Hello,
The latest issue of the Eastside Genealogical Society’s newsletter is now available online at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakcegs/pages/newsletter.html
Thank you,
Kimberly Nichols
EGS newsletter
Author Archives: Charles Hansen
Bainbridge Island Gen Soc News Flash
The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) is bringing Stephen P. Morse to local genealogists. Morse, creator of the One-Step Website at www.stevemorse.org, has received many awards for the One-Step Website, including the Award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society, and the Excellence Award from the Association of Professional Genealogists.
On Friday, May 15, Morse will be giving two presentations for BIGS at the Bainbridge Island Library, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The first, From DNA To Genetic Genealogy: Everything You Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask, introduces genes, chromosomes, and DNA, and goes on to show how DNA is inherited. That knowledge of inheritance can be used for finding relatives you didn’t know you had, learning about your very distant ancestors and the route they traveled, and determining if you are a Jewish high priest (Kohan). Examples presented include Genghis Khan’s legacy, the Thomas Jefferson affair, and the Anastasia mystery.
The second presentation is entitled Genealogy Beyond The Y Chromosome: Autosomes Exposed. Classical genetic genealogy deals with the Y chromosome and the mitochondrial DNA. The Y chromosome test is for males only and traces the direct male lineage. The mitochondrial DNA test is for everybody and traces the direct female lineage. Recent advances in genetic genealogy make it possible to trace all lineages by testing the autosomes. Although the autosomes can be used to find ethnic mixes as well as recent cousins, it has some limitations.
Among his accomplishments Morse is a computer professional with a doctorate in electrical engineering and is known in that field as architect of the Intel 8086 chip, which sparked the PC revolution.
For more information and updates on lectures offered in the months ahead, check the website of the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society at www.bigenealogy.org. Meetings are free to members; a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
WSGS Has Productive Board Meeting
Most all the members of the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Board of Directors (which included the Regional Reps) met last weekend (25-26 April 2015) in Yakima in the fabulous library of the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society.
We all volunteer our time, travel and money needed to attend these meetings and we do it because we believe in WSGS and what the organization can do for YOU and for YOUR SOCIETY.
Some of these things are: We offer grants to member societies for their projects; we offer recogniation to society members who render outstanding service; we partner with a society to plan a conference somewhere in the area; we offer Education & Outreach help to all member socieites; we offer a speakers’ list from which member societies can pick a speaker for their programs; we offer a blog which brings you the latest doings of societies within the area….. and the newest thing is that the blog will accept queries pertaining to the Pacific Northwest.
We enjoy the work, the company and the treats at lunch…. Opal Meyers is in her 80s but still serves as a WSGS Regional Rep and brings the most awesome potato salad and treats!
Clark County Genealogical Society Classes
SPRING CCGS CLASSES
NEW DATE FOR LEAPING THE POND – April 28; see below.
FREE BEGINNING CLASSES
Getting Started Tracing Your Family Tree with Larry Dean Saturday, May 2, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. This class will be held in the CCGS Education Center.
REGULAR CLASSES
All regular classes will be held in the CCGS Education Center, 715 Grand Blvd, Vancouver, WA. Fee for each class: $12.00 members, $15.00 Non-Members. Fee can be paid with registration or at the door. Exact cash amount or check at the door is appreciated. Although walk-ins won’t be turned away, if you want to take a class, please register at least a week in advance. Classes with insufficient registration one week in advance will be cancelled. Those registered will be notified and any fee paid will be refunded. To register for a class, see the registration form on the website http://ccgs-wa.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d43d7894b8591a05db4fa440b&id=5f249b4781&e=b278fc7627
Leaping the Pond: strategies for locating your ancestors pre-America Tuesday, April 28th, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructor: Brian Runyan
Sooner or later we’re all going to discover ancestors who did not originate in North America. As comfortable as we might get researching in the good ol’ U S of A, it’s a whole different ballgame when we try to “cross the pond”, any pond. How they get here? From where did they sail? Where did they live prior to setting sail? Brian will take us through some strategies for answering these questions. Brian started “doing” genealogy back in the “lick a stamp and pray” days of the 1970s. After a 40 year hiatus, he picked it up with a vengeance in 2012. Wow, talk about future shock! He says, “I got more done in the first three months than I had been able to accomplish in six years, previously”. Brian is currently serving as the Chair of the Education Committee at CCGS.
