Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

SGS100 PRESERVATION SEMINAR
with DENISE LEVENICK, THE FAMILY CURATOR
JUNE 17-18, 2023

To commemorate our 100th year, SGS is putting on a special seminar. It will be four lectures presented over two days. 

The dates and times : 

  • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Saturday, June 17
  • 1:00 PM –   4:00 PM on Sunday, June 18 

The lectures : 

  • Preserving the Past: Archiving and Digitizing Your Family Keepsakes
  • Selecting and Preparing Images for Family History Projects
  • Archival Storage Strategies and Solutions
  • Family History Projects for the Digital Age

This seminar is free to SGS members. Non-members will be charged a small fee. This will be an online seminar via Zoom. Registration is required. Registration will open in May 2023. Watch for it on the SGS website. 

The Family Curator, Denise Levenick, is the author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes and How to Archive Family Photos. Her roots are in Kansas, Illinois, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Germany, and she loves researching in old courthouses and town halls.

The seminar will be recorded and the video will be available on the SGS website for a period of time after the seminar.  SGS members and paying registrants of the seminar will have access to the video.

SGS MEMBERS, DID YOU REMEMBER TO VOTE?

The SGS 2023 Election is April 1-30! Vote on SGS Board Members for 2023-24 and Changes to Bylaws

For 2023 Election information click hereGOOD SHEPHERD CENTER ELEVATOR UPDATE

The manager of the Good Shepherd Center has informed SGS that the elevator will likely be out of service well into May, and quite possibly until the end of May. The major hurdle at this point is getting all the permitting and reviewing required by Seattle and King County government done. Our apologies for the continued inconvenience. 

100 years ago: 25 April 1923

If one is looking for aerial maps of Seattle from 1923, you are probably in luck. Three articles in two days noted the fact that two army planes had been in Seattle taking aerial photographs of the City for mapping purposes. “photographers had to take 750 snap shots to get her all in…” The article further explains “The pictures were taken to form a mosaic of the city… The map is being prepared for the army, but copies will also go to congressional committees to enable them to visualize the harbor and
development problems of Seattle.”

“Aviators Snap Seattle From Dizzy Height, City Has Pictures Taken Yesterday From Army Planes; to Make
U.S. Army Maps,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 24 Apr 1923, p H 13, col 8.

“Army Planes Leave Seattle,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 25 Apr 1923, p H6, col 4.

“Seattle Majestic Queen City, Revealed by Aviators,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 25 Apr 1923, p H7, col 1.

* Watch each eNews! issue for “100 years ago”, our new anecdotal series. We will be running it for the duration of 2023, our centennial year. 

CALL FOR CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

The Pacific Northwest Historians Guild invites proposals for presentations at its biennial conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the downtown Seattle Public Library.

This year’s conference title is “Revisit and Reimagine Pacific Northwest Histories.” What and how we research, how facts are interpreted, and how history is written are changing. How do broader perspectives inform our understanding of old stories and provide insight into new ones? How can history inform, repair and recast contemporary issues? Join us to share how you have revisited or reimagined a facet of regional history.

Proposals are due May 15, 2023

For more information, please visit: 

https://pnwhistorians.org/guild/index.php/pacific-northwest-history-conference/2023-history-conference/

SAVE THE DATE

Fiske Genealogical Library,  
Spring Classes 2023 – Virtual, 
Wednesdays, 
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

The program for May 3 is “Recreating Your Ancestor’s World” with Mary Kircher Roddy. The programs for May 10 and May 17 have yet to be announced. Check the Fiske Library website for updates: 
https://www.fiskelibrary.org/

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 
usually 2nd Monday meetings
usually 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Pacific Time

JGSWS meets on the second Monday of each month, from Sept-June. Doors open at 6:30 PM unless noted otherwise. The next meeting is May 8, 2023, and the program is “Three Minutes in Poland” with Glenn Kurtz. 

http://www.jgsws.org/meetings.php

International German Genealogy Partnership 2023 Conference,
June 9-11, 2023
Fort Wayne, Indiana 

This is a conference not to be missed by anyone doing German genealogy research anywhere in the world. Attend in person or online. For more info and registration visit:
https://iggp.org

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302
4649 Sunnyside Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
206 522-8658

New Hours :  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
10:00 am – 3:00 pm ** Please call ahead to make sure our library will be open. We are short on front desk volunteers. *** The elevator in the Good Shepherd Center will be out of service for the next several weeks. 

Masks are recommended  inside the Good Shepherd Center. Due to COVID the events listed below continue to be virtual, online via Zoom. Always check the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links, registration, or for last minute updates or changes to the schedule. Be advised you may need to register in advance to join a meeting. 

