Seattle Genealogical Society Spring Seminar Pivotal Moments
Monthly Archives: March 2026
Mason County Genealogical Society Quaker Research
Short notice – sorry! Thursday night at 6:00 we are having Stephen Morrison begin a series on Quaker research:
April 2nd -Profile of a Quaker and FRIENDLY RELATIONS – Finding American Quakers and their Online Records.
The email for everyone to request the zoom link is:
masoncountygenealogy@gmail.com
Let’s Talk About: Parable of the Hot Dog
Henry was a skinny, sallow fellow who ate nothing but hot dogs.
He craved these meaty tubes morning, noon and night. He ate them with or without buns, relish, onions, beans or condiments. He ate them with scrambled eggs for breakfast. He occasionally chewed them raw from the package.
Loving family and friends tried to convince Henry that a hot dog diet was not healthy. Henry ignored them.
Eventually, Henry’s body revolted. His arms and legs swelled like those balloon dogs. His torso became an elongated chubby tube. The chemicals in those hot dogs rotted his teeth, elevated his blood sugar and blood pressure, blurred his vision, sapped his memory, constipated him and magnified his arthritis.
In short, Henry became what he craved above all else. Henry became a hot dog.
Moral of the story: We do become what we crave, what we do and certainly what we eat. And April Fool’s to you!!
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Researching Newspapers Outside the Newspaper com
Genealogist and Lecturer
Her topic is
Researching Newspaper Outside of Newspapers.com
The speaker at the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society’s April 9th, 2026 zoom meeting will be Amber Oldenburg. Her topic is Researching Newspapers Outside the Newspaper.com.
Virtual meeting doors will open at 9:30 am
Speaker’s program will begin at 10:00 am
The public is invited to attend.
Please consider joining our society for $20/yr.
For a link to join the meeting or to join the society contact lcgsgen@yahoo.com 24hrs prior to the event
Tri City Genealogical Society New Tools in FamilySearch
Please join us for Tri-City Genealogical Society’s General meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8th. The presentation will be at the Richland FamilySearch Center located at 1314A Goethals Dr. Entrance is down the ramp from the parking lot north of Dairy Queen. The presentation will also be on Zoom so you can join in from your home. See below for the Zoom link for the March presentation.
On April 8th, another longtime TCGS member, Margie Beldin, will be speaking on “New Tools in FamilySearch.”
And, on May 13th, longtime TCGS member and TCGS Librarian, Sandra Meacham Floberg, will discuss “Repatriation of MIA/KIA using DNA.”
Thank you to everyone who has already joined TCGS for 2026. For those who would like to join, the online application can be found at https://tricitygenealogicalsociety.org/q/join/join_renew/ and a printable application can be found at https://tricitygenealogicalsociety.org/q/wp-content/uploads/2023TCGSBrochure.pdf .
Time: Apr 8, 2026 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86849629067?pwd=7evK5wJjY00qjQkuJGfENzDflU5sUu.1
Meeting ID: 868 4962 9067
Passcode: 877281
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,86849629067#,,,,*877281# US (Tacoma)
+12532050468,,86849629067#,,,,*877281# US
Join instructions
Eastside Genealogical Society Do You Have a Brick Wall? We Can Help
The registration link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1mXi10XfS8uT_Oa3AoIQ1w
Whitman County Genealogical Society Sponsors Free Seminar
WCGS SPONSORS FREE SEMINAR
Featuring Professional Genealogist and WCGS member Jill Nock
Saturday, April 18, 9 AM – 12 Noon
Bishop Place Independent Living Social Room
815 SE Klemgard St., Pullman, WA
Jill Nock, AG®, is a professional genealogist accredited through ICAPGen℠ in the U.S. Upper South with nearly five decades of research experience. She operates Mountain State Genealogy and also subcontracts with Family Locket Genealogists. A graduate of ProGen59, she has completed advanced training at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) in Advanced DNA Evidence, Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy, and Tools & Strategies for Tackling Tough Research Problems.
A former Level 1 Mentor for ICAPGen℠ study groups, Jill has helped genealogists develop professional skills and meet accreditation standards. Her expertise combines traditional record analysis with advanced DNA interpretation, specializing in transforming complex research findings into clear, professionally written reports.
9 AM—Doors open. 9:30-10:30—Topic #1. 10:30-10:45—Break. 10:45-11:45—Topic #2.
SEMINAR TOPICS
“Reading Between the Lines: What to Look For in Probate Records” (Beginner to Intermediate)
Description: This practical session teaches genealogists how to recognize family dramas, relationships, and circumstances hidden in probate records beyond basic name and date extraction. Using compelling real case studies, attendees learn systematic approaches for identifying language patterns, property distributions, and timing clues that reveal untold family stories. The presentation demonstrates how small variations from standard legal language often indicate the most significant family events and relationships.
“Learning to Think Like a Genealogical Detective” (Advanced Beginner to Intermediate)
Description: When key records are missing, genealogy doesn’t stop—it shifts into detective mode. This presentation introduces a practical, step-by-step approach to solving family history mysteries using indirect evidence, pattern recognition, and the FAN Club (Family, Associates, and Neighbors) strategy. Through a real-life case study, attendees will learn how to connect clues across records and build confident conclusions even when direct answers don’t exist.
Each topic will be 45 minutes in length with a Q and A time at the end of each and a break in between. To accommodate handouts and refreshments please RSVP to whitmancgs@gmail.com or text/call WCGS President Sue Kreikemeier at 509-595-3307. Drop-ins welcome.
Let’s Talk About: Postcard Stories
My husband’s ancestors came west from Troup County, Georgia. Imagine my delight to come upon a book of old historic postcards of that county! Arcadia Publishing, in business for decades, offers affordable small books on hundreds and places in America and offers many similar books of historic postcards from some areas.
Old historic postcards are about the only way we’ll ever get to “see” what the place was like where our ancestors lived.
Another place to search for old postcard images is the Newberry Library in Chicago. Their historic postcard collection numbers over 500,000 with nearly 8000 of places in Washington State…. this one states A Trainload of Pears, postmarked Walla Walla.
Ask Google for “websites for historical postcards,” and you’ll have a full day’s fun! One such site mentioned is eBay…. this one (below) you can order from the seller for $12. (It’s the Spokane Club,1915.)
Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Hatched, Matched, & Dispatched
Spring is finally here and it’s time for the first of our Spring Speaker Series. Join SVGS on Saturday April 11, 2026, at 1pm at the Burlington Public Library for “Hatched, Matched & Dispatched Chasing Ancestors Through US Vital Records” with Colette Hokanson. Colette is a FamilySearch Researcher. Come learn research methods that can help you find these important building blocks of genealogy. Can’t make it to the Burlington Library, request a zoom link by emailing info@skagitvalleygenealogy.org.
Let’s Talk About: Cheers for UPS!
Do most of your ordered packages arrive on time? Either from the US Postal Service or the UPS, I’ll bet they did.
Bet you had no clue that the company that would become United Parcel service (UPS) began in Seattle, Washington, on August 28, 1907. Teenagers Jim Casey and Claude Ryan founded the American Messenger Company, a messenger and delivery service, with a $100 loan and two bicycles. They delivered packages and messages around Seattle, laying the groundwork for the global shipping giant UPS is today.
By 1919, the company had expanded to Oakland, California, and changed it’s name to United Parcel Service. That same year, the brown trucks and uniforms became the company colors. The headquarters of the company today is in New York City.
There are over 5700 UPS stations across America and Washington state boasts over 130 of them.
Did you or an ancestor work for UPS?? Why did they choose to work for UPS?