Calendar/Venues
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS:
(actual in-person programs being assessed as we continue to deal with the plague of 2020-25; any that are changed to or from webinar format or postponed to another date will have notification here as soon as I have the information)
2026:
June
2 Jun – Corona Genealogical Society afternoon class, in-person
“The Value of Family Folklore”
4 June – Sequoia Genealogical Society. hybrid
“The Devil is in the Details”
July
14 July – Corona Genealogical Society afternoon class, in-person
“Don’t Climb too Fast in the Search”
August
19 Aug – Southern Calif. Genealogical Society webinar
“Conflation: Is that a Single Story or a Combination?”
September
12 Sept – UGA Summit of Excellence. Live webinar
“The Envelope Please: Finding Family in the Post”
16-18 Sept – We are Cousins semi-annual online conference, recorded (live Q/A, date TBD)
“Mom Liked you Best: Doing Sibling Research”
October
17 Oct – Moreno Valley Genealogical Society, online meeting
TBD
20 Oct – Wisconsin State Genealogical Society conference, hybrid
“Beer may have Made Milwaukee Famous, but Prohibition Nearly Took it off the Map”
November
2 Nov – Corona Genealogical Society evening meeting, hybrid
“Barbed Wire on Brick Walls: Finding Ancestors in Institutions”
6-7 Nov – Texas State Genealogical Society Family History Conference, pre-recorded, virtual on demand
“The GTT Journey of Discovery: Texas was the Settlement Goal”
December
There definitely is space here for your group to have an engaging, entertaining, and educational program; just contact me: Jean Wilcox Hibben
MAILING LIST:
PAST PROGRAMS, PERFORMANCES, & PRESENTATION VENUES HAVE INCLUDED, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
I am thrilled to have been one of the lecturers for the Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research. I taught “Learning about Your Ancestor through Culture and Folkways” (a 4-part series still available from the link below) :
Alaskan Klee Kai Assoc. of America (Claremont, CA show)
Assoc. of Prof. Genealogists Professional Mgmt. Conference
Assoc. of Prof. Genealogists, Second Life Chapter
Assoc. of Prof. Genealogists Webinars
AVID College Prep class, John F. Kennedy High School, Norco, CA
Board for Certification of Genealogists (webinar)
BONANZA conventions, Lake Tahoe, NV and Burbank, CA
British Isles Family History Society, USA (Los Angeles, CA)
BYU Family History Conference, Provo, UT
California Pioneer Heritage Foundation
California State Genealogical Alliance, seminar
Chino Valley (CA) Family History and Genealogy seminars
Chula Vista (CA) Genealogical Society
Clark County (NV) Genealogical Society
Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego (CA)
Computer Oriented Genealogy Group of the North San Diego County (CA) Genealogical Society
Conejo Valley Genealogical Society (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Corona (CA) Family History Center classes & workshops
Corona (CA) Genealogical Society
Coweta County (GA) Genealogical Society
Cross Timbers Genealogical Society (Gainesville, TX)
Czechoslovak Area Genealogy Club of Southern California
Daughters of the American Revolution – Aurantia Chapter (Riverside, CA)
Daughters of the American Revolution – Cahuilla Chapter (Palm Springs, CA)
Daughters of the American Revolution – Estudillo Chapter (Hemet, CA)
Daughters of the American Revolution – John Greenleaf Whittier Chapter (Whittier, CA)
Daughters of Union Veterans, Mary Edwards Walker Tent #90 (Apple Valley, CA)
Daughters of Utah Pioneers (Southern California)
Dear Myrtle’s Family History Hour (Podcast)
Escondido (CA) Family History Center, Family History Fair
Escondido (CA) Genealogical Society
Family History Expos (various locations)
Family History Society of Arizona (Phoenix)
FamilySearch Research Courses (on-line)
Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference
Federation of Genealogical Societies: “My Society” Internet Radio Program
