Author Archives: Charles Hansen

Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

IT’S THE GIVING SEASON  

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support the Seattle Genealogical Society and Library during our Annual Appeal this December.   SGS 2021 Annual AppealDonate Now Online    If you have a Paypal account, you may donate to SGS via the Paypal Giving Fund and the transaction fee will be waived.  Here’s the link: Paypal Giving Fund – SGS.
  Thank You!  

FROM OUR SGS PRESIDENT

To the SGS Membership:

A major item of concern in our recent move was what to do with the items in our collection that we were not going to keep. Following guidance from our Bylaws, we gave the genealogy group at the Seattle Public Library (SPL) the right of first refusal on all remaining items in the collection. John LaMont of SPL estimates that they have taken around 450 linear feet (shelf space) of books and periodicals to SPL. The next group given the opportunity to obtain items from the collection was our membership, which was done via a two-day bargain-basement sale that saw roughly 1,000 additional items re-homed. Other local genealogical groups were given the opportunity to obtain materials, and a few of them took us up on our offer. We have also shipped several boxes of old school yearbooks to Ancestry.com, and will be shipping several boxes of old records (obits and the like) to FamilySearch to be scanned, digitized, and made part of their collection.

Finally, the majority of remaining non-periodical items (roughly 100 book boxes) are being placed in temporary storage to be donated to the OpenLibrary program of the Internet Archive (google Internet Archive for information). This organization scans and digitizes materials donated to them, and makes the material available on their website for anyone to use.  This will open up that part of our collection to the entire world of genealogy.

So, while the physical size of the SGS collection has been significantly reduced, most of what we removed from the collection lives on elsewhere, and much of that will continue to be accessible by SGS members, either at the SPL main library or online.

Jim Secan
President, Seattle Genealogical Society  

VIRTUAL SUNDAYS:
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
DECEMBER 19  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM 

Join in Sunday afternoon for “Using Timelines for Analysis and Correlation”, a look at various ways one can compare and contrast information by using timelines, tables, and other correlation tools. Jill Morelli, CG and former president of SGS, is the speaker.   
* SAVE THE DATE *
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 
2nd Monday meetings
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST

JGSWS meets on the second Monday of each month, from Sept-June. Doors open at 6:30 PM unless noted otherwise. Watch their website for details on the next meeting. 

http://www.jgsws.org/meetings.php


McPherson County Old Mill &
Swedish Heritage Museum,
Lindsborg, KS
Swedish Genealogy Virtual Workshop 
Saturday, January 8. 2022 
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST

If you are new to Swedish genealogy, or just need a refresher, this is the workshop for you. Sponsored by ArkivDigital, the leader in Swedish online records, this workshop’s featured speaker will be Kathy Meade. You may call 785 227-3595 for more information, or check out their website for additional details and registration:
https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/20/old-mill-museum

AppGenInstitute, 
Spring Semester Course Offerings, 
March thru May dates, 
Virtual Online

Two of the founders of the Applied Genealogy Institute are names that should be familiar to you from programs you’ve attended at SGS, Jill Morelli, CG, and Mary Kircher Roddy, CG. Jill prepared the message below  to introduce the upcoming classes that will be able next spring. 

‘Applied Genealogy Institute is excited to announce the next series of educational offerings to the genealogical community for our Spring semester. Whether you are educational addicts like we are or one who just wants to “do it right,” you will find a course for you in the Spring offerings. 

Five courses will be offered: “Foundations I: Using the Records,” “Advanced Swedish Genealogy,” “Advanced Genetic Genealogy,” “Catholic Records” and “Getting Lost in Ledgers.” Registration will open after the first of the year.

If you want to know more, check our website and sign up for the mailing list: https://appliedgen.institute   ‘


SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Take note of the SGS Library’s new location, new hours, and new rules:
Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302
4649 Sunnyside Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
206 522-8658

Monday   10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday  10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Friday     10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

The SGS Library is open to researchers. Masks are required at all times inside the Good Shepherd Center. 

Due to COVID the events listed below continue to be virtual, online via Zoom. 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. 

