Seattle Genealogical Society News

by Charles Hansen

VOLUNTEERS OF THE QUARTER
CARY BRIGHT & CRAIG GOWENS

Each quarter the Seattle Genealogical Society recognizes one member as our volunteer of the quarter. For the Fall Quarter 2021, we are recognizing the team of Cary Bright and Craig Gowens, co-leaders of the DNA SIG.  

Ceil Rogers, SGS Director of Education, announced these two were chosen because “They have led the way and set the example for keeping SGS’s special interest groups active during the pandemic.”  

Cary has been an SGS member for 21 years and has co-chaired the DNA group since 2009, inspired, she says, “by the vision of the late Jim Gunderson.” She added she is deeply grateful for all the knowledge her other co-chairs, Herb McDaniels followed by Craig Gowens, have shared over the years.

Cary Bright enjoys finding tools for different learning styles and says “I love working with adult learners.” For her, the greatest satisfaction comes when helping someone find resources that dovetail with how they process information. “Embrace how you learn and find tools that work with your learning style,” she advises.

Over time, group members have expanded their comfort zone working with DNA results. “What was once daunting is grasped as we all learn together,” Cary said. “The deer-in- the-headlights looks are fewer. … I love the success stories we hear about from group members.” She recommends that anyone wanting to learn about DNA should seek out knowledge in blogs, YouTube videos and online classes.

“DNA matches are just another resource to prove or disprove a connection to an ancestor,” Cary says. “Easily missed, but a great facet of proof when the matches align at the right time and testing company!”

Craig Gowens is a Texas transplant with deep Southern roots. He joined SGS shortly after moving to the Seattle area from Austin, Texas, back in March 2019. In Texas, he had been active in DNA groups of both the Austin and Williamson County genealogical societies, so it was natural for him to approach Cary Bright offering to help. “She immediately put me to work and just a few weeks later I gave a presentation at that June’s SGS DNA SIG meeting,” Craig recalls.

As someone who works from home, Craig thinks “Participating in organizations like SGS provides me with the social interaction I lack from a workplace environment. I like meeting new people and discussing, learning, and teaching concepts and techniques.”

Craig has been into genealogy since childhood. His father was interested in it and he would accompany his father to the library and help out.

Both of Craig’s parents have deep Southern roots, going back to the mid-1800s in the southern Ozarks of Arkansas and the hills and hollows of central Tennessee. His most recent discovery involved using DNA to piece together the family of his 3rd great grandmother, Lucy Smith. The courthouse of the county of her birth had gone up in flames so there were few records to go by. After much analysis of information gleaned from 320 DNA matches, Craig was able to narrow down that his ancestor was one of six sisters born between 1818 to 1832 in Georgia or Tennessee. “This type of genealogy would have been impossible even 10 years ago,” he says.

When he’s not digging into DNA, Craig can be found shooting photos in National Parks and other natural areas.

FROM OUR SGS PRESIDENT, 
REOPENING ANNOUNCEMENT!

Beginning on Monday, 8 November 2021, the SGS Library will be open at its new location at the Good Shepherd Center on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Due to COVID restrictions, we are limiting the total number of people in the space to six, which means we are limited to four library patrons on Mondays and Tuesdays and five patrons on Fridays and Saturdays. We will also continue to require visitors to wear masks while in the building.

Because we need to limit the number of people in the space at any one time, please call ahead to see if the library is already at or near capacity before you come down. We have the same phone number:  (206) 522-8658.

NOTE: There is a possibility that we will not have our connection with Family Search in place when we reopen (network assignment issues); therefore, if you want to use our Affiliate Library status to access locked materials, you should call before you come in.

See the SGS website for directions to our new location and parking information. 

And welcome back!

Jim Secan
President, Seattle Genealogical Society

* SAVE THE DATE *

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State, 
“Jewish Genealogy in the Germanies” with Roger Lustig, 
Monday, November 8, 2021, Via Zoom
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PDT

Roger Lustig is an expert on general German Jewish research and history. He is also a native German speaker.

The Germany where your ancestors lived is not the Germany of today. Before unification in 1871, Germany was more a concept than a state. It was composed of dozens of kingdoms, duchies, and principalities large and small. People doing non-Jewish research in the Germanies will get an incredible amount of information out of Roger’s talk, too. 

The Zoom meeting doors will open at 5:30 pm for networking. 

