The Beautiful San Ramon Valley Photo courtesy: Ted Shapas
General Meeting (on Zoom)
Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

Tina LaFreniere
"Connecting Faces Through Time"
Every day that passes bits of photographic family history are sold, thrown out, or otherwise discarded, because people inherit unlabeled photos, and the person who knew who was in the photos has passed. Tina’s presentation, Connecting Faces Through Time – How Related Faces Can Help Identify Unknown People in Old Photos will step you through how to identify unknown people in old photographs by utilizing the features of Related Faces. This class discusses the basics of how facial recognition works, the importance of properly digitizing your photos and how to do it with just a cell phone, shows techniques for making positive identifications and matches, and covers real-world examples. Related Faces is easy and intuitive to use, yet the technologically is powerful. Tina’s goal is for Related Faces to become a place where people can recapture their family history and reconnect with long lost family members, brought together by the faces of their ancestors.
Tina LaFreniere is the founder and CEO of Related Faces Technologies. She a graduate of The University of Houston where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. Tina began her genealogical journey over 17 years ago and along the way she has inherited thousands of photos from her family, hundreds with no identification. These photos were the inspiration for Related Faces back in 2018 when she conceived the idea for Related Faces. Related Faces was launched in February of 2022 and was issued a U.S. Patent in October of 2022. Tina is a member of the Genealogical Society of Collier County, Florida, the National Genealogical Society and The Photo Managers Group. Related Faces is a Family Search Registered Solutions Provider.
SRVGS Holiday Gathering
and Cookie Exchange, Dec. 5, 2023
Newsletter
Our newsletter is published monthly, except for August and December. In it you will find information on our next speaker, a summary of the last speaker's presentation, the date and location of the current month’s Special Interest Groups, educational opportunities available in the local area and on-line, a list of webinars you can access from your home computer and other timely notices of genealogical interest. You can look through this month's newsletter or browse previous issues.
Special Interest Groups

SIG Meetings Will Be Online: ALERT - We are working through guidelines due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and on site meetings where people physically attend, have ceased. Most SIG groups are using Zoom to meet on-line. SIG Leaders will email call-in instructions to SIG members. To be safe, check with your SIG leader before attending any SIG meetings. Review the latest 5 events (on right side of this web page), or click right below on "View Full Listing" to see all events.
SRVGS has had a number of Special Interest Groups over the years in addition to the five that now meet monthly. We encourage members to start their own SIG meetings on topics they are interested in, as a way of learning by teaching. The SIGs come and go, over the years but we promote them and they are a vital part of our Society. There have been SIGs on Macintosh, Azores Research, Using Computers and the Internet, RootsMagic and more. If you are interested in a topic not currently covered please volunteer to lead the group and we will publicize and arrange for a place to meet when we resume meeting in person. In the meantime, our SIG Zoom sessions are the perfect place to meet.
Danville FamilySearch Center
The Danville FamilySearch Center, 2949 Stone Valley Rd, Alamo, California 94507. The interim director is Kevin Granschow.
Handicapped access is available upon request, however, we need to know this prior to arrival so we can open access gates prior to visitor’s arrival.
Hours of operation:
- Monday 10am -1 pm
- Tuesday 2-5 pm
- Wednesday 1-4 pm
- Other days & hours by appointment only
- Holidays
- Closed New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day
- Closed Thanksgiving week
- Closed Last 2 weeks of December
The FamilySearch Center’s Portal provides free access to the following Premium websites:
19th Century British Library Newspapers, Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War, American Ancestors, Ancestry.com Institution, Arkiv Digital Online (Swedish), FamilySearch.org, FamNet, Findmypast Institution, Fold 3, Geneanet, MyHeritage Library Edition, Newspapers.com, Paper Trail, Puzzilla
Appointments may be obtained by calling 925-837-7010. County guidelines are followed so masks are optional and the six foot rule is no longer required. Those that need to avoid climbing steps should call the center prior to coming. We will unlock the side & back gates so they can enter the building thru the back entrance.
About the San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society
The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS) was organized in 1985 with the idea of providing resources, assistance and educational opportunities in a social environment that would allow its members to successfully research their ancestry. To fulfill these goals the society offers monthly meetings with speakers presenting topics covering various aspects of genealogical research. It publishes a monthly newsletter to keep our membership informed of the latest happenings. It offers several Special Interest Groups (SIGs), where members with common interests can meet and discuss their specific areas of research. It provides resources ranging from a large selection of reference books, conveniently kept at the Danville Public Library, to information on local genealogical libraries. It also offers classes for the beginning researcher and those interested in genetic DNA. All this is done within a community of like-minded individuals ready to encourage and assist others and to share their experience.
Facebook Page
We have a public Facebook Page where comments from club officers and visitors are made. Usually the posts are helpful genealogy tips that can be acknowledged and commented on. Join us in educating our genealogy community.
BOD Meetings
We have a Monthly Board of Directors meeting, currently via Zoom, where any member of our Society is welcome to attend. To receive a meeting invitation, please email our president at president@srvgensoc.org before the meeting. The BOD meetings begin on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 10 a.m. and last between 1-2 hours. The BOD does not meet in August or December. Also, please see our About page for more info about our officers.