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Category Archives: Society News
VGA March Updates
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| March Updates VGA Now Offers Live Closed Captioning for all Events!VGA is excited to announce that all VGA webinars, events, and conference will be closed captioned! We have partnered with Rev.com to offer this service free to any member who desires it! All you have to do is turn on closed captioning and live transcription in Zoom. Upcoming Webinars On March 2nd, at 8pm Eastern Pam Vestal will present “What the Heck Does That Say? Overcoming Difficult Handwriting” On March 20th at 11am Eastern, Mary Patricia Voell will present “Family History, Genealogy, and Cognitive Health”You can register to watch webinars live by logging in to your VGA account and going to “Upcoming Webinars” in the Members Center. As always, they’ll be posted in the “Previous Webinars” section within 48 hours of the live event. VGA Members Only Community Forum VGA is excited to announce the Members Only Community Forum! This new forum located in the Members Center will allow VGA members to access and post topic specific content in one central location without having to hop from group to group. The Community Forum will grow as members post content which all VGA members can do!Because of this switch VGA will be archiving all of the topic specific Facebook groups on March 1st. Genearosity with Judy G. Russell If you missed our inaugural Genearosity lecture feature Judy G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist, you’re in luck! You can still watch it on demand by registering on the Genearosity page. The cost is $10 for VGA members and $15 for non-members. All proceeds benefit the Sluby Scholarship of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. |
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings
Researching Colonial American Ancestor
Saturday, March 6 Monthly Meeting (EWGS Meetings) 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm Meeting via Zoom Jane Haldeman will present: Researching Colonial American Ancestors: Southern Colonies Did your ancestor live in one of the Original Thirteen Colonies? Were they here before the Revolutionary War? Each colonist came to the “new world” for different reasons and each colony was different. They came for both religious and economic opportunities. The Southern Colonies, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia were rural, with planters and farmers. Besides English immigrants there were Scots, Scots-Irish, Germans and Africans. Find out what records are available and where they are, so you can learn about your Southern Colonial American Ancestors.
Spring Seminar (April 3, 2021)
 Saturday, April 3 Spring Seminar (Seminar) 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Meeting via Zoom We have 2 NATIONALLY known speakers!! Karen Stanbary – Author/Lecturer will be presenting: 1) DNA: A Power Tool in the Genealogist’s Tool Box – Learn the many ways DNA test results confirm and advance documentary research. Fun and entertaining lecture. All levels. 2) The Everleigh Sisters: A Case Study in Conflict Resolution – Minnie and Ada Everleigh, Chicago’s most famous pair of sisters, fabricated many details of their lives in order to run their shady business. Learn to sort the fact from the fiction. Maureen Taylor – The Photo Detective will be presenting: Photo Detective Roadshow – EWGS members submit photos and Maureen does a live show weighing in on our mysteries! Please submit photos to Lynn Krogh at lynndenyse@msn.com and please include any information you know about the photo. Cost is $25 for EWGS members and $40 for non-members. Registration via PayPal or credit card is available on the EWGS website. This will allow payment by credit card even if you are not a PayPal member. MAXIMUM REGISTRATION is 100 registrations. Each registration will receive the Zoom information just before the seminar. To register with a check send your check made out to EWGS to: EWGS P. O. Box 1826 Spokane, WA 99210-1826 Please include your email address with the check. |
German Interest Group of the Eastside Genealogical Society March Meeting
The German Interest Group of The Eastside Genealogical Society (EGS)meeting
When: Friday, March 5, 2020 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm PT – Virtually
Topic: “Connect Your Family: Useful Research Strategies”
Do you have a broken branch or stump in your family tree? Come learn some useful research strategies to find your brick wall ancestors.
Presenter: Dana Palmer, CG®, CGL(SM) has been a genealogy instructor since 2010 and has spoken at many genealogy events and conferences. She specializes in Midwestern research and has experience in Germany, Denmark, and the U.K. She loves problem solving and tracking down those elusive ancestors.
More information: https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/
Visitors are always welcome. To request an invitation, please use the Contact tab on our website, no later than 2 days prior to our meeting.
Seattle Genealogical Society News
JENNIFER WELLS, VOLUNTEER OF WINTER QUARTER
Each quarter, the Seattle Genealogical Society recognizes one member as our Volunteer of the Quarter. Our Volunteer for Winter 2021 Quarter is Jennifer Wells.