Roger’s presentation will begin at 6:00 pm. This presentation is free.  All are invited. Registration is required.  To register, visit the JGSWS website: 

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

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS*

Coming up, the SGS Library has new hours and a new location. We are in the process of moving. Please visit the SGS Website for details. We recommend you plan your visit and call ahead – 206 522-8658. 
** Always check the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links and for any last minute updates or changes to the schedule.  Wednesday, Nov 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,  Nov 6, 2021, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly, 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 join the mailing list? Email Lou: loudaly@nwlink.com

Sunday, Nov 7 , 2021, 1:00 pm-3:00pm, 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, Nov 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 welcome. No appointment necessary. 

Wednesday, Nov 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, Nov 10, 2021,   7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, MAC Computer SIG ,  Jointly sponsored by the Fiske Library and SGS this group meets every other month on the second Wednesday of the month. Meetings address topics and resources helpful for those using MacIntosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion program in their genealogy research. Visit the SGS website Calendar of Events for instructions on joining the MAC email list.  

Thursday, Nov 11, 2021 and Friday, Nov 12, 2021, 10:00 am-4:00 pm,
Huge Book Sale at SGS Sand Point Way NE location, 
* Members Only on Thursday from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm 
** General Public invited to join in from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Thursday
     and from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Friday 
***  See “Tip of the Week” below for all details 

Saturday, Nov 13, 2021, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series: Indirectly Evident: Finding William’s Parents, with Debbie Wilson Smyth. When no known records exist to identify the parents of an individual, a researcher may use indirect evidence to build a proof argument. This presentation offers a case study using indirect evidence to identify the parents of William Graham of Meigs County, Ohio.

Wednesday, Nov 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.

Sunday, Nov 21, 2021,   1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New,  Jill Morelli will present “Family Search: The Other 95%”. Visit the SGS website Calendar for all the particulars. 

Tuesday, Nov 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 welcome. No appointment necessary. 

Wednesday, Nov 24, 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.

South King County Genealogical Society November Happenings

by Charles Hansen


NOVEMBER 2021 MEETINGS & EVENTS

Be in the know! Receive notices for our virtual meetings, as well as the latest genealogy news and tips, by subscribing (free) to the online group at https://skcgs.groups.io

Skcgs.groups.io is the SKCGS online discussion and collaboration arena where:

  • we communicate and share information with each other
  • other than your email, you are not required to provide personal information
  • you can unsubscribe at any time

PROGRAM UPDATES

  • IMPORTANT: Be sure to check meeting invitations for updated Zoom meeting links this month
  • All meetings except the Research Group are virtual
  • Live transcription (captioning) is available during our Zoom meetings by request


Friday, November 5, 2021, 12:30pm-2:30pm PT
German Interest Group (EGS) (virtual)
The topic will be “Learning about my Oswald and Rendtorff Ancestors.” Speaker Janice Leitzke highlights discoveries made while researching the German branch of her family tree. Visitors are always welcome and can request an invitation via Contact tab on the website no later than 2 days prior to the meeting: https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com/

Saturday, November 6, 2021, 10:00am PT
Family Tree Maker Users Group (virtual)
Question & Answer. Each month, we will learn about using the features of FTM. Go to https://skcgs.groups.io/g/FTMUG for meeting link, meeting reminders and discussion.

Monday, November 8, 2021, 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT
GG/DNA (virtual)
DNA groups at FamilyTreeDNA, Gedmatch, Facebook and YFull
A survey of the various types of DNA groups, and how they can help you in your research. Go to https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy for meeting link, meeting reminders and discussion.

Monday, November 15, 2021, 1:00pm – 3:00 pm PT
Technology User Group (virtual)
How Do I Stay on Track? Research Plans and Research Notes 
Sometimes you find a gold mine of information! How do you stay on track? How do you note these goldmine records so you can return to mine it later? Or when you are beating your head against a brick wall? Go to https://skcgs.groups.io/g/TUG for meeting link, meeting reminders and discussion.

Friday, November 19, 2021, 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT
Research Group (in-person)
For SKCGS members
Kent Family History Center 12817 SE 256th St., Kent, WA
Seating is limited
RSVP REQUIRED to Winona at w.laird@skcgs.org

Saturday, November 20, 2021, 9:30am PT social time; 10:00am – 11:30am PT program
SKCGS General Meeting (virtual)
Melinda Kashuba presents “Using Maps in Genealogical Research”

This lecture presents several types of maps that are valuable to genealogical pursuits. Maps obviously help us identify where a place is located. There are many other things maps can help us achieve: visualize past environments, document boundary changes, show the locations of cemeteries, churches, schools, suggest migration routes, and assist us in critically analyzing records. A variety of maps that are helpful in genealogical research will be discussed as well as methods to locate them.

