My Dad. Member of the Tech Pep Staff in High School

Did you know that Ancestry.com's yearbook collection is free to search until September 2nd? I already have access to Ancestry, but I began looking through their yearbook collection after seeing several genealogy friends posting yearbook photos on Facebook that they had found on Ancestry.com.

I inherited several of my mom's school yearbooks, but none of my dad's yearbooks. So, it's been fun to find photos of my dad in Ancestry's yearbook collection.

I found this great photo of my dad, Jan Albert Iverson, in the 1955 Benson Polytechnic High School yearbook. I didn't know he was a member of their Tech Pep Staff. What a fun find!

I added the arrow and the boxes in this photo after I downloaded it from Ancestry. The red arrow is pointing to my dad. Here's a close-up of him.

My dad was a senior in high school in 1955. I've found and downloaded other fun pictures from this yearbook, which I will share in future posts.

Have you searched the yearbook collection at Ancestry.com yet?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2019 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Press Release: NGS AND FGS ANNOUNCE INTENT TO MERGE

I received the following press release today ~

NGS AND FGS ANNOUNCE INTENT TO MERGE

(21 August 2019)--In a historic move, the boards of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announced today their intent to merge. The two organizations, both non- profit leaders in the dynamic genealogy industry, will form one consolidated group that will continue to operate as the National Genealogical Society. Both boards approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier this week, and jointly announced the news at the Opening Session of the FGS Family History Conference in Washington, D.C., this morning.

Leaders of both organizations believe this merger will serve the genealogy community by improving support of both individual members and societies in the pursuit of genealogical excellence.

The organizational structure of NGS will be modified to increase functions that support genealogical societies and family organizations. Digitization projects of genealogical importance such as the War of 1812 pensions will continue. The two organizations will continue to operate independently while all details of the merger are completed, no later than October 1, 2020.

Faye Stallings, President of FGS, said: “We are excited about this opportunity to combine with a premier organization that has been in operation since 1903. This will allow for improved and expanded services to help support societies.” Ben Spratling, President of NGS, commented, “We look forward to continuing the strong legacy of FGS as a ‘gathering point’ for family historians and societies all across the nation.”

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Falls Church, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

###

Media Contact: 

Kathryn M. Doyle
Phone: 510-388-6477
kdoyle@ngsgenealogy.org

A Christmas Card from Aunt Juanita

Back in June, I published a post about my Grandpa Debs Webster's blue notebook. He had taken this small blue notebook on his trip to Mexico in 1955. In this notebook my Grandpa Debs wrote notes about family history. He must have been asking questions about his family history while on his trip. I'm so glad he did that because it has helped me a lot as I've researched our shared Mexican ancestry.

On one of the pages, Grandpa Debs wrote concerning a "Juanita Guzman." Here's the page from his notebook where that information is found. I've put a red square around the information about Juanita.

Here's the transcription:

Juanita Guzman
Tia Juanita Guzman (Aunt Juanita Guzman)
2° gran (2nd degree great. Could this mean 2nd great-grandaunt?)
253 N. West Lake Av.
Los Angeles 26, Calif.

As I mentioned in my previous post about Grandpa Debs' blue notebook, I have been researching Juanita Guzman. I also mentioned in that post that I have a sweet card that Juanita sent to my Grandpa Debs. Here's that sweet card. I'm so glad that it was kept all of these years and that I was able to inherit this precious family history treasure.

As you can see, it's a Christmas card. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a date on the card and I don't have the envelope, so I don't know what year this card was sent to Grandpa Debs. But, it is so sweet! Juanita wrote:

From your Aunt that would like to meet you.
Juanita Villatoro Guzman

Apparently, Aunt Juanita and my Grandpa Debs hadn't met in person yet when this card was sent. I don't know how or when Grandpa Debs first contacted Aunt Juanita. He wrote her address in his blue notebook. Perhaps he wrote a letter to her, or tried to find her phone number and called her. I wish I could have talked to Grandpa Debs about Aunt Juanita.

Having Juanita's address in the blue notebook has been very helpful in my research about her. I've created a private family tree on Ancestry for her family and have been able to find information about her. She was married twice, had five children, and she had been adopted from Mexico and brought to the United States in 1923. I've also found her United States Petition for Naturalization document, which includes amazingly helpful information, including her birth date and place and her address at the time, which is the same address that was written by my Grandpa Debs in his notebook. The document states that Juanita was born in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico on June 24, 1906. That clue and the fact that she signed her name as "Juanita Villatoro Guzman" on the Christmas card are big clues.

I also found out that Guzman is Juanita's 2nd husband's surname. And her first husband's last name was Pancobila. So, Villatoro must have been a maiden name. I say "a" because in researching my Mexican ancestors, I have found that children often had two last names - their father's and their mother's. For instance, my great-grandmother's name was Esther Matus Villatoro. Her father's name was Nicanor Matus and her mother's name was Raymunda Villatoro. Esther was born in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico and so was Juanita. And both have the Villatoro surname. So this is an important clue.

Unfortunately, I still don't know exactly how Juanita is connected to our Villatoro family. I still don't know who her parents were. I hope I can find these vital pieces of the puzzle in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2019 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

My 2014 Blog Book

In a previous post I shared photos of the third blog book I created. I used Blog2Print to make that book. In that post, I told you I'd share my 2014 blog book in a future post.