INTRODUCTION TO GENEALOGY CLASS IN BATTLE GROUND
Battle Ground Fort Vancouver Regional Library at 6:30pm, June 22nd. They are located at 1207 SE 8th Way, Battle Ground, WA. Instructor: Brian Runyan
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Using Legacy with Specialized Studies – Legacy is for more than your family history by Tessa Keough
Specialized studies take many forms – whether it is a one-name (surname) study, a one-place (location) study, or a cemetery, church or school survey. These projects often have us “reinventing the wheel” as we try to come up with a method for entering and using our data. Why reinvent the wheel when you can use Legacy? Join Tessa Keough as she shows you how she uses Legacy for more than her family history. We will discuss some tips and suggestions for using Legacy’s well-known and lesser-known features with your specialized studies and projects. Whether you are simply thinking about a project, have just gotten started, or are taking a second look at your approach and software, there will be something for everyone.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Genealogy 101, a 3-Session Course iLegacy Webinar: Beginning Genealogy – Part 2 by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen
Session 2 – Using Compiled Sources. There are many opportunities to view what has been researched before. Some of those collections include compiled genealogies and heritage books, and online compilations. We will look at some ways to discover if the previous research is credible and can aid in our own family history research.
Friday, May 8, 2015, 11:00am, CCGS Annex. Discussion to follow
Legacy Webinar: After You’re Gone – Future-Proofing Your Genealogy Research (for annual/monthly webinar subscribers) by Thomas MacEntee
Have you ever considered what will happen to your years of genealogy research once you’re gone? Learn how to ensure that your hard work carries on. Through a combination of planning, common sense, and new technologies, we’ll review how to create an action plan for preserving your genealogy research.
Eastside Gen Society News Flash
The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, May 14, 2015 in the Bellevue Regional Library, Room 1, 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004 at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking. Topic: What’s Happening on the Internet? Speaker: A panel of EGS Members About the Program: A panel of EGS members will discuss what’s happening on the Internet that genealogists might want to know about. This includes both new internet sites such as myheritage.com as well as new genealogical material on existing sites. This will be a highly interactive discussion with the audience. There are a lot of interesting things going on, with many new websites and databases. Acquisition of existing genealogy sites by Ancestry, for example, is a great discussion topic. How many of us realize that Ancestry’s family now includes AncestryDNA, Archives.com, Family Tree Maker, Find a Grave, Fold3, Genealogy.com, Genline, Heritage Makers, Newspapers.com, Progenealogists, Rootsweb, Shoebox, as well as 7 different Ancestry websites in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and United Kingdom? To say nothing of the fact that if you already have a subscription to Ancestry you may be able subscribe some of the other Ancestry owned websites at a greatly reduced cost? Please join us for the interactive and informative discussion. Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings — www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakcegs/ . Visitors are always welcome at all meetings.
“History Is Everywhere…………”
Browsing recently in a book titled, Discovering Washington: A Guide to State and Local History, by Petersen & Reed, 1989.
The intro to Section III was especially interesting to me and I share it with you here:
“History is everywhere. It is in the landscape; those who understand geography and know how to interpret land forms can discover much about a region’s past without ever opening a book. History is also found in the type of fence that a farmer built and the kinds of outbuildings he constructed. It is hidden in the architectural style of a family’s house. History can be learned by simply walking down mail street and observing the architecture of a community’s commercial district.
“Though history is all around us, eventually every researcher must discover where to find written records that describe the past. Every community—no matter how small—has rich resources awaiting those who take the time to uncover these treasures. Too often, researchers in local history examine only the guides to major archival and manuscript depositories. Failing to find what they want, they then abandon their quest, believing that further investigation would prove fruitless.
“Confining one’s research to major libraries and archives can be successful only if the work focuses on a major historic figure or on an event of national or regional significance. But for most writers of local istory, relying exclusively on document collections at university libraries or other major research centers will probably lead to a dead end. Local historians must be imaginative; they need to remember that most records relating to the lives of ordinary people are found near the places where they once lived.”
(((This book is availble via Amazon.com and will cost you less than $5.00))
Skagit Vally Genealogical Society Seminar
It says space limited so sign up now to make sure you get a seat.
Tip of the Week
TIP OF THE WEEK:
Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994
By now, everyone should be familiar with the ever-increasing databases available online at Familysearch.org. However, many people limit their searching to INDEXED records, and thus never discover the many “image only” unindexed historical records that are available on this site.
One such database is Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994, found at:https://familysearch.org/
This database has over 3.2 MILLION images of wills and other probate records in it.
It takes some gumption to click on the BROWSE button with that many records, but don’t despair! The images are arranged first by county, and then by the will books, in chronological order. Nearly all of them have indexes at either the start or the end, making it possible to search for and locate a specific document without too much effort, just as one used to do in the “old days” with microfilms.