NOTICE: SGS has imposed more security on our Zoom meetings. Some meetings will begin with a waiting room.  The host must take action to let people into each meeting.  The host will try to open the waiting room about 10 minutes ahead of time. Please be patient.

* All times listed are Pacific Time unless otherwise noted 
Wednesday, Dec 15, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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. 

Friday, Dec 17, 2021, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Interest Group (Virtual),  What’s New in Family Tree Maker: Q and A with Mark Olsen (Family Tree Maker Ambassador, MacKiev). Join Eastside Genealogical Society and SGS for an interactive Q and A session to answer all your questions about Family Tree Maker: the latest version, updates, features, and more. The discussion will include FTM partner products Charting Companion and Family Book Creator. This session is for all levels of genealogists, whether you are just getting started or very experienced.

If you want to be on the Eastside Genealogical Society Family Tree Maker Users Group email list, send your request to JanetStroebel@yahoo.com

Sunday, Dec 19, 2021,   1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New,  Jill Morelli is the host. Visit the SGS website Calendar for details and updates. Please register in advance. The program this month is “Using Timelines for Analysis and Correlation”.

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Tuesday, Dec 28, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. 

Wednesday, Dec 29, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Wednesday, Jan 5, 2022, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Saturday, Jan 8, 2022, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly (Virtual),  Discover the many ways to use FamilySearch. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A. Want to be included on the mail listing? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com

Saturday, Jan 8, 2022, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series: Understanding & Analyzing the UK Censuses 1801-2021 with Dr Penny Walters, author of “Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy” and “The Psychology of Searching”. Registration required.

Sunday, Jan 9, 2022, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Scandinavian Interest Group with Karen Knudson. Share information and discuss Scandinavian family research.  Visit the SGS website Calendar of Events and read about the new online security measures. 

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. 

Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022, 7:00 pm-9:00 am, MAC Computer Interest Group (Virtual),  Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske for users of MAC (Apple) computers and the Reunion genealogy software. Co-chairs Lisa Marker and Diane Hettrick. You must be on the MAC SIG email list to join the meeting. Email macusersig@seagensoc.org to be included on the list. 

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022, 10:00 am- 12:00 pm, Irish SIG is back! With Susan McKee and Jim Ryan. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. 
Saturday, Jan 15, 2022, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, German SIG is back! With Carolyn Schott. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information.

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022,   1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New,  Jill Morelli is the host. Visit the SGS website Calendar for details and updates. Please register in advance. 

Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. 

Wednesday, Jan 26, 2022, 10:00 am-11:30 am, 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.

Saturday, Jan 29, 2022, 10:00 am-12:30 pm, DNA SIG (Virtual),  with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you must be on the DNA SIG email list. Contact Cary at sgsdnasig@gmail.com to join. 

Spokane Community College Genetic Genealogy

by Charles Hansen

Genetic genealogy is the practice of using genetic material to establish
heritage. In this class students will gain knowledge on what genetic
genealogy is, the practice of using DNA to identify relatives, physical
heredity, mapping of the human genome, the science of DNA, using
DNA to establish identity and degree of relationship in which people
are related, the different types of DNA testing, and more.
GENETIC GENEALOGY:
Using DNA to Find Lost Family
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 – 6 to 8 p.m.
and
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 – 6 to 8 p.m.
To register, contact the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Corporate
and Continuing Ed program at
509.434.5162
or online at
https://ccs.spokane.edu/Corporate-Continuing-Education/Personal-Enrichment
Course instructor Brian Holloway spent 25 years unraveling the
mystery of his father’s birth, which had been obscured by
misinformation, before turning to genetic genealogy in 2013. Just four
years later this century-old family mystery was solved when DNA
testing led the discovery of his father’s birth certificate. Brian’s
experiences offer a wealth of knowledge for others seeking to solve a
mystery or overcome barriers in their family history.

