Author Archives: Charles Hansen

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings

by Charles Hansen
May 28 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Jun 11 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Finding & Using Historic Newspapers” by Claudia Breland
Jun 18-19 8 am-
8 pm		 Coffee Stop I-5 Toutle Exit South bound
Jun 25 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Aug 13 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Adoption: Here I am, but just where did I come from?” by Darlene Wilson
Aug 27 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Sep 10 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “To be Announced” By xxxxxx
Sep 24 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Oct 08 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “Gathering Your Family Stories” By Lola Weber
Oct 22 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Oct 31 10 am Computer Interest Group Somerset Apartments
Nov 12 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome “To be Announced” By xxxxxx
Nov 19 10 am Board Meeting  Somerset Apartments
Dec 10 7 pm LCGS General Meeting – Visitors welcome Installation of officers. An evening of holiday socializing. Program to assist the “CAP” by Alan Rose


General Meetings are held at Somerset Retirement Apartments dining room,  2025 Tibbetts Drive, Longview, WA and are open to the public. Visitors are always welcome. Please join us, and bring along a friend.

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 472   Longview, WA 98632-7306   – Contact us

More from Ancestry: Ancestry Academy

by Charles Hansen

Thought that since we started last week with some Big News from Ancestry, I would continue this week with more Big News from them.

Would you like to attend a free online lecture chosing from a dozen topics presented by Ancestry?

The Ancestry Academy is then the choice for you! Click to https://academy.ancestry.com/academy


There you will find the list of courses available to you. Most are 45-60 minutes in length, doable in one session (if you’ve been “down the hall” and have a water bottle and some snacks).

I could list all the topics but new topics are being added monthly so any list posted here would soon be incomplete.

Does it seem to you, like it does seem to me, that Ancestry is getting more and more worthwhile and worthy of our subscription? Yes, the Ancestor Discoveries ( explained last blog on May 11th) and this Ancestry Academy are free to us, but of course they all will point to using the Ancestry database. We cannot and we should not expect everything in genealogy to be free to us; some things are just worth the money.

Get started in using, understanding and appreciating Ancestry by sitting in your ‘jammies and watching an online presentation of your choice……. since they’re free, I advise taking two!

 

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen
TIP OF THE WEEK – A WONDERFUL SPOOF OF THE “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” TELEVISION SERIES

Who Do They Think They Are? is a hilarious Aussie spoof of Who Do You Think You Are?, the television program sponsored by and prominently featuring Ancestry.com.  Created by The Checkout, an Australian television program, it’s less than 6 minutes long, and will be appreciated by anyone familiar with the American version, whether fan or foe of this series.
It satirizes the Who Do You Think You Are? series, Ancestry.com, DNA testing, and trying to find genealogy information only on the Internet.
It also delivers a serious message about the proper methods of searching one’s family tree.
Check it out at https://youtu.be/C61tKCkR8Nk.

Seattle Genealogical Society Upcoming Events

by Charles Hansen
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be postponed.

Saturday, May 16, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm     IRISH INTEREST GROUP
Saturday, May 16,  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm       GERMAN INTEREST GROUP
Both sessions feature available research resources. Leader: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, May 17, 11:30 am–4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES-GERMAN-RUSSIA WORKSHOP
New resources, online sites, and organizations for the Germans from Russia now available to researchers.  Leader: Jean A. Roth, President of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia; and speaker Carolyn Schott of the Black Sea Germans group.)

Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25 –
 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND – SGS Closed

Monday, June 1, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm  VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DAY
Invitation-only event. The SGS library is open for volunteers who have donated 75 hours or more to our organization. Lunch and Dinner will be provided. Come and enjoy research time and congeniality.

Saturday, June 6, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
CANADIAN INTEREST GROUP, Leader: David Robert

Saturday, June 6, 1:00 pm
SGS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
See lead article, above for details.

