Author Archives: Roxanne Lowe

Gift Idea: Pioneer Certificate

by Roxanne Lowe

If your ancestor lived in the Washington Territory before it became the nation’s 42nd state on November 11, 1889, you may be eligible for a Washington Pioneer certificate. Or if your ancestors arrived a little later — before December 31, 1900 — you can get a First Citizen certificate. What a great gift for yourself and your family members!

We began the Washington State Centennial Pioneer Certificate Program in 1984 in anticipation of the state’s centennial admission to the union in 1889. The initial certificates were issued to applicants who could prove their ancestors were in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. Those descendants’ names, almost 18,000, were printed in a two-volume set of books entitled “Washington Pioneers” in 1992. A third volume, published in 1993, included Pioneers and First Citizens (those in the state on or before December 31, 1900). The three original volumes are out of print, but an index is available here. WSGS members have access to family lineages in the Members’ Only section of the website.

firstcitizen

Pioneer and First Citizen Certificates are still being issued, although they are published only on the WSGS website at this time. If you can prove your ancestor was in Washington prior to November 11, 1889, you may be eligible to purchase a Pioneer Certificate. If your ancestor was in Washington on or before December 31, 1900, you may be eligible for a First Citizen Certificate. More information, including resources to prove residency, is available in the Pioneer and First Citizen Program brochure. An application and instructions are available here.

We’ve Reached 80% of our Pioneer Goal

by Roxanne Lowe

We’re getting closer to our goal of 5,000 Washington State pioneers listed in our Pioneer Pursuit Index by November 11, 2024. Our reviewers just approved our 4,005th pioneer, so we need 995 more to meet our ambitious, but doable, target.

If you’re wondering whether you can participate, YES, YOU CAN! A few things to consider:

  • You don’t have to be related to a pioneer. Just pick someone in your county or neighborhood and start researching. Here’s a great list of places to start.
  • You don’t have to be a member of WSGS to participate.
  • We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. There are examples, forms and an FAQ under the Pioneer Pursuit tab of the WSGS website.

Help us identify every man, woman and child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. If you have questions, please email us at Info@wasgs.org.

Nominations Sought for Vice President & Treasurer

by Roxanne Lowe

Are you interested in being part of the WSGS Board of Directors? The positions of vice president and treasurer are up for election and we are seeking nominations. The nomination period will close on 15 Nov 2024.

The vice president position provides support to the president. In the case that the president is unable to preside over a meeting or event, the vice president would be required to step in and take his/her place. The vice president also acts as a liaison between the societies and the WSGS president and board, helping to facilitate communications between the board and the societies.

The treasurer manages WSGS financial matters under the direction of the president, executive committee and board of directors.

The two-year terms are from 01 Jan 2025 through 31 Dec 2026. More information on the positions’ duties and responsibilities is available here.

Being a member of the WSGS Board is an excellent opportunity to involve yourself in a statewide organization designed to support local societies and individuals interested in the educational and historical value of genealogical research. And besides that — it’s fun and interesting!

If you’re interested in this opportunity or have questions, please contact WSGS President Kathy Sizer.

Pioneer Pursuit Push to 5,000

by Roxanne Lowe

We need your help! We’re trying to have 5,000 Washington State pioneers listed in our Pioneer Pursuit Index by November 11, 2024. The index currently lists 3,854 pioneers, so we need 1,146 more to meet our ambitious, but doable, target.

Whether you’re a WSGS member or not, we’re hoping you’ll submit a three-generation genealogy (with sources) for any man, woman or child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. You don’t have to be related to the pioneer — just pick someone in your county or neighborhood and start researching. Here’s a great list of places to start.

We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. There are examples, forms and an FAQ in the Pioneer Pursuit tab of the WSGS website.

McCleary Historical Museum Hosts Genealogy Conference

by Roxanne Lowe

The McCleary Museum & Event Center invites you to their 2024 Genealogy Conference to be held on Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will be in-person at the Museum at 426 S. Third Street, McCleary. Tickets are $12 or $10 for those who have an active membership in any genealogical society. Click here to register.