Melinda Kashuba is a professional genealogist and owner of Kashuba Research Services, a genealogical and historical research company. Her popular book, Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography, joins a long list of articles in numerous genealogical magazines and other publications. She teaches throughout the United States and is a Course Coordinator and faculty member at IGHR and faculty member at SLIG.


Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvduuvqjkvEtHYjHYOG_f2wG4PSXL075Oz
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
NOTE: Session will be recorded and available to SKCGS Members for playback in the Members Only section on our website. The syllabus will only be available for non-members during the meeting. If you’re not already a SKCGS member, consider joining for access to this material and more!  

Monday, November 22, 2021, 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT

Genealogy Chat (virtual)

Meet up and chat about genealogy subjects and topics. We have no agenda; we just like one another! Go to https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Society for meeting link, discussion and meeting reminders.

———————-

MEMBERSHIP:  We welcome guests to our meetings and special interest groups, which are free. Naturally we hope that visitors will want to become members. Support like yours helps us to educate and engage with our community to foster interest in family and local history. Regarding our programs, even if and when we can meet again in person, we will continue with some virtual programs. You can find more information about membership at our website at http://skcgs.org/membership.

MyHeritage New Collections of French Records

by Charles Hansen

You may recall that 3 weeks ago, MyHeritage published 463 million French historical records that were previously exclusive to Filae — the leading French genealogy company that we recently acquired. This week, we’re thrilled to announce the publication of 22 million additional records from Filae.

These 8 new collections include census, military, and burial records, and they cover centuries of French history and many French departments. They serve as an excellent complement to the vital records and censuses released last month, and further solidify MyHeritage’s position as the go-to resource for anyone interested in learning more about their European ancestors.

You can read more about the new collections and view some fascinating sample records from them in this blog post. Feel free to use the attached graphic when spreading the word!

Reminder: MyHeritage is providing free access to all death records added to MyHeritage before October 2021. This ends tomorrow November 2!
Search free death records on MyHeritage

Enjoy,

Daniel Horowitz Genealogy Expert

MyHeritage Ltd.,
P.O.Box 50, 3 Ariel Sharon Blvd.,
Or Yehuda, Israel

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Using Occupations to Trace Ancestors

by Charles Hansen
Ann Lawthers-Using Occupations to Trace Ancestors

Saturday, November 6

Ann Lawthers

Using Occupations to Trace Ancestors  (EWGS Meetings)

12:30 pm to 3:00 pm Meeting via Zoom  

Ann Lawthers, Genealogist with NEHGS, will present: Using Occupations to Trace Ancestors Many family historians spend years searching for the births, marriages, and deaths of ancestors, but the details of our forebears’ daily lives can often elude us. Learning your ancestors’ occupation not only sheds light on their day-to-day activities, but can also assist when tracing ancestors on the move, help distinguish people of the same name in a community, and lead to new record sets. 

Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Jewish Genealogy in the Germanies

by Charles Hansen
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State proudly presents
“Jewish Genealogy in the Germanies” by Roger Lustig,
Consultant/Genealogist/Translator
DATE: Monday evening, November 8, 2021,
Presentation from 6 – 8 p.m. Pacific Time, via Zoom (note earlier than usual start) This free online meeting will be open between 5:30 – 6 p.m. PT for networking. Registration for this meeting is required:
1) To register for this Zoom meeting, click on this link or copy it into your web browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qc-mtqTsvEtbX5zA7P5kNl5ePxVbhaGeO
2) You will be prompted to enter your name and email address and, when you hit enter, you will automatically be sent an email with the Zoom meeting link.





ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
The Germany where our ancestors lived is not the Germany of today. Its boundaries have changed markedly over time. Before its unification in 1871, Germany was more a concept than a state, composed of dozens of kingdoms, duchies, and principalities large and small. Each of these states had its own laws and attitudes toward Jews. To do research in “Germany,” one must know which places belonged to which state at a given time, the legal status of Jews there, and the records that they kept. Germany has an enormous wealth of records pertaining to Jews, especially after 1800, but there are no simple, global rules for using them.
This talk works backwards from today’s Germany to the early 19th century, emphasizing historical events and their impact on Jewish life, and the way records were kept. Where (in what states) were my ancestors located and what was the legal status of Jews there? What records exist and were kept where? To properly research Jewish records there, you will need to answer these questions. Here is your opportunity to learn from an expert in German-Jewish genealogy!


ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Roger Lustig is a consultant and family history researcher based in Princeton, NJ. He is one of the long-time leaders and expert research coordinator of JewishGen’s German Research Division (formerly GerSIG, the German-Jewish Special Interest Group). He is an expert on general German Jewish research and history and specializes in the parts of Prussia that became Polish in the 20th century. Roger is a native speaker of German and has had extensive experience with different types of old German handwriting and print and the information contained in handwritten records. He has researched in libraries and archives across Germany and Poland, and transcribed countless vital records, with many from West Prussia and Upper Silesia. Roger has worked in archives in the US, Germany, and Poland and advises museums and civic groups. Additionally, he has developed databases and contributed over 25,000 records to JRI-Poland, while keeping abreast of research concerning all the former and current German-speaking areas.

Jewish Genealogical Society
of Washington State
JGSWS, P.O. Box 53102, Bellevue, WA 98015

MyHeritage Free Death Records

by Charles Hansen

I’m writing to let you know that we’re opening up all the death records added to MyHeritage before October 2021 for free access during the week of Halloween, from October 27–November 2, 2021!

Search the records now

9335_Free Death records image_753_463

From last Halloween until the beginning of October, we added more than 37 million records to an already enormous collection of death records, burial records, cemetery records, and obituaries — bringing the total to 586,664,785 records. 11 collections were added or updated, including collections from Brazil, New Zealand, the United States, Poland, France, and more.

I invite you to share the news with your followers so they don’t miss this opportunity. Click here to read our blog post about this limited-time offer, and feel free to use the attached graphic when spreading the word.

Enjoy the records! I look forward to hearing about your new discoveries.

Best regards and stay safe,

Enjoy,

Daniel Horowitz

Genealogy Expert

Heritage Quest Research Library How to Find Your Revolutionary War Patriot

by Charles Hansen
How To Find Your Revolutionary War Patriot

November 4, 2021
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
with
Ann Crawford, Past Registrar DAR,
Mary Ball Chapter
ZOOM
Sign-up and Pay:
Come into HQRL in Sumner
1007 Main Street
Sumner WA 98390
Or
Call 253-863-1806
Members; $10.00 – Non-Members; $15.00
Deadline for sign-up & payment: October 28, 2021
A link will be sent to your email the day before the class. If less than 5 sign up it will be canceled and you will be notified.  
Copyright © 2021 Heritage Quest Research LIbrary, All rights reserved.
You have told us that you want to receive our news and updates from our library.

Our mailing address is:
Heritage Quest Research LIbrary1007
Main StSumner, WA 98390-1412
Add us to your address book

Deadline for Supportive Grant Application is Oct. 31

by Roxanne Lowe

Societies: The application deadline for WSGS’s new Supportive Grant is Sunday, October 31. Societies are urged and encouraged to submit applications for one of the two $250 grants designed to fill a societal need or support a special project.

The simple application is only one page and is available here. There is also additional guidance on the program. For more information, visit our website at http://www.wasgs.org/cpage.php?pt=49.

Questions should be directed to Info@wasgs.org. Please note “Supportive Grant” in the Subject Line. The winners will be announced on November 11, 2021.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week Learn the Leeds Method

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
LEARN THE LEEDS METHOD
WITH A VIDEO 
The Leeds Method is simple, useful, and visual. After doing it once, you might comment “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?”. This method can be especially helpful for an adoptee or for someone with an unknown parent or grandparent. 

In the Leeds Method you are organizing your DNA matches; therefore, generating hints for yourself by grouping your DNA matches according to shared (in common) DNA. Your matches are color coded and displayed in columns in a table.

In the purest form you will end up with 4 columns, each representing one of your grandparents’ family line. Then you must further evaluate each column of shared DNA matches by doing traditional genealogy.

You can learn the steps and  more about the Leeds Method at Dana Leeds’ website:
https://www.danaleeds.com/

But, since the Leeds Method is so visual, why not get a quick start by watching Dana’s presentation at RootsTech 2019.  In the video, she is the third speaker in the hour-long Power Hour Session entitled “You Can Do DNA”. In this video, there are 3 speakers and 3 subjects:

 “Do: The Right Test”  with Christi Jacobsen
   “Do: Understand Your Ethnicity” with Diahan Southard
   “Do: Work on Your Matches” with Dana Leeds

Watch the entire video or skip to about 40 minutes to see Dana’s presentation.

Here’s the link:
https://www.rootstech.org/video/you-can-do-dna?lang=eng