Jamboree ANNOUNCEMENT - Winners of the 2013 GENEii Family History Writing Contest

FOR RELEASE 6 June 2014
by Pam Wiedenbeck

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 GENEii Family History Writing Contest! Many thanks to the 59 authors who collectively contributed 79 entries, making this the largest GENEii contest ever.

All of the winning submissions will be published in The Searcher during 2014 and 2015 at the editor’s discretion; the preliminary dates of publication are indicated below. The submissions will also appear on the SCGS website after they appear in The Searcher.

Category 1: submissions from 1,000 to 2,000 words
•    First Place: "Mom's Life" -- John R. Catsis, Silver City, New Mexico
•    Second Place: "First the Chicken" -- Joyce Finn, Bluffton, South Carolina
•    Third Place: "Locked Out" -- DeVonna R. Allison, Burr Oak, Michigan
•    Runner Up: "Varrone" -- Nick Sweet, Shepherd, Texas
•    Honorable Mention: "Uncle John Burleson" -- Jim McLaughlin, Kerrville, Texas
•    Honorable Mention: "Paw Prints on Combat Soldiers' Hearts" -- Robert R. Robeson, Lincoln, Nebraska
Category 2: submissions under 1,000 words
•    First Place:  "Ground Zero" -- Jerry Eckert, Vail, Arizona
•    Second Place:  "November 22" -- Evan Guilford-Blake, Stone Mountain, Georgia
•    Third Place: "Christmas Kerfluffle" -- Marla F. Jones, Yukon, Oklahoma
•    Runner Up:  "My Grandfather's Grave" -- Thomas L. Stepp, Columbia, South Carolina
•    Honorable Mention: "A Visit to New Orleans" -- Joyce Roberson, West Hills, California
•    Honorable Mention: "A Mountain Rose" -- Felicia Johnson, Ocklawaha, Florida

The Southern California Genealogical Society sponsors its annual family history writing contest to support and encourage the writing of family history, local history, and memoirs, both by genealogists and by the public at large. The first contest was held in 2000. Since then, writers from more than nine nations have submitted entries.

The contest is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth (Beth) Maltbie Uyehara, founder of the GENEii Family History Writing Contest. Beth served as The Searcher from 2000 to 2006 and was instrumental in launching the SCGS Writers Group.

The 2014 Family History Writing Contest will be open for submissions between November 1 and December 31, 2014. For further information on this year's contest, see the SCGS website.

Family History Writers Conference - Burbank, CA, June 7, 2012

You've spent years collecting the family history facts and have gathered many family stories. It's time to immerse yourself in the process of writing your family history, from compiling the information to publishing it. Take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to learn from the experts.

Join us for the 2012 edition of the popular Southern California Genealogical Society's Family History Writers Conference. Held in conjunction with the 43rd Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, the Writers Conference will be held on Thursday, June 7, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank. Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. and the day ends at 4:30 p.m.  Sessions will be held in the Main Hotel City Ballroom.

Visit the Family History Writers Conference page on the SCGS website to view the schedule and learn more about this year's faculty, which includes Steve Luxenberg, author of Annie's Ghosts, A Journey into a Family Secret; Lisa Louise Cooke of GenealogyGems Podcast fame; Dawn Thurston; Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Lisa Alzo, and Tom Underhill. Be sure to check the plans for the rest of Jamboree weekend. 

Register before April 23 to receive the Early Bird discount for the Writers Conference and all Jamboree activities. SCGS Members enjoy an additional discount, so think about joining if you're not already a member. You'll be glad you did!

Register Today!

Current and New SCGS Members
Non-Members of SCGS