Author Archives: Roxanne Lowe

Update on Grays Harbor Gen Soc Research Library

by Roxanne Lowe

The GHGS Research Library was housed in the Aberdeen Armory Building, built in 1922. Photo by Bonnie Johannes.

Members of the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society are slowly coming to grips with the fiery loss of their research library. The library was housed in the Aberdeen Armory which also included the Aberdeen Museum of History, Coastal Community Action Program and the Aberdeen Senior Center. The June 9 fire gutted the first and second floors of the building. Amazingly (and thankfully) some of the Aberdeen Museum’s photographs, documents and artifacts were rescued from the basement which was filled with four feet of water. The fire is still under investigation and may be for at least a couple more weeks.

While there is nothing left of the research library, short-term storage has been secured as the society begins to rebuild its holdings and collections. A plea for financial help and Grays Harbor County (and its predecessor Chehalis County) research materials has been sent from GHGS President Gary Parfitt. Financial donations or gift cards (Staples, Amazon, Costco, etc.) are most easily used to avoid duplication, over-supply and will be used when society members can begin researching again.

In addition to financial help, the society is asking for Grays Harbor-related research materials to restore their collections. Suggestions include Polk Directories, telephone books, obituaries, funeral records, identified photographs or family histories (with ties to Grays Harbor or Chehalis Counties). Anyone with materials to donate or reproduce can contact Gary Parfitt at gjparfitt@msn.com.

Financial donations can be sent to the society’s Research Library Go Fund Me page or directly to the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 916, Aberdeen, WA 98520.

Grays Harbor Research Library Destroyed by Fire

by Roxanne Lowe

Full disclaimer: The author of this post is a long-time member of the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society and totally devastated by this loss.

The Grays Harbor Genealogical Society’s Research Library was housed on the 1st floor of the Amory Building.

The Grays Harbor Genealogical Society’s Research Library, housed in the Aberdeen Museum of History, was one of the victims of a devastating fire on Saturday, June 9, 2018. The massive fire destroyed most of the first and second floors of the historic Armory Building, which was built in 1922. The building was home to the priceless Museum of History, Coastal Community Action Program, the Aberdeen Senior Center, and the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society research library. Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire that raged out of control for hours, drawing fire departments from the whole county and parts of Thurston County.

Representatives from the State Archives were on the scene to offer assistance with recovery and restoration of any surviving historic photos, documents, artifacts — some of which were in the basement of the concrete building. Ironically, Tracy Rebstock, Southwest Regional Archivist with the State Archives was the featured speaker at the GHGS meeting that day, speaking on disaster preparedness and preserving historic documents and heirlooms. Her assurances to shocked GHGS members was much appreciated as she talked about how to recover from this disaster. Servpro of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, a fire disaster recovery company, is also helping with recovery efforts.

The GHGS Research Library was housed on the first floor of the building which was destroyed with temperatures reported to exceed 2,000 degrees. All is a loss. Members of the small society are meeting to find another location and begin re-gathering local records, documents and books. The society had recently completed a conversion of the library to emphasize Grays Harbor County (and its predecessor Chehalis County). The research library was known for its extensive collection of now-defunct Whiteside and Elerding funeral records and obituary records, dating back as far as the late 1800s. While some of the records were digitized, others were in hard copy only. The society’s research chairman Bonnie Johannes said much of what they had was permanently lost. “We must’ve had at least 25,000 hard copies (of obituaries), so it’s a tremendous loss.”

Anyone wishing to make financial or resource donations is encouraged to use their Go Fund Me campaign or direct to the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 916, Aberdeen, WA 98520.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Change Is In the Air at WSGS

by Roxanne Lowe

Please join me in welcoming Heather Murphy as our new Web Manager. Heather is a WSGS member from the Tri-Cities area. She will be transitioning to the position in the next few weeks. Welcome, Heather!

A huge debt of gratitude goes to our outgoing Web Manager, Roxanne Lowe. She has made many improvements to the WSGS website over the past couple of years. We are sorry to see her go, but family obligations come first!

Please consider how you might contribute to our genealogical community. We are still looking for someone to take over the Recognition and Awards Program. If you are interested, please contact me.

Virginia Majewski, President

ginnym51@msn.com

Ann Olson Awarded President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement

by Roxanne Lowe

Ann Olson

In an announcement made at the WSGS Annual Meeting on 26 May 2018, Ann Olson from Olympia was awarded the WSGS President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. The award, made by WSGS President Virginia Majewski, is designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization that has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations.

Just a few of Ann’s accomplishments:

  • Founding member of the Olympia Genealogical Society 44 years ago.
  • Has served in every board position; more than once in many cases.
  • Organizes and teaches a beginning genealogy course at the local library.
  • Affectionately called the “lead-off batter and team captain” of the society.

