WSGS members are encouraged to cast their ballot for President and Secretary by 11:59 p.m., 24 Dec 2021. An email with the SurveyMonkey link was sent on 16 Dec. to your email of record. If you did not receive the email, please email Info@wasgs.org.
Even though Kathy Sizer and Roxanne Lowe are running unopposed (President and Secretary respectively), we view your vote as a vote of support for WSGS. There is also an opportunity in the ballot to make suggestions or ideas to support the society. We are reading every comment.
If you want to know more about Kathy or Roxanne, read this blog post.
Kathleen “Kathy” Weddle Sizer of Granger has been nominated to serve as WSGS President. To learn more about Kathy, click here.
Additionally, Roxanne Ferbrache Lowe of McCleary has been nominated as Secretary. To learn more about Roxanne, click here. The term of offices is 01 Jan 2022 through 31 Dec 2023.
Online voting for the slate will begin 17 Dec 2021 and run through 24 Dec. All WSGS members will receive an email with a SurveyMonkey link to their anonymous ballot. Members are asked to vote for each position. Write-in nominations are allowed.
Kathy’s statement:
Through the years it has been harder and harder to fill board positions. Many enjoy the benefits of organizations and clubs but few find the time to run for office. I am running for President to fill a need; I enjoy being the “play crew” and not the “actor” but see the need.
Washington State Genealogical Society has been a driving force for many years and can be for many more. Our focus has gone from helping form societies and hosting seminars with noteworthy speakers to being a clearinghouse promoting our many great societies here in our state and helping them to advertise their seminars, workshops and meetings. I and others have attended events other societies have put on over the years due to the fact that WSGS has promoted these events for the local societies. I wish to see this continue as each society has something to offer all of us and WSGS has made it easy for me as well as you to find events and attend those that will benefit genealogical research.
WSGS not only promotes local societies but has financially helped local societies through various grants and one-time gifts through the dues our loyal members have paid. Thank you members!
WSGS is embarking on updating the Pioneer Files for Washington State, an ambitious project but a boon for those with early families to our state. Let’s keep Washington State Genealogical Society relevant!
Roxanne’s statement:
I am a proud member of the Washington State Genealogical Society. Although the last few years have seen many changes and a few up’s and down’s, I believe the society is still relevant and supportive of local societies around the state.
We know the way we do business is changing. I will always be a strong advocate of local societies, but see a valuable role for a statewide umbrella, providing financial support, special programs, advocacy, recognition and/or communication.
Every organization is only as strong as its leadership and members. WSGS is listening to you, whether you’re in a local society or not. We want to support you in ways that are value-added to you.
I appreciate your support in being elected Secretary of the Washington State Genealogical Society.
TIP OF THE WEEK – 1950 U.S. CENSUS It’s almost here! The long awaited 1950 U.S. census will be released to the public in April 2022. FamilySearch expects it will happen on April 1st. This census will not be indexed when it is first released. The time it will take to index depends on how many volunteer for the job and how dedicated they are. The 1940 census consisted of roughly 132 million people and took 4 months to index. The 1950 census consists of approximately 150 million people.
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support the Seattle Genealogical Society and Library during our Annual Appeal this December. SGS 2021 Annual AppealDonate Now Online If you have a Paypal account, you may donate to SGS via the Paypal Giving Fund and the transaction fee will be waived. Here’s the link: Paypal Giving Fund – SGS. Thank You!
FROM OUR SGS PRESIDENT
To the SGS Membership:
A major item of concern in our recent move was what to do with the items in our collection that we were not going to keep. Following guidance from our Bylaws, we gave the genealogy group at the Seattle Public Library (SPL) the right of first refusal on all remaining items in the collection. John LaMont of SPL estimates that they have taken around 450 linear feet (shelf space) of books and periodicals to SPL. The next group given the opportunity to obtain items from the collection was our membership, which was done via a two-day bargain-basement sale that saw roughly 1,000 additional items re-homed. Other local genealogical groups were given the opportunity to obtain materials, and a few of them took us up on our offer. We have also shipped several boxes of old school yearbooks to Ancestry.com, and will be shipping several boxes of old records (obits and the like) to FamilySearch to be scanned, digitized, and made part of their collection.
Finally, the majority of remaining non-periodical items (roughly 100 book boxes) are being placed in temporary storage to be donated to the OpenLibrary program of the Internet Archive (google Internet Archive for information). This organization scans and digitizes materials donated to them, and makes the material available on their website for anyone to use. This will open up that part of our collection to the entire world of genealogy.