Flagstaff (AZ) Friends of Traditional Music
The Forget-Me-Not Hour with Jane E. Wilcox
Fresno County (CA) Genealogical Society
Genealogical Society of Morongo Basin (Yucca Valley, CA)
Genealogical Society of North Orange County (Yorba Linda, CA)
Genealogical Society of Riverside (CA)
Genealogy Club of Del Webb’s Sun City (Palm Desert)
Genealogy Club of Sun City (Menifee, CA)
Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke
GenealogyWise Chat (archived – 7 March 2010)
Glendale (AZ) Folk Heritage Festival
Glendora (CA) Genealogical Group
Hemet (CA) Family History Center Fairs
Hemet-San Jacinto (CA) Genealogical Society
Hi-Desert Genealogical Society (Victorville, CA)
Illinois State Genealogical Society (webinar)
Immigrant Genealogical Society (Burbank, CA)
Inland Empire Colony, California Society of Mayflower Descendants
The Inland Gateway (formerly Corona-Norco, CA) Association of REALTORS
Jurupa (Riverside, CA) Family History Center classes & seminars
Kampgrounds of America (KOA), Salt Lake City, UT
Kern County Genealogical Society (Bakersfield, CA)
Lake Elsinore (CA) Genealogical Society
Lake Havasu (AZ) Genealogical Society
Los Angeles (CA) LDS (Mormon) Temple Visitors Center
Los Angeles (CA) Regional Family History Library
Los Angeles WESTSIDE Genealogical Society (CA)
Lucerne Valley (CA) Root Diggers Genealogy Association
Moreno Valley (CA) Genealogical Society
Morongo Basin Historical Society (Yucca Valley, CA)
Napa Valley (CA) Genealogical & Biographical Society
National Genealogical Society Family History Conference
North San Diego County (CA) Genealogical Society
Northwest Genealogy Conference
Northwest Missouri Genealogy Society, St. Joseph, MO
OLLI – Calif. State Univ., Fullerton – Genealogy Club
OLLI – Life Society, Univ. of Calif., Riverside
Orange County (CA) FamilySearch Library classes & fairs
Orange County California Genealogical Society
Orange County (CA) Jewish Genealogical Society
Palm Springs (CA) Genealogical Society
Pomeranian Special Interest Group; Immigrant Genealogical Society
Pomona Valley (CA) Genealogical Society
Questing Heirs (Long Beach, CA)
Redlands (CA) Family History Center classes & Ancestry Novemberfests
Riverside (CA) Alumnae Panhellenic Association
Riverside County (CA) Library System Staff Training
Rogue Valley Genealogical Society (Medford, OR)
RootsTech (Salt Lake City, UT)
Sacramento (CA) German Genealogical Society
St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Women’s Auxiliary (Carlsbad, CA)
Salt Lake (UT) Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Utah Genealogical Assoc.
Sam Hinton Memorial Folk Heritage Festival, San Diego, CA
San Diego (CA) Genealogical Society
San Fernando Valley (CA) Genealogical Society
San Luis Obispo County (CA) Genealogical Society
Santa Barbara County (CA) Genealogical Society
Savory Spotlight (LA Talk Radio) – interview with Sheri Savory & Tina Sansone
Sons of the American Revolution, Riverside (CA) Chapter
South Bay Cities (CA) Genealogical Society
Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension Webinars
Southern California Genealogical Society Lunch & Learn
South Orange County Calif. Genealogical Society
Sun Lakes Genealogy Society Club (Banning, CA)
Sunland Springs Genealogy Club (Mesa, AZ)
Sunnyslope Cemetery Strolls (Corona, CA)
Tellebration, Claremont (now Inland Valley) (CA) Storytellers – Folk Center
Temecula Valley (CA) Genealogical Society
Utah Genealogical Association, seminar
Utah Genealogical Association, Salt Lake (UT) Institute of Genealogy
Utah Genealogical Association, Virtual Chapter
Valencia Terrace (Corona, CA) Wellness Expo
Van Buren (MI) Regional Genealogical Society
Ventura County (CA) Genealogical Society
Victor Valley Family History Seminar (Victorville, CA)
Virtual Genealogical Association
Waukesha (WI) Genealogical Society
Where Genealogy and Spirit Connect – Susan E. King Podcast
Whittier Area (CA) Genealogical Society
Wilmette (IL) Stake, Family History Center