MyHeritage adds Millions of Historical Records

by Charles Hansen

I’m pleased to share that hundreds of millions of historical records have been added to MyHeritage from 3 significant collections! I invite you to share this exciting news with your audience so they can explore the collections and further their research. Here’s a quick overview of what’s new:

French Historical Records:

359 million records added

We’ve just published 359 million historical records from France from a vital records collection — including birth, marriage, and death records — and a naturalization records collection. Since mid-October 2021 we’ve added 844 million French records in total from 15 historical record collections. All these records were previously available exclusively through Filae. The new collections complement the huge French treasure trove of vital, census, military, and burial records, making MyHeritage an essential resource for anyone researching their French roots. Read more about these records in the blog post.

French

Update to Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1800–1947:

13.2 million records added

We’ve updated our collection of Sweden, Household Examination Books, adding 13.2 million historical records from the years 1800 to 1819. The collection now contains 158 million records spanning the years 1800 to 1947, and includes quality scanned images, and thanks to its robust index, you can follow individuals and families throughout the generations and gain invaluable insights into the lives of your Swedish ancestors. Read more about these records in the blog post or search Sweden Household Examination Books.

Sweeden

Update to Germany, North Rhine Westphalia (Arnsberg and Münster) Death Index, 1874–1938:

4.8 million records added

We’ve added 4.8 million historical records from the district of Arnsberg to the Germany, North Rhine Westphalia, Death Index in conjunction with the Landesarchiv Nordrhein Westfalen, the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia. The collection was initially published with 2.4 million records from the district of Münster. In future updates, the death indexes from the districts of Detmold, Düsseldorf, and Köln from North Rhine Westphalia will be added. Read more about these records in the blog post or search the collection now.

Germany

Please share this news on your channels, and of course, search the collections now.

Happy searching!

Daniel Horowitz

Genealogy Expert

MyHeritage Ltd., P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon Blvd., Or Yehuda, Israel 6037606, Israel, +972-3-6280000

Whatcom Genealogical Society Holiday Gathering

by Charles Hansen

 Holiday Gathering

Dec. 13, 2021 Whatcom Genealogical Society

 Holiday Gathering

2:00 pm

Pioneer Pavilion, 2007 Cherry Street, Ferndale, WA

We would love it if you could bring an item to display such as a family photograph, an album, or perhaps you have a story or family holiday tradition to share with the Society.

Also, our WGS Education Chair Cindy Harris checked with the Ferndale Food Bank to see what items would be helpful for them this time of year.  They suggested we contribute boxed cereals, flour, and sugar.  However, we are sure anything would be appreciated.  If you bring something heavy, we will load it in a cart from your car, so you won’t have to carry  it.  Cindy will see to it that donations are delivered to the Food Bank.

There will be a drawing for a one-year subscription to Family Tree Magazine, and a surprise treat for everyone.

Please do not bring treats this year but be sure to wear your masks – all due to Covid.  Coffee will be served.

We look forward to seeing you all during this festive season!

Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County Getting Started with Heritage Quest

by Charles Hansen

Message originally sent by: Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County from: chruth@comcast.net.

Dear Gen. Soc. Washington,

Saturday, December 11
Getting Started with HeritageQuest
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm – Via Zoom
    Learn to access and navigate millions of genealogy records using HeritageQuest. Preregistration Required    Preregister at http://events.pbclibrary.org/node/20569

Applied Genealogy Institute Spring Semester

by Charles Hansen

Applied Genealogy Institute, a new institute founded by three Certified Genealogists, two of whom are from Washington, is excited to announce the next series of educational offerings to the genealogical community for our Spring semester. Whether you are educational addicts like we are or one who just wants to “do it right,” you will find a course to fit your needs in the Spring offerings of AppGen. 
If you want to know more, check our current class offerings out at our website: https://appliedgen.institute.
No, the registration window isn’t open yet, but it will be after the first of the year. Sign up for the mailing list and tell your friends.

Eastern Washington genealogical Society Christmas Program

by Charles Hansen

Hope that you can all join us this coming Saturday for our Holiday Party. If any of you would like to donate a toy, you still have time. Check the EWGS Website for pickup

EWGS December Saturday, December 4
EWGS December “Holiday Traditions Around The World, part 2”  
(EWGS Meetings) 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm Meeting via Zoom  
Back by Popular Demand – Holiday Traditions Around The World, part 2!      
 1) Why Do We Kiss Under a Parasite? – Carol Anderson    
 2) What’s In Santa’s Sleigh – The Last 100 years – by Lynn Krogh      
3) Korean Holiday Customs – by Lola McCreary    
 4) First Memories – by Lori Lee Sauber  
Toys for Tots and Gold Star Mothers is another holiday tradition for us. You can donate toys (unwrapped) until December 12, 2021 .  

