Author Archives: Charles Hansen

Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society Creating a Virtual Cemetery

by Charles Hansen

Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society

Monthly Business Meeting & Presentation

Creating a Virtual Cemetery

Tuesday, November 11th

1:00 pm

SVGS Library

6111 188 PL NE, Arlington, WA

Our speaker at the library this month will be SVGS society member, Kathie Webber. This event will be in person only. Everyone is welcome to attend this free presentation

Kathie’s topic: Creating A Virtual Cemetery One Kathie’s favorite things about studying her family history has been learning where her ancestors have been buried. Twenty years ago she discovered an online tool called findagrave.com. This website and the accompanying app have enabled her to organize and expand her cemetery research. She will share with everyone the many things she has taken advantage of using Find a Grave, as well as other options that are available.

Bio: 

I’ve been doing genealogy for over 40 years. I’ve researched in Washington State, Massachusetts, California, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ireland. My favorite notable ways to research include visiting cemeteries, family history centers, online research, Facebook groups, and travel.

There will be a short break with refreshments after the presentation followed by our monthly business meeting.

DIG – DNA Special Interest Group

Also join us at the SVGS library on the third Thursday of the month from 1-3pmfor our DNA Special Interest Group (DIG). This group works together to develop a better understanding of DNA techniques and strategies for finding relatives, discuss and review new DNA developments and tools and help members with their research problems.

All DNA skill levels are welcome to attend.

If you have a specific DNA topic you would like to discuss or have any other suggestions for this group, please sen an email info@stillygen.org

Also, if you have not joined us yet and would like to receive emails in the future for the DIG group, please send an email to info@stillygen.org and request to be added to the DIG email list.

New England Interest Group

The SVGS New England Interest Group (includes New York and Pennsylvania) that meets at the SVGS Library on the first Tuesday of the month is now hybrid!

If you have not joined us yet and would like to receive emails in the future for this group or wish to attend via Zoom, please send an email to info@stillygen.org and request to be added to the New England Interest Group email list and receive monthly Zoom invitations.

For more information visit stillygen.org

Tri-Cities Genealogical Society From Homeland To Home: Ancestral Holiday Traditions

by Charles Hansen

  Please join us for Tri-City Genealogical Society’s November General meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12.  We will be electing a new board for 2026 and need to have a quorum from the membership.  Also, the proposed budget for 2026 will be presented and voted on.  After the formalities we will be having an interactive presentation where everyone is encouraged to participate.  For people on Zoom the opportunity will be made to share their screen if so desired.  See flyer above for details.

Time: Nov 12, 2025 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83248129787?pwd=r0AndQAeVkHB2B5oraUOGLO6xazY1V.1

Meeting ID: 832 4812 9787

Passcode: 664352

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG November 2025 Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Meeting
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm virtual via Zoom

This month we will be watching and discussing Part 1 of the video “Legacy Family Tree for Complete Beginners”. If you are just getting started with Legacy Family Tree or haven’t used it for a while this should be a helpful video and discussion for you.

This is our monthly meeting to share tips & tricks, problems & solutions. Sometimes we will watch videos or share our screens to aid in learning more about using Legacy Family Tree software.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the learning. If you are just thinking about trying Legacy for the first time, you’ve been using it for a year or two or you are an old pro with many years of experience using Legacy this is the group for you.

We look forward to meeting with you, every month on the First Tuesday at 7:00 PM Pacific Time
Download: Meeting invite with Links

Meeting Invite with Links in file attached below:

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly Calendar Reminder: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYpfuyuqDovHNwtBgxtQjWKOjDQ8k5Q9bPD/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqjIvHNKUtR-PRpwQBor4Z-7wpn5Ygo1KiD3iGzRiaDTdGehmA-p0RemJ

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495661568?pwd=dy85YmluVzF5aEU4SzFTcTUrVDlTUT09

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
Passcode: 715731

One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US
+12532158782,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location:
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568
Passcode: 715731

Find your local number:
https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcphK19I1E

Polish Genealogical Society of America “Ask a Polish Researcher”

by Charles Hansen

Polish Genealogical Society of America

Quarterly Webinar

“Ask a Polish Researcher”

Aleksander Zawilski

Researcher and Guide, Polish Origins

Sunday, November 16, 2025 2:00 PM Central Time

Mr. Zawilski will answer your questions

about researching Polish genealogy.

What questions do you have about:
                 – What are…?     Where do I find…?     How do I…?
                   – Who can I ask about…?     Why is it difficult to…?
– What helpful questions will others ask?Once registered you will be able to send your questions via a link on the PGSA website.

Free for members (Please log in to get your discount)
Non-members pay $15

Register: https://pgsa.org/product-category/webinars/

The Polish Genealogical Society of America is hosting its next quarterly webinar on November 16th at 2pm Central Time. The topic is “Ask a Polish Genealogy Researcher.” A flyer is attached – feel free to distribute to your networks.

Our presenter, Aleksander Zawilski, is a researcher and tour guide with Polish Origins. He will answer your questions about researching Polish genealogy. 

What questions do you have about:
– What are…?     Where do I find…?     How do I…?
– Who can I ask about…?     Why is it difficult to…?
– What helpful questions will others ask?

If you would like to submit your questions in advance, please do so before October 30th and send to: president@pgsa.org

This webinar is free for PGSA members (please log in to get your discount) and non-members pay $15.

