Don’t miss the opportunity to the “Make AI Your Personal Genealogy Assistant” workshop with Lisa Louise Cooke!
The free workshop, sponsored by the Washington State Genealogical Society, will be October 22, 2026, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Preregistration is required. The registration link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UW9tfCWsRfy2yrLuFmAHVA
Get yourself signed up!!
The Washington State Genealogical Society has a special offer for you: a FREE workshop with Lisa Louise Cooke! We filled our initial 100 spots in less than a week for the workshop “Make AI Your Personal Genealogy Assistant” on October 22, 2026. So we expanded our capacity. It’s only two weeks away, so don’t wait too long to register! The registration link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UW9tfCWsRfy2yrLuFmAHVA
Get yourself signed up!!
In the next day or two, WSGS will have a brand new look!
For years, WSGS has run on the ENS-C (EasyNetSites-Classic) platform — and it’s served us well. But technology moves on, and ENS-C is being phased out. So we’re migrating to its successor, ENS-R (Responsive), built by the same company, Blue Crab Software in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
What’s changing
ENS-R keeps everything you rely on — our search tools, member database, Pioneer Pursuit Index, cemetery information and site organization — while adding a modern, mobile-friendly design. Pages will automatically resize for phones, tablets, and desktops, so browsing on your phone will finally feel as smooth as on a computer. You’ll also notice larger text and a top navigation menu instead of the sidebar.
What’s staying the same
The blog isn’t changing. It moved to a new server months ago without any issues, and this update won’t affect it.
What you need to do — right now, nothing
We’ve spent months testing in a private preview environment to catch problems before they reach you. As with any technology change, small hiccups are possible, and we appreciate your patience if anything needs fine-tuning after launch.
Once ENS-R goes live, we’ll email members with simple instructions for resetting your password to access the Members Only area. Until then, there’s nothing you need to do.
If you have questions about the new website, please email Info@wasgs.org. Thank you in advance for your patience!
The McCleary Historical Society Genealogy Conference is right around the corner on Saturday, October 10th at 10:00 AM, and we would love to have you with us. To ensure we have enough attendees to put on this awesome event—and to make sure we have enough lunch for everyone—we kindly ask that you reserve your spot as soon as possible!
Advance purchase is required, so please secure your tickets early to help us finalize our headcount.
We are thrilled to welcome two outstanding experts who will bring a wealth of knowledge, practical strategies, and inspiration to our conference:
Genealogist, Creator & Innovator behind CyndisList.com
Director of the Elma LDS FamilySearch Center
Whether you’re curious about your family roots or looking to safeguard decades of research, this gathering promises engaging insights and great conversation over lunch with fellow history lovers.
WOW! We reached the limit of 100 registrations for Lisa Louise Cooke’s AI Workshop in less than a week!
We want everyone to have an opportunity to participate, SO………we’re increasing the size of the workshop, but can’t do it until Wednesday (the 23rd — 1 month before the workshop). The registration link will be the same:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UW9tfCWsRfy2yrLuFmAHVA
Get yourself signed up!!
Registration for the WSGS-sponsored workshop “Make AI Your Personal Genealogy Assistant” with Lisa Louise Cooke is now open. The FREE workshop is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Space is limited to 100 participants.
Registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UW9tfCWsRfy2yrLuFmAHVA
AI tools can work like a personal research assistant for your genealogy projects. In this session, you’ll learn practical ways to use AI to organize your findings, uncover new research leads, and handle repetitive tasks so you can spend more time on the discoveries that matter.
The workshop is open to any WSGS member, local genealogical society member or WSGS Blog subscriber.
Lisa Louise Cooke is the author of several books including “The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, 3rd edition,” producer and host of the popular Genealogy Gems Podcast, and videos on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.
For more information, email Info@wasgs.org. Please put “AI Workshop” in the Subject Line.
The Washington State Genealogical Society is sponsoring a FREE AI workshop with nationally respected presenter and podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke. The workshop “Make AI Your Personal Genealogy Assistant” will be Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
The FREE workshop is open to all WSGS members, Blog subscribers and local society members. Registration will open on September 15. Space is limited to 100. The registration link will be posted on the Blog, emailed to WSGS members and through local societies.
WSGS President Kathleen Sizer is pleased to announce the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award: Joe Brookshier from the Olympia Genealogical Society. The announcement was made at the WSGS Annual Meeting on 27 Aug 2026.
Created in 2015, the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement is designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization who has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations. The award is not given every year as it is based on merit and accomplishments. As you’ll see from reading about Joe’s technological assistance, he is worthy of this recognition.
It is hard to put into words the impact that Joe has had on a number of local societies as their technology needs have increased, particularly those that were transitioning from the EasyNetSites Classic (ENS-C) platform to ENS-R (Responsive).
Back in 2025, Joe offered his time, expertise and skills to a number of societies that were changing platforms. Initially, he brought numerous society webmasters together so they could be a community and support each other under his guidance.
According to Dave Storla, Kittitas County Genealogical Society, “As I began the process of building an updated website for KCGS, I emailed several webmasters for advice. Joe was quick to respond with aid. His help with my many questions, his technical assistance and most of all his encouragement made a daunting task bearable. He has helped me at times when I ‘couldn’t see the forest for the trees’ with patience and understanding, along with the needed solutions.”