Jennifer is being honored for her work writing grant proposals. Our most recent grant from 4Culture enabled the society to purchase sneeze guards, thermometers, and other materials to enable safe reopening of the library when State COVID restrictions allow.
Jennifer has been a member of Seattle Genealogical Society (SGS) since April 2018. She has attended SGS seminars and Second Saturday events and participates in the DNA Special Interest Group (SIG). She always appreciates opportunities to learn something new about genealogy, which might be access to new historical resources, techniques to analyze and organize genealogical research, or sharing of genealogical research and family stories with other members. She particularly enjoyed Herb McDaniel’s presentations at the DNA SIG.
In her personal genealogical research, Jennifer has many examples of (not uncommon) family secrets kept by relatives born in the 1920s and 1930s. She was able to determine that a DNA match predicted to be a first cousin is her half-niece from a paternal half-sibling, which would have been difficult to determine by genealogical research alone. The secret was shared only after her father’s death. Jennifer has many such stories to tell.
She has also had fun finding new Irish surnames. On a visit to Ireland in 2019, she met an elderly gentleman who may be distantly related (shared surname and ancestral location). The trip was not intended for genealogical research, but rather to see where her ancestors may have lived, so stumbling onto a possible relative was just a lucky coincidence. DNA suggests she also has Scottish and Northern Irish ancestors. The future holds more research and perhaps a trip to Scotland.
Jennifer has been the grants coordinator since January 2020. She says, “I like to find money for SGS so that a variety of programs and resources can be offered to its members and guests.” We can all appreciate that.
Congratulations, and thank you, Jennifer!
A PEEK AT THE SPRING SEMINAR!
The SGS Spring Seminar is scheduled for May 15, 2021, and the guest speaker will be Paul Miner.
Paul, a professional genealogist and internationally known lecturer, is a native of northern England who specializes in British Isles research. He has been designing genealogy workshops, writing books, and lecturing for over 35 years. Paul holds an advanced degree in Theology and is particularly knowledgeable about the church and its role in record keeping. As a genealogist he speaks on a variety of topics relating to research in the British Isles, migration to North America, and research methodology. Stay tuned. Details and registration for the seminar will appear in the eNews! and on the SGS website seagensoc.org within the next few weeks.
HOPE FOR THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES IN SEATTLE
On Friday, February 12, 2021, a US District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction to halt the sale of the National Archives property on Sand Point Way NE in Seattle. In coalition with 29 tribes and community organizations, Washington AG Bob Ferguson filed suit on January 4, 2021, seeking to declare the sale of the property to developers illegal. The injunction will allow time for the suit to work its way through the courts.
* SAVE THE DATE *
The International German Genealogy Partnership presents,a
“Researching Together Worldwide / Weltweit Gemeinsam Forschen”,
the first ever International German Genealogy Virtual Conference,
July 17-24, 2021
Is German genealogy one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2021? If so, be sure to mark your calendars for July 17-24, 2021. The IGGP Conference, which only takes place every two years, is your chance to take a deep dive into all things German genealogy – and learn from the experts themselves. This year, the conference will be virtual, which means you can tune in from anywhere in the world!
Don’t miss the “Early Bird Special” price. To learn more about this event, sign up for the conference newsletter on their website:
https://iggp.org
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS*
In consideration of COVID-19 social distancing recommendations, the SGS Library is closed until further notice and SGS in-person events have been replaced with online events.
** Go to the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links and for any last minute updates or changes to the schedule.
Wednesday, Feb 17, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Tuesday, Feb 23, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 pm, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Saturday, March 6, 2021, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly, Discover the many ways to use Family Tree and FamilySearch. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A. Want to join the mailing list? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com
Sunday, March 7, 2021, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, To be included you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join.
Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm, MAC SIG Interest Group (Virtual), Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske, this group meets every other month from October through June on the second Wednesday of the month from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Meetings address topics and resources helpful for those using MacIntosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion program in their genealogy research.
