 photos courtey Zoshua Colah, Erol Ahmed, Dan Cristian Padure,Mollie Sivaram and Christin Hume / UnsplashSECOND SATURDAY PRESENTATION TO ASK “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” How do we know if the facts we’ve uncovered about our ancestors are correct? How can we be sure we’re not accidentally attaching someone else’s family to our tree? This presentation explores these common challenges and how the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) acts as a framework for producing reliable, accurate research. Whether you’re just starting out or refining long-standing research, this session will help get your work moving in the right direction—while avoiding common pitfalls and unnecessary frustration. COME EARLY FOR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGCome early for the June Second Saturday presentation and be a part of what SGS has planned for the year ahead. Join us on Zoom June 14 at 12:30 p.m. to meet the 2025-2026 SGS Board and discuss the election results. This meeting will be followed by the Second Saturday presentation Register Now  AnnetteBurke Lyttle After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Alternatively, you may join the meeting immediately from the registration window at the prescribed day and time.Speaker: Annette Burke Lyttle, CG®, owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing. Annette has a master’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels. SGS HONORS BERNICE KELLER AS MEMBER FOR LIFE The SGS Board of Directors would like to announce that Bernice Keller has been awarded an Honorary Life Membership in the society.  Bernice Keller Keller joined SGS more than thirty years ago and has contributed her talents and energy to the society throughout her membership. During 2000-2009 she was one of the six dedicated volunteers who completed the massive King Co Court Records indexing project, creating what we know today as the “KC3I” database. She has been a regular Thursday volunteer on the Archives Committee since at least 2012, while also serving as a Library Trustee (2011-14), on the Nominating Committee (2014), and on the Financial Review Committee (2015). Bernice was twice honored as the SGS Volunteer of the Quarter (Spring 2012 and Summer 2024).The commitment of our members and volunteers is the lifeblood of the organization, and we are honored to name Keller a member for life.SGS TOUR UNVEILS HISTORY OF DENNY HILL   TOP: Author-naturalist David B. Williams points to a portion of a photo from the Denny regrade. Williams led SGS attendees on a tour of downtown Seattle May 14.LEFT: David B. Williams points to a building in downtown Seattle. courtesy Susan McKee  courtesy Susan McKee David B. Williams shows attendees features on a map. The Denny regrade was Seattle’s most audacious engineering change eliminating Denny Hill at the north end of downtown. By the end of the project, Seattleites had washed and scraped more than 11 million cubic yards of landscape, reducing the previously 240-foot-high mound to its present pancake topography. Stay tuned for more exciting tours from SGS! SGS MEMBER FEATURED IN WSGS BLOG James A. Secan was awarded Washington State Genealogical Society’s Outstanding Volunteer Award last fall. He was recently feartured on their blog. The post notes Secan’s administrative leadership, updates in technology, member relations and fiscal management. Congratulations Jim! SGS MEMBERS — IT’S TIME TO RENEW To renew your membership for 2025-26 log in to your account online at Members Home. Or print a membership application and send it together with your dues payment to SGS. Or… take a stroll through the spring blooms at the Good Shepherd Center and stop by the SGS Library to renew your membership in person! Renew in the Member’s PortalWant to become a member? Read all about it at Join SGS. SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302 4649 Sunnyside Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 206 522-8658Hours : Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday ** 10:00 a.m .- 3:00 p.m. ** Always check the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links, registration, or for last minute updates or changes to the schedule. Be advised you may need to register in advance to join a meeting. All times listed are Pacific Time unless otherwise noted Sunday, June 1, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at sgsdnasig@seagensoc.org to join. Monday, June 2, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. See SGS Calendar for more information. Monday, June 2, 2025, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., NEW-ish! Organizing for Genealogy SIG, Share information and discuss organization tips, techniques, and habits to enhance your genealogical journey. Contact Susan McKee at sgsOrganizingsig@seagensoc.org to join. Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Pacific Northwest Interest Group (Virtual), Share information and discuss Pacific Northwest genealogical research. Register on the SGS website Thursday, June 5, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., NEW-ish! Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Genealogy SIG (Virtual), Welcome to the AI for Genealogy SIG, a dedicated community for exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and genealogical research. Email SGSAISIG@seagensoc.org. Saturday, June 7, 2025, 10:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m., FamilySearch SIG, Discover the many ways to use the FamilySearch website in your research. Meeting includes instruction and time for Q&A. Email SGSFamilySearchSIG@seagensoc.org to join the mailing list. Monday, June 9, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. See SGS Calendar for more information. Monday, June 9, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m., SGS Board of Directors Meeting (Virtual), All SGS members are welcome to attend. SGS is an all volunteer organization. Please be involved. Members must sign in to website to see Zoom link. Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Tech Tuesday (Virtual), informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. Bring us your problem; we’ll try to help. Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., NEW! Ancestry Users SIG (Virtual), The Ancestry Users Special Interest Group is for people who use Ancestry.com (and AncestryDNA) to research their family histories. Email SGSAncestrySIG@seagensoc.org. Tuesday, June 12 2025, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Publishing SIG, Participate in writing and publishing the SGS Journal twice a year. Email SGSPubSIG@seagensoc.org. Different Day, this month only! Saturday, June 14, 2025, 12:30 p.m.-1:00 p.m., General Membership Meeting, Update on SGS activities and results of the election of SGS officers. The meeting will be followed by the postponed Second Saturday presentation (see entry below). Register here. Saturday, June 14, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Second Saturday, “Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist” Presented by Annette Burke Lyttle, CG. Register here. Monday, June 16, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. See SGS Calendar for more information. Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-noon, “Pass It On” Writers’ Group, Create your family history and share with others in an effort to improve your writing. This group is currently accepting new members. Send queries to SGSPassItOn@seagensoc.org. Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Write It Up! SIG (Virtual), Join this group to share and discuss writing projects, resources, and ideas. To join or learn more, contact Sheyna Watkins at sgsWriteItUpSIG@seagensoc.org. Note the change to Wednesday. Saturday, June 21, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-noon, Irish SIG (Virtual), with Susan McKee. Share information and discuss Irish ancestral research. View SGS calendar for details on joining this group. Saturday, June 21, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m, German SIG (Virtual), Share what you know OR get help with problems in your own research. Register on the SGS website. Monday, June 23, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. See SGS Calendar for more information. Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Tech Tuesday (Virtual), informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. Bring us your problem; we’ll try to help. Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Mexican SIG (Virtual), Share information and discuss Indigenous North American, Spanish, Cuban, and Hispanic genealogical research. Email Diane Hughes-Hart at SGSMexSIG@seagensoc.org to join. Saturday, June 28, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., DNA SIG, Join our quarterly meetings to discover what’s new in genetic genealogy and learn more about select, in-depth topics. Email SGSDNASIG@seagensoc.org to join. Monday, June 30, 2025, 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. See SGS Calendar for more information. Thursday, July 3, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., NEW-ish! Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Genealogy SIG (Virtual), Welcome to the AI for Genealogy SIG, a dedicated community for exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and genealogical research. Email SGSAISIG@seagensoc.org. Sunday, July. 13, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Scandinavian Interest Group SIG (Virtual), Share information and discuss Scandinavian ancestral research. Topic to be announced. Register here. Monday, July 14, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m., SGS Board of Directors Meeting (Virtual), All SGS members are welcome to attend. SGS is an all volunteer organization. Please be involved. Members must sign in to website to see Zoom link. OUR NEIGHBORS AND BEYOND American Ancestors by NEHGS (Virtual)• “Best Published Resources for German Research in America” Thursday, June 12, 2025, noon—1:00 p.m. German immigrants first arrived to American shores in large numbers in the late 17th century, and today nearly 45 million Americans have German heritage. Join Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure as she shares her go-to published resources for German family history research in America. Get more information and register, • “On the Ground: Top Repositories for Researching Upstate New York” Thursday, July 10, 2025, noon—1:00 p.m. Finding information about New York ancestors can be tricky. In this online lecture, Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert will discuss go-to repositories for research in the Empire State—including the New York State Library and Archives, the New York Public Library, and more. Get more information and register,Learn more about events offered through American Ancestors. “Using familysearch.org Wiki and Lab Programs” Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Thursday, June 12, 2025, 6:45 p.m. Speaker: Marie Job will share about using familysearch.org’s Wiki and Lab Programs. Register to attend. Family Tree Maker SIG Eastside Genealogical Society Friday, June 20, 2025, 10:30 p.m.–12:30 p.m. Join Eastside Genealogical Society and SGS to learn and share tips and tricks for using Family Tree Maker by Software MacKiev. The meetings open about 15 minutes in advance. You can join and/or leave whenever you have to, and you may email your question(s) in advance or bring them up during the meeting. East European Family History Conference Foundation for East European Family History Studies Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, 7:30 a.m. More than 60 sessions will be presented in 8 tracks: Polish, Russian, Germans from Eastern Europe, German, Austro-Hungarian, Jewish, DNA and General Eastern European. Early-bird rates available until July 7. Get more informataion and register. “Rediscovering the Lost Jewish Communities of Eastern Europe” The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Monday, June 9, 7:00 p.m. There is an enormous and growing interest in Poland, especially in southeastern Poland, to revive the memories of the lost Jewish communities that used to thrive in the region. Sally Mizroch and Phyllis Grossman will highlight various effords to uncover these forgotten histories and people. Get more information and register. . Join SGS Today * to renew your membership: log in on the Members Home page and click the green renew membership button. June 1, 2025 SGS eNews! comes out the first of every month. contact eNews! forward this email to a friend |