Wisconsin State Genealogical Society (webinar)
Yorba Linda (CA) Public Library
Yucaipa Valley (CA) Genealogical Society
Yucca Valley (CA) Family History Seminars
Ancestral Manor Radio
Assoc. of Professional Genealogists, virtual chapter
Blue/Gray Luncheon
Colony Cousins (Murrieta, CA)
Covenant Presbyterian Church (Orange, CA)
Douglas County Genealogical Group (Gardnerville, NV)
Friendly Hills Women’s Club, Whittier, CA
Genealogical Society of Coachella Valley (Indio, CA)
La Canada Flintridge (CA) Public Library Genealogy Group
Menifee (CA) Family History Fair
Moreno Valley (CA) Public Library
Murrieta (CA) Family History Fair
NewsNet (Inland Empire, CA), “Southern California Life”
Palmia Genealogy Society (Mission Viejo, CA)
Presbyterian Church of the Master (Mission Viejo, CA)
Ridgecrest (CA) Genealogical Society
Whittier Women’s Club
House Concerts/Private Presentations in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, & Wisconsin
For times, specific locations, or additional information, click on provided link or contact me: CELL: (909) 994-6114 or email me at circlemending@gmail.com
WELCOME TO CIRCLEMENDING, WEBSITE OF JEAN WILCOX HIBBEN; PhD, MA, WHERE WE TRY TO MEND THE FAMILY CIRCLES.
photo by Pam McComb-Podmostko, © 2009
LISTING OF PRESENTATION TITLES (CLICK THE LINK OF THE TOPIC CATEGORY TO BE DIRECTED TO THE DESCRIPTION PAGE)
Selected lectures (noted * below) available on recordings from various seminars from Fleetwood Onsite (search by “Hibben”), JAMB, Inc. (search by conference; see details on topics for assistance) or Conference Resource, LLC (Jamboree order form). For specific program identification, see details on the description pages for these presentations. Recordings are for personal use only. Titles that are links will take you to a FREE viewing of the lecture on FamilySearch; search by lecture title (note: FamilySearch often makes changes and may remove lectures when outdated; if a link is broken, please send me notification, thank you). These, too, are designed for personal use and should not be displayed at genealogical society meetings without prior permission. Thank you for respecting that.
Beginning to Intermediate (Experienced)
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- America: Land of the Farm, Home of the Plow
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- Beware! The Enchanted Forest: Perils & Pitfalls of On-Line Trees
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- Civil War Research: Learning about Your Union Veteran Ancestor
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- Clue to Clue: Tracking a Family over Time and Miles*
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- County Websites: An Overlooked Resource*
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- Deliveries in the Rear! Getting Family History Information through the Back Door* (revised with new material in 2015)
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- The Devil is in the Details: Missing Minutiae can Create Lineage Limbo
- Epidemics & Pandemics: Issues of Politics, Religion, and Economics (new)
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- Family History: Research & Results for the Beginner
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- FamilySearch: A Live Tour
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- Federal Census Records: Brick Wall Battering Rams* (parts 1 & 2)
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- Folkways & the Family: Your Ancestors were More than Statistics (new)
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- Fun with . . . Citing Sources
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- Historical Societies: Bridges between People and History
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- It’s NOT about Zombies! Finding the Dead in Cemeteries
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- Need Direction? Try City Directories!
