Let’s Talk About: Records of Death

by Donna Phillips

John Denver (real name Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.) was and will always be my favorite musical artist. Sorry; had to start this post with something. 🙂 

There are nearly 20 sources that will furnish family searchers with death information for an ancestor:

  • Sexton Records (in cemetery office)
  • Church or Religious Registers
  • Burial Permit Registers
  • Cemetery Plot Maps
  • Grave Opening Records
  • Lot Cards (in office; who’s also buried nearby)
  • Plat Records
  • Family Bible
  • Death Certificate
  • Obituary
  • Funeral Home Records
  • Transit Permits **
  • Doctor/Hospital Records
  • Coroner Records
  • Church Records
  • Military Records
  • Newspaper mentions

** A burial-transit permit, also known as a removal permit, is a legal document required to transport a deceased person’s body, especially across state lines. It essentially serves as permission to move the body to its final destination for burial or cremation. A death certificate must be completed before the burial-transit permit can be issued. 

So if you cannot find great-grandpa’s death documentation, you might try these ideas to dig a little deeper. 

Let’s Talk About: Carrousel Rings

by Donna Phillips

My son recently confessed to me. Back in about 1977, he stole some of the Spokane Carrousel rings and kept this one all these years. What was I to do but smile and grab the camera! 

Our Spokane merry-go-round opened in 1909. Besides riding round-and-round-and-up-and-down in wooden animals, a rider could stretch and reach for a ring with each circuit. If you got The Gold Ring, you won a free ride! If you plucked a dull-metal one, you tossed it into the clown’s face and tried with the next go-round. If your aim was good and you got it into the clown’s mouth, a bell would ring! 

Did you know that about 200 American towns have carrousels? The significant ones are listed in the National Register of Historic Places…. as is our Spokane Looff Carrousel. Binghamton, New York, is billed as the Carrousel Capitol of the World because they have SIX working wooden carrousels. 

There are still rings to grab for but nowadays they’re plastic (much safer for tossing) and are often colored for the season. 

Want to know more? Click to www.carrousels.org. 

Do you remember reaching for a gold ring on the Spokane carrousel? I’d love to hear your story!

As for my son and his ring; he’s put it safely in his keepsake box of treasures. Rightly so. 

Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Siblings, Friends & Enemies Collateral Research

by Charles Hansen

Siblings, Friends & Enemies: Collateral Research

Presented by Pamela Bell Dallas

Pamela will teach us some proven techniques for successful collateral research.

Date: Saturday November 01, 2025

Time: 12:30 PM to 03:00 PM

Location: The Hive (Door Code: 985426#)  

Zoom link and Handouts for this presentation will be on the website the day prior.

 at EWGSi.org

Please print your handouts at home.  

Cookies and Coffee

Free Table

Raffles

$50/50$

Let’s Talk About: Thoughts On A Silversword

by Donna Phillips

The Silversword plant mirrors the human tale. At least to me.

The silvery hairs, fleshy leaves and low-growing rosette form the Haleakala Silversword (‘ahinahina in Hawaiian) and grows only in hot, dry cinder slopes……… like the Haleakala Crater on Maui. These plants live between 3 and 90 years. They flower once, sending up a spectacular flowering stalk and then soon die, scattering drying seeds to the wind.

We humans are rather like this magnificent plant. We start as seeds, we grow in special locations for an allotted span of years and then we die. Our progeny, like Silversword seeds, have scattered to the wind.

If you go to Maui, do drive the twisty road to the top of Haleakala and take a stroll on the cinder paths among these fantastic plants.

Fort Walla Walla Camp 3 Quarter 4 Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Fort Walla Walla Camp 3– Nov 1 meeting  Press Release.
FWW 3 of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold their 4th quarterly meeting Nov 1, 2025 at  Pasco, WA  in the Air Terminal
upstairs conference room.  Member spouses and guests or public also invited.  Meeting led by Camp Commander Clifford Peterson.

 Time; is Saturday, Nov 1 at 11:30 to 12:30 For social gathering and free lunch of Pizza and salad.
Park at short term parking and bring in the parking stub for free parking validation.  Other Camp 3 info at <www.suvpnw.org>
can RSVP  number for attendance and lunch to djsuvcw@gmail.com

 At 12:30 Business meeting and election of 2026 officers. At 1:00 pm, Doug Jonas of Spokane will present an excellent program on Major Robert Anderson,
the first Civil War Commander of a Civil War battle at Fort Sumter.  The interesting  life of  Anderson will be followed from his
birth in Ky to a military family and service in the Blackhawk Indian War 1832 and Mexican  American War up to his assignment by President Buchanan
To Charleston after Lincoln’s election. Following the meeting, attendees may also choose to attend the  Pasco Aviation Museum 1.5 miles away.



Written and released by Don L Jameson  Past Camp Commander and Camp Council Chairman  Any Q on this to Don 509 945 0549 (cell)

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Chat Meeting October 2025

by Charles Hansen

Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society Genealogy Chat Meeting

Tuesday, October 21, 2025, starting at 7:00 PM via Zoom

Please join us and let’s chat! Open discussion this month. This is your chance to celebrate the breaking down of a brick wall in your research, or ask questions of others that can help you find records or relatives or talk about family history.

This is a monthly opportunity to connect with others and talk about anything and everything genealogical. The value of this meeting increases with the participation of each person that attends and contributes to the conversations. This is your chance to celebrate the breaking down of a brick wall in your research, or ask questions of others that can help you find records or relatives. Everyone, members and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate.

Meeting invite with links in file attached below.

Date & Time: Every month on the Third Tue, from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM Pacific Time

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

Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZMldOCprTsqGtSoVglOBTElUaBRgTq5IEgI/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGvpjgjG9eVsBmHRpwEGojCXevztmJfjbdukyniDw9xVib6A-NgALVLAY35

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87839130000?pwd=dGdHY2wrZ0d1bDNRTEQ4Uk15OVk0Zz09

Meeting ID: 878 3913 0000
Passcode: 836216

One tap mobile:
+12532050468,,87839130000#,,,,*836216# US
+12532158782,,87839130000#,,,,*836216# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location:
        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 878 3913 0000
Passcode: 836216

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdesX0el3t

Puget Sound Genealogical Society There are no Witches-Are there?

by Charles Hansen

Our monthly PSGS Program this month will be witches! Join us on Wed, Oct. 22 at 1pm (PT).  Our topic:   “The Witches of Salem: There are no Witches – Are there? Of course not!” with Jerri McCoy. 

 This will be hybrid. Join us in person at the Sylvan Way Library or on Zoom. No cost and open to the public.  The Zoom link will be posted the day before on our website (psgsociety.org) and
our Facebook page.

We of the twenty-first century are very much aware that hags do not fly across the moon on brooms. But in 1692 Charity and Mercy and plain good sense were all thrown into the fire of zealotry. Like Autumn brush fires, the witch hunt would swell and burn through Salem Village and neighboring towns. How were witches Identified? What happened to them? And who were those that were executed that terrible year in Salem? Come learn a little bit about them and their accusing neighbors.

Let’s Talk About: Georgia’s Virtual Vault

by Donna Phillips

If you have Georgia research to do, you must investigate the Virtual Vault, an online feature of the Georgia State Archives. This is where records of interest to genealogists are digitized and made available for research. 

The masthead of the website states that this is “your portal to success to some of Georgia’s most important historical documents, 1733 to present. The Virtual Vault gives access to manuscripts, photographs, maps, and government records. 

My research interest lies in Troup County. When I entered that into the search box, some 600 entries appeared before my eyes! I also need info from Wilkes County; wouldn’t this make your fingers twitch??

How about this category (one of 53 collections/categories):

If you have Georgia ancestry, do check out the Virtual Vault!

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Best Uses of AI for Genealogy

by Charles Hansen

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society

Best Uses of AI for Genealogy

Speaker: Mark Thompson

Friday, October 17, 2025, 10am

Meeting via Zoom only.

To receive a Zoom link, please register at bigenealogy.org

Artificial Intelligence has brought powerful new tools to family history research. AI can efficiently summarize documents, reliably extract information from large texts, and accelerate your research. These tools offer fascinating possibilities for enhancing and simplifying your family history.

On Friday, October 17th at 10AM, Mark Thompson, will come to us via Zoom, with his beginner friendly presentation, Best Uses of AI for Genealogy.

A nationally-known expert in the use of artificial intelligence for family history applications, Mark will explain how to use these powerful tools to find, analyze and organize our data. He will also highlight areas where caution is critical and traditional research methods remain essential.

You are invited to join us! No membership necessary. Go to the BIGS website to register and receive the Zoom link: bigenealogy.org/events