We Preserve the Past for the Future
Hemet Laundry and Ice Plant circa 1920
The Duffin Heritage Room
Wednesday 9 am to 12 pm
Thursday 11 am to 3 pm
Friday 11 am to 3 pm
Saturday 9 am to 12 pm
Welcome to the Hemet San Jacinto Genealogical Society (HSJGS) web site. If you are interested in climbing your family tree you landed at the right place. We are here to help, from the beginner to the advanced genealogist, we encourage everyone to share their knowledge and help one another in this journey. If you are new, take a minute to look at the Facts and Tips page on the left, in these pages you will find lots of useful information for both beginners as well as reminders for more experienced users.
Please take the time to look around our website, check out our Calendar to see what is coming up, take a look at the surnames our members are researching you might find a cousin or two. If you arrived seeking records, be sure to look at our obituary and cemetery listings.
Our monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 2:00 pm at the Hemet Public Library, 300 E. Latham, Hemet, CA, September through May, check our calendar for details . Please feel free to attend a complimentary meeting and if you like us we'd love to have you join our society. Click HERE for a membership application.
Duffin Heritage Room - Computers
At the Duffin Heritage Room we have 4 computers available for patron use, all with the following free subscription websites: Ancestry, New England Historical & Genelogical Society website "American Ancestors", Fold3, GenealogyBank and Newspapers.com, In addition we have a microfilm reader/printer, not to mention almost 7,000 books, maps and other resources. Stop in and let one of our friendly volunteers show you around, you never know what you will find.
136,000 plus Obituaries covering 100 plus years!
The HSJGS has undertaken a project to list all Obituaries in our local newspapers. We have uploaded over 136,000 names to our obituaries/deaths database. These names were taken from the Press Enterprise, Hemet News, Valley Chronicle and the San Jacinto Valley Register. Use the convenient search box under obituaries/deaths on the left side of the screen in the green area, to search and if you find an obituary you would like to request a copy of, click research request on the left side of the screen, print the request form and send it to us, we will do the rest.
In the upcoming months we will also be adding names from our local History Book Past and Present and the San Jacinto Cemetery Book, so watch this site for announcements as those changes happen.
San Jacinto Valley - Past and Present History Book Sale! $65
On sale, was originally $85 on sale for $65. This amazing book of over 900 pages is packed full of Family Histories, photos, census records, stories of the founding of San Jacinto, Hemet, Winchester, Anza and Idyllwild. There are entries about local Churches, business and schools. This edition includes both Volume 1 (1989) and Volume 2 (2011). Over 800 valley residents, both past and present are listed, many with photographs. This book makes a wonderful gift. Don't wait, copies are limited, get yours today. Visit our store on the left in green column to order
Volunteers Wanted!
Can you be a HSJGS Volunteer? Yes you can if you can work a mere 3 hours per week on a regular basis we need you! Our schedule is based on a 4 day work week, Wednesday thru Saturday. Two volunteers work per shift. While in training, learn what books we have and how to locate them. Learn the fundamentals of the Dewey Decimal System. Learn all about the many obituary and death indexes we have. Learn how to get new patrons started on their research. Learn how to locate and shelve books, quarterlies and newsletters. How to fill out genealogy forms. Locating and viewing newspapers we have on microfilm. When patrons are in the library, of course we must assist them first. On the slower days there may be many free hours when you can work on your own research. Just being a volunteer is a learning experience. Every day we learn something new from other volunteers and patrons.
50/50 Book Program
Share the cost of a book for our library. You pick out the title, pay 50% of the cost of the book, the library pays the other 50%. What a super way to help build our permanent library collection. No family histories please. Ask the Librarian in the Duffin Heritage Room for information and the form to fill out.
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November 7
Weekly Genealogy Classes
The Census, Immigration, Naturalization and other forms
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November 14
General Society
Speaker Sara Cochran Topic: Why We Still Don't Miss 1890. Much. This follow-up presentation to "Who Needed it Anyway?" will explore even more resources to help us find our families between 1880-1900,
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November 21
Weekly Genealogy Classes
Cemeteries, Find a grave, billion graves
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December 5
Weekly Genealogy Classes
Topic to be announced
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December 12
General Society
Holiday Party
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For hard to find female ancestors, go sideways and search their husband and children.
[Basic Information ]
There are pay sites and free sites. The major free site is familysearch.org.
[Basic Information ]
Microfilmed pension records are available from the National Archives, HeritageQuest Online and the Family History Library.
[Military]
Probate records refer to wills inventories, letters of administration and guardianship. They are usually held at the county courthouse unless archived.
[Probate Records]
The first federal census was taken in 1790 and is taken every 10 years on an established day.
[Census]
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