LeAnne Koliha from the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society adds “To many of us who have worked with Joe, he was more than just a mentor; he was willing to step in and take on the technical tasks that we found difficult. He took the time to listen and understand what was needed in our individual website. He even suggested additional items that will make our website a better experience for society members.”
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society‘s Tim Ward and Jane Nelson Irish received emails with tips and instructions that Joe had already shared with other societies and helped them via Zoom to step through the process and show them how to solve some of the problems they had with the conversion to the responsive version.
But no society has benefitted from Joe’s talents more than WSGS. Roxanne Lowe, WSGS webmaster, was quick to add, “It wasn’t long in the process before I realized I was stymied about how to get started – especially with a looming deadline approaching. Joe walked me (as webmaster) through the entire development process – from choosing a color palette and “playing” in the sandbox to entering data and finetuning each page.”
One particular issue stands out as critical to the development of the WSGS site. Joe, a retired principal software engineer at a major aerospace and defense corporation, was critical in trouble-shooting a tricky Pioneer Pursuit database of almost 4,500 names into the UDM (Unified Data Module). His ability to communicate with the Blue Crab CEO and interpret our desires was central to the new, improved database.
And as if helping societies with their ENS-R transition wasn’t enough, Joe has stepped in to help the Seattle Genealogical Society‘s IT team by agreeing to take on the oversight of the society’s Google Workspace account. This will entail working with SGS members who have sub-accounts on the main Google account to be used in the execution of their SGS jobs by helping them with Gmail and with finding their way around the shared SGS Google Drive. Joe has already identified things that SGS should change to improve their use of Google Workspace and is moving to make necessary changes.
If you want to know more about the qualities needed for this prestigious award, click here. Previous recipients are listed here.
The WSGS Board of Directors awarded 2026 Supportive Grants to five local societies. LeAnne Koliha, WSGS Vice President, announced the awards at the WSGS Annual Meeting on August 27, 2026.
The grants were awarded to:
Clallam County Genealogical Society — CCGS is in the process of having a mural painted on their building. It will feature historical figures of those who lived on or came to the North Olympic Peninsula, including Native tribal images. The purpose of this mural is several fold: to honor the 250th anniversary of the Constitution; to increase the visibility of the Genealogy Society; and to increase visitor traffic. The estimated cost of the mural is about $32,000. So far CCGS has received donations of $14,000 from members and the public. They have applied for a $10,000 grant, but it is not yet known if it will be approved. CCGS has contributed $5000 to date from their coffers. They continue to do fundraising.
Clark County Genealogical Society — The society plans to replace and upgrade essential office equipment. Their current equipment is outdated, and the printers are costly to operate. Specifically, they are seeking funding for a black-and-white laser printer and a new telephone system. The ink for their current color inkjet printers is expensive; a laser printer would better meet daily needs at a lower operating cost. Replacing their old phones will improve range and voicemail, making communication more dependable during the transition to a new location.
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society — LCGS hopes to provide speakers for their online meetings. They have decreased from ten speakers per year to nine, partly due to cost. With rare exception, their speakers are from outside the area. Speaker fees continue to go up. The grant will help them obtain quality speakers with an eye to increasing membership as well as educating their members. Over the last three months, LCGS has had 27 guests out of 68 attendees, and they have had two new members.
Mason County Genealogical Society — Will use their grant to purchase two or three photo scanners and a supply of flash drives to support their two ongoing community outreach programs. The first project is a monthly family photo scanning event with their partner, Mason County Senior Center. This helps preserve old family photos and gets them out of decaying photo albums and shoeboxes. In the 18 months that MCGS has been conducting this project, they have served over 60 community members. Several MCGS volunteers have worn out their own scanners and have purchased new ones. The other community project is their Genealogy Café where they partner with the Shelton branch of Timberland Library. MCGS wants to give visitors a flash drive to preserve the genealogical discoveries and the sources used in the findings and take with them at the end of the session.
Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society — WAGS plans to upgrade their digital preservation capabilities. The total project cost is $500, and WAGS will match the grant 100% with $250 of their own funds to purchase a pre-owned Sony Alpha 6000 digital camera and macro lens. Buying this equipment used is a deliberate, practical choice that lets them get high-quality, professional imaging gear at a fraction of the cost new. It will serve as the core upgrade for their library’s Digitizing Station, replacing an eight-year-old donated camera that is at the end of its lifespan and can no longer capture the crisp clarity needed for archiving.
For more information about the Supportive Grants, click here.
Congratulations to the amazing individuals and teams who contributed to Washington’s local societies. The announcement was made on Thursday, August 27, at the WSGS Annual Meeting. Fifteen local society members and four teams were recognized with Outstanding Volunteer and Team awards. The volunteers and teams were praised for their commitment and energies to promote their local societies, family history and cooperation in their local communities.
Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Eastside Genealogical Society
Grays Harbor Genealogical Society
Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
Olympia Genealogical Society
Seattle Genealogical Society
Sno-Isle Genealogical Society
Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society
Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
For more information about the Outstanding Volunteers and Teams, visit the Washington State Genealogical Society, Local Society Support page or email Info@wasgs.org.