The McCleary Museum & Event Center invites you to their 2024 Genealogy Conference to be held on Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will be in-person at the Museum at 426 S. Third Street, McCleary. Tickets are $12 or $10 for those who have an active membership in any genealogical society. Click here to register.

Topics and speakers include:

• “Direct Link to the Past- City Directories for Genealogy” presented by Mary Kircher Roddy, CG; Writer; Lecturer;  trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and co-founder of the Applied Genealogy Institute.  
  City Directories are a tool for genealogists to fill in gaps between census years and learn more about ancestors. But if you’re just searching for a name, you’re missing out! In this presentation see many sources to find directories. Mary will show you what to look for in them, including understanding the “anatomy” of a directory and what might be in one. Learn some tips for getting the most out of them by using address searches, alternate spellings, advertisements and more to understand your ancestors’ world and their movements within it. Directories are also a source for historical images that might not be available elsewhere. See how to track your searches and results using spreadsheets. And learn how directories will lead you to clues for further follow-up research.

• “Branching Out in the Evergreen State” presented by Roxanne Ferbrache Lowe, Past President, Grays Harbor Genealogical Society; Web Master, Washington State Genealogical Society.  
  There are many resources for finding members of your family tree in the Evergreen State. Roxanne will share a few free resources for those with Washington State (and Washington Territory) roots. Even if you don’t have Washington ancestors, many of the resources may apply to you. She will also talk about the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Pioneer Pursuit program.

• “Adventures of a Find A Grave Volunteer “  presented by Diane Carter, Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR; Volunteer for Find A Grave; Member of Society of Mayflower Descendants and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.   
  Some people tiptoe through the tulips. Diane wanders through graveyards —mosquito lotion, sun blocker, umbrella, notepad and camera in hand —photographing headstones and creating on-line memorials. Whenever possible,  she adds family links, genealogy, and personal photos to the memorials that she has created.  She even creates imaginary cemeteries! “What madness is this?” you may ask. “Genealogists need facts, not made-up stuff.” And the answer is that even imaginary cemeteries can be helpful for a genealogist —or an organization.
  Find A Grave is a free resource and her efforts are viewable by anyone with Internet access and from any part of the world. Come tiptoe with Diane through Find A Grave.

• “Memberships to Lineage Societies and How to Prepare Documentation” Also presented by Diane Carter. 
  As Registrar for the Robert Gray Chapter of DAR which serves Grays Harbor County, Diane  prepares applications for women wishing to join her chapter. She also serves with a state team that reviews applications. She has advised people seeking membership in other lineage societies. In all cases, She carefully scrutinizes the generations listed, the links between generations, the documentations supporting the links and the sources of the documents. The pieces have to fit and she can tell a few stories about the curious routes that have been taken to prove someone’s lineage. 

Other opportunities of the day include networking, a museum tour, light refreshments, local genealogy resources and more.  You may choose to bring your own lunch or pre-order one of the lunch specials before 9/29/24 from The Bears Den, options detailed on ticket purchase page.