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State

by Charles Hansen
View this email in your browser
 
Please do not reply to this email but instead email Programs@jgsws.org
if you have questions not answered below.
——————————

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State invites you to a free Zoom presentation

Monday evening, 12/13/2021, at 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time:
  “GEDmatch.com – Should I Upload or Not?
       Or, I Uploaded to GEDmatch –
             Now What the Heck Do I Do with the Free Tools”   Presented by Arthur Sissman,
advanced family history researcher and process expert  
DATE:  Monday evening, December 13, 2021,
             from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time—
             Please note earlier than usual start time, via Zoom
     This free online meeting will open at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time to allow time for attendees to chat/network with each other.

The presentation will start at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
You can use this time zone converter https://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/ to find out the hour in your local time zone.

  Registration is required:   1)  TO REGISTER FOR THIS MEETING, CLICK ON or COPY THIS LINK INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsd-mhrTgpG9DMRRUkX4hbJLzuxZm-1Jz2

2)  You will be prompted to enter your name and email address and, when you hit enter, you will automatically be sent an email with the Zoom meeting link.
    If you have any problems registering (or logging into the meeting on 11/8/2021), please contact Treasurer@jgsws.org.  We realize that sometimes one might have a problem with one’s usual browser.  If that happens when you try to register, please try a different browser.

All questions regarding this presentation topic will be answered in the speaker’s Q&A session at the end of the meeting.  

About our Program



Come learn about GEDmatch and have all your questions answered!

•    What is GEDmatch?
•    Why should I upload my raw data to GEDmatch?
•    What questions can GEDmatch answer for me?
•    Is GEDmatch hard to manipulate?
•    How much does GEDmatch cost?
•    What are the best tools to use at GEDmatch?


If you want to be ready for Arthur’s action-packed performance, watch the videos below, even if you don’t plan to upload your raw data to GEDmatch — yet. Or do nothing and still attend this presentation! This will be a free-wheeling, fast-moving demo of the power of GEDmatch and why you should use the GEDmatch Free Tools — OR Not!

If you’re not already a user of the free tools on GEDmatch, pick two matches (one can be you) using another device and try to play along with Arthur — OR Not!

Arthur will speak for 1.25 hours and then take questions.


ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Arthur Sissman is an advanced family history researcher and process expert, and the leader of the Jewish Genealogy SIG, out of Naples, Florida. In his presentations and workshops, Arthur provides mountains of information, links to educational videos, and more on genealogical research topics, including DNA, family history research, and how you can best obtain results from your own genealogical research. His talks on such topics as “How to Share Your Family Tree on Ancestry or My Heritage and Keep your Privacy,” and workshops on 23andMe/FTDNA/Ancestry DNA Matches/GEDmatch Free Tools/GEDmatch Tier 1 Tools workshops, etc., fill up fast. Arthur is willing to create workshops on the topics of your choice and his goal is to provide another way to look at genealogy research and analysis using process, process, process.

Links to videos provided by Arthur – to watch whether you’ve uploaded your raw DNA data to GEDmatch – OR Not!:

           Videos to watch, whether you’ve uploaded your raw DNA data to GEDmatch – or NOT!:

               What is GEDmatch? How Does it Help Genetic Genealogists?  Andy Lee, Feb 19, 2019
               Getting Started with GEDmatch  Andy Lee, FHF, Sept 3 2019
               GEDmatch for Beginners: The Best Order to Use the Following Four Tools  Andy Lee, Jan 20, 2021:
                    Four Tools presented:
                    1.    Are your parents related?  Jun 11, 2019
                    2.    One-to-Many Tool – Limited Version  Apr 9, 2019  8:42 min start
                    3.    People Who Match Both Tool 1, of 2 kits = Shared Matches  Sept 22, 2021 Improved version.
                    4.    One-to-One Autosomal Comparison on GEDmatch
                    5.    User Lookup  Apr 16, 2019 – not included in the four above, but important


