the Signal Corps Enlisted Reserve Corps. After completing another 3 months of radio school in Sacramento Municipal Airport buildings; I was ordered to report to Fort Lewis, Washington. That started a 3 year tour with the US Army Signal Corps, eventually as a Radio Technician. I served in Saipan, Mariana Islands as a repairman for all radios on the island; Army, Navy, Air Corps and Marines. I returned and was discharged in February 1946 as a Technical Sergeant.

After WWII, I entered San Jose State College to prepare for their new Engineering program; graduating from same in 1950 with a degree in Engineering with an Electronics option.

In 1949 I married Alice Clement and we set up housekeeping in San Jose. I worked in two unrelated (to Engineering) jobs. Then I joined Sylvania Electric’s Electronic Defense Laboratory (EDL) in Mountain View. That began some 34 years working either there or at ESL (Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory) for US Government contracts requiring the highest special security clearances. Those years were perhaps more fulfilling than anything I could have done. I had a family, a boy and a girl, and three grandchildren; all healthy. After retiring in 1989, I consulted for several years in Management Development Training for several companies in the SF Bay Area. I decided it was too much like ‘work’, so truly retired.

In 1985, shortly before retiring, I became interested in genealogy by way of one of the engineers at ESL. He was a Mormon and had participated in writing the code for the first PAF (Personal Ancestral File) program. That started my efforts to find and document my and my wife’s ancestors. After going to an Elderhostel program at the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, we did a lot of work with the Mormon Family History Library in Santa Clara, CA. As well, the US Archives for the west coast was in Daly City and the Sutro Library was only a few miles beyond. All Santa Clara Genealogical books were in one library, the Santa Clara City Library. This was a virtual paradise for a researching genealogist. My software program, still PAF, has some 7425 names, all connected in one way or another. Needless to say, the Internet and its various data bases have also contributed a whole new set of sources for research.

In 2000 we moved to Granite Bay and have lived here since. I joined the Roseville Genealogical Society shortly after arriving here. I was the Society’s librarian until 2007. I also participated in the documentation of the local cemeteries with Helen Astill.

Roseville Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 459
Roseville, CA 95678
info@rgsca.org
Webmaster
Copyright ©2007 - Roseville Genealogical Society


July 8, 2008 Meeting
RGS Home 2008 Officers Meeting Calendar Upcoming Events Membership Info Non-Member Research Surname List Surname Search Publications Interesting Links Our Location Application Form Book Order Form Library Newsletter Index Objectives MEMBER'S ONLY Newsletter Resource List Renewal Form	"A Genealogy Presentation of Tips and Techniques You May Use Plus Questions and Answers" Speakers: Alan Vanatta, Les Ferguson & Doug Lewis Biography - Alan Vanatta Born September 2, 1939 Turlock California Graduated Turlock High School 1957 Attended Modesto Junior Collage Majoring in electronics Graduation with an AA degree Worked approx a year at Lockheed Missile and Space Division in Sunnyvale Building Solar Panel assembly for the first satellites Also transferred to building Ground Support equipment On July 22, 1960 Hired out with the Southern Pacific Railroad as a Brakeman In 1968 was promoted to Conductor Moved to Roseville in 1972 when Southern Pacific moved part of their Fright runs here. Hobbies include: Reading Genealogy Computers Biography - Les Ferguson Lester Neil Ferguson was born on November 15, 1923 in Roseburg, Oregon in my Great-grandmother’s home with a doctor in attendance. My folks, Archie and Emily Ferguson lived in Days Creek at the time. They came into Roseburg (some 30 miles in a Model T) to be closer to medical help if it was needed. My Grandmother had passed away in 1916, so was not available for Mom to go to her place. Her father had moved to Virginia. My first remembrances were of being on the farm (cows, chickens, turkeys, sheep, alfalfa, oat hay, and pasture; and Mom always had a huge garden. As a result of living with all these animals and produce, we came through the depression in pretty good shape. I went to school at the Days Creek Union and Union High Schools graduating in 1941 as the Outstanding Boy in a class of 8, 5 girls and 3 boys! I helped around the farm until it became obvious that I was going to be drafted if I didn’t enlist. So I enlisted, eventually. I went, first, to an occupational school in Eugene, Oregon to learn about ‘radio’. While there I enlisted in the Signal Corps Enlisted Reserve Corps. After completing another 3 months of radio school in Sacramento Municipal Airport buildings; I was ordered to report to Fort Lewis, Washington. That started a 3 year tour with the US Army Signal Corps, eventually as a Radio Technician. I served in Saipan, Mariana Islands as a repairman for all radios on the island; Army, Navy, Air Corps and Marines. I returned and was discharged in February 1946 as a Technical Sergeant. After WWII, I entered San Jose State College to prepare for their new Engineering program; graduating from same in 1950 with a degree in Engineering with an Electronics option. In 1949 I married Alice Clement and we set up housekeeping in San Jose. I worked in two unrelated (to Engineering) jobs. Then I joined Sylvania Electric’s Electronic Defense Laboratory (EDL) in Mountain View. That began some 34 years working either there or at ESL (Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory) for US Government contracts requiring the highest special security clearances. Those years were perhaps more fulfilling than anything I could have done. I had a family, a boy and a girl, and three grandchildren; all healthy. After retiring in 1989, I consulted for several years in Management Development Training for several companies in the SF Bay Area. I decided it was too much like ‘work’, so truly retired. In 1985, shortly before retiring, I became interested in genealogy by way of one of the engineers at ESL. He was a Mormon and had participated in writing the code for the first PAF (Personal Ancestral File) program. That started my efforts to find and document my and my wife’s ancestors. After going to an Elderhostel program at the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, we did a lot of work with the Mormon Family History Library in Santa Clara, CA. As well, the US Archives for the west coast was in Daly City and the Sutro Library was only a few miles beyond. All Santa Clara Genealogical books were in one library, the Santa Clara City Library. This was a virtual paradise for a researching genealogist. My software program, still PAF, has some 7425 names, all connected in one way or another. Needless to say, the Internet and its various data bases have also contributed a whole new set of sources for research. In 2000 we moved to Granite Bay and have lived here since. I joined the Roseville Genealogical Society shortly after arriving here. I was the Society’s librarian until 2007. I also participated in the documentation of the local cemeteries with Helen Astill.

	Roseville Genealogical Society P.O. Box 459 Roseville, CA 95678 info@rgsca.org Webmaster Copyright ©2007 - Roseville Genealogical Society