I’m excited to share that in honor of Australia Day, MyHeritage is offering free access to all 95 million of our records from Australia!
Over the past few months, MyHeritage has added more than 25 new collections from Australia, bringing our total of Australian collections to 288. These collections come from all over the country and include birth, marriage, death, naturalization, military, passenger lists, and more types of records, and many include high-quality scans of the originals. One recently added collection, Australia, New South Wales, Gaol Inmates & Photos, includes stunning photographs of inmates who served in prison from 1870 to 1930. In some cases, they are the only photos of these individuals that exist.
Be sure to spread the word to your friends and followers with family connections Down Under so they get the chance to browse this unique collection at https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-Australia/ and find information about their families in records from Australia — totally free! Read more about this offer on our blog, and feel free to use the graphic below.
By the way, it’s not only Australians who can benefit from recent additions to MyHeritage. During the last two months of 2022, we added an astonishing 67 record collections containing a total of 65 million collections from all over the world! You can read more details on our blog.
Beginning Your Family Story Part B You have decided to take on this role as Family Historian, so now what? What about those family heirlooms? Roadblocks and how to avoid them. What to find at a research library.
Beginning Genealogy: Session II Now that you have made it through the Beginning Genealogy Class it’s time to gather the family lore, documents, family treasures and begin to build your Family History. Was that story about walking to school up-hill both ways really true?
Join us: Thursday, February 2, 2023 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM ZOOMFREE!
You can sign-up at: www.hqrl.com Go to the HQRL STORE A ZOOM link will be sent to your email 2 days before the class.
Here I stand between a nun buoy and a can buoy. I knew buoys (whether ocean, lake or river) came in red and green and that was about it. The plaque below reads:
“Buoys are floating navigational aids that mark channels, hazards and prohibited areas and also help navigators locate their position. Buoys are coded by color, shape and numbers. They are moored to the bed of a waterway by chain or rope to concrete sinkers. Nun buoys are red with cone-shaped tops. They mark the right side of a waterway when entering a channel from the sea. Nun buoys carry even numbers. Can buoys are green and are square or shaped like a large can. They mark the left side when entering a channel from seaward. Can buoys carry odd numbers.”
Capt. Kelly explained all this to us (a rapt audience) and then with a smile told of how buoys get “whacked” by ships or barges and float loose……… to end up on the sand or even up in the trees during high water. He said at one point there was a program for folks to rescue and return for a bonus these stranded buoys. “But soon that program had to be abandoned,” he said, “because the buoys were disappearing from the river.” (Think about it. 🙂
Dave Obee will present a program using Google for Genealogy research for the Thursday February 9, 2023 Zoom meeting of the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society
Mr Obee is an award winning international researcher, Author, Editor, publisher and public speaker.
The public is invited to join the Zoom meeting that will open at 6:30 pm for welcome of visitors and announcements. Program will start at 7:00 pm. For a Zoom link contact
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, 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 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Carolyn has been the editor of our monthly newsletter since joining MCGS in 2020, after moving here from North Carolina. Although she has no family history in our state, she jumped in and started researching articles from the local paper dating back to 1889. She painstakingly created abstracts of any article that included a specific person’s name, then included a surname index at the back of every newsletter issue. She also carefully itemized a list of Mason County birth and death registers, justice dockets, homestead patents and many more records on FamilySearch that could be abstracted. This project has been a wonderful way for MCGS members to participate during the past two years while staying at home. The society newsletter, which is now over 20 pages long, has grown to be a valuable resource for anyone researching Mason County records.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award.”
(Sign on lamp post in downtown Hannibal; it reads: “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” )
It was a really, really windy day when our cruise ship ported at Hannibal, Illinois. I put on every jacket and shirt I had and out I went………could not miss the opportunity to visit Mark Twain.
I enjoyed the Mark Twain museums (there were two), touring the Thatcher home and just trying to “feel” being there.
I shall not go into his biography for I’m guessing that’s pretty well known. One of his favorite homilies was that he was born in 1835 when Halley’s Comet could be seen and held onto life until 1910 so he could go out with it.
His personal life was a rather sad affair. He married Olivia Langdon, who died six years before him. Their first child, Landon Clemons, died at age one. Their first daughter, Olivia Susan, died at age 23. Next child was Jane who passed the year before her father. Only Clara was left, living to 1962. Her daughter, Nina, never married, so Samuel Clemons has no direct descendants.
I never had read any of his books (yes, where have I been all my life?) so bought a book containing five of his best known stories. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a revolutionary book that still holds much relevance today. The powerful friendship of young Huck and runaway slave Jim highlighted many of the great racial injustices of the past and has astounded generations of readers the world over. It was a darn good read.
Gotta love some of his quotes:
“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”
“When in doubt‚ tell the truth.”
“If you tell truth you don’t have to remember anything.”