Please note that the main presentation and Q&A session will be recorded.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-  
UPCOMING JGSWS PROGRAMS:
Upcoming Monthly Meetings (usually 7 p.m. Pacific Time the 2nd Monday evening of each month):
January 10, 2022 – To be announced

February 14, 2022 – To be announced 

February 21, 2022 JGSWS Members-Only Happy/Social Hour, 5-7 p.m. PT – presentation of “Routes on the Road,” by Jessica Moskowitz.  Come preview the Jewish Genealogical Society’s traveling road show!

March 14, 2022 – To be announced
  —————————————————————————————————————————————————————-     


  INVITATION TO JOIN OR RENEW YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
  The JGSWS depends upon memberships and donations to bring in high quality, local, national, and international speakers, covering diverse topics.
$30 for single membership              $40 for dual  membership
Membership Fees:                                     The JGSWS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.
Memberships are tax deductible (as are donations).
  FREE DRAWINGS FOR BOOKS when you renew your membership or join! The JGSWS will be holding three random drawings for books on Jewish genealogical topics. Three people who have renewed or joined will be picked at each of our November 8*, December 13, and January 10 program meetings. The earlier you renew or join, the more chances you have to win!                       *Six people were actually picked at the November 8th drawing: Sue Israel, Linda Kelley, Billy Kreuter,
                       Natalie/Bob Malin, Bea Kriloff, and Bob Smiley. Three more will be picked on both 12/13/21 and 1/10/22.  
Please visit our Membership webpage via the link below for information and payment by PayPal or USPS mail or use one of the buttons below:
https://www.jgsws.org/membership.php
 
                                                            

If you are not a member and are joining us for our free monthly presentations, please consider making a $5 donation for each presentation you attend.

Better yet, please join as a member to support the JGSWS, so we can continue to bring you free programs! If you join or renew now, you will be supporting the JGSWS through the end of 2022!

We bring you 10 presentations each year and, at an annual membership cost of $30, each year’s membership will bring you a savings of $20 over donating for each monthly presentation!
  To those of you who continue your membership with the
JGSWS and/or make donations,
thank you very much for your support!   ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————  



JGSWS INFORMATION
Ways you can support the JGSWS: Join the Board Attend a Board meeting Work on a project sponsored by the JGSWs, Accept a chair position. Become a JGSWS annual member. Donate financially to the JGSWS.
The JGSWS is currently looking for someone who has experience in fundraising to chair a Fundraising Committee and present ideas to the JGSWS Board. If you are interested in any of the above, please contact Karen Campbell, JGSWS President, at President@jgsws.org

Our next Board meeting is via Zoom, on Monday evening, November 1, 2021,
from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
  ——————————————————————————————————————  
JGSWS Member Benefits:
Members-Only “Happy Curbside pickup and return of books from the JGSWS specialized library!  We will be starting this program when our library inventory is updated – more information coming soon.  Our library holdings can be accessed online through our TinyCat inventory at:  https://www.librarycat.org/lib/JGSWS

Members-Only Happy Hour/Social Meetings!”   Hosted by JGSWS’s Board Members, Linda Deneroff, Jessica Moskowitz, and Brian Westerman.

Memorialize your ancestors!  If you have photographs of your ancestors from the pre-1920s time period and would like to see them used on our website or in our publicity materials, please send them to our Webmaster, Phyllis Grossman, at webmaster@jgsws.org  

     Please include information you might have – approximate date of photograph, names,
     location, and a brief description of the event taking place.
 

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week 1921 Census of England and Wales

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
1921 CENSUS OF ENGLAND AND WALES
The National Archives of the UK has announced the 1921 Census of England and Wales will be available online at Findmypast beginning January 6, 2022. This census is especially important since the 1931 census was destroyed by fire and no census was taken in 1941 because of World War II. 

Here’s a link to the news release from the National Archives of the UK: 
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/1921-census-online-publication-date-announced/