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- Reboot Your Brain (formerly Yes You Can!) (click link to view this at FamilySearch)
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- This is not Your Grandma’s Genealogy: Making the Move from Paper to Electronic Record Keeping*
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- The 2 Sides of Interviewing (click link to view this at FamilySearch)
- Up Close and Personal: Doing On-Site Research (click link to view this at FamilySearch
Intermediate (Experienced) to Advanced
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- Avoiding Fallacies in Family History: A Key to Research Success (new)
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- Dead Language/Dead People: Translating Latin Records from the Catholic Church*
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- Deduction v. Induction in Genealogical Research: Applying Logic Theory to Family History*
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- How Do You Do That? Practical Suggestions for People Who Want to Do Genealogical Lecturing*
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- Hunting for Joe Ovalle: A Case Study (new)
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- I ♥ New York: A Look at the Connections between and Communities of the Mohawk Valley and Jefferson County
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- Is Your Brick Wall Topped by Barbed Wire? Researching Ancestral Prisoners
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- It’s about Time! Pacing the Presentation*
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- Life on the Farm & the Records it Generated
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- Mob Action: Getting and Staying Afloat (for genealogy societies)
- Mom Liked You Best! Doing Sibling Research (new)
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- Researching German Records When You Live in America and Don’t Speak German
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- Shaking the Myth: Proving/Disproving Family Legends*
- Special Delivery: Using US Postmaster Documents in Family History Research
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- Thinking INSIDE the Box(es) and Reading Between the Lines (under construction)
- Who is That? Why Your Ancestors Associated with Apparent Strangers*
All levels
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- Chicago Rises from the Ashes: The Columbian Exposition Gives Perspective to the Family Historian (new)
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- City Directories: More that Address Books
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- Come All Ye! Social Media for our Illiterate Forebears (new-requires Internet connection)
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- Communicating in your Ancestors’ Homeland: Understanding Other Cultures can Make or Break Overseas Research
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- Doing Background Research for Genealogy Television: It’s Not Like it Looks on TV!
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- FamilySearch LIVE TOUR (changes frequently and is adapted to your group’s needs)
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- The Games People Played: Leisure Activities of Our Ancestors
- Genealogy on Wheels: Is RVing Right for You?*
- The Great Lakes: The Role They Played during Prohibition (new)
- Hints for a Successful Research Trip to Salt Lake City (under revision)
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- How the Music and Instruments of Your Ancestors are Relevant to Family History Research
- Means, Motive, & Opportunity: The Sad Saga of George Richards (case study)
- On, Wisconsin! The 24th Infantry, 1862-1865, Brothers Forever (new)
- Re-Remembering: The History of Military Headstones and Obtaining One for Your Ancestor
- Turning Genealogy into Family History: Creating Stories from Stats (click link to view at FamilySearch)
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- What Our Ancestors Feared Most: Diseases & Their Treatments
PARTICIPATORY WORKSHOPS All levels (interesting for non-genealogists, too)
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- Arriving in the New World: How Our Immigrant Ancestors Coped in their New Home
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- Family Traditions: Cultural Guidelines for Life
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- Making the Dead Live Again: The Value of Family Folklore
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- Mob Action: Working as a Group to Tear Down Brick Walls
- RootsMagic®: Live Tour (parts 1 & 2 – as audience requires & requests) (Internet required)
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- Say What? How did Your Ancestor Pronounce those Names? (available soon)
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- Society: Support and Share Discussion (requires active participation from attendees or panel of people from different societies)
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- Tattle Tale! Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Genealogists
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- Understanding Gothic German by Learning to Write it
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- What’s in it for Me? Reasons for Researching Family History
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- Why/How to Become a Professional Genealogist (discussion)
- Words & Phrases of Bygone Days (formerly “Cut & Paste”)
NARRATIVE PRESENTATIONS All levels
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- Breaking the Ties that Bind: One Woman’s Story of Leaving Family to Settle New Frontiers
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- Elisabeth: The Story of a German Immigrant
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- Forget me not: The Story of a Milwaukee Pioneer
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- John Adam Hollaender: Survivor
- Nathan Wilcox: The Story of a Union Soldier and His Family
SONGS & STORIES OF HISTORICAL EVENTS All levels
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- Appalachian Ancestors: Their Lives, Legends, and Lyrics
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- Bringing Your Civil War Ancestor Back to Life: Songs & Stories of the War of the Rebellion
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- Byproducts of Battle: War-Inspired Christmas Songs & Their Stories
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- “Dark as a Dungeon”: Songs of America’s Miners
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- Erin Go Brach: Music & Myths of Irish Immigrants
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- “. . . Excavating for a Mine”: Songs & Stories of the California Gold Rush
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- From Slave to Freed Man: How America’s Music has been Influenced by African Americans
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- “Gather at the River”: Gospel Hymns and Histories of Early America
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- “Get along Little Dogies”: Songs and Stories of the American West
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- “Ghosts of Christmas Past”: Tunes, Tales, and Ancestral Traditions
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- “. . . hear the Whistle Blowing?” Songs of America’s Rails
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- “Hi-Ho the Derry-O”: Songs of America’s Farmers
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- Jolly Ol’ England: Songs from Across the Pond
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- Lifelines of a Growing Land: Songs of Inland Waterways
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- “Once upon a Time . . .”: The Rhymes and Rhythms of Childhood
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- “Rock-a-bye Baby”: The Songs Our Foremothers Sang
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- Songs of Floods, Fires, and Fury: Was Your Family Touched by Disaster?