The link to logon will be sent to the MAC SIG email list. People wishing to attend should email dhettrick@earthlink.net to be added to the mailing list. Co-chaired by Lisa Marker and Diane Hettrick
Saturday, March 13, 2021, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM), chaired by Rob Sexton, Learn and share tips and tricks for using Family Tree Maker 2017 by Software MacKiev™ . Want to join this SIG? Email operations@seagensoc.org.
Saturday, March 13, 2021, 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm, SGS Membership Meeting – Virtual, The March SGS Membership meeting is the time that the Board presents the slate of nominees for Board positions in preparation for the May election. We expect to have some open positions, so remember that nominations may be made by the membership at any time, including at this meeting.
In addition, there are two major interconnected projects underway we will discuss. First, we are working to reduce the physical size of our library, part of which is a plan to move large parts of it online to facilitate access by SGS members and the genealogy community at large. Second, as mentioned at earlier meetings, our lease runs out this year and we have been looking for a new location. We will be providing information about both of these topics and asking for feedback from the membership.
Saturday, March 13, 2021, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Second Saturday Series:”Why They Left, Where They Went, and the Tales Their Journeys Can Reveal”, presenter will be Pam Vestal
Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 pm, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Saturday, March 27, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, DNA Interest Group, with Cary Bright & Craig Gowens, to be included you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list.
Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join. Link to be sent to the email group prior to the meeting with the pdf handout
South King County Genealogical Society
Did you get a DNA test for Christmas? Even while waiting for your results to arrive, there is much you can do to make your test results useful to you as you research your family. We’ll begin with creating a profile, show you how to get started with your tree and where you can research for free! See what your “match list” looks like and how to start using that. There will be plenty of time for questions.
Presented by MaryLynn Strickland AND Valorie Zimmerman of the South King County Genealogical Society.
REGISTER: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/events/601d78ab78553424005eb852
MyHeritage Border Crossings Collection
I am happy to share that we’ve just released a new collection: United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956, which consists of 12.5 million historical records.
During the late 19th century many immigrants to the U.S. arrived via passage from Canada to avoid harsh inspections at U.S. ports like Ellis Island. The collection, which includes images, is significant as it offers important details of travelers as they made their way to the United States. The MyHeritage index offers additional details not found in other versions of this collection, such as information on family members.
Search the U.S. Border Crossings from Canada, 1895–1956 collection now
The records include the individual’s name, age, gender, date of arrival, arrival port, marital status, birth date, birth place, last residence, destination, port of departure, and nationality, as well as the names and addresses of family members both in the United States and the home country. In addition to immigrants seeking citizenship in the United States, many of the records in the collection pertain to U.S. or Canadian citizens passing through the border for work or travel.
You can search the collection now and read more about it in the blog post.
And as it’s Abraham Lincoln’s birthday today I remind you to watch and share our new ad
Please share this exciting announcement with your audience, along with the blog post and attached visual.
Enjoy,
Daniel Horowitz Genealogy Expert
| MyHeritage Ltd., P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon Blvd., Or Yehuda, Israel 6037606, Israel, +972-3-6280000 |
Heritage Quest Research Library Open Saturdays
| Happy Valentines Day! We haven’t had much to cheer about lately, so we are very excited to let you know that we are now OPEN on Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. We are still required to social distance and wear face masks. It makes for a great opportunity to browse the stacks alone. Come in and see what’s new in our collection. |
| We’re also excited to share some news from our friends at Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society. The Spring Seminar information is out and you can read all about it and register at https://tpcgs.org/seminar.html We hope to see you there! HERITAGE QUEST RESEARCH LIBRARY |
Tri-City Genealogical Society February Meeting
Please register for Documenting and Sharing Family Histories With Stories and Photos on Feb 10, 2021, 7:00 PM at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4198945159119097355
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
=========================This months meeting will be a little different than our previous Zoom meetings. Jacqui Porter message above describes this month’s topic (Documenting and Sharing Family Histories with Stories and Photos) and provides a link to pre-register. This month’s meeting is a webinar rather than a normal zoom meeting. That means that the presenter sets up the meeting using their account and controls access to the presentation, thus you need to pre-register. Once you pre-register you will receive an email with a link to the presentation. Use that link like you have for our previous meetings and enjoy the presentation.
This will be the method we use next month as well. Most of the purchased programs we will be providing operate in a similar manner.
We hope you enjoy these programs and welcome your feedback.