Topic: “How to get Research Help at FamilySearch.org – with emphasis on Germanic research
Come discover what free research help is available at FamilySearch.org. This class will demonstrate how to access and use several FamilySearch resources designed to help you work through your genealogical challenges. Regardless of your research experience or ability, these resources can help you break through the brick walls found in every family tree.
Presenter: Becky Adamson
Becky graduated from BYU-Idaho with an AAS degree in Family History. She is currently enrolled at Strathclyde University, where she has earned her Certificate in Genealogical, Paleographic & Heraldic Studies and is pursuing her Diploma and Masters in the same field of study. She has a passion for United States and British research and is accredited through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen®) in Scotland research. She is currently working towards her accreditation in the Upper South, United States region. Becky is a Research Specialist on the VIP Hosting and Research Services team at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Early in our virtual meeting experiences of 2020 we began attracting visitors from around Washington State as well as other parts of the United States. Among our visitors was Ron Sailer, a neighbor from the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society in Lynnwood, just north of Seattle.
Ron shared information that his great grandfather was buried in the pioneer cemetery here in Auburn and gave us information regarding research that had been done.
In February, 2021, we did a blog about the research that had been done, quite extensively, and that more newspaper articles had become available thus showing the progress of research possibilities.
A few months ago MaryLynn made contact with Ron again when she found a common link at WikiTree. Small world!
Valorie received The StillyGen newsletter [1] in early January 2023, and read with shock:
Sno- Isle Genealogical Society Mourns
Recently, news came from Sno-Isle G. S. of Lynnwood that a serious auto accident took the life of their greatly admired President, Ronald Sailer; on November 15th. Everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Ron thought of him as “one of the good guys”. His kind and thoughtful demeanor made all who knew him look forward to the next time they’d run into him. It was obvious to any genealogist who met Ron that genealogy was a true passion for him. I was privileged to have the opportunity to interact with Ron, and I was always pleased when he would phone me and say, “Hello cousin”. It was an honor to be “family” in his eyes. We were only “cousins”, many, many times removed, on our Comstock line as I recall, but I thought very dearly of him and know that those of us who were lucky enough to have made his acquaintance will miss him and deeply feel his loss.
[unsigned article]
Valorie searched for a news story or obituary but found none. Sno-Isle GS’s website shows the office of President vacant.
On Facebook, the following information can be found at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Marysville page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/143910528983490/
Memorial service: Thursday, December 1, 2pm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Marysville
7215 51st Ave NE, Marysville, WA 98270
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his passion, Sno-isle Genealogical Society in Lynnwood, Washington
Children: Gretchen Sailer Hulitt, Tony Sailer
Hearing of Ron’s death on this first day of 2023 reminds us of how fleeting life can be. Give everyone you love a hug and a kiss whenever you can; you never know if it will be the last time.
1. Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, The Stillaguamish Star, Volume 35 No 1, Jan/Feb 2023, page 9 (Arlington, Washington : www.stillygen.org).
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, 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 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Today we’re introducing the Genealogy Center Art Committee that was nominated by the Clallam County Genealogical Society (CCGS). The team was comprised of Linda Hindes, Carol Foss, Consuelo White and Roberta Griset.
Genealogy Center Art Committee
CCGS acquired a large building for the society. After a lot of repair, cleaning and painting, it was ready for use, but had large blank walls that were not inviting. The Art Committee has filled those walls with framed historic photographs of the North Olympic Peninsula, donated framed art work offered for sale and art works produced by society members. The end result has been a fascinating pictorial study of the area, decorative art works enlivening dull meeting spaces and an opportunity for members to display their talent. Visitors to the Center always take a slow walk down the corridor of historic photos and comment on how that illustrates a part of the society’s mission to help others discover and understand their past.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award.”
Where Did I Put Great-Grampa? Organizing for Genealogists Organizing your genealogy information so that you can find what you want, when you want it can be a daunting task. Get tips on how to keep notes, records, and photos in digital and print-based formats.
WHEN: January 19, 2023 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM WHERE: ZOOM COST: $20 Members $25 Non-Members Deadline: January 17, 2023 Sign-up and payment: Go to hqrl.com then click on the HQRL STORE (You must sign in as a member to receive the discount)
Caron Primas Brennan loves history, biography, puzzles and a good mystery, which makes her perfectly suited to genealogy research. A 6th grade school project got her interested in researching her own family tree. Her special areas of genealogical interest are Colonial America, Prussian and Norwegian research along her family lines as well as DNA projects. Caron belongs to several local and regional genealogy groups as well as being a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. She has been teaching at the Newberry Library in Chicago and speaking at local libraries and genealogical societies for over ten years with consistently excellent feedback. A LINK WILL BE SENT TO YOUR EMAIL 1-2 DAYS BEFORE THE CLASS ALONG WITH ANY HANDOUTS.
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