Tuesday, June 9, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
PROGRAM MEETING: Family Research and the Law   
Come learn how various historical federal and state laws regarding marriage, taxes, etc. apply to your ancestors’ life stories. Leader: Cary Lynn Bright, SGS Member and a Genealogy and the Law Study Group panelist – 2015

Wednesday, June 10, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
BRICK WALL SESSION
Come discuss your problems and we’ll share research suggestions. Leader:
Jean A. Roth

Wednesday, June 10, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
MAC Computer Interest Group
Fiske Genealogical Library  1644 43rd Ave E. Seattle – Pioneer Hall in Madison Park $3 library use fee.  Speakers: Diane Heddrick and Lou Daly

Sunday, June 14, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
NAVIGATING FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
Learn some important tips to utilize the many aspects of this major search engine. Go beyond the simple “fill-in” name boxes.  Bring your laptops, or tablets if you have them. Leader is long-time SGS member Sally Gene Mahoney.

Sunday, June 21 – FATHERS DAY – SGS Closed

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
SGS DNA Interest Group   
Location change for this meeting only – Seattle Genealogical Society Library – 6200 Sand Point Way NE.  This meeting will review new discoveries in DNA testing and focus on learning to analyze your Autosomal DNA testing results.  To be added to our email list, contact sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Sunday, June 28, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: SCOTTISH and SCOTS-IRISH WORKSHOP
Leader: Patricia Younie, Clan coordinator and historian will discuss researching these two different groups from Scotland and Ireland that were important early settlers in North America.

HELP WANTED

Saturday, July 25 and Sunday. July 26 SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES – Enumclaw, WA
SGS will have a booth and offer genealogical help. We need volunteers for both days for two hour sessions. A ticket to the games will be provided. Please contact Jean A. Roth at jeanaroth@juno.com as we must obtain tickets early.

 

Heritage Quest Research Library Autumn Quest

by Charles Hansen

To  Attendees of HQRL AutumnQuest 2014

AutumnQuest 2015 will be held at the Faith Covenant Church in Sumner on Saturday, October 10th 2015.  The topic will be “Finding Women From Your Past” featuring four great speakers.

Attendance this year will be limited to the first 120 paid (last year we had 150) 

Sign up today!

Announcement at www.hqrl.com 

For Info: 

http://www.hqrl.com/autumnquest/autumnquest.html  

For Registration form: http://www.hqrl.com/autumnquest/registration.html 

Autumn Quest
2015
with Donna Potter-Phillips, Jill Morelli, Janice Lovelace, and Janet Camarata

Soldiers, Spies, & Farm Wives – Changing roles of women during the Civil War – Jill  Morelli

How the Civil War was  a game-changer for women in the USA.

Beyond online – Finding women in the Courthouse – Janice Lovelace

Step away from the computer and search records stored in county courthouses.

Finding your Women on the Internet – Donna  Potter-Phillips

How to utilize the Internet to find female ancestors.

Difficult Women: The Ways Our Female Ancestors Confound Our Research– Janet O’Conor Camarata

Using case studies, provides strategies and techniques for correctly identifying difficult-to-find and difficult-to-understand female ancestors.

Book Store

We will have the HQRL bookstore on site  from 8:00 am to 3:15 pm with hundreds of genealogy selections.

Silent Auction

We will have a silent auction set up with bid sheets. Winners will be announced at the end of the seminar.

Donation Table

The donation table is your opportunity to select from a potpourri of items and donate whatever you wish. All proceeds benefit our non-profit library.

Seminar Costs

The seminar is $50 per person and Lunch is $10

Registration form for

Autumn Quest 2015

q   Seminar only                               $50
q   Lunch (includes gratuity)          $10

salad, sandwiches, dessert

Total enclosed:

_________________________________

Name

_________________________________

Address

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Phone

_________________________________

E-mail

Method of Payment

q  Check
q  Credit card (Master Card  /  Visa)

_____________________ ___________

Credit Card #                           Expire Date

_________________________________

Signature

Make checks payable to:
Heritage Quest Research Library

If mailing registration form please send to :

Heritage Quest Research Library

ATTN: Autumn Quest Registration

1007 Main St., Sumner, WA 98390-1412

Phone: 253-863-1806

HQRL is located at

1007 Main Street

Sumner, Washington 98390

Phone: 253-863-1806

Our web address is www.hqrl.com (click on “find us” for directions)

Jim Johnson, Director HQRL

Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen
TIP OF THE WEEK – ONLINE INDIANA DATABASES
The Indiana Genealogical Society has announced that it now has more than 1,500 databases on its website at www.IndGenSoc.org.  These databases are from all 92 counties, plus numerous statewide collections. Some are available to the public and others are accessible to IGS members only.
If you have Indiana ancestry, you want to check out the announcement athttp://indgensoc.blogspot.com/2015/04/igs-now-has-more-than-1500-databases.html.

