Have you ever wondered if your family roots connect you to the Queen of England? Or perhaps wanted confirmation that you’re a descendant of another famous historical person?
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society can help with that.
Founded in 1987, the group, made up mostly of seniors, researches the ancestry of people who contact them asking to track their genealogy.
“It’s very helpful for families to know more about their ancestors,” said Gary Brock, treasurer of the group.
While the society is based in Chula Vista out of the Civic Center library, they receive requests from people all over the country. Brock said they get about two requests per month through their website, www.cvgeneaology.org.
The group has a research team that dives into family records and a computer group to further enhance its research. Brock described the work as doing “Sherlock Holmes type of stuff.”
Brock said while the group is good at what they do, there is no guarantee that anything will turn up.
“Some people are very fortunate, we can find their records with no problems at all,” he said. “And with other people we run into a brick wall.”
Brock traced his own lineage as far back as the 1700s during the revolutionary period. Meanwhile, he said, his wife’s roots date back to the 800s and she is a descendant of the medieval Emperor Charlemagne.
He said several members of the group discovered they are relatives of Hollywood celebrities and former presidents.
He said for most people, their genealogical track is a surprise to them; others he said serve as confirmation.
“Sometimes people already knew it, they just needed documentation for it, going through the genealogical research to prove these relationships,” he said.
He said sometimes someone’s family tree could be surprising.
“And of course, genealogy can always show some skeletons in the closet,” he said.
“We have people in our groups who are related to (infamous) criminals and other things that are fascinating.”
The society may give peace of mind to those wanting to know their family history, but for Brock, 78, who has been part of the group for 10 years, it gives him something to do now that he is retired.
“The vast majority of us are people who have retired, so they have the time on their hands to get into this stuff,” he said.
There is no charge for the Chula Vista Genealogy Society to dive into someone’s history, but they do ask for a monetary donation. The donation and their fundraising efforts help provide scholarships for graduating seniors at the Sweetwater Union High School District.
Brock said first and foremost the genealogy society is a philanthropic group.
Members meet in the Civic Center library auditorium at noon on the last Wednesday of the month, with board meetings held at noon on the first Wednesday of the month in the library conference room.
