Author Archives: Roxanne Lowe

How to Post on the Blog

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you want to broadcast information about your local society, workshop, genealogical tip, or a research query? Just post to the WSGS Blog! You can reach hundreds of genealogists from around the state. Just email a Word document, text file, PDF or graphic to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org and the blog masters will do the rest.

We’re always looking to publicize local events and workshops, feature stories, updates from your society, and other genealogical information that might be of interest to our many subscribers.

We hope to hear from you soon! And don’t forget to encourage your Society members to subscribe to the Blog for the most up-to-date information from around the state.

You may manage your subscription options from your profile.

Registration for Ancestry Day Open Now

by Roxanne Lowe

Ancestry Day Conference — Sept. 23 & 24, 2016, Tacoma

Join experts from Ancestry, Washington State Archives, Washington State Library, Legacy Washington, and the Washington State Historical Society for this great event. Registration for Ancestry Day presentations on Saturday is $35. Registration for Friday’s presentations is $15.

Saturday, Sept. 24, will feature a full day of classes, including:

• Ancestry101: New & Review
• Getting the Most from Ancestry.com
• Using AncestryDNA to Further Your Family History Research
• Ancestry FAQs
• Sharing Your Family Story

Friday, Sept. 23, will feature several presentations from area experts, including:

• Tracy Rebstock, Washington State Archives
• Mary Kathryn Kozy, Professional Genealogist
• Lynette Miller, Head of Collections at the Research Center of the Washington State Historical Society
• Karen Wallace Steely, Professional Genealogist
• Kathryn Devine, Washington State Library

For more information, schedule and registration, click HERE.

More Details About Ancestry Day — Sept. 23 & 24

by Roxanne Lowe

The Office of the Secretary of State and the Washington State Historical Society are partnering with Ancestry to bring a very special genealogical event to the Pacific Northwest.

Ancestry Day in Washington will be held in Tacoma on Saturday, September 24, and is expected to attract more than 1,000 family historians. Whether you are a new subscriber to Ancestry, an experienced genealogist, or just interested in finding out what genealogy is all about, this is the event for you!

Activities on September 23 will be held at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma and will include access to the museum and special presentations on outstanding genealogical resources in Washington.

On Saturday, September 24, Ancestry will take center stage at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center. They will be bringing their expertise, engaging speakers, door prizes, and Ancestry DNA kits to purchase.

There also will be vendors from around the state sharing their products and ideas.

Keep an eye out for upcoming registration information about this can’t-miss event.

FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event – SUPPORT NEEDED!

by Roxanne Lowe

From July 15-17, FamilySearch International and supporting organizations are coordinating the single largest gathering of volunteers online from around the world to help in the noble effort to save, and increase access to, the world’s genealogically significant historical records. With a target of 75,000 online volunteers for the weekend event and a stretch goal of more than 200,000, WE can make a real difference. Remember, every historic record tells the unique story of someone’s ancestor and helps make a personal connection. Until that record is easily discoverable online, that ancestor’s story and their place in the family tree, remains untold.

Please visit https://familysearch.org/worldsrecords for information on the world indexing event and how YOU can participate.

Blog Banner Photo Challenge

by Roxanne Lowe

IMG_0095Summer’s in full swing and that means many of us are on the road, in the air, or on a boat visiting people, places, and things. It also means you’re taking lots of photos. So…we’re sponsoring a Blog Banner Photo Challenge, looking for a few good photographs to highlight in our Blog banner.

The rotating banner will feature a series of photos taken by you, our readers. The latest entry in the Photo Challenge is a photo of the waterfall at the bottom on Barker Canyon, down the west side of Banks Lake in central Washington near Coulee City. The photo was taken by WSGS Vice President (& Past President of Eastern Washington Genealogical Society) Donna Potter Phillips of Spokane. It’s a great example of the beauty of our Evergreen State — and makes a great blog banner.

Rules are few:
•Landscapes, landmarks, and scenery photos are preferred. If, however, you have a perfect photo that includes people, please obtain their permission to post the photo.
•Photo must have been taken in Washington State (this is the Washington State Genealogical Society blog, after all!).
•Photo will be cropped to 1100 x 250 pixels, so keep that in mind.
•You may enter as many photos as you want.
•Final decisions on suitable photos will be made by the awesome WSGS Blog Team.
•There’s no prize if your photo is chosen – just the satisfaction that your photo is being showcased on a blog viewed by hundreds of enthusiastic genealogists.
•There’s no firm deadline to submit photos, just keep ‘em coming. We want to rotate lots of photos to keep the blog fresh.

To submit your photo, please email the image (jpg only, please); what, where, when, and by whom the photo was taken to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.

Got questions? Email the blog team at WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.

Ancestry Day Coming Soon!

by Roxanne Lowe

Save the date!

Ancestry Day, September 23 - 24, 2016

Ancestry Day will take place September 23 and 24 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center at 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402. The event is cosponsored by Ancestry, the Washington State Secretary of State’s Office and the Washington State Historical Society.

Ancestry’s presentations will take place on Saturday, September 24. The Washington State Archives, Washington State Library and the Washington State Historical Society will be carrying the program on Friday, the 23rd. Friday sessions will take place from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Friday speakers include:

Mary Kathryn Kozy – “Tracing People through Time and Space Using Timelines”
Tracy Rebstock, Washington State Archives, Olympia – “Looking for Family in all of the Wrong Places”
Lynette Miller, Washington State Historical Society Research Center – TBD
Kathryn Devine, Washington State Library – “Yesterday’s News: The Paper Route to your Ancestors”

More program information will be sent out and an online registration site will be set up at the end of July.