Seattle Genealogical Society Upcoming Programs

by Charles Hansen
SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON SCANDINAVIAN GENEALOGY

Two upcoming programs on Scandinavian genealogy are worthy of notice; neither is sponsored by SGS, but both feature individuals associated with our Society.
First, on Wednesday, May 6th, Ginny Sharp Sommarstrom, SGS member and former SGS President, is scheduled to present a Webinar sponsored by the Minnesota Genealogical Society, titled Researching Your Swedish Ancestry in the 21st Century.
See http://mngs.org/eventListings.php?nm=38 for more details.

Then on Tuesday, May 12, from 2-5 pm at the BALLARD PUBLIC LIBRARY, John LaMont, SPL genealogy librarian and SPL liaison to SGS, will present an introduction to family history research, followed by a workshop on Norwegian genealogical research.
Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome.

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be postponed.Saturday, May 2, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
CANADIAN INTEREST GROUP, Leader: David Robert

Tuesday, May 5 – GIVE BIG DAY – make a contribution to SGS online on this date, and we will receive additional funds from the special non-profit cultural funds. See http://www.seattlefoundation.org/GivingCenter/GiveBIG/Pages/Default.aspx for more details.

Saturday, May 9  
SGS SPRING SEMINAR – All Day
“Who’s Your Daddy? Researching Your Family History in the Mid-South States
Greenwood Senior Center – 525 N. 85th Street  Speaker: C. Lynn Anderson
For more details, see: http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/sgs-spring-seminar-1 
Walk-in registrations are welcome!

Sunday, May 10  MOTHERS DAY –  SGS Closed

Wednesday, May 13
MAC Computer Interest Group 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fiske Genealogical Library  1644 43rd Ave E. Seattle – Pioneer Hall in Madison Park $3 library use fee.  Speakers: Diane Heddrick and Lou Daly

Saturday, May 16
SGS IRISH INTEREST GROUP 10:15 am – 12:15 pm
General open session on German research ideas.  Speaker: Jean A. Roth
Saturday, May 16
SGS GERMAN INTEREST GROUP 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
General open session on Irish research ideas. Speaker: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, May 17
ETHNIC SERIES: GERMAN-RUSSIAN WORKSHOP 11:30 am – 4:00 pm
Speakers: Jean A. Roth from the Volga Germans and Carolyn Shott from the Black Sea and Ukrainian Germans.

Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25 –MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
SGS Closed

 

TriCities Gen Soc News Flash

by Charles Hansen

Susan Faulker, Education Chair for TCGS, shares this update:

Trailhead Now Open at Richland Family History Center

 

In Richard Allen’s presentation that he gave April 8 and titled “A Treasure Trove of Family History Information” he provided a wonderful analogy. He explained that genealogists’ Treasure Troves are articles and documents that provide them with information about their ancestors. In true pirate fashion Richard explained that in order to locate a treasure a treasure-map is necessary. Genealogists can use the Family History Library Catalog athttps://familysearch.org/catalog-search as their treasure map. This treasure map will actually guide researchers to treasures located at the Richland Family History Center. There are over 10,000 treasures located at the Richland Family History Center and they will soon all be listed in the catalog.

 

Richard also explained that changes would be coming soon to the Richland Family History Center. One of the changes that he announced is that a Conversation Area would be made available to help facilitate conversations between researchers and library assistants. Within a week of Richard’s announcement the Conversation Area was completed.

 

Sandra Meacham Floberg shared, “Although I knew about the passports required for traveling through ‘Indian Territory’ in the South and Southeast in the early 1800s, I had no idea RFHC had a book documenting those passports!” Now these Indian Territory passports and many more treasures can be located at the Richland Family History Center. If you need assistance, start at the trailhead which is also known as the Conversation Area.

 

Other changes coming to the Richland Family History Center include a computer lab, complete with a teaching station and twelve hands-on computers for classroom attendees. Watch for announcements about this computer lab activity and additional upgrades coming to your local Family History Center.