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- To Zion in Song: The Westward Migration of the Mormons
- “Way, Haul Away”: Shanties and Songs of the Sea
BANQUET TALKS/KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
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- Ancestors as Heroes
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- Before the Victrola: Songs Your Ancestors Sang
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- “Come Away with Me”: Time Travel Set to Music
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- Doing Family History to Heal Family Present on Behalf of Family Past (bring tissues)
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- Everything I Need to Know about Doing Genealogy I Learned from Doing Jigsaw Puzzles
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- Graveyard Gumshoe: Lessons EnGRAVEN in Stone
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- A Mile to the Mailbox: How Children Learn their Family History
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- On the Contrary, Dead Men (and Women) DO Tell Tales!
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- One Step Beyond: Synchronistic Findings in Family Research
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- Remembering the Past for the Future: Listening to Grandpas instead of iPods
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- Remembering Homemade Music
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- Sherlock Homes: Investigating Your Ancestor’s House
- What are the Odds? Genealogy Oddities
- You are NOT Alone: The Quest for Family History Transcends the Grave (under construction)
PERSONAL PROFILE
After moving from the Chicago suburbs to Southern California in 1973, I obtained my bachelors and masters degrees in Speech Communication and worked as a professor in the field for 13 years before leaving academia to pursue my passions: folklore and family history. I received my doctorate in folklore in 2008. I have been involved in family research for over 40 years and have traced my origins to Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Holland, England, and France. Check the link on this site to see the names of My People. I am the former Director of the Corona, California Family History Center, in the Corona Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and am still involved with work and teaching classes there. I am also occasionally found at the National Archives, Pacific Region (Riverside County).
I have been on the board of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (more biographical information is available at that website) and recommend that site to see the listings of other speakers in the field of genealogy. I was a Board-Certified Genealogist for 10 years (2006-2016 – I elected not to renew), I served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists for four years and am currently the President of its Southern California Chapter. I am also past President, current 1st Vice-president, and webmaster of the Corona (Calif.) Genealogical Society; and formerly the First Vice-President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. I have recently completed my application for the Daughters of the American Revolution and have been accepted into that respected and long-standing institution, being a member of their Aurantia Chapter in Riverside County, California.
I have been playing guitar for over 50 years and have added other instruments to my repertoire over the decades. I use a number of these in my musical programs to give folks a feeling for the music their ancestors might have sung and played. To read more about that and the CDs I have recorded to date, please check out the pages on Details on Songs & Stories of Historical Events, Sights & Sounds, and CDs. I am active in a number of Southern California music groups, including the Riverside Folk Song Society. I live in the Lake Mathews area of Riverside County, CA; am married; have 4 children, 25 grandchildren, and over 20 great-grandchildren. And some of those people are actually interested in family history; plus, with all the descendants that keep joining the clan, I figure that the odds are in my favor that one or more will eventually be taking the baton from me! Contact me via email Thank you for your interest.
photo by Pam McComb-Podmostko ©2009
MISSION STATEMENT
My goal is to assist others in their efforts to connect generations (past to present), completing the family circle.
PHILOSOPHY
I believe that who we are is a compilation of our experiences and associations as well as our biological connections. When we understand our ancestors, we can better understand ourselves. By doing this, we can complete and appreciate our family circles. “Will the circle be unbroken, by and by, Lord, by and by? There’s a better home a-waitin’ in the sky, Lord, in the sky!” – Trad.