So, while the physical size of the SGS collection has been significantly reduced, most of what we removed from the collection lives on elsewhere, and much of that will continue to be accessible by SGS members, either at the SPL main library or online.
Jim Secan President, Seattle Genealogical Society
VIRTUAL SUNDAYS: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW DECEMBER 19 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Join in Sunday afternoon for “Using Timelines for Analysis and Correlation”, a look at various ways one can compare and contrast information by using timelines, tables, and other correlation tools. Jill Morelli, CG and former president of SGS, is the speaker. * SAVE THE DATE * Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 2nd Monday meetings 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST
JGSWS meets on the second Monday of each month, from Sept-June. Doors open at 6:30 PM unless noted otherwise. Watch their website for details on the next meeting.
McPherson County Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, Lindsborg, KS Swedish Genealogy Virtual Workshop Saturday, January 8. 2022 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST
If you are new to Swedish genealogy, or just need a refresher, this is the workshop for you. Sponsored by ArkivDigital, the leader in Swedish online records, this workshop’s featured speaker will be Kathy Meade. You may call 785 227-3595 for more information, or check out their website for additional details and registration: https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/20/old-mill-museum
AppGenInstitute, Spring Semester Course Offerings, March thru May dates, Virtual Online
Two of the founders of the Applied Genealogy Institute are names that should be familiar to you from programs you’ve attended at SGS, Jill Morelli, CG, and Mary Kircher Roddy, CG. Jill prepared the message below to introduce the upcoming classes that will be able next spring.
‘Applied Genealogy Institute is excited to announce the next series of educational offerings to the genealogical community for our Spring semester. Whether you are educational addicts like we are or one who just wants to “do it right,” you will find a course for you in the Spring offerings.
Five courses will be offered: “Foundations I: Using the Records,” “Advanced Swedish Genealogy,” “Advanced Genetic Genealogy,” “Catholic Records” and “Getting Lost in Ledgers.” Registration will open after the first of the year.
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS Take note of the SGS Library’s new location, new hours, and new rules: Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302 4649 Sunnyside Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 206 522-8658
Monday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Tuesday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Friday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
The SGS Library is open to researchers. Masks are required at all times 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 Wednesday, Dec 15, 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.
Friday, Dec 17, 2021, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Interest Group (Virtual), What’s New in Family Tree Maker: Q and A with Mark Olsen (Family Tree Maker Ambassador, MacKiev). Join Eastside Genealogical Society and SGS for an interactive Q and A session to answer all your questions about Family Tree Maker: the latest version, updates, features, and more. The discussion will include FTM partner products Charting Companion and Family Book Creator. This session is for all levels of genealogists, whether you are just getting started or very experienced.
If you want to be on the Eastside Genealogical Society Family Tree Maker Users Group email list, send your request to JanetStroebel@yahoo.com
Sunday, Dec 19, 2021, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New, Jill Morelli is the host. Visit the SGS website Calendar for details and updates. Please register in advance. The program this month is “Using Timelines for Analysis and Correlation”.
Wednesday, Dec 22, 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, Dec 28, 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 welcome. No appointment necessary.
Wednesday, Dec 29, 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, Jan 5, 2022, 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, Jan 8, 2022, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly (Virtual), Discover the many ways to use FamilySearch. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A. Want to be included on the mail listing? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com
Saturday, Jan 8, 2022, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series: Understanding & Analyzing the UK Censuses 1801-2021 with Dr Penny Walters, author of “Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy” and “The Psychology of Searching”. Registration required.
Sunday, Jan 9, 2022, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, Scandinavian Interest Group with Karen Knudson. Share information and discuss Scandinavian family research. Visit the SGS website Calendar of Events and read about the new online security measures.
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022, 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 welcome. No appointment necessary.
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2022, 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, Jan 12, 2022, 7:00 pm-9:00 am, MAC Computer Interest Group (Virtual), Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske for users of MAC (Apple) computers and the Reunion genealogy software. Co-chairs Lisa Marker and Diane Hettrick. You must be on the MAC SIG email list to join the meeting. Email macusersig@seagensoc.org to be included on the list.
Saturday, Jan 15, 2022, 10:00 am- 12:00 pm, Irish SIG is back! With Susan McKee and Jim Ryan. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Saturday, Jan 15, 2022, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, German SIG is back! With Carolyn Schott. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information.
Sunday, Jan 16, 2022, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New, Jill Morelli is the host. Visit the SGS website Calendar for details and updates. Please register in advance.