NOTICE: SGS has imposed more security on our Zoom meetings. Some meetings will begin with a waiting room.  The host must take action to let people into each meeting.  The host will try to open the waiting room about 10 minutes ahead of time. Please be patient.

All times listed are Pacific Time unless otherwise noted

Monday, May 1, 2023, 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, May 6, 2023, 10:15 am- 12:15 pm, FamilySearch SIG, with Lou Daly. Discover many ways to use the FamilySearch website in your research. Meeting includes instruction and time for Q&A. Email Lou to get on the email list: loudaly@nwlink.com 

Sunday, May 7, 2023,  1:00 pm-3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join. 

Monday, May 8, 2023, 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.

Monday, May 8, 2023, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm,  Board of Directors Meeting at SGS  (Virtual),  All SGS members are welcome to attend. Remember SGS has several board positions open. We need to fill them. Maybe you have the skills and time. 

Monday, May 8, 2023, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Write It Up! SIG (Virtual), Join this group  to share and discuss writing projects, resources, and ideas.  To join or learn more, contact Alaine Keisling at keisling@gmail.com 

Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. Bring us your problem; we’ll try to help. 

Wednesday, May 10, 2023,  7:00 pm-9:00 pm, MAC Computer SIG,  Co-chaired by Lisa Marker and Diane Hettrick. Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske. Meetings address topics and resources for Macintosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion genealogy software program. Meetings are on the second Wednesday of alternating months. A link to login will be sent to the MAC SIG email list. If you would like to join, send an email to macusersig@seagensoc.org to be added to the email list. 

Saturday, May 13, 2023,  1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Second Saturday: Creating Keepsakes, with Mary Kircher Roddy. Please register in advance. 

Monday, May 15, 2023, 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.

Friday, May 19, 2023,  10:30 am-12:30 pm, Family Tree Maker SIG, the FTM by Software MacKiev user’s group  meets via Zoom on the 3rd Friday of each month. If you would like to attend and are not on the SIG e-mail distribution list, please send an e-mail to egsgenealogyhelper@yahoo.com no later than Thursday, May 18th to request the meeting ld.

Saturday, May 20, 2023, 10:00 am- 12:00 pm, IRISH SIG, with Susan McKee and Jim Ryan. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Notice there is a new Zoom link.

Saturday, May 20, 2023, 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm, German SIG, with Carolyn Schott See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Notice there is a new Zoom link.

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm, Virtual Sunday: Something Old, Something New, Time-keeping: Calendars & Feast Days”,  with Jill Morelli. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Please register in advance. 

Monday, May 22, 2023, 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, May 23, 2023, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary. Bring us your problem; we’ll try to help. 

Monday, May 29, 2023, 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.

Sharon Neem Celebration of Life

by Charles Hansen

My dear friend Sharon Neem passed away on Wed. April 19, 2023 from heart disease.

There will be a celebration of life for Sharon on Saturday, May 20 at 11:00am in Stanwood at the 

Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center

27130 102nd Street 
Stanwood, WA 98292

Website: thefloydnorgaard.weebly.com

For more details you may contact her son Brian Ferguson:  brian.s.ferguson@gmail.com

Sharon was active in the Chief Whatcom Chapter of the D.A.R. and served in numerous leadership roles over the years and promoted the DAR with tremendous enthusiasm.

Sharon moved to Blaine, WA in the early 1990s. She immediately became active in the Blaine Senior Center and spearheaded

many activities to benefit seniors in the community. She was the essence of a positive, can-do attitude. 

She was also a former president of the Whatcom Genealogical Society and enjoyed serving as the society’s newsletter editor before moving to Stanwood in 2022.

Sharon was the first person I met when I moved to Skagit County in 1987. We quickly became close friends, celebrating weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and travels to the LDS Library in Salt Lake City for genealogy conferences, etc. Sharon got me interested in genealogy and also sparked my interest in reactivating my membership with the DAR.  I will miss her deeply in my life. Sharon celebrated her 82 birthday on March 1, 2023…the last time I spoke with her. 

Her sons asked that anyone who has connections with the organizations Sharon enjoyed being involved in to help by notifying them of her passing. Thank you.

With sadness,

Margie

Tri-City Genealogical Society Facial Recognition Programs

by Charles Hansen

  Please join us for Tri-City Genealogical Society’s May General meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10 at the East Benton County Historical Society Museum (EBCHS).  The EBCHS is located at 205 W Keewaydin Dr, Kennewick, WA 99336.  Ryan Bennett, EBCHS Museum photo archivist and local historian, will demonstrate MyHeritage and Google Photos visual and facial recognition programs and will discuss other paper and digital tools for attendees who may not be familiar with the family search resources of the museum.  See below for additional information about the Museum.

  Also upcoming will be a talk on June 14 by Margie Belden on Taking the Next Step in Your Genealogical Research – location to be announced.  Please mark your calendars.