Bill Floberg
Board Chair, TCGS
Seattle Genealogical Society News
FEBRUARY 13, 2021
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
“HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR FAMILY TREE:
DISCOVERING HEALTH ISSUES”
This month’s Second Saturday speaker is Janice Lovelace and the presentation will be an in-depth look at building a health genogram starting with a traditional genealogical pedigree chart. Also to be covered, a basic overview of DNA, epigenetics, and inheritance of health issues. Several physical and mental health issues will be discussed in greater detail. Join in this virtual presentation. See the SGS Website for the Zoom meeting link.
Message From Our SGS Past President, Jill Morelli
Genealogical Colleagues,
I have been asked to present on the effects of the Pandemic on genealogical societies. I have developed a 19 question survey for members of all societies to gather ideas of before/after/future Pandemic impacts. If you are willing, I would love to have your observations.
Here’s the deal. Any society that is used as the focus society will be offered the written report and an opportunity to have the presentation given to the audience of their choice, virtually, one time.
Here is the link to the survey–and thank you! Jill
https://forms.gle/5ggekYEZRYdgCkE8A
SGS MEMBERSHIP MEETING
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021 AT 12:00 PM
VIRTUAL
SGS Members, don’t miss this important SGS Membership Meeting. Recruiting efforts and candidates for the Board of Director positions will be discussed. Additionally, there are two major interconnected projects underway we will be talking about.
First, we are working to reduce the physical size of our library, part of which is a plan to move large parts of it online to facilitate access by SGS members and the genealogy community at large.
Second, as mentioned at earlier meetings, our lease runs out this year and we have been looking for a new location.
We will be providing information about both of these topics and asking for feedback from the membership.
LEVEL I – GENEALOGY BASICS & BEYOND
Registration is now open for the next series of “Level I – Genealogy Basics & Beyond” with Valerie Lair. This small-group course includes seven 2-hour sessions, meeting weekly online. It covers how to successfully conduct research in census records, vital records, newspapers, city directories, churches, cemeteries, military records; using major online resources along with libraries and archives; and so much more. The course will challenge you in perfecting your genealogy skills.
The next series is scheduled to meet online March 9 – April 27, 2021, Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm PT (8:00 pm CT). It is limited to five registrants.
Register now!
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfCZhnKkgs7UP…/viewform
Instructor: Valerie Lair
* SAVE THE DATE *
The International German Genealogy Partnership presents,
“Researching Together Worldwide / Weltweit Gemeinsam Forschen”,
the first ever International German Genealogy Virtual Conference,
July 17-24, 2021
Is German genealogy one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2021? If so, be sure to mark your calendars for July 17-24, 2021. The IGGP Conference, which only takes place every two years, is your chance to take a deep dive into all things German genealogy – and learn from the experts themselves. This year, the conference will be virtual, which means you can tune in from anywhere in the world!
Don’t miss the “Early Bird Special” price. To learn more about this event, sign up for the conference newsletter on their website:
https://iggp.org
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS*
In consideration of COVID-19 social distancing recommendations, the SGS Library is closed until further notice and SGS in-person events have been replaced with online events.
** Go to the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links and for any last minute updates or changes to the schedule.
Wednesday, Feb 3, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Saturday, Feb 6, 2021, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, Family Search Interest Group with Lou Daly, Discover the many ways to use Family Tree and Family Search. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A. Want to join the mailing list? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com
Sunday, Feb 7, 2021, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, To be included you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join.
Tuesday, Feb 9, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.
Wednesday, Feb 10, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Saturday, Feb 13, 2021, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Second Saturday Series:”How Healthy is Your Family Tree: Discovering Health Issues”, presenter will be Janice Lovelace
Wednesday, Feb 17, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Tuesday, Feb 23, 2021, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcomed. No appointment necessary. Visit www.seagensoc.org Calendar of Events for the Zoom meeting link.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021, 10:00 am-11:30 pm, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
NOT A MEMBER YET? JOIN NOW FOR 1 1/2 YEARS! During the first quarter of 2021, January 1st – March 31st, new members may join the Seattle Genealogical Society with a membership that extends through May 31, 2022. Obtain a year and a half of discounted class and event registration fees, free research requests, and access to exclusive SGS publications and databases. Dues are $60 individual, $75 dual. Read more…
Join Online Now