Outstanding Volunteers and Teams Honored

by Roxanne Lowe

Forty-two local genealogical society members were honored for their outstanding volunteerism at the WSGS Annual Conference in Tacoma, Washington, on 18 June 2016. 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 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Awards:

Shirley Allmon Acheson, Strategic Planning Leadership Team, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
Carol Anderson, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Patricia Ayers, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Barbara Baker, Clark County Finance Team, Clark County Genealogical Society
Claire Bardwell, Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
Kathy Bowman, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Diane Boyd, Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Barbara Brazington, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Karen van Haagen Campbell, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington
Barbara Barker Congdon, Strategic Planning Leadership Team, Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
John Covey, Tri City Genealogical Society
Michele Cozad, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society
Patricia Deutsch, Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington
Leslee Dunlap, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Bill Floberg, Tri City Genealogical Society
Larry Germann, Clark County Finance Team, Clark County Genealogical Society
Roberta Griset, Clallam Co. Genealogical Society
Cynthia Savage Harris, Whatcom Genealogical Society
Mary Holcomb, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Pam Hopwood, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Joann Hulse, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Patricia Bayonne Johnson, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Barbara Jeanne Gorham Johnson, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Eric Jordahl, Clark County Finance Team, Clark County Genealogical Society
Rebecca Judd, Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society
Lowell Kenedy, Clark County Finance Team, Clark County Genealogical Society
Sue Rogers Kreikemeier, Whitman Co. Genealogical Society
Margie Lloyd, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Juanita McBride, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Sam McReynolds, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Patricia Olsen, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Patricia Olsen, Lewis County Genealogical Society
Leslie Parnell, Ulster Workshop Team, Lewis Co. Genealogical Society
Gail Porter, Clallam Co. Genealogical Society
George Ridgeway Jr., Skagit Valley Genealogical Society
Marge Samuelson, Jefferson Co. Genealogical Society
Louellen Verellen, Chelan Valley Genealogical Society
Sandy Wade, Tacoma Pierce Co Genealogical Society
Dolly Webb, Tuesday Gals Team, Eastern WA Genealogical Society
Lola Swearingen Weber, Lower Columbia Genealogical Society

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

For more information about the Outstanding Volunteer Awards Program, contact Roxanne Lowe, WSGS Recognition Chair.

Margie Wilson Earns President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement

by Roxanne Lowe

Margie Wilson was announced as the recipient of the WSGS President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement at the WSGS Conference in Tacoma on June 18, 2016. The announcement was made by WSGS President Mikal McKinnon. Margie was nominated by the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (SVGS) where she has been an active member since at least 2008 and has held various offices.

Margie Wilson as Anne Justis Morton, wife of John Morton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence

Margie Wilson in an historical portrayal of Anne Justis Morton, wife of John Morton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence

It’s easy to see why Margie earned the coveted award. She was the driving force to secure and implement a $23,000 Paul Allen grant for “Making Connections Through ROOTS – Researching Our Origins for Teens and Seniors,” a 20-week credit-bearing course for high school seniors who were at risk of not graduating. The innovative program taught them research skills, how to use library services and resources, citations, family history, interviewing skills and more. Margie worked two years to get the project off the ground, guiding the program from beginning to end, including securing the grant, getting local school board approval, writing the curriculum and arranging for field trips. The program is now being implemented elsewhere around the country.

Margie is active in the City of Burlington walking tours and cemetery historical tours. She was asked by the Skagit County Historical Museum to teach 120 7th grade students about the early history of Burlington. She has also been a member of the local Rotary, Toastmasters and United Way.

Created in 2015, the WSGS President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement was designed to single out that rare individual, society or organization who has demonstrated exemplary service above and beyond expectations. Last year’s recipient was Fred Pflugrath from the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society. Continue reading →

FamilySearch Not Available Tomorrow, June 27

by Roxanne Lowe

There’ve been lots of announcements, but we want to make sure you know:

FamilySearch has been working on an upgrade to their website to accommodate the ongoing growth of new features, such as hinting in the Family Tree. As a part of this process, FamilySearch.org will undergo a technical upgrade on Monday, June 27, starting at 12:00 a.m. MDT (6:00 a.m. UTC). The site may be unavailable for up to 24 hours as they test the system improvements.

For more information, visit FamilySearch.org.

Awesome Conference

by Roxanne Lowe
Cyndi Ingle, Paula Stuart-Warren, Warren Fisk & D Becker

Cyndi Ingle, Paula Stuart-Warren, Warren Fisk & D Becker

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Paula played to a roomful of enthusiastic genealogists, ready to learn, apply and discover

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Lots of networking and new resources to check out for more than 150 attendees

Can’t express enough superlatives about the 2016 WSGS Conference hosted by the Tacoma-Pierce County GS! Kudos to Chair Warren Fisk, Moderator Cyndi Ingle, TPCGS President D Becker and the rest of the Planning Team — you really outdid yourselves!

And what about Paula Stuart Warren??!! She was professional, engaging, funny, informative…everything you’d wish for in a keynote speaker. At the end of the day, everyone left armed with inspiration and excitement to find that long-lost ancestor or explore a new resource. If you get another chance to hear Paula at a conference or workshop, don’t miss it — she doesn’t disappoint!