Fun Nights Ahead at the Museum at Keewaydin

East Benton County Historical Society (EBCHS) Museum at Keewaydin and the Tri-City Genealogical Society (TCGS) will be joining together to host a lecture on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 7pm to discuss some tools for those who are interested in family history.

MyHeritage is a web-based and phone-based genealogical app that has robust family search tools in addition to DNA testing. They also have great photo tools that use the power of artificial intelligence to colorize and animate photos giving life to old photos.  

Ryan Bennett, EBCHS Museum photo archivist and local historian, will demonstrate MyHeritage and Google Photos visual and facial recognition programs and will discuss other paper and digital tools for attendees who may not be familiar with the family search resources of the museum. 

It is a goal of the museum to see increased partnership with organizations like TCGS. Individuals interested in recording and saving their family history greatly enriches the community’s historical knowledge.  

This lecture will be just one part of the “Say Yes” exhibit that will look at wedding dresses and wedding related items from the museum’s permanent collection.  Wedding photos, stories and oral histories from local families will also be available.

This wedding dress exhibit will close out with a special movie night on Friday, June 23rd at 7 pm, featuring the Fred Astaire classic film Royal Wedding. This great movie from 1951 is a fun musical romp that is very loosely based on the life of Fred Astaire and his real-life sister Adele who married Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish in 1947.  

—

Heritage Quest Research Library Between a Rock & a Hard Place

by Charles Hansen

Tina Beaird is the owner of Tamarack Genealogy and is a Genealogy & Local History librarian at the Plainfield Public Library in Plainfield, IL. She holds a Masters of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University. Tina has won multiple research and digitization grants to preserve and digitize historic documents and photographs.
Between a Rock & a Hard Place:
Overturning Every Stone to Break Through Your Brick Wall.

Whether due to a courthouse fire, natural disaster or late records collection date; each of us has that one ancestor, place or era where the records remain steadfastly elusive. Tina will share success stories and offer tips and strategies to break through that brick wall and find that elusive ancestor.

When:
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Where:
via ZOOM
Cost:
$20 Members
$25 Non-members
Sign-up & Payment:
Go to hqrl.com
then proceed to
HQRL Store
(sign in as a member to get the discount)
A link will be sent to your email the Tuesday before the class.
Please check your spam and promotions files for emails.
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Our mailing address is:
Heritage Quest Research LIbrary
1007 Main St
Sumner, WA 98390-1412

Let’s Talk About: Little, Local Societies

by Donna Phillips

I think most every county in Washington has a genealogical society; some have more than one. Each one of these groups was established for two reasons: to help members with finding their family history, and to keep a library or collection of local resources with which to offer that help.  Do not overlook what can be found locally in a smaller, local society. 

Burlington, in Skagit County, Washington, began as a logging camp in 1882 and was officially incorporated in 1902. That’s a long-time history! The city sits near the Skagit River, which has a history of flooding, but the city bounced back after a terrible flood in 1909 and is a sweet little place to visit today. When I visited with this group, several members told me the stories of how their recent ancestors had moved there from the midwest, lured by lumbering jobs. 

The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society was established in 1987 “to promote and preserve family history,” especially in their area. SVGS maintains an extensive collection of genealogy reference books in the Burlington Public Library. Are you needing research help in Skagit County? Do contact the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society. As a bonus, Burlington is just a tad north of the Skagit Valley tulip explosion; time your trip to enjoy the blooms and visit Burlington and other nearby places in Skagit County. 

After my time with the SVGS group, I took the ferry to Port Angeles to visit family. Thinking of small places as I drove west,  I saw two place-name signs I’d never seen before. One directed folks to turn left for the town of Big….. could find nothing for that town but Big Lake is a designated place in Skagit County. Big, Washington; interesting designation.


Beaver is an unincorporated community in Clallam County on the Olympic Peninsula, settled in the early 1900s. Wikipedia designated it as “one of the wettest places in the contiguous U.S. with an annual rainfall of 121 inches.” Yikes.  Anybody’s ancestor from Beaver, Washington?? I wonder why they left? (smile)
I’ve been to Joyce, in Clallam County. This townlet was founded in 1913 by Joseph Joyce and is 16 miles west of Port Angeles. The historic general store there opened n 1911 and is still offering refreshments to travelers today. Interesting trivia: as there is only one road into town, residents are very aware of  the possibility of a catastrophic earthquake happening (the town sits on the Cascadia subducton zone) and have extensive emergency and survival planning in place. Good for them! 

Pioneer Pursuit Roundtable Answers Questions

by Roxanne Lowe

Participants in the recent WSGS Pioneer Pursuit Roundtable heard details about the program from how the applications should be completed to how the data are reviewed. Using the Pioneer Pursuit web pages as a starting point, listeners were walked through each step of the process to document every man, woman and child that lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889.