Ann’s involvement in her community is broader than genealogy. For example, she is a docent at the Governor’s Mansion; member of the Daughters of the Pioneers (including being president of her local chapter); and registrar of the local DAR, where she’s been a member for more than 30 years. When her children were growing up, Ann was active in the PTA, including being state president and national vice-president.

Ann exemplifies what the President’s Award stands for: long-term, consistent service in genealogy and in the community. Congratulations to her!

WSGS Awards Announced in Vancouver

by Roxanne Lowe

Many thanks are extended to the Clark County Genealogical Society for hosting the WSGS Annual Meeting and Awards Event on Saturday, 26 May 2018. The annual meeting was held in conjunction with CCGS’s Spring Seminar featuring David Allen Lambert, chief genealogist with the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.

During the annual meeting and awards lunch, 30 local society members  and 4 teams were recognized with Outstanding Volunteer and Team awards. The volunteers were praised for their commitment and energies to promote genealogy and family history in their local communities. For more about the Outstanding Volunteers, read this blog article.

Other awards presented included:

  • WSGS President Virginia Majewski presenting the Outstanding Communication Award to Nancy Cordell, president of the Olympia Genealogical Society

    Outstanding Communication – Olympia Genealogical Society for their new website. Check it out!!

  • Clark County Genealogical Society members Brian Runyan and Lois Boslund receiving the Outstanding Project award from President Virginia Majewski

    Outstanding Project — Clark County Genealogical Society for their dedication to digitizing, transcribing and indexing original tax ledgers for the City of Vancouver for the years 1886 and 1891.

Five local societies were awarded Innovative Grant Awards. Congratulations to:

  • Eastside Genealogical Society – help paying for “The Photo Detective” Maureen Taylor at a workshop to celebrate the society’s 40th Ms. Taylor will present “Finding Family History in Your Picture Mysteries” on September 15 in Bellevue. Society members will get to attend for free while the public will pay a small fee.
  • Lower Columbia Genealogical Society– to purchase genealogical books to donate to the Longview Public Library for public use. Lower Columbia has generously donated books for a number of years, using money from membership dues and their coffee stops.
  • Okanogan Genealogical Society – help purchasing supplies to repair and preserve books holding the “Tonasket Times” newspaper from 1913 – 1952. They use a special archival document repair tape. Each book uses a whole roll of tape. This grant will buy a few rolls of tape to stop the destruction of the collection.
  • Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society – help publishing a book on “Early Stillaguamish Valley Schools” in the Arlington Area. It’s taken years to gather historical documents and photographs for this project from the 1800s to the early 1940s and now they’re ready to publish.
  • Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society – For the 4th consecutive year, WAGS has applied for an Innovative Grant to promote genealogy in their area. This year, they’re focusing on the digital preservation of family records, library holdings and archival documents. They plan to preserve family histories and archival materials of their society, its members and the community.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement was presented to Ann Olson of the Olympia Genealogical Society. See separate blog feature.

For more photos of the seminar and annual meeting, visit our Facebook page.

Outstanding Volunteers and Teams Honored

by Roxanne Lowe

WSGS Vice President and Region 7 Representative Donna Potter Phillips presents Charles Hansen from the Eastern Washington Gen Soc (& WSGS Blog Master) with an Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Thirty local genealogical society members were honored for their outstanding volunteerism at the WSGS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Washington, on 26 May 2018. Nominated by their local societies, these individuals and teams spent countless hours supporting their local organizations, researching, cataloging, inventorying, teaching, and inspiring others. We are proud to announce the 2018 Outstanding Volunteer Awards:

Jessica Moskowitz Anderson, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State
Robert Barnes, Eastside Genealogical Society
Lisa & Phil Bartlow, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Joyce Boster, Whidbey Island Team Club Improvements, Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers
Lawrence Clay, Tri-City Genealogical Society
Trudy Hayrynen Davis, Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
Max Graham, Kittitas County Genealogical Society
Stan Graham, Mason County Genealogical Society
Anne Grimm, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Charles Hansen, Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Cathi Hepworth, Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Thomas Hull, Kittitas County Genealogical Society
Janis Keough, Whidbey Island Team Club Improvements, Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers
Reiley Kidd, Seattle Genealogical Society
Lake Chelan Museum, Chelan Valley Genealogical Society
Barbara Mattoon, South King County Genealogical Society
Karen Mitchell, Clallam County Genealogical Society
Elise Willens Morse, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State
Gary Parfitt, Grays Harbor Genealogical Society
Rebel Anne Romero, Olympia Genealogical Society
Sonji Ruttan, Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Judy Simon, Genealogical Society of Whidbey Island
Candice Soine, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Stilly Library, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Mary K. (Schonberg) Swartz, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
Richard Thayer, South King County Genealogical Society
Jackie Vannice, Whidbey Island Club Improvements, Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers
Consuelo White, Clallam County Genealogical Society
Sharon Wilson, Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
Yard Sales Team, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

To read each individual’s accomplishments and why they were nominated, visit the Outstanding Volunteer Awards Program page here.