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022, 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, Jan 25, 2022, 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 welcome. No appointment necessary.
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2022, 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, Jan 29, 2022, 10:00 am-12:30 pm, DNA SIG (Virtual), with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you must be on the DNA SIG email list. Contact Cary at sgsdnasig@gmail.com to join.
Genetic genealogy is the practice of using genetic material to establish heritage. In this class students will gain knowledge on what genetic genealogy is, the practice of using DNA to identify relatives, physical heredity, mapping of the human genome, the science of DNA, using DNA to establish identity and degree of relationship in which people are related, the different types of DNA testing, and more. GENETIC GENEALOGY: Using DNA to Find Lost Family Tuesday, January 18, 2022 – 6 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, January 25, 2022 – 6 to 8 p.m. To register, contact the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Corporate and Continuing Ed program at 509.434.5162 or online at https://ccs.spokane.edu/Corporate-Continuing-Education/Personal-Enrichment Course instructor Brian Holloway spent 25 years unraveling the mystery of his father’s birth, which had been obscured by misinformation, before turning to genetic genealogy in 2013. Just four years later this century-old family mystery was solved when DNA testing led the discovery of his father’s birth certificate. Brian’s experiences offer a wealth of knowledge for others seeking to solve a mystery or overcome barriers in their family history.
I’m pleased to share that hundreds of millions of historical records have been added to MyHeritage from 3 significant collections! I invite you to share this exciting news with your audience so they can explore the collections and further their research. Here’s a quick overview of what’s new:
French Historical Records:
359 million records added
We’ve just published 359 million historical records from France from a vital records collection — including birth, marriage, and death records — and a naturalization records collection. Since mid-October 2021 we’ve added 844 million French records in total from 15 historical record collections. All these records were previously available exclusively through Filae. The new collections complement the huge French treasure trove of vital, census, military, and burial records, making MyHeritage an essential resource for anyone researching their French roots. Read more about these records in the blog post.
Update to Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1800–1947:
13.2 million records added
We’ve updated our collection of Sweden, Household Examination Books, adding 13.2 million historical records from the years 1800 to 1819. The collection now contains 158 million records spanning the years 1800 to 1947, and includes quality scanned images, and thanks to its robust index, you can follow individuals and families throughout the generations and gain invaluable insights into the lives of your Swedish ancestors. Read more about these records in the blog post or search Sweden Household Examination Books.
Update to Germany, North Rhine Westphalia (Arnsberg and Münster) Death Index, 1874–1938:
4.8 million records added
We’ve added 4.8 million historical records from the district of Arnsberg to the Germany, North Rhine Westphalia, Death Index in conjunction with the Landesarchiv Nordrhein Westfalen, the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia. The collection was initially published with 2.4 million records from the district of Münster. In future updates, the death indexes from the districts of Detmold, Düsseldorf, and Köln from North Rhine Westphalia will be added. Read more about these records in the blog post or search the collection now.
Pioneer Pavilion, 2007 Cherry Street, Ferndale, WA
We would love it if you could bring an item to display such as a family photograph, an album, or perhaps you have a story or family holiday tradition to share with the Society.
Also, our WGS Education Chair Cindy Harris checked with the Ferndale Food Bank to see what items would be helpful for them this time of year. They suggested we contribute boxed cereals, flour, and sugar. However, we are sure anything would be appreciated. If you bring something heavy, we will load it in a cart from your car, so you won’t have to carry it. Cindy will see to it that donations are delivered to the Food Bank.
There will be a drawing for a one-year subscription to Family Tree Magazine, and a surprise treat for everyone.
Please do not bring treats this year but be sure to wear your masks – all due to Covid. Coffee will be served.
We look forward to seeing you all during this festive season!
Message originally sent by: Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County from: chruth@comcast.net.
Dear Gen. Soc. Washington,
Saturday, December 11 Getting Started with HeritageQuest 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm – Via Zoom Learn to access and navigate millions of genealogy records using HeritageQuest. Preregistration Required Preregister at http://events.pbclibrary.org/node/20569
Applied Genealogy Institute, a new institute founded by three Certified Genealogists, two of whom are from Washington, is excited to announce the next series of educational offerings to the genealogical community for our Spring semester. Whether you are educational addicts like we are or one who just wants to “do it right,” you will find a course to fit your needs in the Spring offerings of AppGen. If you want to know more, check our current class offerings out at our website: https://appliedgen.institute. No, the registration window isn’t open yet, but it will be after the first of the year. Sign up for the mailing list and tell your friends.
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