TriCity Genealogical Society member, Art Kelly, has a relic that he purchased at an antique store. He would like to find the relic’s family and return it to them. Can you help?
C.W. Gillespie was the Grand Patriarch of the 42nd Annual Grand Encampment of Washington IOOF in Wenatchee in 1925. Please share this information and help us find this relic’s rightful home.
Contact Art Kelly at summerfest.44 at gmail.com for more information.
Have you registered for the State Conference yet? We’re very lucky to be able to host David Rencher, FamilySearch’s Chief Genealogical Officer, for a day full of learning about “Strategies and Visions for the Future.”
While you’re planning your day with David, plan to come early to take advantage of some amazing pre-conference opportunities on Friday, June 26:
If you’re now convinced there’s so much to do that you want to spend the night, WSGS has arranged for special room rates at the Quality Inn, 1700 Canyon Road, Ellensburg. Call (800) 925-9800 to make a reservation. Make sure you identify yourself as being with the WSGS Conference to get that special rate!
The TriCity Genealogical Society’s Archived Document Contest began April 1. There were a total of six entries during the month. Facebook readers stood by with anticipation as entries were made from individuals who had found wonderful family gems off line. Four of the entries posted during the month were received from family members, one from a microfilm at the Family History Library, and another one by making a telephone call to the National Archives Branch in Boston.
Flavor of life unfolded before our eyes as we learned that succulent details of ancestors’ lives were available, but not in huge databases. We got to enjoy pages from a personal journal, a holiday card with an important announcement, and an article written by an 11 year old boy that was published in a national magazine. The information shared in these artifacts helped the researchers enjoy a more personal understanding of their ancestor.
We also got to enjoy the more standardized genealogical finds like naturalization declarations, citizenship applications, and newspaper clippings. The ones shared during the contest though were not digitized. Many times the researcher had to work a little harder to obtain the information they were seeking, but the rewards were well worth the exploration.
If the results from this month’s contest were going to recommend the repository with the best results, family members would win. This should encourage all of us to seek information from our own family member repositories. This contest however is for the best submitted document that was obtained in any fashion other than the Internet.
Our winner for the month of April is Margie Stein Beldin. The final step in Margie’s long adventure in obtaining the Naturalization Declaration of her 2nd Great Grandfather was a phone call to the National Archives Branch in Boston. Margie wins a one year Premium Membership to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. You can get more information about this prize by going to www.GenealogyGems.com
Below is what Margie submitted about her amazing search for information and how she was able to obtain results.
” More than 15 years ago, I found the naturalization papers for my Irish gr gr grandfather, Frances McCue. However, it was impossible to decipher the name of the county he came from. I knew little about Irish research except that you had to know at least the county to begin researching in Ireland.
In 2001, I attended my first national conference, NGS-Portland. Wanting to know more about Irish research, I attended several presentations by Irish genealogists. Kyle Betit was one of them. I explained to him my dilemma and he offered to look at the naturalization document to see if he could decipher the place.
Before I turned to Kyle, however, I decided to try again on my own. The naturalization papers did show that Francis had filed his Declaration of Intent 24 June 1851. In 2002, I went to Boston for the first time and met a cousin, Patricia McHugh, who wanted to help me search for our Irish ancestor. She and I drove to Waltham to NARA-Boston to look through the books ourselves. However, we met with disappointment when we found a gap in the documents surrounding the time Francis would have filed his declaration. We left frustrated.
I then turned to Kyle who tried to read the county but could not decipher it. Pat even took a copy of the naturalization paper to Ireland on vacation. People there said the place had to be Lahinch. The problem was, Lahinch is not a county but a town. I didn’t buy that explanation at all.
In 2012, I was reading the Berkshire Genealogist, a publication of the Berkshire Family History Association. Their local librarian wrote about locating naturalization records. This led me to try once again to find the declaration of intent. I sent an email to NARA-Boston with a copy of what I did have and an explanation about not finding the declaration back in 2002.
Within days of my email I received the following email: “The declaration of intent for Francis McHugh has been located. We can provide a copy of the record for a fee of $7.50 per record…” Needless to say, I was on the phone in minutes reading them my credit card number. Within a few days, I received the declaration in the mail and there, in bold, legible handwriting, it said “County Leitrim, Ireland”. It was time to do the genealogy Happy Dance!
It only took 12 years+ and I still do not know the exact birth place of Francis McCue or if any of his family survived the famine besides him, but I’m one step closer. And, lucky for me, County Leitrim is one of the smaller counties.” 