For more information about the Outstanding Volunteer Awards Program, contact Virginia Majewski at ginnym51@msn.com.

It’s Almost Showtime in Vancouver

by Roxanne Lowe

Seminar chair Marcia Grubb and CCGS President Brian Runyan share a moment.

So much to see and do! And you can still join us!

Roger Newman (right) shares stories about his Hudson Bay Company ancestor.

For many of us, the Clark County Genealogical Society Spring Seminar festivities began today (Friday) with a reception at the Fort Vancouver Artillery Barracks. A spectacular building constructed in 1904, the Artillery Barracks was originally built as a place to house soldiers who were trained to go into combat with cannons and other mounted guns. Tonight, however, it was the location of the Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception. It was our opportunity to meet keynote speaker David Allen Lambert, chief genealogist with the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, as well as new and old friends. So great to put faces to my email pals from Clark County.

One of the embroidered panels of the Vancouver Tapestry.

Before the reception, I had the opportunity to marvel at the Fort Vancouver Tapestry on exhibit at the CCGS Annex, 717 Grand Blvd., Vancouver. This exquisite textile will be on display through Monday, May 28. The tapestry was completed over a six-year period (1999 – 2005), using over 100,000 hours of volunteer effort. The 70 panels, stitched by 57 talented embroiderers, depicts the history and growth of the American West all the way to the banks of the mighty Columbia. The tapestry is 108 feet long and has more than 22 miles of woolen yarn. Check out the plaid shirts in the picture on the left — amazing!

You can still register for the seminar. Just show up at the Historic Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes St, Vancouver. The doors open at 8:00 a.m. You don’t want to miss it — and you’ll get to hear the announcement of the WSGS recognition award winners during the lunch hour. A day packed with learning and fellowship.

Meet Us in Vancouver

by Roxanne Lowe

David Allen Lambert

We’re hoping to see you on Saturday (May 26, 2018) at the Clark County Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar — and WSGS Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony! There’s still time to register for the seminar at the CCGS library (until Friday) or register at the seminar on Saturday morning at the Historic Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes Rd., Vancouver. Click here for more details about the seminar and other activities.

David Allen Lambert, the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s chief genealogist, will be the featured speaker at Saturday’s seminar.  David’s topics include 1) World War 1 Military; 2) Great Migration Era settler research; and 3) Probate & Deed Records research.

During the lunch hour, WSGS will present its Outstanding Volunteer and Team awards, Outstanding Communication, Outstanding Project, President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Innovative Grants.

 

 

 

Don’t Miss the Fort Vancouver Tapestry

by Roxanne Lowe

A section of the Fort Vancouver Tapestry

For those attending the Clark County Genealogical Society’s Spring Seminar, don’t miss viewing the Fort Vancouver Tapestry on exhibit at the CCGS Annex, 717 Grand Blvd., Vancouver. This exquisite textile will be on display from Thursday, May 24 through Monday, May 28.

The tapestry was completed over a six-year period (1999 – 2005), using over 100,000 hours of volunteer effort. The 70 panels, stitched by 57 talented embroiderers, depicts the history and growth of the American West all the way to the banks of the mighty Columbia. The tapestry is 108 feet long and has more than 22 miles of woolen yarn.

An amazing work of art not to be missed.

Norma Yost Awarded 2017 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 500 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming weeks, you will be introduced to each of the 2017 award recipients and learn why they received the 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Norma Yost

Today we’re introducing Norma Yost of Colville, Washington, who was nominated by the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society (NeWGS). She was recognized for her dedication to the preservation of a local pioneer cemetery.

Since joining in 2014, Ms. Yost has been involved in the clean-up and maintenance of Evergreen Cemetery in Colville, a local pioneer cemetery established in 1868. She is a favorite speaker at NeWGS meetings, and has been a member of the board of directors serving as member-at-large and currently as librarian. As librarian, Ms. Yost has used her talents to design outstanding displays for National Family History Month. She is also a gifted seamstress and has personalized NeWGS vests by embroidering their names on them.

Ms. Yost is a respected and diligent member of the NeWGS. Her accomplishments and dedication illustrate that she richly deserved being a recipient of a 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.