Topics and speakers include:

  • “Direct Link to the Past- City Directories for Genealogy” presented by Mary Kircher Roddy, CG; Writer; Lecturer;  trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and co-founder of the Applied Genealogy Institute.  
    City Directories are a tool for genealogists to fill in gaps between census years and learn more about ancestors. But if you’re just searching for a name, you’re missing out! In this presentation see many sources to find directories. Mary will show you what to look for in them, including understanding the “anatomy” of a directory and what might be in one. Learn some tips for getting the most out of them by using address searches, alternate spellings, advertisements and more to understand your ancestors’ world and their movements within it. Directories are also a source for historical images that might not be available elsewhere. See how to track your searches and results using spreadsheets. And learn how directories will lead you to clues for further follow-up research.
  • “Branching Out in the Evergreen State” presented by Roxanne Ferbrache Lowe, Past President, Grays Harbor Genealogical Society; Web Master, Washington State Genealogical Society.  
    There are many resources for finding members of your family tree in the Evergreen State. Roxanne will share a few free resources for those with Washington State (and Washington Territory) roots. Even if you don’t have Washington ancestors, many of the resources may apply to you. She will also talk about the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Pioneer Pursuit program.
  • “Adventures of a Find A Grave Volunteer “  presented by Diane Carter, Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR; Volunteer for Find A Grave; Member of Society of Mayflower Descendants and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.   
    Some people tiptoe through the tulips. Diane wanders through graveyards —mosquito lotion, sun blocker, umbrella, notepad and camera in hand —photographing headstones and creating on-line memorials. Whenever possible,  she adds family links, genealogy, and personal photos to the memorials that she has created.  She even creates imaginary cemeteries! “What madness is this?” you may ask. “Genealogists need facts, not made-up stuff.” And the answer is that even imaginary cemeteries can be helpful for a genealogist —or an organization.
    Find A Grave is a free resource and her efforts are viewable by anyone with Internet access and from any part of the world. Come tiptoe with Diane through Find A Grave.
  • “Memberships to Lineage Societies and How to Prepare Documentation” Also presented by Diane Carter. 
    As Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR which serves Grays Harbor County, Diane  prepares applications for women wishing to join her chapter. She also serves with a state team that reviews applications. She has advised people seeking membership in other lineage societies. In all cases, She carefully scrutinizes the generations listed, the links between generations, the documentations supporting the links and the sources of the documents. The pieces have to fit and she can tell a few stories about the curious routes that have been taken to prove someone’s lineage. 

Other opportunities of the day include networking, a museum tour, light refreshments, local genealogy resources and more.  You may choose to bring your own lunch or pre-order one of the lunch specials before 9/29/24 from The Bears Den, options detailed on ticket purchase page.

Six Societies Awarded Supportive Grants

by Roxanne Lowe

In a one-time departure from the norm, the WSGS Board of Directors awarded Supportive Grants to six of the societies that applied for grants. In the past, only two grants have been awarded. This year, however, the Board agreed with the reviewers that all six society projects deserved funding. The average amount of each grant was $250. Diane Huckabay, WSGS Education Chair, announced the awards at the Annual Meeting on August 30, 2024.

The grants were awarded to:

Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle – Two registrations to attend the Family Tree Magazine University Courses. The two attendees will share their knowledge at monthly BGRG meetings.

Clallam County Genealogical Society — Defray some of the costs of speakers for their “Speakers’ Series.”

Jefferson County Genealogical Society – Support publicity for the society’s 40th anniversary celebration. It will also support their speaker from Scotland (on Zoom).

Lower Columbia County Genealogical Society – Print and distribute brochures advertising/ promoting the society, so they can be placed around a variety of local establishments, mostly libraries.

Okanogan County Genealogical Society – Fund a web page that documents Okanogan County cemeteries and the individuals buried in those cemeteries.

Sno-Isle County Genealogical Society – Fund the purchase of audio and visual equipment to support hybrid online and in-person meetings.

For more information about the Supportive Grants, click here.

2024 Outstanding Volunteer and Team Awards Announced

by Roxanne Lowe

Congratulations to the amazing individuals and teams who contributed to Washington’s local societies. The announcement was made on Friday, August 30, at the WSGS Annual Meeting. Fifteen local society members and six teams (with 45 volunteers) 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

  • David Cosman
  • Susan Palmer

Clallam County Genealogical Society

  • Paul Wessel
  • Nomination Team (Jackie Jardine, Pricilla Hudson, Carol Colman)

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society

  • Kelly Martin
  • Donna Potter Phillips
  • Audio Visual Team (Dan Cotton, Julie Rosenhoff, Ron Marvin, John Wilson, Duane Beck)

Eastside Genealogical Society

  • Help Desk (Helen Carlson, Robert Barnes, Jane Wickert)

Grays Harbor Genealogical Society

  • Diane Huntley Carter

Jefferson County Genealogical Society

  • Research Center (Pam Wilson, Dave Sachi, Eileen Martin, Harlean Hamilton, Marge Samuelson, Mary Stolaas, Pam Stinson, Cathy Beatty-O’Shea, Kathie Wilkinson, Geri Eekhoff, Elaine Raymond, Ada Kornmeyer, Bobbee Davidson,
    Sue Atkin, Gene Nelson, Kathy Pool