Using this site recently, I was able to find and download three pre-1850 wills in one sitting, without leaving home.
If you have Pennsylvania ancestors and want to check for probate records, check out this database.
This tip from the Seattle Genealogical Society
Seattle Genealogical Society Updates
NEW WEB SITES ON SGS LIBRARY COMPUTERS
You are invited to check out the three excellent genealogical web sites we have recently added to our SGS Library Computers.
We now have Fold3, Newspapers.com, and the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International among other sites already available to assist researchers in our library.
Fold3 has become the place to go for US military records, including pension files from the Revolutionary War, some from the War of 1812, Civil War service records, Navy cruise books, collections of casualty lists from recent conflicts, and much more. Newspapers.com is a massive collection of papers, some going back to the 1700’s, from locales throughout the USA, with a smaller number from England, Ireland and Canada.
The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International website gives access to the Member’s homepage. This in turn allows research of the Archdiocese of St. Paul MN church records, Leo Baca’s Czech Immigration Passenger List and a number of other valuable resources.
We hope to add more genealogical sites in the near future. Your library is growing. Please come and enjoy it!
REGISTER NOW FOR THE SGS SPRING SEMINAR!REGISTRATION FEE INCREASES $10 AFTER 30 APRIL
Don’t forget to register now for the SGS spring seminar “Who’s Your Daddy? Researching Your Family History in the Mid-South States”! Register online, mail in your registration form and check, or bring your registration form and check to the SGS library. The seminar will be held on Saturday, 9 May, at the Greenwood Senior Center. Doors open at 9 a.m. Details can be found at http://
C. Lynn Andersen CG will present four sessions on family history research in the Mid-South states. If all your ancestors didn’t arrive on the Mayflower, you likely need to know:
C. Lynn Andersen CG will present four sessions on family history research in the Mid-South states. If all your ancestors didn’t arrive on the Mayflower, you likely need to know:
- An Overview of Internet Resources for the Mid-South States;
- Internet Resources for Mid-South States Will and Probate Records;
- Finding and Using Land Records Online to Solve Mid-South States Research Problems; and
- A Look at Colonial Land Records from the Mid-South States.
The research techniques and resources Ms. Andersen will present can be applied to your family history research in all parts of the U.S.
ANNUAL SEMINAR RAFFLE BENEFITS SGS LIBRARY FUND
Come prepared to participate in the annual seminar raffle! All proceeds benefit the SGS Library Fund, established to enable the society to fill gaps in its current library collection, increase its collection in areas of interest to members, and to conserve properly its library holdings. The Library Fund has already enabled SGS to add to its library collection during the past year more than five popular magazine/journal subscriptions; several additional genealogical web site subscriptions such as Fold3.com and Newspapers.com; and approximately 50 new books of particular interest to members. By participating in the 2015 seminar raffle, you support continuing improvements to the SGS library resources that are available to aid you in your family history research.
Great prizes include two Mocavo gold subscriptions, four tickets to a Pacific Northwest Ballet performance, Chartmasters pedigree charts, free admission to the SGS fall seminar, Dollarhide’s Civil War Records, gift card for use at SGS book sales, and much, much more!
Raffle tickets are only $1 each.
SGS ELECTION IS UNDERWAY
The election of SGS Board members and members of the 2015-2016 Nominating Committee is underway now. Ballots were mailed out last week, and must be returned to SGS by April 30.
If you haven’t received your ballot in the mail and believe that you are a current SGS member, please email Julia Marconi, Director of Membership, atSGSMembership@gmail.com.
Two board positions – Director of Publications and Director of Volunteers – are currently vacant, and we need your help in finding someone to fill these. If you have someone who you think would do a good job, please feel free to nominate them by contacting Marilyn Rose, President, at SGSPresident@gmail.com.
NOTE: this eNewsletter goes to previous, now lapsed members of SGS as well as current members, so receiving it is not a sign that one’s membership is current.
If your membership has lapsed, we’d love to have you back again!
RECOGNIZING SGS MEMBER KAREN PORTZER
Seattle Metro’s RapidRide buses and stations feature a new poem every day of the year through November 2015, as part of the Poetry on Buses public art program.
SGS member Karen Portzer is among the poets whose poems have been selected. Her poem, Irish Morn, is the poem of the day on July 30, 2015.
See http://poetryonbuses.org/
Congratulations, Karen!
SGS FAMILY HISTORY WRITING CONTEST UPDATE
We received thirteen entries for this, our first family history writing contest, and we are thrilled with the response.