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 400 outstanding volunteers, 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 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Today we’re introducing Susan Stewart Rumble of Monitor, Washington, who was nominated by the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS). She was recognized for her leadership, knowledge, and volunteer efforts toward the goals and operation of the WAGS.
Susan Stewart Rumble
A long-time member of WAGS, Susan has served as the society’s Vice President since 2002 and has continued to be resourceful in providing relevant educational programs and speakers for the WAGS members.
She has always been willing to “wear many hats.” One example is when the society’s former president relocated and vacated her partial term three years ago, Ms. Rumble dutifully filled that position of leadership. Additionally, when no replacement was found for the last two years, she capably continued as President Pro-tem. Among the many responsibilities she also fulfills are membership notifications and promoting the WAGS in the local community.
The continued dedication and support Ms. Rumble has exhibited demonstrate that she richly deserved this recognition in 2014.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
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.
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 400 outstanding volunteers, 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 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Today we’re introducing Donna Potter Phillips, of Spokane, Washington, who was nominated by the Tri-City Genealogical Society (TCGS). She was recognized for her leadership, knowledge, and volunteer efforts toward the goals and operation of the TCGS.
Donna Potter Phillips
Ms. Phillips has supported the TCGS as a member for many years even though her primary membership as been with the Eastern Washington Genealogica Society. Over the years, Ms. Phillips has presented many genealogy lectures and classes for TCGS, and has been called “my favorite teacher” by many. She has planted the seed, fertilized it and energized her students’ interest in genealogy. Many have said that when she talks, one wants to listen. She has also encouraged many TCGS members to “write their book.”
Ms. Phillips has been an inspiration to many and has been credited with “firing up” TCGW members’ genealogy research and writing their family history stories. Her valuable assets and generosity illustrate that she richly deserved being a recipient of a WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2014.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
Have you registered for the 2015 WSGS Conference yet? Come spend the day with David Rencher, FamilySearch’s Chief Genealogical Officer talk about “Strategies and Visions for the Future.”
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Hope to see you on Saturday June 27, 2015, at the Quality Inn and Conference Center in Ellensburg.
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 400 outstanding volunteers, 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 months, you will be introduced to each of the 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Today we’re introducing Shirley Penna-Oakes of Tum Tum, Washington, who was nominated by the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS). She was recognized for her leadership, knowledge, and volunteer efforts toward the goals and operation of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society (EWGS).
Shirley Penna-Oakes
Ms. Penna-Oakes has been an outstanding member of EWGS and several other genealogical societies over the years. She has been President and Vice President of EWGS; Cascade Genealogical Society, Montana; and the Stillaguamish Genealogical Society, Arlington, Washington. She has also been a WSGS Regional Representative for Districts 1 and 7, as well as Chair of the WSGS Conference in Everett in 1992. She worked on EWGS’s “State Fair” and their “Walking with Ancestors” from 2010 to 2014. She served as EWGS’s Outreach/Educational chairman from 2010 – 2011, and was the founder/director of the Elizabeth Doherty Genealogical Library.
Ms. Penna-Oakes has published 16 surname and query books and lectures in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. She is an outstanding volunteer at the EWGS and richly deserved being a recipient of a 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, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized more than 400 outstanding volunteers, 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 months, you will be introduced to each of the 2014 award recipients and learn why they received the 2014 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Today we’re introducing Marlene Whiteman Payne of Elma, Washington, who was nominated by the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society (GHGS). She was recognized for her dedication in identifying and preserving historical documents of importance and value related to families and locations in Grays Harbor County, Washington.
Marlene Payne
Ms. Payne has been tireless in her efforts to collect Grays Harbor records, generously donating her research and documents to the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society’s research library. To date, the GHGS library holds more than 200 volumes of records, donated by Ms. Payne, including funeral records, cemetery records, birth and death certificates, especially focused on East Grays Harbor County.
Ms. Payne is the GHGS’s behind-the-scenes archivist. For all she researched, preserved and donated, she richly deserved being a recipient of a 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, Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.
Are you excited about the WSGS Conference on June 27, 2015? David Rencher is, too!
In a recent interview, David, chief genealogical officer at FamilySearch and the headliner at the conference in Ellensburg, expressed his excitement about returning to Washington State — a place he’s been many times.
David and his family have strong ties to Yakima, where his wife Tamara was raised. Tamara is the daughter of Luella (Robinson) and J. Franklin Howell. Dr. Howell (1932 – 2012) was an pioneering entomologist who worked with a government program in Yakima on pheromone technology to control the coddling moth.
If you haven’t registered yet for the conference, do it now. It promises to be educational and enlightening.