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society

  • Connie Timperley Davis

Seattle Genealogical Society

  • James A. Secan

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society

  • Hawthorne Cemetery Readers (Sylvia Ammons, Dottie  Chandler, Karen  Strelow, Carol  Nersten, Barbara  Johnson, Rene  Vance, Dan  Royal, Margie  Wilson, Bill  Cayford, Patty Gowler, Judy Hakins, Margie  Lauer, Linda  Holland

Sno-Isle Genealogical Society

  • Jerald Rogers

South King County Genealogical Society

  • Publicity Team (Tina Lawson, Janet Stroebel, Brenda Phillips, Valorie Zimmerman, MaryLynn Strickland

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

  • Dan Caesar

Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society

  • Hazel Leise Thornton
  • Lisa Atkins Vollrath

Whatcom Genealogical Society

  • Lynne Oliver

Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

  • Brenda Goddard Arambul
  • Larry Ball

You’re Invited to WSGS’s Annual Meeting

by Roxanne Lowe

You’re invited to the WSGS’s annual meeting! Friday, August 30, 2024, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In compliance with Washington’s Nonprofit Corporation Act (24.03A), we’re holding our annual meeting.

Here’s the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89375006911?pwd=ohQLJAEtE26bfgGtBIDOVCRbn3hP0F.1

Meeting ID: 893 7500 6911
Passcode: 547652
Via phone: (253) 205-0468,,89375006911#,,,,*547652# US

The agenda will include the announcement of the 2024 Outstanding Volunteer and Team recipients, President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Supportive Grant awards. We’ll also talk about Pioneer Pursuit, featuring Ralph Brown (who submitted 1,285 pioneers) and Le Anne Koliha (who specialized in Native American research). You’ll also learn more about our Pioneer Pursuit Push to 5,000!

We hope you join us! If you want more information, email Info@wasgs.org.

Pioneer Pursuit Push to 5,000!

by Roxanne Lowe

Since its launch last year, the WSGS Pioneer Pursuit project has been a huge success, adding 3,696 pioneers to our index at the end of the contest (31 Oct 2023), and another 120 more names since then. Now, let us try to reach a goal of 5,000 names by November 11, 2024! 

We’re encouraging everyone, whether you’re a WSGS member or not, to submit a three-generation genealogy (with sources) for every man, woman and child who lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889 when we became the 42nd state. We want to have 5,000 names in our free public index — and we need your help!

We’ve made it easy to submit Pioneer Pursuit genealogies. First, check both the Pioneer Pursuit index and the Pioneer Certificate Project index to see if a family or individual is already listed. If you find a name in the Pioneer Certificate Project index, your work is almost done — just include the name(s) on the Submittal Form and we’ll pull the information from the Certificate Project to Pioneer Pursuit.

If you’re new to Pioneer Pursuit, there are lots of resources on our website. To learn more about Pioneer Pursuit, from the WSGS Home Page‘s left navigation bar, select Washington Pioneer Pursuit. Check the Submission Instructions, Submission Example and Frequently Asked Questions to see how to type up your genealogy and add your source materials. The last step is to complete the Submittal Form (available in PDF and Word) and send it to wapioneerpursuit@gmail.com or mail it to Washington State Genealogical Society, Pioneer Pursuit, 1901 S. 12th Ave, Union Gap, WA 98903.

REMEMBER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY – we want to document everyone who was in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. Let’s work together to add additional names. We ONLY NEED about 1,200 more names to meet our goal!

President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Nominations Due August 1, 2024

by Roxanne Lowe

Nominations for the Washington State Genealogical Society President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement are due by August 1, 2024. The announcement will be made August 30, 2024.

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 ideal recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement has:

• Exhibited long-term, consistent service in the field of genealogy, family or local history, the genealogical community, records preservation or made an important single contribution in those areas that will endure into the future.
• Demonstrated a high degree of energy, commitment, flexibility, and professional conduct.
• Provided significant support and impact to the local genealogical community time and time again.
• Exhibited personal influence and example to society members and/or the general public with their unselfish service.
• Supported or advanced local or statewide genealogical research.

Nominations may be submitted by any individual, local society or organization, regardless of WSGS membership. Nominees do not have to have been officers in their local societies.

Previous recipients of this prestigious award include:

  • 2015 – Fred Pflugrath, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
  • 2016 – Margie Wilson, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
  • 2017 – Joanne Egbert Calhoun, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
  • 2018 – Ann Olson, Olympia Genealogical Society
  • 2021 – Helen McGreer Lewis, South King County Genealogical Society (posthumous)
  • 2022 – Jill Morelli, Seattle Genealogical Society
  • 2023 – Karen Mitchell, Clallam County Genealogical Society

Additional information, including the nomination form, is available here. Questions should be directed to Info@wasgs.org. Please type “President’s Award” in the Subject Line.