Winners will be announced at the end of the month, unless the judges need more time to review all the submissions.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The SGS Bulletin is now accepting advertisements for genealogically related enterprises. See our web site, seattlegenealogicalsociety.org for costs and parameters.
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.
Wednesday, April 15, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
PROGRAM – HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
This is a two part program. First we’ll give a short introduction to “Accessing Holocaust Databases.” From deportation records to lists of the martyred to survivor testimonies, the Holocaust has generated a vast amount of documents and records – many of which can be researched online.
The second part of the program is a little-known and chillingly unique story of the“The Ahnenerbe – the Nazi Genealogy Ancestral Heritage Program.” Its Family History records can go back into the 1700’s and it has affected German genealogy research for decades both in a negative and positive way. It inspired Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones” movies with the Quest for the Ark of the Covenant and the Search for the Holy Grail. Speaker: Jean A. Roth
Saturday, April 25, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER, Judith Eccles Wight, AG from Salt Lake City.
Judith Eccles Wight, owner of Wight House Research, has been an Accredited Genealogist specializing in Irish research for almost 40 years. She writes extensively for genealogical periodicals including Irish Roots and is a popular teacher and lecturer at genealogical events and Legacy Family Tree webinars. She worked 10 ½ years as a British Reference Consultant at the Family History Library. She and her husband recently completed a 15 month LDS Church mission at the Church History Library where her research skills were put to work in documenting people.
Program: “My Delia Holland isn’t WHO and WHERE She’s supposed to Be.”
This is based on a case study that Judith did on a woman she researched; her name and place of origin were identified in U.S. records and through family records and stories. There was only one problem – she couldn’t be found in Ireland. Judith will give tips for solving both Irish personal name and place name problems that may prevent you from finding your Irish ancestors.
Space is limited to 50; call (522-8658) or stop by the SGS library to reserve a place; we’ll announce this to other groups after April 6, if open seats haven’t been claimed by that date.
Sunday, April 26, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: OSTFRIESLAND
Program: “Dear Brothers and Sisters: A Letter to Ostfriesland.” This is an overview of an area of Germany contiguous with the Dutch border, its history, culture and people.
Speaker: Jill Morelli
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.
Wednesday, May 6th – Ginny Sharp Sommarstrom, SGS member and former SGS President, is scheduled to present a Webinar sponsored by the Minnesota Genealogical Society on this date, titled Researching Your Swedish Ancestry in the 21st Century. More information at http://mngs.org/eventListings.
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
Sunday, May 10 MOTHERS DAY – SGS Closed
Wednesday, May 13, 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
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, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: GERMAN-RUSSIAN WORKSHOP
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
Serendipity Tuesday for WSGS
This was an interesting article in our Spokesman on 23 March 2015. “Urn artists look for beauty in death.” The article began, “Of all the pieces Julie Moore crafts in her home studio, the most popular is a brightly colored fabric vessel she calls ‘the party jar.’ But in this case, the guest of honor is inside the jar.” The article goes on to explain that since cremations are up, more people are looking for unusual and beautiful urns for their loved ones’ ashes. Do a Google search for “Julie Moore party jars” to read more about this artist and her project. And what do you think about this?
I thoroughly enjoy old postcards! This one, “Upper Grand Coulee, Columbia Basin Project, Washington,” is undoubtedly of what would become Banks Lake. So named for an engineer on the project, Banks Lake was created to provide irrigation water to the central basin area of Washington.
Way back in Dec 2014, I posted and proposed that our WSGS blog carry members’ queries as long as they pertained to the Pacific Northwest. I crafted a sample query but one which I was curious about. “I would like to know mroe about the U.S. Army’s Balloon Company, stationed at Port Townsend, Washington, about 1920.”
Well, Robert Edwards, friend of Bonnie MacDonald, wrote in January 2015 with an answer to my query! “(My wife) and I were married at “Memories Vault”, up on the hill at Ft. Worden, and have visited and stayed in the houses there numerous times, and we pass the hangar each time. Here are some websites to check out regarding Donna’s query:
www.fortworden.org/about
www.historylink.org
http://mil.wa.gov/national-guard-museum/official-history-of-washington-national-guard
“In one of the above references, it indicated that the balloons proved not to be suitable for the mission at Ft. Worden, so the project was probably short lived while there….”
“There also may be some helpful information on www.fold3. com,” added Bob.
What a great answer! Even to a make-believe query….although I did really want to know about the Balloon Company. We do welcome queries from YOU regarding your research and your ancestors in the Pacific Northwest. Please send them to Charles Hansen, Roxanne Lowe or Donna Phillips.