Welcome to the website of the Palm Springs Genealogical Society, a tax-exempt 501c3 organization. Your gift to the Society is tax-exempt.

Our meetings are held in the Learning Center of the Palm Springs Library, 300 S. Sunrise Way, on the first Saturday of each month, September through May. You do not need to be a member to attend.

President’s Letter

I can’t believe it has been September since I updated this site: an oversight on my part. I am so sorry.

Elections were held in November for the period 2025-2026. Your new officers are:

    President           Sondra Lucas
    Vice President      Vacant
    Secretary           V. V. Martin
    Treasurer           Cindy Walsh
    Member-at-Large     Cindy Walsh

What has become an annual Show ‘n Tell was then held. The following people participated in Show ‘n Tell:

David Engen gave a brief report on the library renovation. He then told us about stories his father had written in a creative writing class. The stories are about high school, his life on the farm and his war experiences. David has digitized these stories and has sent a copy to the Historical Society in his father’s home town of Sacred Heart, Minnesota.

Ken Pengelly, a retired faculty member who taught for 33 years at Minnesota State University, Mankato, commented that he worked with a history professor to incorporate Ancestry.com in social studies methods classes. Students identify historical events that occurred on birthdays and anniversaries of relatives going back three generations.

Cindy Walsh discussed both her grandfather’s experiences in the Argonne Forest in WWI and her father Glenn’s service as a B-17 mechanic in the Army Air Corps. It turns out she discovered in the Redlands Library a book about WWI in which there was a letter her grandfather had written to his mother.

Donna Cody, one of our visitors, indicated that her father’s side of the family had been researched by her cousins. She showed a Marriage Certificate and Higher Education Certificate for early family members from the City of Boston.

Another visitor, Alice Fairhurst, spoke of her grandfather, a radio operator in WWI who was shipped through the Panama Canal but got stuck in Mexico for repairs and the war was over by the time he got to France. Alice had previously been associated with the Southern California Genealogical Society. She and her daughter, Kay Adkins, just happened to be in the library and noticed that we were having our meeting.

Judy Vossler showed an almost blank baby book and told a story of how her father had been left in a basket, on a doorstep, as a baby at the beginning of the Depression with no indication of who he was. There weren’t any laws governing adoption in Texas at that time. The baby was left with a family named Brockett in Fort Worth. The Brocketts could not keep the baby so the neighbors named Vossler took in the baby and raised him. He was named Ernest Orville Vossler: 1928-2013.

Sondra Lucas brought the quilt her mother had pieced of Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Bill. Sondra finally had the pieces quilted a few years ago. It is in super shape and very lovely.

Ron Gilmore, former President of the Alberta Family Historical Society, mentioned that various groups are having trouble bringing in new, younger members. He then showed us a picture of his Grandfather’s Orange Order Sash from Ireland and identified the various emblems on it (for which his son had done the research).

Ron also brought pictures of a collection of family artifacts. His father had worked in the mines and there was a prospector’s tag (used to identify a claim), small canoe paddle, hand warmer, black eye patch from a hockey accident. He had a plastic ring with a picture of his brother and father back to WWII. There was also a forest fighter badge, a Canada patch and a Royal Horse Guard patch from another solder.

V. V. Martin showed a picture of the copper kettle in her family which her grandfather said had been used by the original Smith Brothers in making their cough drops. She also showed the picture she had put together of her nephew, brother, father, grandparents, great grandparents and great, great grandfather in his civil war uniform. She mentioned her mother’s pearls which she is giving to various nieces and their little girls and her wooden mortar and pestle which dates from Revolutionary War days.

Finally, Janice Lyle told how she had purchased a box at an auction and upon opening it had found pictures and original notes, a letter from President Reagan, a Queen Victoria guest card and information on the Gold Dust Twins book – an album from 1911 wish good wishes to the sisters.

On Pearl Harbor Day, 7 December, 14 of our number gathered at the lovely 849 Restaurant in Palm Springs. While enjoying beverages and food we played a Christmas Song Match: fun was had by all. As was our experience in 2023, the ambiance, service and food were excellent. Perhaps you’ll join us next year.

Our speaker in January was Tony Hoskins who told us how he used DNA to discover “How Anthony Hoskins Discovered He Wasn’t a Hoskins – Rather a Todd”.

February 1, one of our favorite speakers, Jean Wilcox-Hibben will be speaking to us on the topic “Ancestors as Heroes”. We hope that you will join us for I’m sure what will be an interesting presentation.

See you February 1.

Bring a friend!

Sondra