After the presentation, an open Q&A period answered specific questions in more detail. The roundtable was recorded and is available here. Note: If you are asked for a password, it is Dj%t1tfJ.

The contest runs from November 1, 2022 until October 31, 2023. For more information, email WAPioneerPursuit@gmail.com. 

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Legacy Family Tree SIG Group Meeting May 2nd at 7:00 PM

This month we will discuss what we know about Legacy and what we would like to learn next. There will be time for folks to ask questions and share how they have been using Legacy to organize their genealogy research. I will share some links to support documents that were provided by the Legacy Users Group on Facebook.

Your attendance and participation are greatly appreciated!

Topic: TPCGS Legacy Family Tree Special Interest Group Meeting

Every month on the First Tuesday at 7:00 PM Pacific Time

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYpfuyuqDovHNwtBgxtQjWKOjDQ8k5Q9bPD/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqjIvHNKUtR-PRpwQBor4Z-7wpn5Ygo1KiD3iGzRiaDTdGehmA-p0RemJ

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495661568?pwd=dy85YmluVzF5aEU4SzFTcTUrVDlTUT09

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568

Passcode: 715731

One tap mobile

+12532050468,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US

+12532158782,,82495661568#,,,,*715731# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location

        +1 253 205 0468 US

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 824 9566 1568

Passcode: 715731

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcphK19I1E

2023 International German Genealogy Partnership Conference

by Charles Hansen

JUNE 9-11, 2023

Counting down and looking forward

According to the IGGP 2023 clock, we’re about 45 days from the opening of the conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and online. If you’re still thinking about registering, now’s the time!

We keep saying connection is our brand, and the conference backs that up. Almost 30 Connection sessions on all areas of German research. These peer-to-peer sessions bring together folks interested in the same topic. This year is certainly the most comprehensive schedule of Connection sessions we have offered. But even more, those who have volunteered to facilitate the sessions are experienced researchers from many parts of the German world. The easy way to see who they are:

Go to the "presenters" page on iggp.org

Scroll down to "Connection session facilitators"

Click on the photo to see a bio

IGGP 2023 is fortunate to have a number of “on-demand” presenters who agreed to record their presentations. That’s another 50+ presentations that address a range of topics we could not pass up. To extend the value of your registration, we will be scheduling live question and answer sessions with many of these presenters in the weeks after the conference ends. This is another value-add to the conference.

Then there’s the exhibitors both on-site and virtual who all have stories to tell.The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library to roam and research in, the Germanfest a short walk from the conference with music and food and fun, and everything else you can squeeze into a weekend in Fort Wayne.

If you know a librarian or archivist who helps patrons with genealogy questions, encourage them to sign up for Librarians’ Day on Thursday, June 8. Experts will share information on where to find the resources to do German genealogy. Why not donate their registration? It’s only $10!

Hope to see you in June. Questions may be sent to info@iggp.org. Take a look at our newsletter, Partner Zeitung, for lots more about what you’ll find at the conference.

The traveling exhibit will be one of two at the IGGP 2023 conference.
More on iggp.org
Check out the presenters and the schedule and then register to attend in-person or virtually.

Copyright (C) 2023 International German Genealogy Partnership. All rights reserved.

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International German Genealogy Partnership
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c/o Minnesota Genealogy Center
Mendota Heights, MN 55120-1367

Let’s Talk About: “Old Ironsides” Visited Washington

by Donna Phillips

 The historic wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate, was built in Boston and launched in 1797. Did you know it is still a commissioned vessel of the modern U.S. Navy? 

Named by President George Washington, the Constitution is most famour for her actions against the British Navy during the War of 1812. She earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” in an engagement with the HMS Guerriere when her thick, oak hull sustained relatively minor damage from the Guerrier’s  cannon balls. 

You can read six pages of history on this great old ship on www.historylink.org (our Washington State history site). 

“On May 31, 1933, the historic frigate USS Constitution arrived at the Port of Seattle. After making a grand circuit of Elliott Bay, “Old Ironsides” was moored at Pier 41 in Smith Cove. This was part of a three-year tour around the United States, a public “thank you” to everyone who, from 1925 to 1930, helped raise almost $1 million ($18 billion today) to completely restore the deteriorating vessel.” Some 84,000 people toured the ship in Seattle.
She then made her way up the Washington coast, stopping in Bremerton, Tacoma, Everett, Bellingham, Anacortes, Port Angeles and Port Townsend before heading south for stops along the California coast. She wintered in San Diego before heading back to Boston where she now is permanently moored. As a still-commissioned vessel, she floats IN the bay, not stuck in a concrete bay. 


Don’t we just love our Washington State history tidbits???