Well, today is the day. Here is my 2014 Blog Book. 😊 I also used used Blog2Print to create this book.

I decided to try a different cover for my 2014 book too.

My 2014 blog book is larger than my 2013 book because I wrote more posts in 2014. In fact, that year has the most published posts so far since I began this blog.

During 2014 I completed the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. It's not too late to join Amy in this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. To learn more about it, and to join in on the fun, click HERE.

Here are a few photos from the inside of my 2014 blog book.

I've now completed three years of blog books - 2012, 2013, and 2014. My 2012 blogging year was divided into two blog books. I have a lot of catching up to do since it's already 2019. Thankfully, Blog2Print makes it pretty easy to create blog books.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2019 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Grandpa Debs Webster's Blue Notebook

In 1955 my maternal grandparents, Debs Warren Webster, and Willis Quillin Webster, traveled to Mexico to visit relatives. My great-grandmother, Esther Matus Villatoro, was Debs' mother. She was born in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico. Esther passed away when Debs was only five years old. Esther was the wife of my great-grandfather, Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster, a.k.a. "The Traveling Dentist" here on my blog.

Found among my Grandpa Debs' belongings was this small blue notebook pictured below.

I like how Grandpa Debs wrote "Genealogy" at the top of the notebook. From the pages in the notebook, it appears that he must have been asking for family history information during his trip to Mexico.

Debs' parents moved to Brazil before he was born. All of his siblings were born there except for his oldest sister, Carlota. At some point Carlota must have returned to Mexico. She married a man there named Braulio Guerreiro and she and Braulio raised their family in Mexico. During this trip in 1955, Debs and his wife, Willis, visited Carlota and her family. They were living in Mexico City at the time.

Here are the pages Grandpa Debs wrote on in this little blue notebook during his trip to Mexico in 1955. I've included transcriptions as well.

Transcription:

Omelino Villatoro
Francisco Villatoro
______________

Sra. ? viuda de
Villatoro
? de ?
?? No. 7
Tuxtla Gutierrez
Chiapas
______________

Matus
Catalina Villatoro
Catalina Matus
Carlota Matus
Romeo Villatoro Vera
Raymundo tambien (also)
Dr. Olvera #34 - Dept 4
Col. de los Doctores
Mexico D.F.

Transcription:

? Elena
Catalina Matus
Guerrero Norte No. 107
Arriaga, Chiapas
_____________

Ixtepec Oaxaca
Nicanor Matus nasao en
Juchitan Oaxaca
Espinal y sus papas
vivian en Juchitan
no ? si si naci?
_____________

Noeh Villatoro
8a Pom? y 2a Av. ? No. 14
Tuxtla Gutierrez
Chiapas

Transcription:

Raymunda Villatoro

Hijos (children):

Esther Matus Villatoro
Catalina Matus Villatoro
Francisco Matus Villatoro
Chana Matus Villatoro

Hermanos de (siblings of) Raymunda:

1. Francisca Vasques Villatoro
2. Camilo Vasques Villatoro
3. Raymunda Vasques Villatoro
4. Felicita Vasques Villatoro
5. Elpidia Vasques Villatoro
6. Zenon Vasques Villatoro

Transcription:
     
       Hermanos
6. Nicanor Matus

1. Esciquio Matus
2. Romula Matus
3. Maria Matus
4. Felicitas Matus
5. Caliseto Matus

Vivian en Espinal (They lived in Espinal)
Ablan el Zapoteco (They speak Zapotec)

Transcription:

20 anos
Mario Arriola
Mario Arriola M
Fernando Montes
de Oca 27
Colonia Condera
Sona 11   Mexico D.F.
hijo de tia Catalina
_______________

22 anos
Maria Elena Arriola Matus
_______________

21
Geronimo Arriola Matus
_______________

Transcription:

Hijos de tio (children of uncle)

Francisco Matus Villatoro

1. Romen Matus Vera
2. Esther Matus Vera
3. Noeh Matus Vera
4. Raymundo Matus Vera

_______________

Hijas de Primas (Children of Cousins)

1) Romen tiene (Romen has):

1. Francisco Matus Padilla
2. Roberto Matus Padilla

2) de Esther:

1. Freddy Esquincar Matus

3) de Noeh:

1. Fernando Matus Farrera
2. ? Matus Farrera

Transcription:

Juanita Guzman
Tia Juanita Guzman
2° gran (I think this means second degree great)
253 N. West Lake Av.
Los Angeles 26, Calif.
Isabel Villatoro
Arriaga Chiapas Mex.

There is so much wonderful information in this small blue notebook. It lists the siblings of my 2nd great-grandparents and other valuable information.

I'm currently researching Juanita Guzman, who my Grandpa Debs wrote about on the last page. I don't know where she fits into our family tree yet. But, I have found some interesting and helpful information already, thanks to my Grandpa having written down her address in the United States. I have a sweet card that she sent to my Grandpa Debs. I'll share that in a future post.

I am so grateful that my Grandpa Debs asked for family history information during his trip to Mexico.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2019 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved