Category Archives: Society News

Heritage Quest Research Library Researching in German Church Records

by Charles Hansen
Explore the Exceptional Genealogy Classes at HQRL! Join us online via Zoom or in person at HQRL and connect with fellow genealogy enthusiasts who share your curiosity and drive—together, we can explore the fascinating world of family history! JOIN US for our next class on August 6, 2026! Don’t miss out, sign up today! CLICK HERE to register for this class! Visit our blog for great tips & hints exploring your family story! Click Here to See All of Our 2026 Classes! HQRL.com / Classes & Events / Contact
Heritage Quest Research Library | 2102 East Main Ave Suite 105 | Puyallup, WA 98372 US

Heritage Quest Research Library Norwegians in America

by Charles Hansen
J
OIN US for our next class on July 23, 2026! Don’t miss out, sign up today! Explore the Exceptional Genealogy Classes at HQRL! Join us online via Zoom or in person at HQRL and connect with fellow genealogy enthusiasts who share your curiosity and drive—together, we can explore the fascinating world of family history!
CLICK HERE to register for this class! Visit our blog for great tips & hints exploring your family story! Click Here to See All of Our 2026 Classes! HQRL.com / Classes & Events / Contact
Heritage Quest Research Library | 2102 East Main Ave Suite 105 | Puyallup, WA 98372 US

Heritage Quest Research Library July Happenings

by Charles Hansen

From Heritage Quest Research Library on 2026-07-02 06:25

HQRL Happenings July 2026 Happy Fourth of July Holiday



Upcoming Events
HQRL Class
Thursday, July 9
Top 10 Tips for Using AI effectively in Genealogy:
Unlocking New Possibilities 
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Heritage Quest Research Library (Classroom & Zoom)
Join Diane Henriks to learn how to integrate Artificial Intelligence tools into your research workflows confidently and ethically.


Wednesday July 15
Management Team Meeting
12 noon – 2 pm
HQRL Class Room and Zoom


Thursday, July 23
HQRL Class
Norwegians in America 
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Heritage Quest Research Library (Classroom & Zoom)
Join Eleanor Brinsko to learn about Norwegian immigrant ports of entrance, newspapers, Norwegian settlements in America and strategies to track
your ancestors.
Register in the HQRL Store, $20+tax and $25+tax for non-members.
HQRL classroom in-person (limit of 8 persons) or via zoom – a zoom link will be sent to your email 1-2 days before the class along with any handouts. see flyer

Celebrating Our Roots
A Spectacular Evening of History and Heritage
Our recent heritage event was an absolute triumph, bringing history to life through vibrant storytelling, stunning period attire, and a shared passion for genealogy.


Thanks to Roger Pasquier, who stepped up to serve as our emcee. Roger did a phenomenal job keeping everyone involved and ensured the program moved as smoothly as possible. When he wasn’t at the podium, he was out in the crowd, mingling with guests, sharing laughs, and making new friends feel right at home.


Guests were treated to a truly unique experience when Vern Frykholm took the floor in full dress as General George Washington. He captivated the audience with a detailed outline of the Washington family tree—a fitting topic for our genealogy community! Afterward, “the General” mingled with the crowd, graciously answering history questions. The most adorable moments of the evening came when he politely bowed to the ladies who paused to speak with him, bringing true 18th-century chivalry to the room.


We were also honored to welcome our guest speaker from the Daughters of the American Revolution Pam Gassman, Mary Ball DAR Chapter, Tacoma, who looked stunning in her lovely colonial dress and gave a talk about her own research of her family history. Adding to the authenticity of the event, several of our own HQRL ladies donned beautiful costumes mirroring late 18th-century fashion. Their dedication to historical accuracy truly transported us all back in time and made the celebration unforgettable.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and dressed up to make this event such a resounding success!
 
Many thanks also to M.Hajler Photography, Lakewood, WA, who donated her time and did an excellent job of capturing the many features  that made this event so successful. 


All in all it, our very first dinner-auction was a noteworthy success and great fun. At last estimate we raised over $11,000 for the library.  
  
Heritage Quest Research Library | 2102 East Main Ave Suite 105 | Puyallup, WA 98372 US

Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society Oregon Trail Collection

by Charles Hansen

Dear Members and Friends, 

This month is a milestone for history preservation, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Museum and the William G. Dick Library uploaded two very special databases that is in the interest of  both historical and genealogical research. 
Long time coming, with a grant from the City of The Dalles, the photo archive and the Oregon – California Trail Inscription Database is now online and is available for the public. 

Over 30,000 photos from the Wasco County Pioneer Association and thousands of donated photos from area residents and journalists and the Jim Henderson Oregon – California Trail Emigrant Inscription Collection with over 5,000 trail inscriptions from Missouri to Oregon. We hope everyone will enjoy and utilize these in their family research. 




Links to these databases  – 

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/oregon-trail-collection

https://www.gorgediscovery.org/photo-archives

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Education Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Meeting
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm


This month’s presentation: Free RootsTech 2026 video presented by David Ouimette titled FamilySearch Full-Text Search – Your Golden Path to Ancestral Discovery.

“In this session, we show how FamilySearch applies generative AI to read historical handwriting and produce complete transcripts of billions of pages of historical manuscripts in a variety languages and scripts. We describe how FamilySearch identifies names, dates, and places in the text distilled from these documents. We then demonstrate techniques for searching the resulting full text by keyword, name, date, and place. We show how to leverage filter and search features in tandem so that you can readily find the records that reveal your ancestors and tell their stories. Sponsored by FamilySearch”

This month’s meeting will be Zoom Only until we can find a new physical location to meet in person.

Attend virtually via Zoom:
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqduGpqjgsHtBNs9zc8CGna6R-KHlcz5so/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqToiG9CWth2DRpwAB4j4WevwiHZdgrd_sgy8GSMLQST4N7Rwf5lXHNvK

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86718143644?pwd=S0FjYU5acVVKbDEyamdXWWZVekFjdz09
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

One tap mobile
+12532050468,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US
+12532158782,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location

        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society Navigating the Seven C’s of Genealogy

by Charles Hansen

Stillaquamish Valley Genealogical Society

Monthly Business Meeting & Presentation

Navigating the Seven C’s of Genealogy

Tuesday, June 9th

1:00 pm

SVGS Library

6111 188 PL NE, Arlington, WA

This month we will be watching another great pre-recorded webinar at the SVGS Library presented by Thomas MacEntee.

Thomas’s topic: Navigating the Seven C’s of Genealogy

Do genealogy “resolutions” really work? How about setting genealogy “goals” or “themes” instead? Thomas has developed list of seven “themes” to guide you this year and hopefully you can institute these as general “rules to do genealogy by” over the next few years. The themes cover most areas of concern for every family historian, whether you’ve been at this for some time or you are just getting started. Participants will learn how to focus on seven key areas of genealogy research: Clean, Collect, Curate, Create, Connect, Conserve and Continue.

Bio: 

Thomas MacEntee is a Baby Boomer guy with a love of punk rock music but also art history who somehow “fell” into the technology industry almost 40 years ago and then left a lucrative IT career to pursue his love of family history and genealogy. Technology and historical research are opposites, but “tech people” like Thomas are needed to guide today’s genealogists through the maze of options so they can deploy the best apps and devices to break down research brick walls. Thomas MacEntee: author, educator, advocate, entrepreneur, and that “genealogy guy” who helps you accomplish your family history goals.

There will be a short break with refreshments after the presentation followed by our monthly business meeting.

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society June Education Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Monthly Educational Meeting
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm


This month Our Webmaster Jane Irish Nelson will share with us a sneak peek of our new website that is currently being built to better serve our Society.

This month’s meeting will be Zoom Only until we can find a new physical location to meet in person.

Attend virtually via Zoom:
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZIqduGpqjgsHtBNs9zc8CGna6R-KHlcz5so/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGuqToiG9CWth2DRpwAB4j4WevwiHZdgrd_sgy8GSMLQST4N7Rwf5lXHNvK

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86718143644?pwd=S0FjYU5acVVKbDEyamdXWWZVekFjdz09
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

One tap mobile
+12532050468,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US
+12532158782,,86718143644#,,,,*630507# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location

        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 867 1814 3644
Passcode: 630507

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcFbCNTY39

Tri-City Genealogical Society Repatriation of MIA/KIA using DNA

by Charles Hansen

Please join us for Tri-City Genealogical Society’s General meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10th.  The presentation will be at the Richland FamilySearch Center located at 1314A Goethals Dr.  Entrance is down the ramp from the parking lot north of Dairy Queen.  The presentation will also be on Zoom so you can join in from your home.  See below for the Zoom link for the May presentation.

  And, on June 10th, longtime TCGS member and TCGS Librarian, Sandra Meacham Floberg, will    discuss “Repatriation of MIA/KIA using DNA.”

  TCGS will be on hiatus for July and August.  Presentations will resume on September 9.

  Thank you to everyone who has already joined TCGS for 2026.  For those who would like to join, the online application can be found at https://tricitygenealogicalsociety.org/q/join/join_renew/ and a printable application can be found at https://tricitygenealogicalsociety.org/q/wp-content/uploads/2023TCGSBrochure.pdf .

Topic: Tri-City Genealogical Society June 10 General Meeting

Time: Jun 10, 2026 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83287561186?pwd=RYBPt5yalavP5Ev5ojPYtr0Ww01VTi.1

Meeting ID: 832 8756 1186

Passcode: 196119