Register here: https://pgsa.org/product-category/webinars/

PGSA memberships start at $25: https://pgsa.org/membership2021/

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask,

Ellen Zielinski

PGSA Marketing Volunteer

Use Tax for Live Presentations

by Charles Hansen

This is page 2 of the Washington State Sales and Use Tax Form, page 2 is the same for monthly, quarterly and annual reporting. Since our genealogical societies will be paying Use Tax on Live Presentations, this is how it is calculated. (Note while the Department of Revenue still provides the paper form on their website, they require everyone to file online now. ) The cost of the live presentation goes on line 31 for the state use tax of 6.5%. Line 35 is where you calculate the local use tax if everyone was at that location. I used the rate of 2.6% for the City of Spokane. Notice there are lines for more locations and so if you have people on Zoom at different locations you need to calculate how much of the $900.00 went to each location and then calculate the local tax for each location. Now since the Spokane local rate is second highest in Spokane county doing all of the required calculations will probably save some local use tax. So I did a test calculation to see how much money you might save if all the people on Zoom are in different local tax rates. To make the calculations easier I assumed we had 90 people at the October seminar and that 80 of them were in the room with the speakers (actually the speakers were on Zoom also). So a quick calculation:

80 people at Spokane is $800.00x 2.6% is 20.80

3 people at $10.00 each x 1.6% =0.48

3 people at $10.00 each x 2.4% = 0.72

1 person at $10.00 x 2.7% = 0.27

1 person at $10.00 x 2.5% = 0.25

1 person at $10.00 x .015 = 0.15

1 person at $10.00 x .026 = 0.26

All this work totals up to $22.93 local tax which means doing this much bookkeeping saves 47 Cents! For 20 people on Zoom double the savings to 94 Cents!

And you need the addresses of all the people on Zoom so you can calculate their local rate and keep all these records for at least 6 years. Now do we need to keep addresses of our Zoomers for the government? One option they give in their guidelines is to assume everyone is in the same room with the speakers and pay the use tax on that location, or for us the 2.6% local rate. And for saving of 94 cents this amount of bookkeeping is not worth the extra work.

I went to the Department of Revenues website: https://secure.dor.wa.gov/gteunauth/_/ and it has Business lookup to see if you signed up when you became a non profit, and also a Quick Sign up Wizard for non profits that either did not sign up when they became a non profit or signed up over 5 years ago.

Heritage Quest Research Library Inspiring the Next Generation of Genealogists

by Charles Hansen
Don’t Miss Out… Sign Up Here for November 6 Class!

Inspiring the Next Generation of Genealogists November 6, 2025 11am to 12pm PDT
LEARN MORE HERE!
Expand your genealogy skills by checking out our amazing BLOG! Discover a lot of incredible information and resources by clicking HERE!
COMING SOON! Our genealogy classes for 2026 are exciting! Be on the lookout for the schedule to land in your inbox so you can start signing up!
 
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Heritage Quest Research Library
2102 East Main Avenue, Suite 105
Puyallup, WA 98372
(253) 863-1806
 
 

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society DNA SIG Meeting September 2025

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society DNA Special Interest Group Meeting
Tuesday, Oct 21, Starting at 7:00 pm via Zoom

We will discuss GedMatch and their offerings.

Download: 1745378587_DNASIGMeetingInvite.pdf

Calendar reminder: TPCGS DNA Special Interest Group Meeting

Every month on the Fourth Tuesday beginning at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYqdeyrrz0iEtx-c_J3gNfcI8mebT1zajLo/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqTkvGdWTuBGPRpwQB4joZ-nzmCFHj7dF0RzaKXNUTAX1H7pPN7BLQcLR

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82725316888?pwd=MDc3UEZrUVJNbmxmK2ZORmw5YzdDdz09

Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780

One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US
+12532158782,,82725316888#,,,,*811780# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location:
        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 827 2531 6888
Passcode: 811780

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIKCyZLQy

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Beyond the Brick Wall: Pre-1850 U.S. Research

by Charles Hansen

Join SVGS Saturday, November 8, 2025, 1pm at the Burlington Public Library for “Beyond the Brick Wall: Strategies for Pre-1850 U.S. Research” with Julie Anderson. Julie is a U.S./Canada Research Specialist at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Come learn what resources and research techniques are available to help you locate your ancestors in records before the 1850 Census.  Can’t make it to the Burlington Library, request a zoom link by emailing info@skagitvalleygenealogy.org.

Eastside Genealogical Society Italian Interest Group Italian Migration Laws

by Charles Hansen
Italian Interest Group (IIG) November 2025 Meeting
Italian Soldiers If you aren’t a registered member, Click Here for meeting registration.
DATE:
TIME:
TOPIC:

PRESENTER: November 15, 2025
1:30 PM (PST)
How Italian Migration Laws Affected Our Ancestors
Victoria Calabrese, PhD
Description: How easy was it to emigrate from Italy? What was the process like after one made the decision to leave? This presentation will discuss Italian emigration laws regarding migration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how these laws influenced our ancestors’ lives. The talk will cover topics such as who could and could not emigrate (and why), what was needed to get a passport, how to buy tickets, and travelling to the port of departure.
Kerri Tannenbaum Speaker Bio: Victoria Calabrese received her Ph.D. in modern European history from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Her research focuses on modern Italian history, gender, migration, and nation building. Her book, Italian Women in Basilicata: Staying Behind but Moving Forward during the Age of Mass Emigration, 1876–1914, was published by Lexington Books in 2022. The book examines women in the southern Italian region of Basilicata and the many ways their lives changed when their husbands emigrated. In addition to the women who remained behind, she has written articles on honor and infanticide, and on traveling child musicians. Victoria is an avid genealogist, focusing on southern Italian genealogy research. She is currently an adjunct professor at Lehman College, teaching courses in early modern and modern European history
COUNTDOWN TO THE MEETING:
Days Hours Minutes Seconds
Eastside Genealogical Society
– Italian Interest Group P.O. Box 374
Bellevue, WA 98009-0374